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The $10 Jinhao x159 fountain pen - not a Montblanc 149 alternative but a darn good pen
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- čas přidán 27. 10. 2022
- Despite the fact that the Jinhao X159 looks a lot like the Montblanc 149, it does not represent a cheap alternative to the Montblanc.
That said, this is a huge improvement to the original Jinhao 159 and is a great pen for the price.
10:13, "I'm not gonna name brands here..."
Why not? Name and shame them as a public service. The fountain pen community needs to know the egregious offenders who consistently churn out astronomically overpriced garbage that won't even write out of the box. Let me get you started. Visconti is the first that comes to mind. Their pens are absolutely horror shows. Sbrebrown has publicly stated that some 60% of Visconti pens sent to him for review performed so abysmally that it was impossible for him to review because they wouldn't even write!
The first video I ever made was about inconsistency of Waterman nibs. I guess we can start with them haha. I've also had very mixed experiences with Parker (same parent company). Lamy has been consistently okay for me - not great, not bad. Platinum has been a mixed bag - either really nice or awful. I've had consistently good experiences with Sailor, Pilot, and Montblanc. Most of my other pens have been non-proprietary nibs...Jowo / Boch. That's very high level but hope that's helpful!
I also think brands should start being called out. It seems Chinese companies are held to a very high standard. Any issues are immediately noted and we are constantly told how cheap the pens and build quality are.
I don’t see that same level of scrutiny for the expensive brands. I have two Visconti pens that both required work to write. I have 4 TWSBI pens and the cap/fennel has come off every single one. I’ve had two Kaweco pens that hard start and skip repeatedly. I’ve since learned this is a know issue. The only brand I’ve owned that has been consistent over multiple models is Pilot.
My Jinhao pens write every single time from the moment they came out of the box. I have a 159 that is losing some of the paint but the pen cost $10. My Visconti cost $1000, it didn’t write and the cap would not seal. It’s all fixed now but I think we need to quit excusing shoddy work just because the pen is expensive. Or giving the faint praise of it’s ok for a $10 pen.
@@seattlepenclub Apparently Platinum doesn't hand finish and check their nibs before they leave the factory. It's up to retailers.
I got 4 pieces that exist now: this one + the golden hardware colours: blue, burgundy and black... for 5.5 euros each. Crazy. They are consistent pens and truly great writers. Yes: 4 pens for 22 euros. A steal.
I've got this pen in an extra fine nib and I love it. No, it's not a $1000 pen, but i like it.
I think Jinhao is doing a good job with everyday pens, cheap and democratizing the use of fountain pens, making them available to more people who want to get started in the world of fountain pens or write with one without spending a lot of money. There are some established brands that I think are overrated just because they use expensive or exclusive materials. I think there are excellent pens for US$10, US$20 or US$30 that provide the same service as a US$500 pen. The important thing is to be comfortable with them, the rest is just snobbery.
No it is not a 149 by any stretch. But, for the price that most of us can afford, we can get the girth of a 149. I know it is lighter than the 149, but if it had a piston filler, itay be the same weight.
Maybe one day I will have the money for the real thing. In the meantime I will enjoy the X159. The nib works very well. It also has a #8 nib. No other pen from China has this size nib.
It is definitely one of my favorite Jinhao pens. Writes very nicely. Big, but not too heavy.
Thanks for your thoughtful review. I enjoyed it very much. In my humble opinion, Jinhao definitely has improved the quality of their pens, especially their nibs. Recently, I purchased a Jinhao 100-Year Anniversary pen (Parker Duofold look alike). Overall, the pen is well built (time will tell, but for the time being), looks great, and fits in my hand really well. The Fine nib writes VERY GOOD on many different kinds of paper I tested. Of course, it doesn't write like my Platinum President (my gold standard). But then, that is not a fair comparison.
I agree - this fine nib is a pleasant surprise!
