Jinhao 992 Informal Review

[truthpil]

 

 

Very glad to hear about that.

IMG_1394-2.jpg

 

I'll be happy to share my experience.

 

Nice and juicy!!

[dan in montreal]

I think the pens are copies in the sense that some engineer is told to figure out how to "make a pen that looks like this" (but use off-the-shelf components for the functional parts). But making it "look like this" does not mean that much engineering thought goes into making it work like the original. I gather that the pen Jinhao copied to make the 992 had a plug in the closed end of the barrel, so the copy must have that too, but nobody figured out how to do that without having the barrel crack. I am a retired engineer and the Chinese pens do not look to me like they were designed at all. Now they do put some design work into nibs and feeds, and those seem to be much better in the current crop of Jinhaos and Wing Sungs, but we still see things like an ink level window that shows you the converter instead of the ink level, and piston fillers in which the cap posts on the filling knob instead of the barrel. But, hey, it LOOKS like the original!-) One could see this in many Chinese products sold in WalMarts long before Chinese fountain pens became common. OTOH when US designers create a product and have it manufactured in China under careful QC such goods can be both well-designed and cheap. The hard part is figuring out which products fit in that category and which were just made to look like the real thing. For now, FPN is the quality control arm of the Chinese FP industry;-)

I agree 100 per cent. That's pretty much what I was driving at. The unfortunate thing is that Jinhao has no real interest in listening to its customers. They just move on to the next "copy" and give it a number.

[truthpil]

Can anyone report on the gold trim newer version of the 992?

 

I suspect it might be improved from the original 992 because some sellers in China call it 992A. Perhaps they fixed the plug issue on this one?

 

I should have mine by the end of the week, so I'll report back after trying it out.

[IndigoBOB]

Received my demonstrator 992 today. Fitted it with TWSBI Eco nib and loaded it with Noodler's Walnut and it functions pretty well so far. Inkflow isn't as good as I like. This 992 was picky with inks I used and requires better flowing ink.

 

The design is obviously copied; it is very lovely looking.

 

It's definitely small. For me it's nothing more than a descent jotter, but at least it isn't as short as the Pilot Prera when uncapped. However, the Prera has a wider section I prefer. I do benefit from posting it.

 

For the price it's not bad, but I want to see how the Wing Sung 3003 compares (when I receive it). I like how the 3003 can fit Pilot nibs, which cost much less than spare Eco nibs.

 

I think if you can accommodate a smaller section and especially have a spare Eco-style nib, this is worth a try. I do think the nib it comes with is descent.

 

This didn't Wow me like the Wing Sung 3008 did though, which you can upgrade with a spare lamy nib for $10. It didn't come close to my reaction of the W.S. 698, which can be picked up for a very descent price with the option of swapping Pilot nibs for $10.

 

My favorite chinese pens are Jinhao x750's and x450's with Jowo nibs installed, but the 992 seems to fall short for me, and I think that is due to the size and the inkflow. Overall: it's a tad too small for me, but will make great gifts for others who have a preference for this size.

[truthpil]

Received my demonstrator 992 today. Fitted it with TWSBI Eco nib and loaded it with Noodler's Walnut and it functions pretty well so far. Inkflow isn't as good as I like. This 992 was picky with inks I used and requires better flowing ink.

 

The design is obviously copied; it is very lovely looking.

 

It's definitely small. For me it's nothing more than a descent jotter, but at least it isn't as short as the Pilot Prera when uncapped. However, the Prera has a wider section I prefer. I do benefit from posting it.

 

For the price it's not bad, but I want to see how the Wing Sung 3003 compares (when I receive it). I like how the 3003 can fit Pilot nibs, which cost much less than spare Eco nibs.

 

I think if you can accommodate a smaller section and especially have a spare Eco-style nib, this is worth a try. I do think the nib it comes with is descent.

 

This didn't Wow me like the Wing Sung 3008 did though, which you can upgrade with a spare lamy nib for $10. It didn't come close to my reaction of the W.S. 698, which can be picked up for a very descent price with the option of swapping Pilot nibs for $10.

 

My favorite chinese pens are Jinhao x750's and x450's with Jowo nibs installed, but the 992 seems to fall short for me, and I think that is due to the size and the inkflow. Overall: it's a tad too small for me, but will make great gifts for others who have a preference for this size.

