Nice commentary! It is a reminder that we love our hobby because it brings joy -- and there is no need to grit our teeth with pens we don't like. I will say, if you like the Jinhao Centennial 100, you assuredly can find the color that you love. I got one in a kind of ivory with a 14k nib, and then wished I had a cracked marble orange with black, so I got two with steel nibs in the orange and black, did some "Frankenpenizing", and have a "workingman's" Delta Dolce Vita, with a spare, and another that I gave away. Fun!
I love my Jinhao 100 Centennial in every way! It writes like a dream and it’s always ready to go. I bought the light blue and the chatoyance is glorious. I have had the pink one on my wish list too along with the aqua color.
Thank you for the honest video! It’s important that we enjoy our hobby and this is a nice reminder. There’s nothing wrong in finding out we don’t like something during our journey. Knowing what we don’t like helps us save space for what we love! :)
I got 2 conklin duragraph pens. I really love how they look and theyre constructed well. I just have constant feed issues with them. You can replace the feed and housing and nib, but i just wanted them to work as is. So i get the feeling that if i could go back i wouldn't get them.
Excellent video. I totally understand where you are coming from. When I buy a pen, I expect that it will write well right out of the box. I realize that sometimes nibs need to be tuned. Also, I expect if I buy another pen in the same model but different color, I expect it to write like the previous one(s) I have bought. That's just a matter of quality control with respect to the pen manufacturer. Having a pen that is comfortable to use is as important, or even more so, as having a ready to use nib. I am not a fan of pens with fat sections and/or barrels. How fat or thin a pen is very much a personal choice. I have preferred slimmer pens (and pencils) all my life. I think it goes along with the fact l prefer using fine yarn and small (skinny, toothpick thickness) needles when I knit. Any needle with a diameter greater than 5 mm feels like knitting with table legs! It's all a matter of personal preference. Anyway, thanks to the excellent video.
I agree with you about the Jinhao medium nibs being too wet. I got the Jinhao 100 in Medium and while I love the pen itself, I hated that nib, so I bought a pack of spare nibs from Amazon in Fine and swapped it (and swapped my two medium X450s as well, since they take the same nib size). Now, all three pens are perfect for me. The pen I definitely would not repurchase is the Lamy Safari. It writes great but I just don't enjoy holding it.
Great topic! I really enjoyed hearing your experience with these pens. Your struggle reminds me of James Joyce’s “Life is too short to read a bad book”. (I still feel guilty giving up on books though 😅) I have several regrets too. The Lamy Studio’s polished metal grip is horrible. My Lamy 2000 is gorgeous and I love it, but I hate how small the sweet spot on the nib is. It forces me to constantly readjust so I never ink it up. Like you, I find the grip on Pilot Metros and Custom 92s too small as well. Finally, I bought a Pilot Namiki Falcon with internet visions of a “flex” nib. Nope! The nib is so fine it’s a needlepoint, and not at all pleasant to write with. I have arthritis in my fingers, and bought these pens early on, so I guess they helped me understand which grips and nibs work for me. But they were expensive lessons, and I do feel badly having them just sit there idle.
thank you for sharing your thoughts on your collection of wouldn’t repurchase pens. you’re absolutely entitled to your opinion! if you decide to revoke the FWP Brush Pen, I would be interested in purchasing. i’ve wanted to try one but just haven’t made the effort. black is my groove right now. 😊
I'm with you on the FWP Brush pen, but it wasn't the size of the pen for me - I enjoyed the weight/size of the pen, but the one I purchased didn't want to write and I have just left it to sit in its box cause I don't want to thrust that problem onto someone else. I've considered getting mine tuned by a nibmeister, but I'm on the fence at this point if I want to put more money into the pen.
I’m with you on the Kaweco Sport, it’s the one where I figured out my hand doesn’t do well with narrow pens. Got the Kaweco Studen and love it! I know now that girthier pens are really my jam. Been on the fence with Custom 74 and with your review I’m gonna remove it as a want-to-have pen. My 1st Jinhao X450 was awful, just like you X159. Bought another and love that one. That’s one of the issues with inexpensive Chinese brands, can be a hit and miss sometimes. Good video. Thanks.
Let me know how it goes. I actually got a 2nd X159 also. Returned the 1st one this time b/c of an issue with the nib not writing AT ALL. The 2nd one I received is a beautiful writer.
Have you tried the Pilot Vanishing Point? It's fairly hefty due to the brass body and no need to post or worry that the balance changes because there's no cap. The clip provides a resting place for the forefinger, which bothers some but delights others. Not saying it's _the_ pen but maybe worth a try.
