Awesome review. I love all my Jinhao pens, while I respect the heck out of extreme quality and precision, my budget can't afford any of the "grail" pens (yeah... $200 is grail for me right now). All my Jinhaos are lovely writers, which is the most important thing for me anyhow.
I bought a pilot capless steel alloy and a rhodium plated gold nib and I end up almost preferring my majohn A1, especially the fine nib one. I sold the body of my pilot capless and have put the nib unit in the majohn A1, also to get some money back and because the feeling was the same you are not missing anything on not having the pilot capless, especially since I think it is more of an EDC kind of pen
@raeedibnzaman1 I found my people. I love the hobby but $100+ plastic with some gold is merchandise pricing. As long as it writes well, is durable and reliabe, its grail enough got me
@@BenDover84932 it's really quite insane isn't it. You may be able to say something about the Visconti Homo Sapiens with its funky volcanic resin and such, but for the most part it's just plastic with about $14 worth of gold for the nib. I was curious about gold nibs and got a vintage pilot elite with an 18k Fine ($30). I had to wetten it up quite a bit, but it writes nice now. So does my $4 jinhao 82's with steel. I think the gold vs steel thing is nothing more than price justification after trying gold finally.
@@BenDover84932 I mean that it is a really nice nib! I also blind tested some friends who have mont blanc and super expensive pens and, thanks to the fact that the rhodium plated nib looks like the steel one, they didn't find differences worth to be noted between the steel and the gold one We all agreed the pilot steel alloy to be the worse among all, testing pilot steel alloy F nib, pilot F gold nib, majohn A1 EF, majon A1 F
We really do appreciate you, Doodlebud. Even though you do not want all of the pens that you have, thank you for reviewing them for us. Your insights are immensely helpful.
I am new to fountain pens, so I don’t have a huge collection. My JINHAO pens are the cheapest, but they are also the most reliable. No hard start, and no skipping.
Thank you for the review. The clip on all three pens bother my grip, forcing me to use the triangular/standard grip. That is why I chose the A1 with the roll stop, not the clip which I thought was a brilliant modification on their part. MaJohn nibs are consistently well made, especially over the last year. Jinhao has stepped up their quality also. Now I would like someone to compare the MaJohn and Jinhao nibs with the new Nahvalur retractable. If Jinhao offered their nib /cartridge assembly separately, I would jump at the opportunity to get one. Great review.
I love your level of detail…I’m a quality manager by trade but also play an ME/EE occasionally. Jinhao meets the requirements form fit and function so good enough is enough. You get what you pay for so higher quality costs more it’s just a function of the business. Loved it that this study illustrates exactly that…I have a lower budget so I’m grateful for a low cost option but very much appreciate high quality workmanship.
Last year I bought a Capless. I was really happy about it. Turns out I lost it the same day, and my financial situation doesn't allow me to go into that kind of expenditure. Seeing this review has closed the deal on getting one. I'll just wait untli they release some other finishes. And honestly all of the jinhaos I have are very wet writters (and the only problem I had with their pens is that the tines always came too tight) Thanks for the review buddy!
I bought 2 Majohn A1s and the second one I got has the same crooked nib issue (9:24) as your Jinhao. It was actually not usable because the angles of the nib and my grip misaligned the nib on paper so it'd skip constantly. It's because they crimped the metal sleeve onto the nib unit crooked so the guide notch (3:43) isn't centered with the trap door hole.
Just got mine today. I still haven't inked it but just playing around with it and dry writing. I was quite impressed with build and smoothness of the nib while dry and was so glad they fixed the Majohn notch issue. As for price I was seeing it go for ~1/2 of what an A1 was going for: 14USD (JH10) vs 22-28USD (MJ A1). We'll see how well it holds up in use though. Thanks for the vid
Oof, shots fired on the A3. That’s my favorite one! I appreciate that I can make it clipless because I hate the VP clip and I love the rotating action (which I know isn’t as smooth as Pilot but for the price difference I’m not going to be a stickler). I also have a Pilot nib unit in my A3 which of course makes a big difference.
