Jinhao X159 - Scratchy Mess or Smooth as a Montblanc???
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- čas přidán 25. 07. 2024
- I had terrible luck with my first Jinhao X159. and so I took neil piper's advice and I bought another one from AliExpress. Is this one the buttery smooth Montblanc replacement or a scratchy skipping disaster? Only one way to find out!
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I did have a good experience with my x159. There is one thing I always do with a new FP before inking it up. I flush out the pen with clean water with a drop of Dawn dish soap in it. This will help remove any residual oils, etc. that may be present from manufacturing process.
That is sound advice!
Gordon after flush is there a drying out time or just ink up and go?
@@komo5402 Just ink and go! In the case of the x159, with the body and converter removed I'll just put the entire section, with feed and nib still in place, in the water with (tiny bit of) soap in it. Then take pick it up and blow it out. Repeat a couple of times. There really is nothing else to clean on it.
@@GordonTillmanTexas Thanks
Not just oils. Jinhaos often have some ink in them.
Hi Hemingway. I just wanted to comment that to me, pens like this Jinhao are PERFECT beginner pens. Even if there are some issues with the pen it's exactly the pen you want to learn on. It's inexpensive enough that you can buy multiples and tear them apart, learn how to smooth nibs, open tines, disassemble, try making your own grinds....so much fun and such good experience.
That is a very good point, Robbin.
Exactly! True beginners are far more likely to start with inexpensive pens than a Montblanc.
I have one 159 and two of the X159 and they work very well. Have had three Waterman pens, my most expensive. Also have an almost100 year old Parker Duofold. Never had a Montblanc tho.
I'll always recommend a cheap starter anything rather than something that's 20-40 USD since you might not like writing with a fountain pen
Another brilliant post, Hemingway - thanks so much. And thanks for giving us a heads-up on The Great Gatsby. What a beautiful colour - I love it. One of my favourite novels and the ink looks set to be one of my favourite shades of blue. Take care out there, and have a great week.
Hello Peter, thanks so much for watching and I am glad that you enjoyed it. I really like this color. Some inks aren’t dark enough for me. I read further that this was inspired by that iconic dust jacket, which is pretty neat. All the best.
Glad you had a better experience this time 😍
Yes! thanks and thanks for watching.
I love my x159. Great out of the packet. Truly wonderful after a few figure of eights on and £1 nail buffer. Nice vid Bud.
Thank you and thanks for watching!
I bought a black and a brown-red X159 to try. The black version has skipping on the vertical stokes but I really enjoy it. I have a shimmer ink in the brown-red version with no problems. I love the girth and the #8 nib is an interesting element. I'm going to try micro mesh this afternoon
Good luck! I hope it works.
Always informative. I have been waiting for this video to make a decision on trying another one myself. I bought one and it was awful so I guess I will be like my hero Hemingway and try again.
Hello Wendell, My Friend, yes! This one was better, but was not without issues. It may have done better with Kon-Peki Ink. If you do get one, please let me know what happens. Thnaks!
Thank you so much for making a raw video to test the pen. Luckily today most of us have one and can comment on it. Of course it is not a 149 MB, it is very far in quality, but not everyone can spend 800 or 1000 dollars to buy a MB. However, everyone can afford several Jinhao with which they can have a similar experience. In my opinion this X159 is a very remarkable evolution of the 159.
I agree completely Santiago! Thanks so much for the great comment.
Hi Hemingway, I got myself a blue resin one and it just writes first time everytime although I am not new to the hobby. I liked it souch so that I ordered one in Burgundy for me and my younger brother and have a dark green one on the way! I have had good experience with X159. No complaints. Finger crossed for the incoming one also.
Wonderful! You cannot beat the price. All the best with them.
I six Jinhao X159. I love the extra fine. I’m glad to see that you has a better experience with the pen.
I think I was due. My light touch throws off a lot of pens, I think many modern nibs are designed for pressure. All the best.
I own the X159 in bordeaux, which is inked with Sailor Oku-Yama. The inkflow is very good, the nib is a smooth and reliable writer. It wrote like that out of the box. And there are no hard starts after not having written with it for weeks.
I have many pens of different brands, also in a high price range. So I really was impressed by this nib. ➰〰️➿🖋️🤗
many greetings from Germany.
I am very happy that you are having a good experience with it, Dany. I love the feel of that pen.
... newbie here ... at 75 ... and like my green x159 very much ... seems to have a touch of flex compared to my few other pens ... and has great ink flow, in my just learning opinion ... am really enjoying your videos ... thank you!
Thank you, Patrick! I appreciate you being here. Stop in again soon.
I’m a chronic ali-express-fountain-pens afficionado, 9/10 of mine haven’t failed me. I enjoy the many many many options Jinnah has. I had my eye on this one over the past week and just might give it a go!
Wonderful! If you do, please let me know what your experience is like. Thanks! Also, I just bought 2 Jinhao 82 pens. I love their colors.