I have. I have the Taiwan 30th Edition in green and the Whiskey models and I love them! Not too small (decimo is too slim) and the writing experience is phenomenal! I have reviewed both within the last few months. Btw, really cool name......"notbatman" 😎
Thank-you. @@journalwithtiff7221 . Glad you're enjoying the VPs. Got the Matte Black model recently and find it very comfortable writing. Might need another some day for a different color ink, but I'm happy enough for now not worrying about capping and uncapping a pen.
I am with you on many of these! I love the idea of the Kaweco pens but they are too thin. I do like the Kaweco aluminum bodies, you get a bit more weight but not heavy like the brass version. I can make the aluminum body work for me in short writing sessions. I can't make LAMY Safari's work for me, and it's not the grip, I love the grip. But I have purchased replacement nibs in EF, F, M and 1.1. The only one that is usable for me is the 1.1, all the other nibs are misaligned or scratchy and I can't seem to tune them enough to get them to work. And I too am so disappointed with the FWP Brush Pen. It is so beautiful but it's too thin - it doesn't even fit well in my pen case and definitely not in a pen loop on a notebook. Oh and I completely avoid pens with polished metal grips, I can't write with them. I have a gorgeous Otto Hutt series 06 in Seashell Pink that is a fantastic writer but I have to put tape on the grip to use it. Grrr.
The Lamy AlStar in Petrol may be what you are thinking of. The nice thing about the Lamy is how easy it is to change out nibs. I love the 1.1 stub, I usualy write with fine and xtra fine, but realy enjoy a stub. As far as the Pineider, you might realy enjoy their quill nib, nice and bouncy.
Finally someone who has the same reaction to the safari like me. I bought one cause everyone was excited (even tho my first pen was a pelikan and I found it pretty ugly), but it just doesn't feel good for me. And the new nib was very scratchy. It's not bad, but it doesn't make me happy.
I have had zero issues with my jinhao 100. The one I have writes absolutely beautifully. I've used it with a few different inks, and no problems with any of them. I enjoyed using it so much that I've bought 2 more as gifts and the recipients absolutely love them, too. Ref the safari, I've got and use 2, again with zero problems. My experience with the first was so good that i bought a second for myself and one for my one of my kids, and eventually an al-star for me. All write beautifully, and I'm happy holding it the way the section forces it to be held. I have jinhao x750 and x450, and wouldn't buy them again. I was gifted a Parker something with a handful of different coloured ink cartridges that was meant for kids. Surprisingly, it is an ok writer, but too narrow for me to hold, so I wouldn't buy one.
Penn State Industries www.pennstateind.com/store/PKFXTRAY.html?Google_Shopping&PKFXTRAY&gclid=CjwKCAiAibeuBhAAEiwAiXBoJHfh4QSn41U98s7JPhyGyZLfZj8DN21TU5cX3oAviSXeKjmjm8QneRoC5wIQAvD_BwE
3 months in and 10 pens later I think I was doing good with not regretting my FP purchases…until I got my Pilot Kaküno. Although, I would 100% buy another clear pen body it’s the EF nib that I am not gelling with 😔 Too toothy/scratchy for me so I’m hoping a F nib will redeem the kaküno for me! Also, I too, enjoy a nice snap from the pen caps 😁😁😁
I’ve bought pens people universally praised online only to be hugely disappointed. For example, I bought a Pelikan M600 only for the nib to write very dry and borderline scratchy with tons of feedback.
When it comes to Nibs, i feel like you next to allways roll the Dice. Very few companys seem to have super strict quality controll in the Nib department. Even with a company like Pelikan, which is at the better end of quality controll, you still get plenty of not so good Nibs. It is also the reason i do not understand the writing sample part of pen reviews, the Nib allwys feels different, even if you buy the same Pen/Nib multiple times.
@@robyn-lee-INFJ Oh wow. I probably would have cried if I had dropped a Falcon. But you are exactly right, I have cheaper pens that write BEAUTIFULLY!!! Sometime I do think the more expensive pens have a better "feel"...ie didn't feel like cheap plastic. But others have been perfectly fine. I guess it's a crap shoot.
For me it's the Lamy 2000 I would not repurchase. I sold mine in the end. I simply could not get on with it! It wrote well but it just felt so uncomfortable in my hand. I have the Kaweco Macchiato too. It's ok for short notes, but I could never write a letter or a long passage with it.
Lamy Safari: There's something about the grip that bothers me so much that I can't even spend the few dollars to try it. Never tried the Kaweko, but i'd like to. FWP came up with a bigger pen (the Bijou?) But it's pricier, so I won't get it. My regret is the Visconti Mythos; haven't inked it yet. It's the grip I think. 😢
The grip itself is fine, I think it's the difference in diameter between it and the body of the pen. I'll ink it and see if it changes how I feel. Maybe the nib will redeem this pen. It is a beautiful pen!