Great video! i really appreciate your eye for the small details. I've been wondering about these pens. This was a great comparison video and now I'm more inclined to get one to try out.
13:02 Well, domestically for the Chinese market the Jinhao is half the price of A1. I'm looking to buy one of these copies as a substitute pen body for my capless because the clip coating is eroding so bad. I think I have an answer now. Thanks for the review!
I don't know about AliExpress, but on Amazon (US) the A1 is almost $40, while the Jinhao 10 is $22, so there is a significant price difference. I have 2 A1s and the nib is a little bit crooked. I do wish there was a fish scale no-clip version.
I own the blue/black pilot with M gold nib - wonderful quality but the blue colour is fading. A month ago I received the Jinhau 10 in red… and OMG… the finish is remarkable and the colour depth puts my pilot to shame. The F nib is very nice as well, much nicer than my Majohns. The jinhau is a winner. Interestingly, after purchasing two Majohn A1’s I was motivated to buy the Pilot. After purchasing the Jinhau 10… I am not as excited about my Pilot VP.
As a lefty I can’t comfortably write with the clip there, so I’ve really liked the clipless version of the A1. I wish Pilot made one so I could buy the real version.
I *just* ordered this pen on aliexpress yesterday. I ordered a Jinhou 10 Red/F for $11.99 because I couldn't find a single Majohn A1/A2 in F. And in case I didn't like the VP style capless pens, I also got an OASO K019 retractable erasable (like FriXion thermal ink erasable) pen which resembles a more traditional pen body.
I have all the pens mentioned in your video plus other majohn retractables. I love the Jin hao over the majohns. I have 2 jin haos 10 both nibs are great. my 10s don't have the notch defect yours does and mine both have the nibs come straight out unlike yours. Price I paid $12 US for each. Highly recommend the Jin Haos, Thanks for you review
I missed if the nib units are cross compatible. I love the polished strip model of Majohn but want an F nib. Have you tried swapping or did I miss it in the video? I have a Majohn but no Jinhao as of yet.
I was pretty sure it was just a re-badged A1 when I first saw it, but there were enough small differences to realise it was a completely "new" pen. The A1 nib units don't fit in mine. The locator nub on them is ~2.95mm, whereas the slot on the Jinhao is only ~2.90mm. Pilot nib units fit fine, but the Nahvalur Eclipse is also too wide, which makes me think the Eclipse is likely using the A1 unit with their own nib. I've been really liking the Jinhao's nib, & I think I prefer it to the A1's as well. It's *very* smooth, almost glassy feeling but in a kinda good way. And yeah, the just A3 sucks 🤣
Yeah the Jinhao10 nib is quite good and I do prefer it over the A1 (sample size of 1 keep in mind). As soon as I get my Eclipse (more shipping issues came up and it was returned grrrrrrr), I will redo the nib dry out test. Im curious to see how these new capless pens perform.
Honestly, if I can figure out a good method of customization (laser etching and all that), I'd totally like to make a little personal store with a few of these with custom designs.
only thing stopping me from getting ANOTHER retractable pen, is how annoying it is when the nib drys out. But it is cool and I definitely feel the FOMO, another cheap option and Jinhao tends to do tons of colors later as well which is exciting
I have some points to make. 1) Thanks for another great detailed “engineering” review. 2) I have 2 Pilot VPs and 4 Majohn A1 & 2s. Not going to buy the Jinhao. 3) The performance of my Majohns is better than my Pilots in terms of dry out. Could be that the door mechanism in the Pilots needs a bit of repair? When they’re working I do slightly prefer the writing performance of the Pilots. Keep up the good work and thanks to 365 for keeping you in review pens.
The nib on my Jinhao 10 is head and shoulders better than any of my 4 majohns. When Jinhao starts selling the nibs separately, I’ll buy four and replace the ones in the majohns
Hmm. I have a vintage Namiki vanishing point, the current Pilot version, the Majohn A-1. I think Jinhao did wonderfully for appearance and, I hope over time, build . . . except the nib dries overnight. Not so with the Pilot/Namiki and Majohn iterations.