Glad you had a better experience this time. I have 4 X159's and have not had any issues with any of them. I do wish they offered it in a medium nib.
Me too! That would solve a lot of issues.
You might check to see if you can remove the nib. Of my two x 136 pens, I can remove the nib on one, but not the other. Fir the one with the removable nib, a jowo #6 fits. I bought two nibs from Goulet pens for about $11 each, a 1.1mm stub and a medium.
Gatsby is my favorite book and my new favorite ink. Has been my go to since I bought it.
Hello Benjoe! Nice! Gatsby fan! I love that book. So perfect in so may ways. The ink is very nice.
I've had a good time writing with mine! The issue I had with it was the ink drying up on the nib after some time without use. But most important of all, it helped me realize that an 149 is maybe too large for my hands, so the Montblanc 146 is the pen I want now.
That is very important! The 149 is thick through the diameter. The 146 is about perfect. Stop by again soon.
Hello HJ. Due to another channel that I watch, my curiosity was itching to see exactly what this pen was all about. I don't usually purchase many pens but I had to try it. In truth, I long for a Montblanc 149 and I wanted to see if the size of the pen was to my liking. My largest pen is the Pelikan M605 Stresemann. You see my hands are a little small. Anyway, mine does occasionally have hard starts but once it's going, it flows nicely. The nib isn't as smooth as I'm use to but for the price, it was a great experiment. Enough about pens. Your using a city map as a canvas was brilliant. In my opinion, guys love maps. The older the better. Sure beats the table top of some desk. Good choice. The devil is in the details.
Thank you so much You are so right about maps. I love them and they are all over this channel. I have newer ones, like this one, and older ones. They make perfect backdrops. My desk too is very worn. I have had the same one forever. I do strive to make my videos visually lush and interesting. Thanks so much for watching. It is always nice to hear from you.
Hi, my X159 arrived with the tine a little too tight. I just have to open the tine a little bit, now it is writing smooth and good.
Since you've now reviewed the X159, next is naturally review some other very popular jinhao pen, especially those are popular recently. Jinhao 80, Jinhao 82, Jinhao 992. The cost is around the X159 or less, especially the 992 is very low cost, but good pens. Shouldn't cost you too much to acquire for review.
Hello Jacob, People do seem to enjoy Jinhao posts, so perhaps I will. Thanks for the tip! I appreciate it.
Like Gordon Tillman, I too flush out any new pens with the clean water with Dawn mixture. I dont need any new pens, but, I have forwarded this video to a few friends who might be interested in getting one of these Jinhao x159 pens. As usual, HJ, thanks for this very informative review. Keep up the great work.
Thanks My Friend!
I really like this pen, mine is the burgundy one, and the quality of Jinhao pens has been improving a lot over the last few years. I would recommend this as the first oversized pen with a #8 nib, to a new aficionado. Thank you for this wonderful video
Hello Marco! I agree completely. I have it in Burgundy also. I love that color. Burgundy is one of my favorite colors in general. I hope that you are having a nice weekend. All the best!
Plus+ for the burgundy. I put Diamine Writer's blood in mine. Seemed appropriate.
I have 3. Did have one literally explode. It was in a case and the pressure of it in the case caused the top of the cap to pop off and the entire cap exploded under the pressure. Fortunately it wasn’t inked.
After the first Jinhao X159 (the black model - silver clip) I was so impressed that I ordered the three existing colors (black - red - blue - silver clip). I even bought a special case for this three pens which I take always with me when I go out. Last week I bought another set of the three colors, now with golden clip. Because I am very pleased with all aspects of this pen. My first black model cracked at the top of the cap but that could have been my fault (carrying it in my bag without a case). I do have three pens always inked and three spare pens which I keep for the future.
Thank you, Dirk! It’s amazing how no one who buys this pen, buys just one, even me. I am so glad you are having -mostly- a good experience with them. Stop be again soon.
@@HemingwayJones : I own 6 of them, and recently gave a burgundy/gold one to my
internist (who is also a fountain pen lover). My experiences thus far have been very
pleasant.
Do to COVID restrictions in Hawaii, I had to move back to Florida and with that, all my pens went into storage and I had to focus more on restructuring my life. Eventually I unpacked and decided to order a couple of pens. When I ordered the x159 I was expecting the heft and build of the 159 and was very disappointed when I took it out of its packaging… but, I inked it and did some writing and it does a pretty good job and it’s not so bad. It needs a bit of a tune, which I’ll attempt the next time I decide to ink it up.
Hi, I'm new at this and the prices are attractive for a beginner. I started with the Jinhao 159 as you said an heavier pen, that version always work great for me, not scratchy, no skip, or false start. But for some reason my 3 Jinhao X159 skip at the beginning. So I always keep a piece of paper so I can do a few lines to get it started. I love the feel of the X159. I have bought some Moonman/Majohn P136 which is smaller in body. And I prefer going back to the X159 for the feel of the pen. I'll stick with those for now; the Montblanc 149 is way over my budget at more than a $1000 retail. And I'm not trusting the used market. Thank you for the videos.
