Jinhao 159

[richardandtracy]

That crest on the Jinhao Century pen looks rificulous, cheap & tacky. Maybe not too bad on this one.

 

Thanks for the review Malcy, may be putting it on my ever growing list. My only concern is the diameter of the section - can anyone measure theirs? I have just got out my Parker 100 again after a couple of years, and it feels like I'm writing with a childs training felt pen, it's so big & cumbersome, it's 12mm diameter.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[Sailor Kenshin]

this pen has become a sensation recently. the size appeals to me. thanx for the review, Malcy!

 

 

 

on a separate note:

am i the only one that dislikes the crest on the clips of these pens coming out of china? it looked good on the dukes, cos' it had the crown engraved on them and it looked... i dunno, regal? (or should i say "princely", being a "duke" and not a king?)... but it seems like all chinese pen makers are using it now. dead ugly, IMO.

 

funny, but it doesn't look all that bad on the J159. it must be the size of the pen... :hmm1:

 

 

That would be 'ducal,' lol. I may have to get one of these.

[kwpalzang]

I believe it'd look nicer if it were truer to the original (a' la Hero 616). That's just a matter of personal taste and opinion though.

[J English Smith]

Yes, I'm not a big fan of the crest on there, and I don't like the 159 clip in general, it feels a bit flimsy. At the same time, there is just enough pressure that it can sit in a shirt pocket without slipping unduly. The weight of the pen is such that I probably will be carrying this in a pen case rather than shirt pocket anyway. (And, for me, it's more comfortable to write with unposted.)

 

I would probably use it more if this was a medium. It took me about a day of light use to go through the converter!

 

Pulled out my old Wality 52 to compare. It looked big when I got it but next to this Jinhao it looks like its little brother. The Wality has a decent piston filler, is lighter, and has an F nib. For most people, it's probably more comfortable to write with than the 159.

 

The overall aesthetics and build quality of the 159, though - I've got to say - is remarkable.

[Malcy]

That crest on the Jinhao Century pen looks rificulous, cheap & tacky. Maybe not too bad on this one.

 

Thanks for the review Malcy, may be putting it on my ever growing list. My only concern is the diameter of the section - can anyone measure theirs? I have just got out my Parker 100 again after a couple of years, and it feels like I'm writing with a childs training felt pen, it's so big & cumbersome, it's 12mm diameter.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

 

I can't measure it as I left the pen in my classroom but the section is less than that of the MB 149 which I found a bit too wide.

 

The nib should be a friction fit, the Chinese don't often use fancier methods on this type of pen. It will have to be pulled out rather than knocked out due to the cartridge coupling at the end of the feed.

[rwilsonedn]

this pen has become a sensation recently. the size appeals to me. thanx for the review, Malcy!

 

 

 

on a separate note:

am i the only one that dislikes the crest on the clips of these pens coming out of china? it looked good on the dukes, cos' it had the crown engraved on them and it looked... i dunno, regal? (or should i say "princely", being a "duke" and not a king?)... but it seems like all chinese pen makers are using it now. dead ugly, IMO.

 

funny, but it doesn't look all that bad on the J159. it must be the size of the pen... :hmm1:

+1. The silly crest has kept me from trying the pen.

ron

[J English Smith]

Jinhao section radius is 1.4 cm near the threads, tapering to 1.0 cm by the trim ring near the nib.

 

On the Wality 52, that is 1.2 top tapering to 1.0 by nib. Not too different.

[J English Smith]

There is one more thing about the 159 that is worth noting. I clean up pretty carefully after a fill, but this is a pen that really needs to be run under the tap post-fill. and then blotted. A LOT of ink apparently gets between the trim ring and the resin, and I've gotten very inky fingers now both times after "filling up". This is one where using cartridges would be far cleaner and easier, I may do that from here on out.

[robofkent]

Most of the complaints against this pen seem to be minor niggles when you consider the price

[J English Smith]

Well agreed. I'm nit pickin'. But that's what we do, right?

 

Definitely worth the modest investment.

[robofkent]

Well agreed. I'm nit pickin'. But that's what we do, right?

 

Definitely worth the modest investment.

 

True - I guess I like the pen too much to be objective about it....I have since ordered the Bulow with Knox nib and will be interested to see how it compares

[Scrawler]

I am curious about the hand feel of the section and threads. I took a look at one of these on ebay and have been thinking about getting one for fun. The section looks thick and the threads look sharp. Has anyone who has one of these anything to say about whether the threads in any way interfere with the grip? It it too large and thick a pen to hold higher up above the section, so adjusting the grip seems to be out of the question.

[robofkent]

I am curious about the hand feel of the section and threads. I took a look at one of these on ebay and have been thinking about getting one for fun. The section looks thick and the threads look sharp. Has anyone who has one of these anything to say about whether the threads in any way interfere with the grip? It it too large and thick a pen to hold higher up above the section, so adjusting the grip seems to be out of the question.

 

Mine are perfectly smooth, not sharp at all. However being a chinese pen I would hesitate to say that they were all the same

[tdeecy]

Ordered one yesterday on fleabay for $9.98 shipping included. With my usual luck I anticipate a piece of rubbish, but maybe I'll luck out and get a workable pen. If it does work and hold together the first thing I'll do is "italicize" the nib. Might as well have some fun with it!

 

T/

[J English Smith]

I bet you will like it, actually, as long as you like fairly broad nibs. The stock nib is starting easier now after just a day or two.

[richardandtracy]

Jinhao section radius is 1.4 cm near the threads, tapering to 1.0 cm by the trim ring near the nib.

 

On the Wality 52, that is 1.2 top tapering to 1.0 by nib. Not too different.

Thanks for that. Makes it too big for me, so I'll not get one.

I may eventually get rid of my P100 because I just can't get on with the ridiculous bloat on the pen size. Sounds as if the J159 is worse.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[alexander_k]

Inspired by this review I too ordered one through ebay. It took some time to arrive but when I finally inked it I couldn't help feeling impressed. The design may be a copy but it's a good copy. The pen has the right size and weight for my hands and at this price I don't have to be protective of it. The factory medium nib is perfectly adequate in all respects. The only problem is that the converter seems too small for a pen of this size. If they had more colours I would have been tempted to order more. So, many thanks to Malcy for bring this pen to my attention.

[J English Smith]

Does anyone know or can confirm the weight relative to a MB 149 - I am thinking it's a lot heavier, right? I had a 146 for a long while and it was a feather compared to this puppy - in memory, at least.

[rwilsonedn]

I think all it would take for this monster to become a cult pen is for someone to make a really big after-market converter for it. Oh--and maybe to get rid of the shield on the clip ...

ron

[robofkent]

Inspired by this review I too ordered one through ebay. It took some time to arrive but when I finally inked it I couldn't help feeling impressed. The design may be a copy but it's a good copy. The pen has the right size and weight for my hands and at this price I don't have to be protective of it. The factory medium nib is perfectly adequate in all respects. The only problem is that the converter seems too small for a pen of this size. If they had more colours I would have been tempted to order more. So, many thanks to Malcy for bring this pen to my attention.

 

The Bulow version has at least 3 colours.....

 

http://www.xFountainPens.com/X530-Set-p/bu530tset.htm

Edited March 21, 2012 by robofkent