I have several of the Majohn capless pen in plastic, with facets, rather than the painted metal barrel. It does exhibit the annoying "find the slot" game, which can be a pain, especially if you don't have enough hands to hold the barrel and the feed mechanism and the end at the same time and the end of the barrel decides to fly off. Is it possible to squeeze that too-long spring and make it shorter and tighter? Looks like about the same amount of spring steel wire, but stretched out. Thank you for an insightful and informative review, showing the small but possibly significant differences in these three models.
Hi, Doodlebud, I love your reviews and how you look into the details. I recently received a clipless Majohn A1 and although the materials look fine, it has many defects as you seem to find in the Jinhao 10. My A1 has a crooked trapdoor mechanism to one side and the feed catches a bit on it. At least the nib is straight. The springs are both somewhat creaky (not really noticeable when quickly clicking the mechanism, so that is ok). But then the roll stopper is misaligned to one side by about 35-30º, which drives me nuts. It should also be somewhat larger to work better. The brand "Moonman" in the back is equally misaligned by about 10º. And the nib was dry as the Sahara. I could improve it a bit, but only when the ink pools on the lower of the feed its wetness is ok and smooth for an EF. Then, after writing 2-3 lines, it feels very dry and draggy again: probably a problem with the feed, my Kaweco Sport is exactly the same. If Pilot had a clipless version I would go for it. My three Pilot FP are awesome.... their loss, and mine.
thank you for the review i was souspicious on the Jinhao 10, i think jinhao will upgrade the pen quality but for the moment Majohn is a better option .
You’ll be happy to know that my Jinhao 10 had none of the jenky cut edges and the nib comes out perfectly straight every time and it clicks super smoothly! I think you just got a not so great one
Appreciate the video. I have Pilot VP and Majohn A1,A2 and A3 and Majohn did a good job on the copy, creating a clipless version and their accessory packs are great. I have a preference doe M nibs so I tend to swap out my Pilot nibs units into the Majohns. So this is my question. Is the Pilot nib unit compatible with the Jinhao 10 like it is with the Majohn A1? Does the Majohn accessory packs e.g. converters fit the Jinhao?
hi... this pen just became available in Amazon where i live... i am planning to buy my first capless fountain pen... you mentioned that you will test the seal over a month's duration... did it performed well?
I haven't done the 3month test with this one yet. I will be starting that test soon with some extra new entries. My Jinhao 10 dries after about 1-1.5 weeks of non-use. I've heard others say theirs last longer. I have one Majohn A1 that last a fair bit of time but another that dries out in 1 week too so its not super consistent results. But if you're going to use it regularly it won't be an issue
I read that other people who also got the Jinhao 10, also noticed their pens to have their nib crooked. What makes me curious, is the fact that all of them are crooked on the same way. A question to anyone who might have the pen. Does it have any leakage issues? Watching the pen touching the sides like it was shown in the video, really makes me think of buying it. (and the crooked pen being an addition to that too)
@@Doodlebud been thinking about these pens, what would you recommend as a first retractable pen for someone who's budget does not allow for a Pilot Vanishing point? (doesn't have to be limited to the Majohn A1 and the Jinhao 10, it can be any affordable retractable...)
Not all parts are interchangeable = you can put the whole part with nib and ink from jinhao to majohn but not the other way - the "notch" (this thingy) in majohn is slightly to big for jinhao 😊
the jinhao 82 is best i think in budget . can u make a review on the medium nib and there are fude and glass pen nib ones sold with the body for it also. pls review
I really enjoy my Jinhao 10, thankfully the nib comes out straight on my stealth black version. I did have an issue where the top came off, exposing the gate mechanism. I suppose the adhesive wore off and then it was only a friction fit. I ended up putting a thin layer of E6000 adhesive to more properly secure it. I reach for it over my Pilot Capless (alloy nib) and Majohn A1 now.