Hello. I think that we have had very similar experiences with the x159 and it’s a shame because I love the dimensions of the pen. Wish you all the best.
Thanks for all you do! Ignore the critics!
Thanks Man! I appreciate it.
Great presentation and informative. Thank you. UPDATE I received two EF yesterday the avocado and the orange-red and they’re both good so I’m editing here. I like the F more but they’re okay. 👍
Thanks very much! I haven’t tried one yet. I’ll try to get my hands on one and let you know. All the best.
We meet again. I enjoyed your commentary on the X-159, thoughtful and fair. I found frequent hard starts with mine until I shifted ink to Pelikan 4001 black…problem solved!?!
Thanks again for your review.
Hello and Welcome back! I should probably fiddle with mine, but I am not very successful at those sorts of things. Thanks so much for dropping by.
I rather thought that myself. That Hemingway may have wanted to switch inks and see the result. Some inks, as we all know, flow better than others.
@@morna45 Hi Cat! I am going to try Kon Peki. This is my go-to, fix it all ink. In fact, I did a video on this about a year ago early in the channel. Thanks for the idea.
Even my Montblanc skips towards the bottom the page with some papers. It's the oil from your skin. Some papers can't hack it. Clairefontaine is pretty good.
I enjoyed the video. I got the feeling that you still weren’t enamoured with the pen. I have been using some of my cheaper pens. I was happy with them at first. But as time has progressed they are losing ink and need to be primed to write. I may just stay with my better quality pens!
That makes sense. Well, it still wasn’t 100%. It was still skipping to on cross-strokes. Very disappointing.
Great video! Honestly, in my experience, the best cheap fountain pen that has never failed me to write well out of the box has been the Platinum Preppy. The Japanese have this mentality of "whatever you have in hands, do it properly" attitude. In any case, life is too short to be writing with bad pens, hahah. Keep it up, cheers!
I like that “Life is too short to write with bad pens!” Well done. I agree completely. Preppy & Kakuno are both great.
Thank you for making these nice videos. I thought I would comment about the Jinhao X159 that I purchased. It is burgundy in color and I have a small bottle of Diamine Writer's Blood ink and found that the X159 was too big to just stick into a 30 ml bottle, so I removed the converter and just ink that up. The pen I received had a perfectly smooth nib when I received it and it really couldn't be improved upon. However, even though it is a fine nib, I don't feel that it is a fine but maybe more like a medium. I only have four pens and don't really have much experience with nibs but the Pilot Metropolitan pen I have has a fine nib and it really is fine compared to the X159. Bottom line is that I really like and enjoy using the Jinhao X159 and have from the the first line.
My four pens are: Pilot Metropolitan, Hongdian Black Forest (I polished the nib on this one), Pilot Kakuno, and the Jinhao X159.
Hi Minnie! You know, I have never been able to fill directly into the converter. It just doesn’t work for me and I am prone to making a mess. Writer’s Blood is such a great color. I love that Burgundy. Excellent choice. Stop by again soon.
As you know my Jinhao x159 (maroon/wine/dark red/whatever they call it) has worked out of the box. I love the cigar shape and easy posting, the size of the pen, and the #8 nib. The only thing I'd like to see is a piston fill of this pen. Then it wold be perfect and I would not be swooning over a Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age.
Hello Dave, The size and posting are great. It also has a beautiful nib for $3. Piston fill would be brilliant! All the best.
Definitely enjoyed the review. Regarding comparisons between expensive prestigious pens and people actually use these at work pens, I will say that if a cheap pen writes reliably and well, it is the better bargain if writing well is the matter. Filling systems, materials, history . . . all make our hobby lots of fun. So far as Jinhao nibs are concerned, I never once have had a problem; but if I did, I have experience with Jowo and Schmidt nibs that didn't work well that would serve me tuning the Jinhao nibs. I have a happy discipline of giving away a pen before I get another pen. I always check the nibs of my give aways. (Okay, so I do get cheap pens to add to the give away stock. Still test the converters and nibs first.) I can gift the Jinhaos with confiedence. But, I take stock of your experience.
Thanks! I am glad that you enjoyed this and am happy that you had better luck than I. More often than not, I am having issues, but then, I am a very light writer. Thanks for being here!
lol, as you know i just received the same one, at first it was a satisfactory result...
But not quite to my liking, that's why I used the Goulet Pen Cleaning and Tuning Set.
And I have obtained that the Jinhao now writes as a smooth fine/medium and that is just what I love.
I thought to myself, well, I can't do much damage for five euros, so I indulged my lust on the nib of the Jinhao.
And if I do say so myself I managed to get this one written to my liking.
So I can take this one with me everywhere without heartbreak if I lose it or break it. I fully agree with the comments Wolf_Ceit_Witch already quoted.
Thanks Hemingway Jones for sharing your findings.
Thanks Patrick! It’s always a pleasure. I hope all is well. I probably will tweak a little, but I may just keep this for the channel. Wish you all the best.