You might want to try changing the converter to improve flow. Sometimes I've had flow problems with the newer Jinhao converters, namely that they seal too well and create a vacuum in some pens.

[DaveBj]

You might want to try changing the converter to improve flow. Sometimes I've had flow problems with the newer Jinhao converters, namely that they seal too well and create a vacuum in some pens.

 

Yeah, I've noticed that characteristic with my 992s -- the ink tends to wad itself around the piston end of the converter, even when the pen is nib down. I have found that gently tapping the nib a couple times (or tapping with the cap still on, if you don't want to be as gentle) moves the ink down where it belongs.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Very glad to hear about that.

IMG_1394-2.jpg

 

I'll be happy to share my experience.

Saaaayyyy!

 

I have two bodiless TWSBI nib units....when you do the swap, do you change out the nibs and the feeds, or just the nibs?

 

Thanks. Great Idea.

[IndigoBOB]

Saaaayyyy!

 

I have two bodiless TWSBI nib units....when you do the swap, do you change out the nibs and the feeds, or just the nibs?

 

Thanks. Great Idea.

 

 

Just the nibs.

 

Yah, the Eco nibs are #5 Jowo's, which I am a fan of. They really give the pen some substance, especially if the dimensions already suit you.

 

When I had to first remove the nibs from the nib units I had to let it heat up in hot water before I could pull the nib out, otherwise it was impossible or the feed was easily damaged.

Edited November 14, 2017 by IndigoBOB

[bob_hayden]

I am not seeing any 992s with gold trim on eBay USA and a search for 992A brings up zero hits. Until the cracking situation is resolved I am inclined to toss the bodies and keep the nibs rather than vice versa;-) The similar Jinhao 886 is metal (but light) and probably less likely to crack.

 

I must have a couple dozen of the recent cheap Jinhao models and 10-20% have flow problems. I have not really tried to figure out why.

[kcnib]

Mine arrived yesterday. Cleaned and inked this morning. Can't see how this would crack unless you just really turn it too tight Surprised at the build quality of this pen. Also the first pen I have ever capped. Line is a bit thicker than I expected but smooth and wet. Unreal at this price point.

[minddance]

Ink flow is super bad, despite ultrasonic bath and nib tines widened.

[truthpil]

Ink flow is super bad, despite ultrasonic bath and nib tines widened.

I'm pretty sure the problem is suction created by the converter fitting too tightly. I had that problem with a Jinhao 165. Switched to an old Jinhao converter and the problem was solved.

[IndigoBOB]

You might want to try changing the converter to improve flow. Sometimes I've had flow problems with the newer Jinhao converters, namely that they seal too well and create a vacuum in some pens.

 

 

Thank you, I'll try that. I've got quite a few that I can try. I'll give it a try soon.

[truthpil]

Well, my newest version of the 992 in gold trim arrived today and I just inked it up. Consider this an update to my first review 25 pages prior...

 

The Look

Everything is the same as on the original 992 except the trim is gold instead of silver. The nib is also two-tone with a little gold-colored plating instead of the plain steel on the original 992.

What I really hated about this pen is the hue of the red. From the photos online I assumed it would be a bright red, but actually it's a kind of creamy pinkish red that looks awful in my opinion, especially when paired with the gold trim. The color in the close-up photo below of the barrel end with plug is the true color. It may look more red in the other photos than it really is.

 

The Nib

It has the smoothest nib of any modern fine-nibbed pen I own! It's absolutely as smooth as ice or butter on hot glass. Flow is flawless as with my other 992, which is probably helped by the fact that I loaded it with wet and juicy KWZ Iron Gall Red #1. Truly, this nib is gloriously slippery smooth. When I write with no pressure (something I'm trying to train myself to do), I can't even tell there's paper under the nib.

 

The Question

And now for the question everyone wants to know the answer to: "Did Jinhao fix the cracking problem?"

 

I say yes and no.

 

Yes, in that the plug is much looser than in the original version. It's so loose in fact that I easily popped it off with my thumbnail. Consequently, there are no cracks around the place where the plug fits into the barrel, as you can kind of see in the somewhat blurry photo below.