I wanna get the A1, but I tried the VP and I felt that it was a bit heavy for me. The Decimo was lovely in my hand. But I heard that the A2 has some build quality issues. Anybody can share your experiences? Highly appreciated 🙏🏻
I have a couple of Majohn A1.and I do find the nib dries out. I have to wet it almost every time I try to draw with it.. Do you think the Pilot version stays wet longer?
I have an A1 and a Pilot Capless, the latter is always ready to write but my A1’s trap door has stopped working properly, so the nib dries out. Pilot is always superior, but it’s not a surprise considering the price difference.
Where are you getting yours from? Picked up my A1 with the fine nib in blue for £25, add delivery and it came to £29. I got mine from Etsy and it was delivered directly from China.
@@wonderingatom8203 havent got any of them (yet) but those are the prices I see on Amazon UK. Havent tried Etsy or Ebay - I've had bad experiences with Ali Express and don;t really trust them.
I don't know where you're price comparing, but the J10 is consistently showing up for 10-15$(US) in my searches. The A1 is normally 22-25$. SO, for the price alone, I'd go with the 10. Of course with Majohn, I have HATED their replacement nibs. Out of three, only one worked (sorta) out of the box. 20minutes of adjusting/polishing, it finally writes like I like. Jinhao has blown me away with the nibs on the pens I've received, as well as replacement nibs. The 9019/9013/X159 #8 nibs are my favorites. Lastly, my A1 dries out like a...well, it dries out quickly. If I 'snap' close the pen, it last longer, but even then, 1-2 days and it is back to the water cup to dip the nib. So the pen is useless as a desk pen as the thing never writes when I pick it up without 'futzing'. My Jinhao pens work great as desk writers as they last at least a month if not touched before drying out a bit. TY for the review, as always!
Hi DB. Thank you for another great review. After going through the clones, I'm still sticking with my original Pilot Vanishing Point in the rhodium plating stripes edition. The clones all had problems with drying out, and the shutter door not closing correctly. I could see light coming through when I would view inside the barrel.
Ver-r-r-y interesting. Just an opinion; I find it hard to believe that there is room in the market for yet a third capless copy of this model. I'm sure that they did their research, but how many of these Model 10s do they expect to flood the market with, and at almost the same discounted price? I have three models, and frankly I am done. P.S. I would buy a Vintage, however, but they are not easy to come by.
I inherited from my mother a vintage Esterbrook fountain pen that belonged to my grandfather (i believe the 1940 version), almost 3 decades ago I used it a lot but one day the internal mechanism failed (what a mess of ink) then i tried different fountain pens but none worked for me, as a Gen Xer with a love for classic stuff like petrol brass lighters, wooden pipes and brass belt buckles i want a come back to the fountain pen and after browsing a bit I found a pen that is not expensive and looks like what i need to restart (Asvine P30). Is there something i need to know about it ?
The Esterbrook is very easy to repair yourself. Section is pressure fit. Comes out with no glue. Needs a new ink sac. Those are a number 16, available from Anderson Pens and the Pendragons, among others. Clean the part that the old sac was attached to, cut new sac to fit (plenty of videos on repair online) shellac the sac back to the section, let dry 24 hours, dust sac with pure talc (NOT baby powder!) and reassemble. Done. Esterbrook pens are almost indestructible, so I really recommend them as a first vintage repair attempt.
@@paulherman5822 thanks for the advise sir, i still have the pen stored in my desk for over 20 years as a relic but if i can get it fixed it will be a dream come true .
I can’t imagine that any of those clips in the grip area wouldn’t be uncomfortable (but, that may be a “me” problem, I’ve never tried any of them and I know they’re super popular.) I came to this review because I saw that Jinhao copied the ombré white to blue colorway and it’s gorgeous…but, I don’t think I’ll like it (to hold) so I’ll pass for now. I wish the reviews on M3 (or I wish Majohn had made it better) were better because that white with black trim is really cool looking. It’s a pricey one, too @ $40 US when I checked yesterday. I’ve watched the reviews from the people (like you) that I normally go to for that, and everyone was like, cool looking, but pass.