I have two Jinhao X159 pens. If i was wearing a blindfold, i wouldn't be able to telk the difference between them and my Montblanc based on the feel of the nib on the paper while writing! I didnt buy the two of them at the same time, and i noticed a difference in the way they were manufactured . One has a nib that is easily swapped for a #6 Jowo, the other had the nib fixed to the nib unit. I have a 1.5 mm stub on one of them. The stock jinhao fine nib on the other.
I have several other Jinhao pens, some 80 and 82 models. All write exceptionally well, maybe i have been lucky? The only Jinhao nib that i didnt like was an extra-fine on a 992.
Thanks again for another enjoyable video, i appreciate the effort you put in on behalf of the fountain pen community.
Thanks so much, Mike! I am so glad that you enjoyed it. I am so happy that you had great luck with them. See you again soon.
I have six X159 pens in various colours. All wrote perfectly out of the Aliexpress packaging.
I love them all.
I wish I were as fortunate.
I have a Montblanc 146 that I love. So, I was wondering if I would like a 149. Therefore, I bought the simarily-sized Jenhao 159. It's pretty nice, but like yours, it does not seem fond of horizontal lines and skips occasionally. I decided I love the size, but unfortunately, I can't afford a MB 149 any more. I am grateful for the 146 and can only dream for a 149. I enjoy your reviews.
Thank you very much! I am so glad you enjoyed this! All the best.
I'm glad this one went better! It seems yours might still need a bit of tinkering, it makes sense that this might not be the best pen for FP newbies under those circumstances! Good review sir
Shane, My Friend! Yes, this went much better. I do love the feel of this one and the weight. It’s impressive, but they need someone to dip and try them before they go off. Probably be tough to sell them for $3 if so!
@@HemingwayJones good point, unfortunately it seems that makes us the pen testers lol
The Gatsby ink looks very interesting. I just recently picked up Pure pens platinum purple, my first 'purple ink'. Glad you had a better experience with the pen. Guess I was lucky getting two that worked well straight out of the plastic sleeve :)
Thanks so much! I like this ink, surprisingly so. I have Faust to try out too. It’s black, I think. I am glad that you enjoyed the video. Thanks so much!
Certainly worth it to test out the dimensions of the pen and the performance of the #8 nib. I was happy to pay $8 or something to learn that #8 size is not for me.
@@ichirofakename Very good point. You don’t want to find that out with the 149.
I received my x159, a fine nib, about two weeks ago. So far, so good. I'm surprised by how much I like it. I plan to buy a four-pack next month, with extra fine nibs.
Wonderful! I am glad that you are having good luck with it.
I had good experiences with both x159s, although they definitely benefited from tuning. They both now write like smooth, wet mediums that write with their own weight.
At its price point, however, I don't necessarily expect perfection. That said, let's talk Visconti 🙄 When held against the notorious inconsistency of that storied brand, the Jinhao is an amazing pen.
I am glad that you had a good experience with them. It’s a good point on the Visconti. I had mine inspected by Brendan at Atlas. I hear that their QC is more under control, but definitely an issue when you are out that kind of money.
May I ask how you tuned your x159 Nib? My Jinhao x159 write smoothly enough for a Fine, but it is rather dry.
@@jensmetzler2033 Just take a brass shim between the tines and it’ll get it wet!
@@jensmetzler2033 sure! I removed the nib and feed--one was very tight so be patient and soak if necessary--, make sure the main channel of the feed doesn't have any debris like my first one did--and then gently floss the nib with brass shims. Double check tine alignment and you should be good to go!
I have two x159, one in black (ever with J.Herbin "Bleu das profondeurs" ink)and one in burgundy (ever with Diamine "Oxblood" ink) and booth writes lovely ane very smooth . Congratulations for this video Hemingway and for the second oportunity to this pen. Greetings from Madrid
Hello ravesab! Thanks so much! Oxblood is one of my favorite colors. Excellent choice. By the way, I need to get back to Madrid. I never was able to see Guernica at Reina Sophia due to a closure. I am destined to return to that amazing city. All the best!
@@HemingwayJones , I Hope so, tell me when you arrive and maybe we can have a coffee together 😉
@@ravesab Looking forward to it.
OK, this is a year later that I'm watching this. I have two x159's with fine nibs purchased sometime during this past year. I have had ZERO problems with either one. I had a Mont Blanc 159 that I sold a few months ago. These Jin Hao X159's (and the newer 9019's) have made me forget all about the Mont Blanc!
I’m happy you had such good luck with them. Enjoy!
I bought an X159 a few months ago and it was fun at a good price. It wrote ok, but I tuned it a little, and improved the writing experience. So when the Dadao 9019 came out for under $20 I bought one, and Jinhao fixed the issues the X159 had. It’s a bit bigger and heavier, and a really good writing experience, I have to say. Not as good as my Pelikan M800 in a number of ways, but 1/40th the cost. Good inexpensive, large pen.