My first fountain pen was a Kaweco Sport too but I don’t use it for long writing sessions. I use it as a EDC pen for my pocket notebooks. It’s my pocket pen. I have a Pineider in EF and hate it. It’s uber wet and has a thick line. Totally unusable for me. I like my Lamy Safaris but they are starter pens and we’ve both graduated from them 😉. I like my Custom 74 and I have big hands. But now I use a 823.
If you have big hands I'm surprised you can stomach the Kaweco at all. But I guess you're right if it's just for jotting down notes. Thanks for sharing.
I like your presentationband commentary, just stop apologizing, I don't agree with every word, but I understand it is your channel and opinion, if someone doesn't get that ignore them.
Don’t know never owned one just like the pen look I have a vintage wahl Oxford is what I write with or my waterman’s vintage night and day silver overlay hand me down pens can’t afford a good pen now
Agree wholeheartedly on the Kawecos. I've found the Safari very inconsistent on nib sizes. Great video thanks for your thoughts!
Thanks for watching!
I totally agree on the Pilot Custom 74. I love the custom 823, but the 74 is just too small
Nice commentary! It is a reminder that we love our hobby because it brings joy -- and there is no need to grit our teeth with pens we don't like. I will say, if you like the Jinhao Centennial 100, you assuredly can find the color that you love. I got one in a kind of ivory with a 14k nib, and then wished I had a cracked marble orange with black, so I got two with steel nibs in the orange and black, did some "Frankenpenizing", and have a "workingman's" Delta Dolce Vita, with a spare, and another that I gave away. Fun!
Oh I bet that looks cool!!!
Thank you for sharing! Very helpful ☺️
I love my Jinhao 100 Centennial in every way! It writes like a dream and it’s always ready to go. I bought the light blue and the chatoyance is glorious. I have had the pink one on my wish list too along with the aqua color.
Thank you for the honest video! It’s important that we enjoy our hobby and this is a nice reminder. There’s nothing wrong in finding out we don’t like something during our journey. Knowing what we don’t like helps us save space for what we love! :)
Well said!
I got 2 conklin duragraph pens. I really love how they look and theyre constructed well. I just have constant feed issues with them. You can replace the feed and housing and nib, but i just wanted them to work as is. So i get the feeling that if i could go back i wouldn't get them.
Excellent video. I totally understand where you are coming from. When I buy a pen, I expect that it will write well right out of the box. I realize that sometimes nibs need to be tuned. Also, I expect if I buy another pen in the same model but different color, I expect it to write like the previous one(s) I have bought. That's just a matter of quality control with respect to the pen manufacturer.
Having a pen that is comfortable to use is as important, or even more so, as having a ready to use nib. I am not a fan of pens with fat sections and/or barrels. How fat or thin a pen is very much a personal choice. I have preferred slimmer pens (and pencils) all my life. I think it goes along with the fact l prefer using fine yarn and small (skinny, toothpick thickness) needles when I knit. Any needle with a diameter greater than 5 mm feels like knitting with table legs! It's all a matter of personal preference. Anyway, thanks to the excellent video.
"Table legs 😂😂😂".... thanks for watching 😁
I agree with you about the Jinhao medium nibs being too wet. I got the Jinhao 100 in Medium and while I love the pen itself, I hated that nib, so I bought a pack of spare nibs from Amazon in Fine and swapped it (and swapped my two medium X450s as well, since they take the same nib size). Now, all three pens are perfect for me. The pen I definitely would not repurchase is the Lamy Safari. It writes great but I just don't enjoy holding it.
Great topic! I really enjoyed hearing your experience with these pens. Your struggle reminds me of James Joyce’s “Life is too short to read a bad book”. (I still feel guilty giving up on books though 😅)
I have several regrets too. The Lamy Studio’s polished metal grip is horrible. My Lamy 2000 is gorgeous and I love it, but I hate how small the sweet spot on the nib is. It forces me to constantly readjust so I never ink it up. Like you, I find the grip on Pilot Metros and Custom 92s too small as well.
Finally, I bought a Pilot Namiki Falcon with internet visions of a “flex” nib. Nope! The nib is so fine it’s a needlepoint, and not at all pleasant to write with. I have arthritis in my fingers, and bought these pens early on, so I guess they helped me understand which grips and nibs work for me. But they were expensive lessons, and I do feel badly having them just sit there idle.