 

What an ugly red! The plug practically came out on its own:

 

 

A crack-less barrel in the plug region:

 

 

That being said, Jinhao still didn't fix the material problem. The plastic itself is still prone to cracking and my pen came with some discolorations on the barrel which a loupe revealed are actually stress fractures of some sort (note the whitish swirl in the photo below). Although they seem to have fixed the plug tension problem, the material is still too brittle and will probably crack over extended use.

 

The little white inverted moon near the middle of the photo is some kind of damage from stress being put on the pen. There are a couple of these in different spots on the barrel:

 

 

Conclusion

Would I buy this pen again if I didn't already have one? I must reluctantly respond in the negative. The Lingmo Lorelei is much prettier, better made, and more versatile because it can take Pilot nibs. Additionally, the Penbbs 266 and 308 seem to be higher quality pens with a similar design and a swappable #5 nib (more on that once my 308 arrives). I would, however, buy some spare Jinhao 992 nibs to replace scratchy nibs in some cheap Chinese or Indian pens lying around. Thankfully the nibs are dirt cheap here in China.

 

 

 

From left to right: Original 992, Gold-trim 992, Lingmo Lorelei (blood and ice edition), Lamy Safari.

 

 

SDG

[IndigoBOB]

That conclusion says a lot.

 

I'm always looking for inexpensive alternatives to quality pens like the Pilot Metropolitan, which I would have loved if the section was a little more agreeable to me. Right now, for me, Wing Sung is the company that is filling that gap besides my Jinhao-Jowo's.

 

I'm glad you've been able to bring out discussion about these new pens.

 

I'm looking forward to your review on the PenBBS.

[truthpil]

I'm always looking for inexpensive alternatives to quality pens like the Pilot Metropolitan, which I would have loved if the section was a little more agreeable to me. Right now, for me, Wing Sung is the company that is filling that gap besides my Jinhao-Jowo's.

I know what you mean about the Metropolitan! I tried for years to deal with that sharp step but it was always uncomfortable. Finally gave the pen away last month and have no regrets about it.

 

By contrast, a Pilot medium nib (from a Kakuno, Metropolitan or Prera to match the chrome trim) in a Lorelei is a wonderful writing experience. This week my Lorelei is sporting a Penmanship nib for writing margin notes in some textbooks and it is working like a champ, no hard starts or anything.

[bob_hayden]

TruthPil, if your pen is showing stress marks you definitely should write with less pressure;-)

 

What are the experiences of others with "red" 992s? I have a 599 that is a shade in between the last two pictures. The first picture shows a color that could appeal to some as "salmon" but should not be sold as "red". I use red ink in red pens for markup but I would want an XF nib for that so I won't be ordering a red 992. For that I would agree with the other Bob that Wing Sung is the way to go in this price range. (I have a wonderful old mid-price USA Sheaffer that is XXXXF.)

 

The gold trim looks nice to me in the last photo but apparently that is not the true color of the pen so I can't tell how it would look in real life.

[truthpil]

TruthPil, if your pen is showing stress marks you definitely should write with less pressure;-)

 

What are the experiences of others with "red" 992s? I have a 599 that is a shade in between the last two pictures. The first picture shows a color that could appeal to some as "salmon" but should not be sold as "red". I use red ink in red pens for markup but I would want an XF nib for that so I won't be ordering a red 992. For that I would agree with the other Bob that Wing Sung is the way to go in this price range. (I have a wonderful old mid-price USA Sheaffer that is XXXXF.)

 

The gold trim looks nice to me in the last photo but apparently that is not the true color of the pen so I can't tell how it would look in real life.

 

Yes, it's definitely leaning in the salmon direction. It looks nothing at all like any photos from online sellers.

The red Lorelei pictured above with a Pilot Penmanship EF nib makes for a lovely grading pen! The red Safari is also one of my primary grading pens.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I guess it's only the Eco nibs that fit? Neither of my orphan 540s did. I'm still looking for a 'host body.'

[truthpil]

I guess it's only the Eco nibs that fit? Neither of my orphan 540s did. I'm still looking for a 'host body.'

Yes, among the the TWSBI nibs only the ECO ones fit. Other than that some have had success putting standard #5 nibs in the 992. The nib on this new one is so nice that I don't have any motivation to swap.