I agree! I bought the maroon with gold trim and loaded it with Diamine Ox Blood. It never skips nor dry starts. Love the feel and minimal feedback. Not a bad pen at all. An everyday writer.
My plan is to purchase a MB when I graduate but I wanted to make sure how I would like the size first before that price tag. So I will write with the Jin H. for a year to see if it is what I want.
Excellent review, i initially didn't understand your comparison to the Montblanc as they're not in competition. You later explained and i understand what you meant.
Definitely agree on the nib, it's a great nib for a sub 10 dollar pen.
It feels like a step below? It's 10 bucks. It shouldn't feel a step below it should feel 20-30 steps below. The fact that it doesn't, goes to show how good this pen is. I have a MB 146 myself among many other $250+ pens and that tiny little gold nib and better overall quality are not the cost drivers. That star on the cap is.
The price doesn't actually mean anything tbh, I have this Jinhao, another type of Jinhao, a couple of Platinum Preppy's and a Wing Sung that I would pick to use over any other pen - these are all either $10 or under.
Question so if A pen is a cigar shaped pen it automatically classifies as a montblanc knockoff? Many fountains pens have this same shape pilot , sailor, platinum etc . I think its time we give Jinhao the respect it deserves!
No. I wouldn't call a Platinum President or a Sailor 1911 (both cigar shaped pens) Montblanc knockoffs. However, in this case, the dimensions are identical, the nib and section are interchangeable, and the name is a bit suspicious. My 2 cents...
@@seattlepenclub great review btw!
@@seattlepenclub Perhaps, but the 149 is kinda similar to earlier Sheaffer pens. There is really very little in the pen world that hasn't been repurposed over time.
I have just watched and enjoyed this video. Congratulations you can write decently, unlike the majority of reviewers whose writing is only scribble. Some, I think, are dyslexic.
Happy to see a new video from you!
I'm excited by the trends in Chinese pens. They're basically all made by the same factory (Shanghai Jingdian) but the work put into plastics technology and nibs is paying off. Jinhao seems to be responding to consumer feedback (the updated x159 has fewer cap threads).
I got two of the updated model. I took them to some micromesh to reduce feedback and give some character and I am a fan.
This pen surprised me. Very good pen
Thanks for the review. I have had the MaJohn p136 to be a very good pen and for only $35. I took a few months to get but worth the wait. I am wondering about the Waterman ink you use in this video; I have found few inks that I would call dry. One example is the blue cartridge ink that came with my Lamy Safari. It does not soak through some of the thinner papers I run into. The name brand inks I have tried so far easily show through to the back side of many papers. This is not a problem with higher quality papers but I prefer an ink that works on whatever paper I happen to have before me, so I am looking for inks that do not show through so easily. I assume this is what you mean when you say "dry ink". Can you recommend any other inks that have this quality, inks that do not show through so easily? It might be nice if someone would rate ink qualities.
I used Waterman Absolute Brown in this video. In terms of least fussy inks, my go to inks are Pilot Blue Black, Namiki / Pilot Blue, and Waterman Serenity Blue
I lover Waterman Serenity blue, it's actually the ink I use in the Jinhao that you reviewed in this video. Great ink and great pen.
I got a Jinhao x159, and its nib is super wet, it is a great pen for sure, but this does not stop me from getting myself a standard Montblanc 149, I got a bonus and felt good to buy one 149 :D
congrats on the 149!
Happily using this pen for two months!
Exactly what kind of cartridge converter is it?
Is it a standard international or 2.3mm bore?
Is it like the one that comes with the jinhao 599 'safari homage/clone'?
Thanks
You seem skilled with ink quills!
I dream of a Jinhao X159 (similar to the Montblanc 149) because I want to use it to sign my books at my book readings. BUT: it has a #8 nib in fine and I want a wider one, M or B. Do you know where to buy a #8 nib? That would be awesome, right?