"Life is too short to read a bad book"...I LOVE THAT! Thanks for watching!!
thank you for sharing your thoughts on your collection of wouldn’t repurchase pens. you’re absolutely entitled to your opinion! if you decide to revoke the FWP Brush Pen, I would be interested in purchasing. i’ve wanted to try one but just haven’t made the effort. black is my groove right now. 😊
It is for sale. Email me at journalwithtiff@gmail.com
email sent. thanks!
I'm with you on the FWP Brush pen, but it wasn't the size of the pen for me - I enjoyed the weight/size of the pen, but the one I purchased didn't want to write and I have just left it to sit in its box cause I don't want to thrust that problem onto someone else. I've considered getting mine tuned by a nibmeister, but I'm on the fence at this point if I want to put more money into the pen.
I’m with you on the Kaweco Sport, it’s the one where I figured out my hand doesn’t do well with narrow pens. Got the Kaweco Studen and love it! I know now that girthier pens are really my jam. Been on the fence with Custom 74 and with your review I’m gonna remove it as a want-to-have pen. My 1st Jinhao X450 was awful, just like you X159. Bought another and love that one. That’s one of the issues with inexpensive Chinese brands, can be a hit and miss sometimes. Good video. Thanks.
Good to know the inconsistency. I may try another since it's inexpensive.
Let me know how it goes. I actually got a 2nd X159 also. Returned the 1st one this time b/c of an issue with the nib not writing AT ALL. The 2nd one I received is a beautiful writer.
@@wildlyimaginable Will do
I'm new to fountain pens, only currently own 3, and I find videos like this so helpful because it's good to know the downsides of pens as well.
Looking at reviews is good. Everyone has their own preferences but it's interesting to hear how people are different.
Have you tried the Pilot Vanishing Point? It's fairly hefty due to the brass body and no need to post or worry that the balance changes because there's no cap. The clip provides a resting place for the forefinger, which bothers some but delights others. Not saying it's _the_ pen but maybe worth a try.
I have. I have the Taiwan 30th Edition in green and the Whiskey models and I love them! Not too small (decimo is too slim) and the writing experience is phenomenal! I have reviewed both within the last few months. Btw, really cool name......"notbatman" 😎
Thank-you. @@journalwithtiff7221 . Glad you're enjoying the VPs. Got the Matte Black model recently and find it very comfortable writing. Might need another some day for a different color ink, but I'm happy enough for now not worrying about capping and uncapping a pen.
You know, I feel the same way about a few of the same pens. Kaweco, Lamy, the 74 and the FWP are pens that simply don't work for me either.
I am with you on many of these! I love the idea of the Kaweco pens but they are too thin. I do like the Kaweco aluminum bodies, you get a bit more weight but not heavy like the brass version. I can make the aluminum body work for me in short writing sessions. I can't make LAMY Safari's work for me, and it's not the grip, I love the grip. But I have purchased replacement nibs in EF, F, M and 1.1. The only one that is usable for me is the 1.1, all the other nibs are misaligned or scratchy and I can't seem to tune them enough to get them to work. And I too am so disappointed with the FWP Brush Pen. It is so beautiful but it's too thin - it doesn't even fit well in my pen case and definitely not in a pen loop on a notebook. Oh and I completely avoid pens with polished metal grips, I can't write with them. I have a gorgeous Otto Hutt series 06 in Seashell Pink that is a fantastic writer but I have to put tape on the grip to use it. Grrr.
EXACTLY!!!!! You get me!
Are there any fountain pen inks that you wouldn’t purchase again? If so, I’d love to hear about them ❤
Hmm...you know I need to think about that one. I'll keep you all updated.
The Lamy AlStar in Petrol may be what you are thinking of. The nice thing about the Lamy is how easy it is to change out nibs. I love the 1.1 stub, I usualy write with fine and xtra fine, but realy enjoy a stub.
As far as the Pineider, you might realy enjoy their quill nib, nice and bouncy.
Thanks for the info!
I agree with all of your choices.
1. Thanks for the interesting opinions.
2. I would be tempted by the Brush Pen if it were couple inches longer, like a desk pen. And half the price.
Finally someone who has the same reaction to the safari like me. I bought one cause everyone was excited (even tho my first pen was a pelikan and I found it pretty ugly), but it just doesn't feel good for me. And the new nib was very scratchy. It's not bad, but it doesn't make me happy.
Great minds think alike 😂
I have had zero issues with my jinhao 100. The one I have writes absolutely beautifully. I've used it with a few different inks, and no problems with any of them. I enjoyed using it so much that I've bought 2 more as gifts and the recipients absolutely love them, too.