As a chronic nib swapper, the 159s are superb. I hope size 8 nibs become available so I am do the same with the X159.
I may send mine to you if they do!
After spreading the tines (2 of them) by hand delicately I really love the Jinhao X159.
The tines are very close together. I noticed that under the loop. I am happy that they are even. It is smooth, but could be wetter. I think my light hand has a lot of impact on that. Thanks so much for watching and for commenting!
May you tell how have you done the spreading by hand BlushnBlue? please.
I really like the Pen and the video of Mr. Jones.
I have one X159 and It skips in the horizontal strikes.
Grettings from Spain 🇪🇦
@@jesusdiezgrijalvo6036 Thanks!
I have been thinking of purchasing a 2nd Jinhao X159 because my first one was just not up to par (the nib). I LOVE the pen body and wish so much that it had a #6 nib because if it did -- I'd be ecstatic!!!! I found that I got such uneven writing with my 1st (only) X159 and with pressure I got a better line width but I don't write like that ... I write with even pressure. LOL I worked for quite awhile on it and it now writes better but I guess it just left a lingering frustration so so far I have not gotten another one. Since I almost always go for Broad nibs ... that's another factor. I don't even worry about the nibs on the X750s etc because I just swap the nibs automatically ... with only a few exceptions because the gold toned ones seem to write pretty well. It's just so affirming to hear that I'm not the only one who had a ho-hum experience with the X159. So many others loved it I felt almost sac-religious giving my honest opinion in my review lol.
Oh My! I reviewed it twice for that very reason. So much flack came in as if I had a vendetta. I was trying to like the pen, but the nibs keep letting me down. I was using a fine. I found the medium in the 82 a bit better with one being better than the other. Better was encouraging.
All we can do is be consistent to our own perspectives and what we discover about a pen. We can only be as honest as we can.
I have 4 X159's and given one as a gift, all have worked well without any tuning of the nibs, my first black pen was initially filled with Parker Quink and the nib had a scratchy feel so I refilled with waterman black ink and it became very smooth, I also find Diamine inks work well in these and other steel nibbed pens. I don't have a massive collection of inks (about 50) but some inks appear to have more lubricity than others. 13:02
I am so glad these pens worked for you. It’s always great when you find something that works. Thanks for watching.
@@HemingwayJones These are great everyday pens, they ard inexpensive to replace should you loose or damage one, the same cannot be said about my vintage Parkers.
My 3 'X159' (F/EF) do their work perfectly 👍
One nib is a Heartbeat. Does someone know, is a Heartbeat from the 1st generation ?
I knew QC could be an issue with a Jinhao but for me it wasnt an issue. First nib the gap on the tines was unusable flow, currently turning it into a stub nib and using the Medium I picked up as part of a set of XF/F/M nib units.
But yeah so far liking the pen.
I am very glad it worked out for you. All the best.
I am glad that you got a better pen. I have so much fun with mine. BTW, what drove me over the edge to buy the Montblanc 149 was the Jinhao X159 -- Both are my daily writers. What I like about the x159 is that I don't have to worry about taking it with me. If I loose it (well not the special nib grind one) I am not going to cry away a lot of money. I would be sad but I would go ahead in repurchase, the 149 it would take me a while to save up to replace it. Thank you for being open to re-reviewing the pen. -- I don't think it's a replacement of the Montblanc 149 but I see it as and entry point into the Montblanc pens.... And it allows those who can't afford the 149 to have a nice expeirence with.
Hello Ceit! Definitely better this time. It is nice to have pens that you do not have to worry about or that you can freely give away. This definitely fits the bill. I hope that you are having a pleasant Sunday.
it is a good way to determine if you will like the 149, isnt it? :)
@shane6242 Yes it is. It has the same girthiness, size, and feel. The only things are not comparable are the filling system and the nibs.
@@wolf_ceit_witch I jammed a #8 Bock titanium nib into mine! It fits...kind of...but it writes like a dream
@shane6242 Nice! I was wondering about that. I do want to get a bock to try... I Have a titanium one on my custom Schon Ultum ... Love it... Not to mention another has a custom Nib.lab flex nib.
Hi
I am new to fountain pen mania and like so many newbies Jinhao was the pen of choice. I the price made them so attractive. They worked well enough, but they came with a rather steep learning curve. I discovered that the rather wet medium nibs did not maneuver well when writing checks and would often bleed through my cheap stationery.
About 2 months ago, I purchased a Pilot Pocket mini for the princely sum of $5. This has been a real gem. Starts every time and the finer nib is a better fit for my everyday writing of lists, notes, checks, and personal letters. I was so impressed that I bought a Pilot Metropolitan the day after Christmas. That came with a fine point at it has been my go to pen ever since--smooth, precise, and easy to love.
Don't get me wrong, Jinhao pens got me addicted, but in many cases they lack in quality. Had I known, I would gladly spend a little more $ and have had a much better first time experience by buying a higher quality starter pen from Pilot, Platinum. Lamy, or TWSBI.