Here's what I know when it comes to product development. Its VERY difficult to create a new product or design that the market loves. But when a company does it and the world takes notice, competitors will do the same. Everyone company is trying to create products/services the market wants/needs. When someone gets the recipe right, others will create their own version. Some version are a bit different, and others are damn near the same. Great ideas are tough to come by.
Nothing wrong with that at all. There's a very noticeable difference with the higher end brand pens, much like cars, clothes, food, and everything else. You're not an elitist for having an appreciation for higher quality and saving up. I find delayed gratification is more rewarding and lasts much longer.
Just because they didn't put "pilot" on the copy - it totally gives me pause: I wonder if it would survive a suit for copyright infringement. Its the sense of entitlement: Chinese companies see something that sells well and they copy shamelessly - id argue that the absence of the brand is not enough....ouch!
Do you understand the irony of that statement? Without Pilot, one of the best manufacturers out there, this pen wouldn't exist for Majohn & Jinhao to copy.
@@Doodlebud yap, without Nokia and motorola we wont had an iphone or mass pruduced hand phones, and so on and on... companies who bring value at better price wins... or more of it..
Personally I find you promoting companies that make cheap copies of pens very off putting. Taking the work of others, mass producing in likely questionable factories, and selling for a fraction of the cost is nothing to be celebrated or given legitimacy by a forum such as yours. Disappointing.
The "expensive" brands frequently copied each other while they were still in copyright. How is a Chinese brand copying something out of copyright so bad?
Well, I would ask you: Are you affected by this? Given their silence, don't you think Pilot would be, instead, grateful because all this is increasing sales of the original and even the vintage? What if there was a commercial agreement that doesn't necessarily have to be public? Have you not considered that if the design had copyright it may have already expired? Or are you a Pilot stakeholder losing money? C'mon kid, stop looking at the sins of others and be yourself a better person.
@oldaudionerd - It’s an objective review done by an honest, unbiased reviewer with an engineering background. I have zero complaints about /what/ is being reviewed - it’s *his* channel and *his* choice of what to review - and I am appreciative of Doodlebud’s time, effort and willingness to share his thoughts.
Awesome review. I love all my Jinhao pens, while I respect the heck out of extreme quality and precision, my budget can't afford any of the "grail" pens (yeah... $200 is grail for me right now). All my Jinhaos are lovely writers, which is the most important thing for me anyhow.
For me anything over $30 is reaching grail budget for me! Cheap chinese pens for the win
I bought a pilot capless steel alloy and a rhodium plated gold nib and I end up almost preferring my majohn A1, especially the fine nib one.
I sold the body of my pilot capless and have put the nib unit in the majohn A1, also to get some money back and because the feeling was the same
you are not missing anything on not having the pilot capless, especially since I think it is more of an EDC kind of pen
@raeedibnzaman1 I found my people. I love the hobby but $100+ plastic with some gold is merchandise pricing. As long as it writes well, is durable and reliabe, its grail enough got me
@@BenDover84932 it's really quite insane isn't it. You may be able to say something about the Visconti Homo Sapiens with its funky volcanic resin and such, but for the most part it's just plastic with about $14 worth of gold for the nib.
I was curious about gold nibs and got a vintage pilot elite with an 18k Fine ($30). I had to wetten it up quite a bit, but it writes nice now. So does my $4 jinhao 82's with steel. I think the gold vs steel thing is nothing more than price justification after trying gold finally.
@@BenDover84932 I mean that it is a really nice nib! I also blind tested some friends who have mont blanc and super expensive pens and, thanks to the fact that the rhodium plated nib looks like the steel one, they didn't find differences worth to be noted between the steel and the gold one
We all agreed the pilot steel alloy to be the worse among all, testing pilot steel alloy F nib, pilot F gold nib, majohn A1 EF, majon A1 F
We really do appreciate you, Doodlebud.
Even though you do not want all of the pens that you have, thank you for reviewing them for us. Your insights are immensely helpful.
I am new to fountain pens, so I don’t have a huge collection. My JINHAO pens are the cheapest, but they are also the most reliable. No hard start, and no skipping.
