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Jinhao 159 - Review


NitroBobby

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Having just received my new Jinhao 159 fountain pen, I thought I would share my experience with it!

 

Looks, Fit & Finish:

I have to admit that when I ordered this pen, my expections were quite low. How good can a chinese fountain pen be for only 11$ shipping included right?

Well, it can be pretty good! Very nice looking black barrel with silver trims. I think this pen could have used a slightly bigger nib, but I'm being picky here. The nib doesn't look disproportionate or out of place.

 

After a thorough inspection, I didn't see any apparent flaws in the finish or the various pieces. I didn't experience the sharp threads that I read about in another review either. This pen doesn't exactly feel luxurious, but it's without doubt a very well made pen, regardless of it's price tag.

 

Here are some pictures of the 159 along with some other pens:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/36837501/FPs%20capped.JPG

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/36837501/FPs%20uncapped.JPG

 

Writing Experience:

First of all, let's make something clear. This is a big pen. Not big enough to use as a baseball bat, but it does feel substantial in both weight and size. I can see how the slightly tapered section could annoy some people, but I don't think it's tapered enough to make it slippery or awkward to hold. Of course, this depends on how you hold your pens. The pen has a nice balance, unless posted, where it becomes a little back heavy.

 

The Jinhao international converter that came with the pen does feel a bit flimsy, but it doesn't leak and is absolutely usable. I might actually fit it into one of my pen that didn't come with one.

 

I flushed the pen with soapy water before using it and loaded a cartridge of home blended Quink Black and Skrip Red with a touch of Waterman Blue. (For those interested, it gives a lovely dark cherry/purple with reddish accents)

 

Now this is where I had the biggest surprise: This thing writes well! The tines are properly aligned as far as I can tell and there is no scratchiness at various angles. It's a very enjoyable pen to write with. It gives a standard "western" medium line. The flow is a bit on the wet side, but it's not a gusher by any means. Very similar to my M200 in terms of flow. The 159's nib is very stiff and it starts railroading pretty quickly if you apply pressure to spread the tines. I didn't experience any skipping while writing. I did have a few small false starts, but I blame the ink and the cheap notebook paper much more than the pen.

 

The writing experience with this pen could be summed up this way: Nothing really exciting, but nothing negative either.

 

Summary:

Now I won't try to fool anyone into thinking this pen is better than 100+$ offerings. I doesn't have quite the same feel as my Carene or my M200 for example. But assuming the pen I have is representative of it's siblings, it's hard to match at this price range. A bit too heavy to carry around as a workhorse, but a very nice pen to leave around on the desk to doodle with.

 

If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

 

(Oh and, I made an effort but english isn't my native language so please forgive me if it's not perfect!)

 

-Mark-

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It gives a standard "western" medium line.

So I must assume you picked up the M nib instead of their broad nib?

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I have a couple of other Jinhaos. Absolutely nothing wrong with the fit or finish, except that the X450 will not post the cap. Feel is very nice. The only issue was the converter, which would hardly pick up ink. So, if they fixed that they might have some very decent pens.

 

When you consider how we use pens and how we all like new pens and buying them cheaply, Pens like these are almost ideal. The pens feel wonderful, and they write fairly nicely. If they don't last because of inexpensive manufacture or material, then it gives you the opportunity to buy a replacement a heckuva lot sooner than you would with a Parker, Sheaffer, Montblanc or Pillican (mocking). You could do worse than buy into these and then replace them periodically, as you get tired of them. They are good looking pens. Finish on the X450 is probably better than my Sonnets--HA, HA--frequently counterfeited.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Excellent review NitroBobby. I have always been sitting on the fence when it comes to Chinese pens. Your review may well make me pull the trigger on a Jinhao. Merci

Cheers,

Pierre

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I don't have this model, but I do have some X450s and an X750 (Bulow-branded), which I like very much. It's nice to see that Jinhao continues to put out attractive yet functional writing tools.

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Hi

 

I also have the 159 and was more than impressed with both its build quality and its writing abilities, I also have the x450, 1200 Dragon :yikes: and a 909 and cannot fault any of them. especially when you consider the cost of them with some as low as £5.99 and that included shipping from China, :wub: how cheap must they be in China.

 

Paul

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The 159 has been a diamond in the rough find for me, for £6 it's a phenomenal pen. It has all the features I (& I'm sure many others) want, it's heavy, has a screw top, can take cartridges or standard converters and the nib is one of the smoothest I've tried.

I've had bad luck with Indian pens but the couple of Jinhao pens I have are great and while I don't use my Jinhao 3000 much as the lattice barrel never felt pleasant to hold, it's nib & feed were a great fit for my Konrad :)

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Thank you for this great review.

 

I have a whole shoal, herd, flock..? of Jinhaos, including the mighty 159. I love cigar-shaped pens and their aesthetic lines, so the 159 has been a joy to use - more so because I can use it with my small hands without fatigue. The flow is excellent, mine being a little too enthusiastic at times as it is filled with Diamine Red Dragon. I also have a number of x450s and 1200 Dragons which I absolutely love. They are reliable and very beautiful. I have gifted a couple too - and replaced these FAST! I also have the Wing Sung 842s which are buttery smooth with exceptional lines. Congratulations to the Jinhao teams.

If there is righteousness in the heart, There will be beauty in character. If there is beauty in character, There will be harmony in the home. When there is harmony in the home, There will be order in the nation. When there is order in the nation, There will be peace in the world. Bhagawan Shri Satya Sai Baba

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  • 4 years later...

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