Thanks so much for sharing your insight and perspective. Pilot, Lamy, & TWSBI are my go to recommendations for beginners. Personally, I would be happy if I only wrote with an Eco for the rest of my life. Excellent Comment. Thank you.
I will answer with one - the Jinhao 65 EF pen: cheap - around $1.5; light; posts well if you need it; good nib (had one and only issue - with painted nib on another model, plain nibs are good); won't dry out for (in my case) two weeks; elegant and pretty thin; more to that it is pretty wet for the Extra Fine, certainly not the dry nib.
@@outerspaceoutlander I just had really good luck with an 82 in Avocado with a medium nib. I really like it. It’s small though.
_ Yes, a great pen in my experience. I modified my nib to write crisp Italic. A little work on the tines improved the ink flow, and now I have a lovely Montblanc imposter that writes smoothly under its own weight with outstanding stroke breadth variations.
_ I also have a Jinhao x450 with a medium nib which I also modified to write in crisp Italic - writing smoothly and rendering a very noticeable contrast in stroke variations.
_ I ventured to do the grinding for the first time starting on a $40 pen without prior experience and then doing the Jinhao pens.
Admittedly, not everyone might have the same confidence nor the necessary background to try such a stunt.
_ As you noted, it would be nice if economically priced pens arrived in the mail with fully functional nibs to support a great writing experience for fountain pen neophytes.
_ Love watching all your shows - thank you.
Thank you, Walt! I appreciate your watching and sharing your knowledge with us! Stop by again soon.
The best EF nib I’ve ever written with, right out of the box.
You are so lucky, Gian Luca! I wish I could have said the same. It is so great when you immediately bond with a pen! Awesome!!!!
The X159 is probably the only "Chinapen" I ever bought and will buy. But since so many people went crazy about this pen, I thought: why not? I purchased it from an Italian pen show (I do not like to shop from China directly) and paid less than 10 EUR (including shipping) and got it after just 2 days (never say something bad about Poste Italiane!). And I was shocked how good this pen writes. I got an EF nib instead of the ordered F (which was the only option) and it is amazing. But this was just out of curiosity. I don't think I will ever buy another "Chinapen" again.
I’m glad you had good luck with that pen. It’s amazing the price point they can produce them. Thanks for watching.
With a bit of work I've found the X159 to be really quite nice, but as a beginner recommendation it's a bit questionable - at least yours wrote smoothly, if a little dry and 'skippy'. They'd make a great gift if you took the time to give each one a 'tune up' beforehand. I even went to the trouble of sanding away the injection moulding 'nub' on the finial and polishing it back to a shine with micromesh and novus polish (just watch out for the plating on the gold-trimmed versions - it wears off if you look at it sideways, lesson learned).
Thanks for the tips. Wow! You really did go the extra mile. I am thoroughly impressed. I suppose it does make for a nice mod platform. Excellent comment.
I learned from this pen that the Montblanc 149 is not a good pen for me. It was not comfortable to hold. And I had the skipping too, though it didn't appear until the third day I had it. The x159 is a vast improvement over the 159, but still not great.
I agree completely! You may be more of a 146 person. The 146 is more elegant.
Funny story - I also have a Jinhao 159 that had a great factory nib when I received it. I thought I would “upgrade” it with a Goulet branded Jowo #6 nib and that COMPLETELY ruined it! Lol
Nooo! So sorry. I am not a great tinkerer for pens.
My X159 is terrible. The nib and feed refuse to properly align, meaning I have skips on any long, convex curving stroke, such as in a cursive upper case A or C. I have other Jinhao pens that work great, so I'm bummed I can't get this one to cooperate.
I had real problems with it as well, which is a shame since the body feels very nice. It was a bit of a disappointment.
I think I'll have to try one of these. I've been wanting to try grinding a nib, which I'm quite sure will result in wailing and gnashing of teeth. With a $6 pen I could quietly dispose of it in an unmarked dumpster and not have to face the consequences. Yeah, it would be the perfect crime, thinking speculatively with tented fingers...
That sounds exciting! I think that this would be the perfect project pen. Let me know how that goes. All the best.
@@HemingwayJones Well, there's a problem with my new x159. It writes well. I'm reluctant to condemn it to a gruesome fate by Dremel tool.
On the other hand, replacements are available. It might have to be a lab rat, after all.
late to this - just wanted to add that I got an X159 a month or two ago and I really like it. I use it two or three times a week and have never had a hard start with it even when not using it for a few days. I just wish the body was a little heavier.
That is great! I am glad you are having a great experience with it.
Cool
Thanks!
Did I put the whole effort into jinho to write smoothly I could make wind from reeds, maybe three months are not enough to desire m' expectation
159x>9019!!! I love my 159x. Have a 9016 in the mail. Looking forward to it.
It really is hard to beat the value of the X159. It’s no KOP or MB149, but it’s worth getting.
Can’t argue with that, My Friend.