One of the best and historical innovation by pilot ❤❤
Thank you for the review. The clip on all three pens bother my grip, forcing me to use the triangular/standard grip. That is why I chose the A1 with the roll stop, not the clip which I thought was a brilliant modification on their part.
MaJohn nibs are consistently well made, especially over the last year. Jinhao has stepped up their quality also. Now I would like someone to compare the MaJohn and Jinhao nibs with the new Nahvalur retractable.
If Jinhao offered their nib /cartridge assembly separately, I would jump at the opportunity to get one.
Great review.
I went online to buy a Jinhao 10, I ended up buying a vintage Pilot Vanishing Point 💀
That's a MUCH better buy
That's like leaving for groceries and accidentally buying a new car.
@@theannoyinghistorian1812😂😂
I love your level of detail…I’m a quality manager by trade but also play an ME/EE occasionally. Jinhao meets the requirements form fit and function so good enough is enough. You get what you pay for so higher quality costs more it’s just a function of the business. Loved it that this study illustrates exactly that…I have a lower budget so I’m grateful for a low cost option but very much appreciate high quality workmanship.
Last year I bought a Capless. I was really happy about it. Turns out I lost it the same day, and my financial situation doesn't allow me to go into that kind of expenditure. Seeing this review has closed the deal on getting one. I'll just wait untli they release some other finishes. And honestly all of the jinhaos I have are very wet writters (and the only problem I had with their pens is that the tines always came too tight)
Thanks for the review buddy!
Nice to see metal-on-metal threads in the Jinhao 10. It should last a very long time.
I appreciate an honest review. So many on the net just become an extension of the companies and sell outright crap.
Was waiting for this video. I ordered mine for ~$10 and it's arriving in a few days.
I bought 2 Majohn A1s and the second one I got has the same crooked nib issue (9:24) as your Jinhao. It was actually not usable because the angles of the nib and my grip misaligned the nib on paper so it'd skip constantly. It's because they crimped the metal sleeve onto the nib unit crooked so the guide notch (3:43) isn't centered with the trap door hole.
Just got mine today. I still haven't inked it but just playing around with it and dry writing. I was quite impressed with build and smoothness of the nib while dry and was so glad they fixed the Majohn notch issue. As for price I was seeing it go for ~1/2 of what an A1 was going for: 14USD (JH10) vs 22-28USD (MJ A1). We'll see how well it holds up in use though. Thanks for the vid
Wow! Great morning present, earliest I’ve been for a video.
Oof, shots fired on the A3. That’s my favorite one! I appreciate that I can make it clipless because I hate the VP clip and I love the rotating action (which I know isn’t as smooth as Pilot but for the price difference I’m not going to be a stickler). I also have a Pilot nib unit in my A3 which of course makes a big difference.
my Majohn always dries out - will try the Jinhao
Great video! i really appreciate your eye for the small details. I've been wondering about these pens. This was a great comparison video and now I'm more inclined to get one to try out.
I love the Majohn clipless!
13:02 Well, domestically for the Chinese market the Jinhao is half the price of A1.
I'm looking to buy one of these copies as a substitute pen body for my capless because the clip coating is eroding so bad. I think I have an answer now. Thanks for the review!
Cool. I'm enjoying my 10, but I'm going to have a closer look having watched your video.
I love my 2 Majohn A1s in Extra Fine, they really surprised me, they write fantastically!!!
I don't know about AliExpress, but on Amazon (US) the A1 is almost $40, while the Jinhao 10 is $22, so there is a significant price difference. I have 2 A1s and the nib is a little bit crooked. I do wish there was a fish scale no-clip version.
That's because Amazon is a rip-off
(between 100 - 700 %)
Hi DB! Thanks for the heads up on this one!
I own the blue/black pilot with M gold nib - wonderful quality but the blue colour is fading. A month ago I received the Jinhau 10 in red… and OMG… the finish is remarkable and the colour depth puts my pilot to shame. The F nib is very nice as well, much nicer than my Majohns. The jinhau is a winner. Interestingly, after purchasing two Majohn A1’s I was motivated to buy the Pilot. After purchasing the Jinhau 10… I am not as excited about my Pilot VP.
