Jinhao 911 Review

August 27, 2017

Introduction

Hello Good People,

I've been wanting to do some reviews for a while, to add to the general melée, but wanted to do something that has not been reviewed before, so I have two inks and a pen lined up, and this is the pen review.

[Whilst this pen does not appear in the Review Index, I have subsequently found a review on FPN: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/319628-jinhao-911-review/ C’est la vie, here’s my take anyway!]

Having looked around for a hooded pen, in the style of the Parker 51 (I have one, currently out of action due to a corroded breather tube which I’ll fix when I get a round tuit), I found this Jinhao 911 on Ebay for the magnificent sum of AUD2.22 including postage. Not expecting too much at this price point, I was pleasantly surprised when the pen arrived after the usual couple of weeks wait.

First Impressions

No fancy packaging for this pen, just a cellophane wrapper in a padded postage bag, but on opening and removing from the wrapping, I found a surprisingly well made and solid feeling pen.

Appearance & Design

As noted above, this pen is in the style of the much lauded Parker 51. It has a brushed steel body and cap, and black plastic section.

The Cap ‘jewel’ and body finial are identical, simple, flattish steel cones. The cap fits well, gripping the section firmly with very little play, and seems to seal adequately. Surprisingly, for a $2 pen, the clip is properly sprung loaded, and holds firmly without undue pressure on pocket or holder. There is no sign of corrosion/rust inside the cap, as commented on by the previous reviewer. The cap posts securely if you’re into that sort of thing.

Weight and Dimensions

I can’t find my small scales at the moment, so can’t vouch for the weight, but this is a light pen. The dimensions are as follows:

Overall length, capped: 14.2 cm (5.59")

Length, uncapped: 12.54 cm (4.94")

Max. Diameter, body: 1.07 cm (0.42")

Cap Length: 6.36.cm (2.5")

Max. Cap Diameter: 1.13 cm (0.44")

Length Posted: 15.6 cm (6.38")

So, about the same length as the ‘51’ but slimmer. It feels very comfortable in my hand.

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/305295-coral-sea-catalpa-and-violet-vote/

Filling system

The pen comes standard with Jinhao’s usual converter, which is not a bad thing, and otherwise takes international standard cartridges. Maybe I've just been lucky, but I've found the Jinhao converters to be quite reliable (I have four X750s, an X450 and a 159).

Not much more to be said about this.

Cost and Value

Did I mention this was a $2 pen? Including postage? You would have to be extremely fussy to criticise this pen given the price. I think it is exceptional value, even for a Jinhao. It is certainly a much better performer that any of the Hero 616s I’ve had (and abandoned) or the Hero 100 which I sold on. I almost prefer it to my ‘51’. Almost.

Conclusion

I'd like to wind the overall score for this pen up to 11, but the mathematician in me says that 10/10 is what it should be. That's balancing everything against the purchase price, which is really why I haven't scored the individual sections above. For $2 (including postage, did I mention that?), you can't really give this anything other than a 10 all round.

I’m likely to buy a few more of these. The price point is unbeatable, the fit and finish remarkable given the price, and the performance is more than adequate. If you like fine nibs, that is. If not, or if you don’t like hooded nibs, this is not the pen for you. Otherwise, I highly recommend this pen either for daily use, or just to keep around for trying out new inks.

Now on to the inks ...

August 27, 2017

It looks well. Thanks for the review.

September 19, 2017

Thanks for the great review. I agree that this is a great pen, especially if you are looking to try your first flighter and don't want to spend a ton. My only qualm is that the metal clutch in the cap slowly scratches the heck out of the plastic section. That ended up being a good thing for me because the section can get slippery for my sweaty fingers.