I was bored and did tune it. Recently I reached for my pilot 743, got a couple of sentences in and realized the ink looked too dark, since it always had Kon-Peki in it.. Then it hit me.. I’m using the Jinhao. I didn’t notice it from the writing experience.. so I’m forced now to re-examine my feelings on this pen, since I accidentally blind studied myself. 🤷🏻♂️ This is what makes the hobby fun… that and the comfort and satisfaction of stocking and hunting my next purchase.
I love experiences like this. Anytime you re-contextualize your beliefs.
I've been using the x 159 for months and I'm so happy I'd pay over $100 for it.
I am so glad that you connected so well with it. That is the best feeling! Thanks for the comment.
Hi. Very nice review. Why bother when you have the Greatest? 🤗 Cheers from Australia.
Thanks very much. Well, one word… Content! And curiosity. All the best.
I think that the nibs of the Jinhao x159 are uneven in quality. I had one on which I had to do a lot of tuning. I bought two others. One nib writes beautifully and one is all right.
Hi Barbara! That is truly the rub! Inconsistency holds me back from enthusiastically recommending it. Thanks for watching this one!
You are most generous to make another video for a chinese knock-off pen. I personally feel that a good pen to recommend to a beginner is the TWSBI, those pens are rock solid and reliable. The last thing I would do is recommend a cheap chinese pen that may or may not work. A beginner may be forever thinking that all fountain pens are unreliable. The cheap Jinhao is great for those who want to experiment with pens, to tear them apart, try DIY nib work, etc. But really, now many people do you know who want to do this, most just want a pen to work.
You touch on a lot of the points I have made regarding this pen. TWSBI is always my go to recommendation. It is fear that a bad pen could put someone off fountain pens forever. Thanks My Friend!
I apply the same rule to a new pen as to a new car: when you get to buy a new car you drive it gently the first 3000 km and then it gets ok. For the pen, I use it for 30 days on all kinds of papers, writing sessions and with all inks, and then I decide if the pen is worth it.
My X159 passed these 30 days trials with flying colours. 30 writing days can transform "a pen" in "your pen" .
Sounds like a solid practice. Thanks so much for watching.
Rhodia and Clairefontaine are the same paper, hope ths saves you the trouble of testing pens on both :)
Hello! Thanks so much. According to Goulet, they are made both by Clairefontaine but are not the same. The finish is different and they have 10 gsm difference between them. I only use this kind of paper for the videos in any case. All the best!
I have two of the x159 in use. One is OK, but fell apart really quickly, so I had to glue it back together. It writes well though. The other one really sucks when it comes to writing. Jinhao makes nice pens for affordable prices, but they are not really consistent... So I wouldn't call it a beginner pen.
Excellent points! Thanks!
Fell apart in what way?
@@LisePlansandJournals The iron part, the threads, came of. Really strange...
I’ve the same blue X159..
Per my 1 month’s experience, it’s smooth, it writes more like a medium (definitely not like Fine), never skipped and it’s ‘girthier’ than what I’d have liked.
Are you getting Jinhao’s latest sensation - 82 ? I’m awaiting Gold trim variants’ availability in India to try one..
Hello! I didn’t know about the 83. I’ll go look. Thank you!
@@HemingwayJones It’s 82 and a clone of Sailor Pro gear Slim
Interesting, thanks!
Is there a Jinhao similar to the 146 as well?
I don’t think so. At least not yet. The Sailor 1911L is nearly a perfect match though.
@@HemingwayJones Found it: Majohn P136 is a 146 knock-off
@@Volkmannx I appreciate the tip. Thanks so much!
I want to start doing some journaling since I’ve been listening to you. Do you know any good brands of journals that you’ve used from Barnes and Noble? Thank you.
Hello Rick! That is awesome. I am happy for you. I like their leather bound ones made in Florence. They are decent. Let me know how I can help you stay inspired.
@@HemingwayJones Thank you much appreciated.🙏
@@HemingwayJones I have observed that you are a traditional dresser. While attending college here I worked at Brooks Brothers for many years. I’m still a traditional dresser and always will be. Some may say I’m preppy but I always will be a traditionalist.
@@Rick-fz7tt Thanks Rick. Yes, I definitely have my own style and it is rooted in the classics. I may do a video on this one day. All the best
I liked the slow, real time pace. I hate when channels go really fast and edit too much!
Thanks! I appreciate that.
Well done on this second iteration.
I will add that the width of the body doesn't make it a comfortable pen for longer writing sessions. I would say my hands are fairly average in size, not small, not large, however gripping it doesn't feel great & it gets tiring to use due to its cumbersome size. So, it's definitely not a go to pen for me.
However, as per your previous video & my comments, I do find it writes well & this video I feel portrayed the pen as it is.
I thought it may have helped seeing some comparative writing samples so that your viewers could see how this fine writes against some other pens.
I feel it is fairly smooth & for example writes a bit wetter and a tad wider than my Sailor's (mf). Notwithstanding, those pens are typically my go to writers.
