In praise of Jinhao

[Emver]

Do you ever buy something  and immediately like it so much that you want to buy another in case your first one ever gets lost or damaged?

 

I've felt like that with a few Jinhao models, the first being the 100 Centennial model. My earlier Jinhaos had been great value but not quite good enough or reliable enough to want to use every day.  But the 100 was different.  It wrote beautifully with the 0.7mm Medium nib, was comfortable to hold, felt very nicely made, and looked lovely - I still thinkit's the nicest of all the Duofold lookalikes.  And possibly most important of all, I can pick it up after a few days and it startsto write straight away without any priming or extra pressure.  I bought several of them in a variety of finishes.

 

More recently I discovered the x350, an even cheaper pen at around £6 delivered, and was astonished to find that it is as good as the 100 and perhaps even better in some ways.  I immediately ordered another identical one, again in black. Today I picked up my original one after around 3 months in the drawer, and it wrote immediately - very impressive!  My only other pen which does that is a stupidly expensive one, a Montlanc 146.  It will probably upset a few MB owners to say it, but I think my X350 writes just as nicely as my 146, and looks extremely similar.

 

I also bought an X159 at the same time as the X350, and that seems to write just as nicely as the X350 . Whatever Jinhao have done to improve their pens, it really seems to have worked.  I like the X159 but I think I prefer the size of the X350.   And despite its size, I'm excited about receiving my 9019 model which I ordered a few days ago.

 

Sometimes I wonder why I bother to collect old fountain pens when there are so many excellent modern pens available at such low prices.  I'm sure someone will be along in a few minutes to tell me!

 

 

 

 

[Scriptum est]

I have just bought my first Jinhaos, two 100 Centennials. I ordered one with the fine nib and one with the medium nib. I have been seriously impressed with these pens! They write so well and when you consider the price, they are marvellous. They could become my everyday pens in the near future. I'm not sure (at the moment) that I shall buy more of the same type, but I may well branch out to other Jinhao models in the not too distant future!

[lascosas]

Tanks with decent nibs.  Never temperamental, they just do what they were designed to do, and normally the nibs are easy to remove & replace.  My first Jinhao love was the 51a, particularly the woodies.  And if you like wood pens, give the 9056 a try.   While many other Chinese pens manufacturers are designing more sophisticated pens (Majohn, Hongdian) Jinhao just keeps turning out c/c pens in slightly different models at rock bottom prices.  And for the price, very nice acrylics.

[Mech-for-i]

well the 100 Century is nice, but the 100 Century Slim ( using no.5 nib ) is even nicer , for me , a more practical size for carry along and carrying around , Jinhao certainly made a name for themselves  with these more up to date models

[ruby.monkey]

I bought a 9019 with medium nib to try, and liked it so much that I immediately ordered two more in the other nib sizes.

[subbu68]

Did buy a Jinhao that is a Lamy Safari copy though the nib and feed are different. Wrote very smooth. Cannibalized for the converter and the nib though. 

 

Just today got 5 Jinhao #6 nibs to replace some of my Indian ebonite pens' nibs. Straight out of the little zipper bag, they were just smooth and wet. No smoothening nor any adjustment. 

[Emver]

My 9019 arrived today, and wow it's a whopper!

 

In truth, I find it a bit too big.  I certainly prefer larger pens because my hands are large enough to make finding gloves to fit me less easy, but this one just feels a little bit too fat.  However I do love the simple smooth shape, and in particular the way the clip just seems to emerge from the seamless cap..  

 

One drawback from the size of this pen is that it's too big to fill from my favourite ink bottles, the 30ml Diamine size, so I'm forced to fill it from te only ink I have in larger bottles - normally Boring Blue Black.

[SLinkster]

On 9/19/2023 at 11:43 AM, Emver said:

One drawback from the size of this pen is that it's too big to fill from my favourite ink bottles, the 30ml Diamine size

 

Where are you in the world? If you're in the US I'll send you a couple of plastic bulb pipettes, which you can use to fill the vial or the ink tank. Er, the body if you want to eyedropper.

 

I agree the pen is big. I think the 9019 is slightly longer and is definitely larger diameter than my Meisterstück 146, which in turn is larger than the Jinhao x450. Filled as an eyedropper I imagine one might be able to write most of a novel without needing to refill.

 

Mine has the extra fine nib. Not sure what I'll ink it with first. It's a clear demonstrator so I'll want something more exciting than blue, black or sepia. Dallas pen show is next weekend so maybe I'll wait. There's an excellent chance I'll bring home more ink... 

[lascosas]

You can also simply remove the converter from the pen & fill it from the Diamine 30ml bottle, then return the full converter to the pen.

[Andy1883]

On 9/21/2023 at 8:02 PM, lascosas said:

You can also simply remove the converter from the pen & fill it from the Diamine 30ml bottle, then return the full converter to the pen.

This works really well.  I filled the converter from a very small Diamine sample bottle.  The 9019 with Diamine ink writes very well, and I have an x159 in the post with a pot of Diamine Onyx Black on standby.

[Emver]

Thanks for your kind offer Slinkster but I'm in the UK so too far away.

 

I like Lascosas' suggestion of filling the converter directly, and because the converter screws in I would be less worried about a leaking connection than with the usual push-in type.

 

Unfortunately I don't really like the way mine writes, and because I also don't find it comfortable to hold, I won't take the time to improve the ink flow.  So I'll stick with my X350 for everday use.  It's the best value for money pen I've ever bought, and I honestly think it writes just as well as my Montblanc 146.  In fact I like the X350 more than the MB146 because it cost me around a million times less!

[Andy1883]

I've just bought an 82 with a fine nib and I'm struggling to fault it.  I've ordered two more...........so many pens to buy!

[Waltz For Zizi]

I know how you feel. I bought the Jinhao 100 mini in pink and liked it so much I now have 3 of them, and 2 Centennials in pink also. LOL

And over 30 Jinhao 82's.

I also just recieved a Majohn V1, and I like it's uniqueness that I'm definately gonna order myself at least another one or two, and it's one of the few chinese pens that actually wrote amazing out of the box, wet just as i like it.

[Helen350]

I have been collecting Jinhao pens since 2009.  My oldest Jinhao is the stainless steel X750 which has a Goulet 1.1 stub installed.  Still in use in 2023.  Own approximately 175+ Jinhao pens out of my 450 pen collection. Some models Jinhao no longer makes.  I absolutely love the Jinhao 100 and 100A.  Own 15 of them.  Only one of my Jinhao pens did not hold up.  Got dropped too often.  Used its' #6 nib in other pens.  Have learned to take care of each pen regardless of cost.  Started the pen hobby in 1989 when my physician purchased my first pen as a gift.  

 

[Andy1883]

@Helen350 Do you have a favourite Jinhao?  I know you have a lot to choose from!

[Helen350]

On 11/1/2023 at 3:07 AM, Andy1883 said:

@Helen350 Do you have a favourite Jinhao?  I know you have a lot to choose from!

The Jinhao 100 and 100A are my favorite.  I also love the Jinhao 3000.  I have to acknowledge my oldest X750, which I purchased in 2009.  Still going strong.

[Andy1883]

I like the x159s (another one is in the post), but the 100s do look good.

[Helen350]

3 minutes ago, Andy1883 said:

I like the x159s (another one is in the post), but the 100s do look good.

Own five x159s.   Love the #8 nib.  Own 15 of the 100/100A.  My 🟡 100A  is currently inked with Diamine Marine.