Ref the safari, I've got and use 2, again with zero problems. My experience with the first was so good that i bought a second for myself and one for my one of my kids, and eventually an al-star for me. All write beautifully, and I'm happy holding it the way the section forces it to be held.
I have jinhao x750 and x450, and wouldn't buy them again. I was gifted a Parker something with a handful of different coloured ink cartridges that was meant for kids. Surprisingly, it is an ok writer, but too narrow for me to hold, so I wouldn't buy one.
Where did you get your blue storage tray? I've been looking around for some online and havent found anything yet...
Penn State Industries
www.pennstateind.com/store/PKFXTRAY.html?Google_Shopping&PKFXTRAY&gclid=CjwKCAiAibeuBhAAEiwAiXBoJHfh4QSn41U98s7JPhyGyZLfZj8DN21TU5cX3oAviSXeKjmjm8QneRoC5wIQAvD_BwE
3 months in and 10 pens later I think I was doing good with not regretting my FP purchases…until I got my Pilot Kaküno. Although, I would 100% buy another clear pen body it’s the EF nib that I am not gelling with 😔 Too toothy/scratchy for me so I’m hoping a F nib will redeem the kaküno for me!
Also, I too, enjoy a nice snap from the pen caps 😁😁😁
Isn't it crazy how that "snap" is so satisfying 😅
I’ve bought pens people universally praised online only to be hugely disappointed. For example, I bought a Pelikan M600 only for the nib to write very dry and borderline scratchy with tons of feedback.
Yep. Been there before with a popular pen in the community and wondered WHAT'S ALL THE HYPE ABOUT.
When it comes to Nibs, i feel like you next to allways roll the Dice. Very few companys seem to have super strict quality controll in the Nib department. Even with a company like Pelikan, which is at the better end of quality controll, you still get plenty of not so good Nibs. It is also the reason i do not understand the writing sample part of pen reviews, the Nib allwys feels different, even if you buy the same Pen/Nib multiple times.
@@robyn-lee-INFJ Oh wow. I probably would have cried if I had dropped a Falcon. But you are exactly right, I have cheaper pens that write BEAUTIFULLY!!! Sometime I do think the more expensive pens have a better "feel"...ie didn't feel like cheap plastic. But others have been perfectly fine. I guess it's a crap shoot.
i hope ferris wheel press makes some bigger pens. cool video!
Thank you
For me it's the Lamy 2000 I would not repurchase. I sold mine in the end. I simply could not get on with it! It wrote well but it just felt so uncomfortable in my hand.
I have the Kaweco Macchiato too. It's ok for short notes, but I could never write a letter or a long passage with it.
That's interesting. You're the first I've heard day that about the Lamy 2000. I've never tried it and have always wondered about that grip section.
The Pineider design looks bad with a clumsy nib, but the Pilot 74 is beautiful. What colour is it?
The Pilot 74 is the Green color. Although it looks kinda greenish-blue.
Lamy Safari: There's something about the grip that bothers me so much that I can't even spend the few dollars to try it. Never tried the Kaweko, but i'd like to. FWP came up with a bigger pen (the Bijou?) But it's pricier, so I won't get it. My regret is the Visconti Mythos; haven't inked it yet. It's the grip I think. 😢
Hmm...I've never tried the Visconti. What about the grip don't you like ?
The grip itself is fine, I think it's the difference in diameter between it and the body of the pen. I'll ink it and see if it changes how I feel. Maybe the nib will redeem this pen. It is a beautiful pen!
My first fountain pen was a Kaweco Sport too but I don’t use it for long writing sessions. I use it as a EDC pen for my pocket notebooks. It’s my pocket pen.
I have a Pineider in EF and hate it. It’s uber wet and has a thick line. Totally unusable for me.
I like my Lamy Safaris but they are starter pens and we’ve both graduated from them 😉.
I like my Custom 74 and I have big hands. But now I use a 823.
If you have big hands I'm surprised you can stomach the Kaweco at all. But I guess you're right if it's just for jotting down notes. Thanks for sharing.
@@journalwithtiff7221 I bought a Lilliput, inked it once, and put it back in its box (after a cleaning of course). That’s one I wouldn’t buy again.
Kaweco too small for me, too.
The FWP comes in a larger size in their two latest colors.
Thanks. I'll have to watch some reviews on them
I like your presentationband commentary, just stop apologizing, I don't agree with every word, but I understand it is your channel and opinion, if someone doesn't get that ignore them.
Love that penieder
Do you enjoy the feel of Pineider?
Don’t know never owned one just like the pen look I have a vintage wahl Oxford is what I write with or my waterman’s vintage night and day silver overlay hand me down pens can’t afford a good pen now