Thanks. 👍
Great suggestions, Nostro! I will do that next time. Thanks so much and please stop by again soon. I welcome great suggestions!
Interestingly, mine wrote buttery smooth straight out of the box. Maybe I've been lucky, but I've owned about 20 Jinhao pens and only one had a scratchy nib. I assumed the reason for that is it's the only Jinhao I've owned with an extra fine nib.
You have been very lucky, My Friend, and I am happy for you. I am at about a 40% hit rate. I write very lightly and I wonder whether they require more pressure.
@@HemingwayJones Yes, I did notice you write very lightly, and considering how lightly you write, a 40% success rate is probably quite good. I have noticed on other videos, reviewers naturally write with more pressure and it might explain why most of them give Jinhao pens good reviews regarding the nibs.
@@ryokan9120 I have been trying to figure it out. Maybe this is the reason.
Yeah..see jinhao can be pretty good...for me though..I find that many of my pens don't like rhodia paper
Interesting! Did you watch to the end where I used Clairefontaine. Doesn’t that name sound like a classic film actress?
I like that paper waay better. My pens love tomoe river, leuchtturm, certain cvs brand notebooks, and other notebooks I've used from Daiso....its fun to test all kinds to see what pens love.
@@technoraptor7778 Truly! Very good call. I really like Ayush from India. It has a romance to it I really like. All the best!
My x159 is problem-free. But it got thrown in the Retired box when it turned out the size 8 nib does nothing for me. Jinhao-wise, I'm sticking with my old all-metal x750.
The #8 nib is why I bought this pen. I wondered what it would add to the writing experience. Besides my disappointing writing experience, I didn't see that the #8 added anything at all.
I have a few #8 sized nibs (mostly Montegrappa pens) and they all look great and write splendidly. But frankly, the #8 on the X159 that I bought on a whim is smaller than the other #8 nibs I own and use. So, that was a let-down. And more importantly it didn’t even write all that nicely. So doubly disappointing. I don’t feel the urge to give the X159 a second chance by buying another one.
It’s really pretty. Aesthetics always plays a factor for me. Visual delights are like a sensory oasis in a stressful day, no matter how fleeting.
@@WaskiSquirrel Exactamundo. In my contrariness now I am attracted to SMALL nibs.
@@HemingwayJones Which makes it a total bargain.
I’m hoping it’s neither a mess nor as smooth as a montblanc. I’d be so mad if I save up for years to feel good about investing in a grail pen only for it to be just slightly better than my Chinese knockoff from aliexpress
I think that you are safe. You should check out my previous video that does more of a side by side comparison. czcams.com/video/_m2UJxHxSS0/video.html
Thanks and all the best!
Don't worry, once you've spent the money, you will love it.
The 159 is NOT a disaster. Apparently you got (a) Monday pen(s).
Two of them so far. I’m very unlucky.
Nah, I'll not bite. Not now at least. I have enough pens, and I have enough pens that I need to fix first, to want to use them.
This is my year of fewer pens. I want to really enjoy the ones I have. And then the channel gets in the way!
@@HemingwayJones I did bite, eventually. I was able to tune the nib just by some very gentle bending, no punch and anvil needed this time. But I agree, these Jinhao #6 and #8 pens are not ideal for beginners, unless they love to press hard when they put down the pen.
And even if the pen now writes well, I have Chinese pens that I actually like better.
@@Vermiliontea I wish I didn't have such bad experiences with them, but I do and I have to report my experiences. I am optimistic though that I may find one that inspires me. Which pens do you like better?
@@HemingwayJones
Chinese pens, I've been lucky with Wing Sung and Baoer. Particularly Wing Sung 699, which is available as both a piston pen and a vac with valve, and is also available with medium nib.
I'm saying "is", but maybe it should be "was" because I don't know the market situation now.
And Baoer 801 and 388. These are more like slim office pens than "fancy". But the first 801 I bought many years ago was a very functional pen. Very sealed, didn't dry, and exceptionally smooth for a fine point.
Also, my fav Jinhao is the Centennial 100. May need a tweak to the nib though, just like X740, X450, 159.
But when it comes to cheap pens overall, my star right now is still a Western pen, Faber Castell Grip!
It has dethroned Safari as my first recommend.
P.S. Be adviced that Wing Sung's complicated pens may be a bit fragile. The plastic is just ordinary plastic, not some super resin.
@@Vermiliontea Thanks very much! I am always looking for pens to cover on the channel! Thanks for the inspiration.
I recently got my jinhao x159 didao pen in an extra fine but when I put in noodler's baystate blue into it, it writes like a broad pen it is extremely wet how can I fix this?
Interesting. I suppose you might want to try another ink. I wouldn't mess with the tines or anything.
@@HemingwayJonesinteresting thank you, but when I also put the noodler's baystate blue in the jinhao 82 extra fine pen it works beautifully with nice fine lines. I am also using the baystate blue in pelican m200 extra fine and works great. The tines on the x159 look perfect,I wonder if it is the feed mechanism.