Jinhao Pens

[Bklyn]

I must ask a question of those who enjoy using Jinhao pens.

 

Do you like them because they are great (Good?) pens or do you like them because they are inexpensive pens?

 

If a Jinhao cost $70.00, would you still make the purchase?

 

I bought one and it certainly writes but it felt so strange in my hand. The word that came to mind is "crude." I also discover that I am unable to write with a pen that is made of metal. (It just makes me a bit crazy and I do not know why.) Please know that I am not being critical. I just want to know if you would like them if the were in, for example, the TWSBI price range.

Edited September 11, 2015 by Bklyn

[Arkanabar]

Is the issue one of weight, or balance, or tactile sensation, or some combination thereof?

 

Jinhaos are decent pens, but I wouldn't pay $10 or more for any of them. Of course, I'm also willing to work on my own nibs these days.

[pajaro]

My wife gave me a Jinhao X-450. I treasure this pen, because she gave it to me.

 

I would never buy one of these for any price. The cap doesn't post. The converter sucks up about to half full. The pen is heavy for me. I had to replace the nib with one from Goulet's. Now it does write a bit better.

 

I continue to treasure the pen because my wife gave it to me.

 

I am thinking she wants me to buy another Jinhao to show my enthusiasm for the first one. And I thought I was done buying pens.

[Bklyn]

Is the issue one of weight, or balance, or tactile sensation, or some combination thereof?

 

Jinhaos are decent pens, but I wouldn't pay $10 or more for any of them. Of course, I'm also willing to work on my own nibs these days.

Yes, the weight as well as the tactile sensation.

[Bklyn]

My wife gave me a Jinhao X-450. I treasure this pen, because she gave it to me.

 

I would never buy one of these for any price. The cap doesn't post. The converter sucks up about to half full. The pen is heavy for me. I had to replace the nib with one from Goulet's. Now it does write a bit better.

 

I continue to treasure the pen because my wife gave it to me.

 

I am thinking she wants me to buy another Jinhao to show my enthusiasm for the first one. And I thought I was done buying pens.

Go ahead. Buy another one!

[ScienceChick]

I buy the 599's (plastic) by the box to give to FP-curious students and have had good performance out of all of them. I think a couple of bucks each is a deal but wouldn't pay any more.

[hbdk]

Jinhaos are good pens, mostly, for the price some of them are great. I have a 601 (Sonnet clone) that writes a very smooth medium line, surely worth the $10. I also have a couple of X450s, one with an F nib that is good and one that I am still working on that will probably not turn out right ever. The X450s are not very well balanced if you post (which I always do). The 601 is very well balanced, posted or not. Last but not least my Jinaho Century which is a slightly broad medium, very smooth and well made - definitely worth the $15 (even $25 would have been fair). None of them are worth anywhere near $70 though IMHO...

[sandy101]

I like my X450 - even though it puts ink on the page like a Supertanker on the rocks spills oil.

 

Not so enamoured with my 159's. One has a cap that doesn't fit properly.

 

To be honest, with most Chinese brands I find myself ordering two pens, in the hope that I'll manage to get one that works well.

[TeaHive]

Jinhaos are "good for the price." Like said above, I wouldn't pay more than $10 for a Jinhao, as they can be hit or miss. If they came in more than one nib size, and the quality control was tighter.. I could see maybe spending up to $20. But I can think of other pens I would buy in that price range that are far more consistent.

[Renfield]

Jinhao X450 and X750 are great for the price. Even great for double or treble the price.

 

I have bought quite a number of pens that would be considered mid range such as a Parker IM Premium, Italix Parsons Essential, Faber Castell Loom and Sheaffer Prelude.

 

The X450 and X750 out perform them all by a long way. (in my opinion)

 

As they are cheap, easy to replace and fairly hardy, I would probably say they get the most use out of all of my pens.

[Arkanabar]

Yes, the weight as well as the tactile sensation.

There are other inexpensive pens to consider, in similar price ranges, that don't weigh nearly so much, and aren't made of metal. The Rosetta Explorer from ipenstore.com is one; Pilot's 78G is another. There are a bunch of decent Heros out there; I have a 10pk of Hero 616 hooded nib pens, and they're generally adequate. Singly, they go for 5-15 USD, while you can get a 10 pack for around 20 USD. The Jinhao 599 is super duper cheap and very lightweight.

 

I regard the Jinhao X450 and 159 both as absurdly heavy. Other metal pens, such as the Pilot Metropolitan, Baoer 388 and Jinhao X750, should weigh a lot less. The Pilot and Baoer both have a plastic section, and I suspect the X750 does also.

[Kiaxa]

My Jinhao 9009 is one of the smoothest pens I own (third place in fact), right up there with Lamy Al-Star and my Platinum 3776. My Jinhao 159 seems to have some good spring as well, I can go from a medium line to around a BB with some pressure. To be honest I wouldn't be adverse to trying one of Jinhao's solid 14K or even 18K nibs, I believe that they are taking this pen making thing seriously.

[Kiaxa]

Double post, sorry

Edited September 12, 2015 by Kiaxa

[fly_us]

IMO, if Jinhao tighten their QC, they could take over the fountain pen world in less than a week.

[Ink Stained Wretch]

I must ask a question of those who enjoy using Jinhao pens.

 

Do you like them because they are great (Good?) pens or do you like them because they are inexpensive pens?

 

I don't know if I like them yet or not. I've just ordered some, and I'm getting a belated education on the line here on FPN. Oh, am I getting an education here. I now think that I have paid too much for what I've bought. Time will tell. Gotta be careful about that impulse buying thing.

 

 

If a Jinhao cost $70.00, would you still make the purchase?

 

No, I definitely would not. But then I've never spent that much for a single fountain pen.

 

I see people on FPN and elsewhere complaining about their $200 fountain pens that have the same writing problems as some of the quite inexpensive fountain pens that I've bought. And then I have some quite inexpensive fountain pens that perform flawlessly.

 

How much money you spend on a fountain pen does not necessarily correlate to how well that fountain pen will write.

 

Oh, I'm hoping that my in-transit Jinhaos all work well, and that I haven't overpaid for them.

[jvcn]

I bought 8 Jinhao 599's for 18 bucks and they performed better than the only Lamy I ever had. I would definitely have paid more than 2 dollars a piece for them. While I doubt I'll ever buy a Lamy unless one is practically given away or unless I have a money back guarantee on the nib working right out of the box.

[amarjit]

if writing is smooth then it does not matter for me whether it is inexpensive local made pen or chinese brand like jinhao or expensive pens. i have ordered jinhao 126 from china and it still ib transit. Yesterday placed order for two jinhao 599.

[Bklyn]

I buy the 599's (plastic) by the box to give to FP-curious students and have had good performance out of all of them. I think a couple of bucks each is a deal but wouldn't pay any more.

Great to show them to students. What a grand idea.

[Bklyn]

I buy the 599's (plastic) by the box to give to FP-curious students and have had good performance out of all of them. I think a couple of bucks each is a deal but wouldn't pay any more.

Great to show them to students. What a grand idea.

 

IMO, if Jinhao tighten their QC, they could take over the fountain pen world in less than a week.

Agreed.

[Bklyn]

Jinhaos are "good for the price." Like said above, I wouldn't pay more than $10 for a Jinhao, as they can be hit or miss. If they came in more than one nib size, and the quality control was tighter.. I could see maybe spending up to $20. But I can think of other pens I would buy in that price range that are far more consistent.

Understood. Can you imagine them making a GREAT pen for 50.00?