Regards from Roland, germany
Bock #8 nibs should be fairly easy to come by online (eBay?). However, it might cost more than the X159 haha
I took delivery of one of these just about two weeks ago and honestly, was blown away! A #8 nib in a sizable pen for the money makes it a strong value proposition. Granted, it's not made with "precious resin" but I"m not paying anywhere near MB 149 prices! I've been a bit chagrined of late with my Chinese (Jinhao, HongDian etc) and Indian (FPR) to realize the good writing experiences I could have had for much less than I've spent (over 30 years) on Parkers, Pilots, Pelikans etc
Good observations, loved the video,
Chinese pens are really giving a tough competition in terms of agressive pricing in comparison to good writing pens. Majohn p136, if released by any major brand wouldn't cost less than $200-250 and yet, it goes for around $35.
How would you price this pen? I read one comment that said it performs better than their Montblanc.
It's a good deal at $10 but that's about what it's worth. Performs better than Montblanc? I'd say that reviewer has very unique idea of performance...
It’s not “cheap plastic”.
It’s “semi-precious resin”!
And it's not gold plated, it's gold coated
and it's not the MontBlanc logo, it's the MontBlanc emblem
and it's not a pen or even a fountain pen, it's a writing instrument!
One day, they won't call ink 'ink', they might call it: "expression fluid"
0:32 I think your roommate just came.
Bhai mere ko bhi ek de do
Logo, fit & finish, and large gold nib does not justify $10 vs $1200 (CDN in 2023.) By justifying the MB, it already shows buyer's regret.
I'm not really a pen collector. I only have some 24 pens. So what I write here is somewhat irrelevant.
I like one brand for it's stiff nibs and another for the slight flex. Both exceptional writers. I like different pens for the different feel in my hand.
This year I splurged on three very expensive hand made pens. They were a whole new level.
Now with three such pens I will not buy another pen.
The lesson I learned as a scribbler is to watch good reviewers like yourself and then go as good as you can afford.
10 wonderful writers that are cheap will never equal one high quality pen.
I will spare folk here my list of good pens. Not all are that expensive. But none get's close to the best and that does not include a Montblanc I'm afraid. Good, but overpriced and poor value IMO.
The pens I bought enabled a discussion with the manufacturer of exactly what sort of line thickness and wetness I wanted from the nib and some slight alterations to the design and they came in at or well below a Montblanc price. All top Italian natural acrylic. They write better than anything I have ever used. Pilot, Sailor, Pelikan....
I was lost in the constant this or that? game... It's an industry that thrives on doubt about which to get.
I'd call 24 pens a great collection! I agree with you in that I'd rather have one great pen vs. 10 good pens. That said, I really enjoy good inexpensive pens for a few reasons:
1. In general, I believe it's more difficult to design a pen well and produce it consistently for $10 vs. $100 or $500 or more
2. These cheaper pens remind me that this hobby doesn't have to be expensive to have fun. Platinum Preppys are great fun.
3. I like having knock about pens around the desk, in bags, or just available to try random inks. I have a Pilot Explorer somewhere in my backpack and have multiple Kakunos scattered around the house!
I wish when a big brand sends a junk pen, reviewers will show how bad the pen they got sent is. This month, I got a bad LAMY, two Esterbrooks and a Pelikan.. terrible pens. They were all worse than any Jinhao I’ve ever got in a decade. Anyway, my x159 wasn’t great so I tuned and polished the job and now it’s wet, crazy smooth and fast. One day I picked up my pilot 753 and started writing. A few lines in I realized it wasn’t the color I tonight it was, looked down and realized it was actually using the x159. Says a lot.
Sorry bout the typos. I have eye problems
So the Chinese companies clone existing pens made by others and charge low prices. While the original manufacturer's charge hundreds of dollars for their original pens. If I'm the original manufacturer whose pens are being cloned, I would be upset for the Chinese brands to be copying my stuff. But as as pen consumer i have to ask, why are these name brand "grail pens" able to charge hundreds of dollars, when the Chinese manufacturers can clone them for pennies? It suggests that the original manufacturers are price gouging and their pens are not worth what they are charging. Nevermind how some of these "grail pens" can't write without having to fix their nibs.
So it comes down to whether or not all these refinements are actually worth the hundreds of dollars over the Chinese manufacturer clone pens. So 10 dollars vs 1,000 dollars. I don't think think the Visconti is $990 better than the Jinhao.
I may be in the minority, but, I do not like these replica knock off pens that pretend to be Montblancs.
I'm with you - typically not a fan of "homage" products in general. I give this one a pass because without that big white star on the cap, it looks like a generic plastic pen to me. Maybe I'm just making excuses because I like this one haha
I wholly agree. I'm unsure why knockoffs are tolerated by the fountain pen community. They typically harm a market and market players who worked hard to get the reputation they have, including Montblanc.
I'm a bit of watch enthusiast and I know no one in that community who endorses knock off watches
@@user-qi5jw2hg1c disagree..
1)
there are millions who do..those who look at value for money, a decent quality, not brand conscious or not snobbish about few aspects, not to mention those who can't afford the expensive watches.
2) As an Intellectual property rights observer, I can tell u that artworks where these watches fall are copyrights which have a certain time validity.
If it is about patents, which are applicable to certain movements or inventions, just changing 1 aspect of it changes the process, and it is 100% legal.
3) So several of the watches are "inspired" or "homage" are not knock -off replicas. (Yes I know there are exact knock off and replicas also)
4) Additionally, u can't block skills an artist has learnt at a workplace, such as in watchmaking industry - u can stop them from using ur tools and equipment.
So watch industry cannot stop them, even with a 1000 lawsuits.
5) Proof - even expensive and famous watch brands copy each others styles and designs.
Ex - Rolex submariner is a classic design and 10s of famous brands out there make something very similar. - ex Tudor or Tag heuer suba.arier variants.
@@karanarora2148 If you dismiss those who value a montblanc over a cheap knockoff (yes I'll keep using that term, because that's what we're dealing with here) then I'm not quite sure which part of the fp community you fall into.
I'm not quite sure your point about copyrights etc. China where these types of pens are made is notorious for loose copyright laws with little patent infringement redress. Whether something is '100%' legal or not does not change the fact these are knockoffs.
Usage of euphemistic words like 'homage' and 'inspired' are burying the issue here: these mass-produced knock-offs harm brands whose reputations have not been handed to them, but instead have been very well-deserved. That isn't the same as saying the likes of MB aren't overhyped. They may well be.
@@user-qi5jw2hg1c
U've misnderstood.
I never dismissed those who value MBs, in fact I gave several reason of value of MBs for different reasons.
I merely responded to ur point of dismissing i) "no one in watch community endorses knock offs" - and I said there are millions buyers.. and even sellers who do that..and to ur point ii) "not sure why they are tolerated" - by giving IP validation and examples to say it is perfectly legal
Also that's why I specifically took examples of tudor and tag heuer submariner "homage" or "inspired" watched, both of whom are based in Switzerland. Tell them its a knock off and Rolex should sue them.
Since u didn't fully understand copyrights (it applies to artistic and literary items), differences between, inspiration, homage and knock offs etc - let's not get into further discussion on that, but then it doesn't bode well to be dismissive of that point either, esp. as it's as common in world in any other product.. aren't almost all smartphone looking alike?
U have may a lot more to say, and so probably will I too..but I'm not interested to continue this discussion here.
Good day!
It feels like a step below? It's 10 bucks. It shouldn't feel a step below it should feel 20-30 steps below. The fact that it doesn't, goes to show how good this pen is. I have a MB 146 myself among many other $250+ pens and that tiny little gold nib and better overall quality are not the cost drivers. That star on the cap is.