As a lefty I can’t comfortably write with the clip there, so I’ve really liked the clipless version of the A1. I wish Pilot made one so I could buy the real version.
I believe you can put a pilot VP nib unit and put it in the Majohn A1.
I’m a lefty and use it perfectly fine. Just learn to underwrite.
The Pilot also has a variety of nibs. I have it with a broad nib as well as a fine nib and it’s very nice
I *just* ordered this pen on aliexpress yesterday. I ordered a Jinhou 10 Red/F for $11.99 because I couldn't find a single Majohn A1/A2 in F. And in case I didn't like the VP style capless pens, I also got an OASO K019 retractable erasable (like FriXion thermal ink erasable) pen which resembles a more traditional pen body.
I have all the pens mentioned in your video plus other majohn retractables. I love the Jin hao over the majohns. I have 2 jin haos 10 both nibs are great. my 10s don't have the notch defect yours does and mine both have the nibs come straight out unlike yours. Price I paid $12 US for each. Highly recommend the Jin Haos, Thanks for you review
I missed if the nib units are cross compatible. I love the polished strip model of Majohn but want an F nib. Have you tried swapping or did I miss it in the video? I have a Majohn but no Jinhao as of yet.
@@JasonBarnhart yes the nibs are interchangeable as is the entire unit with majohn, Pilot, and the new navalur eclipse
@@irvintepper5 thank you!
I was pretty sure it was just a re-badged A1 when I first saw it, but there were enough small differences to realise it was a completely "new" pen. The A1 nib units don't fit in mine. The locator nub on them is ~2.95mm, whereas the slot on the Jinhao is only ~2.90mm. Pilot nib units fit fine, but the Nahvalur Eclipse is also too wide, which makes me think the Eclipse is likely using the A1 unit with their own nib.
I've been really liking the Jinhao's nib, & I think I prefer it to the A1's as well. It's *very* smooth, almost glassy feeling but in a kinda good way.
And yeah, the just A3 sucks 🤣
Yeah the Jinhao10 nib is quite good and I do prefer it over the A1 (sample size of 1 keep in mind). As soon as I get my Eclipse (more shipping issues came up and it was returned grrrrrrr), I will redo the nib dry out test. Im curious to see how these new capless pens perform.
Honestly, if I can figure out a good method of customization (laser etching and all that), I'd totally like to make a little personal store with a few of these with custom designs.
Curious to hear your take on the new Diplomat Viper. I feel like the black one is right up your alley!
If the price was a bit cheaper I would be tempted. I am very happy with my A1
Yes! All the manufacturing details. I can write a few lines myself and judge the result, but I’m not qualified to review the engineering.
only thing stopping me from getting ANOTHER retractable pen, is how annoying it is when the nib drys out. But it is cool and I definitely feel the FOMO, another cheap option and Jinhao tends to do tons of colors later as well which is exciting
I have some points to make. 1) Thanks for another great detailed “engineering” review. 2) I have 2 Pilot VPs and 4 Majohn A1 & 2s. Not going to buy the Jinhao. 3) The performance of my Majohns is better than my Pilots in terms of dry out. Could be that the door mechanism in the Pilots needs a bit of repair? When they’re working I do slightly prefer the writing performance of the Pilots.
Keep up the good work and thanks to 365 for keeping you in review pens.
Oh, very very interesting, dear Doodlebud. Thanks!
great review! I hope you are doing well!
The nib on my Jinhao 10 is head and shoulders better than any of my 4 majohns. When Jinhao starts selling the nibs separately, I’ll buy four and replace the ones in the majohns
Hmm. I have a vintage Namiki vanishing point, the current Pilot version, the Majohn A-1. I think Jinhao did wonderfully for appearance and, I hope over time, build . . . except the nib dries overnight. Not so with the Pilot/Namiki and Majohn iterations.
I have several of the Majohn capless pen in plastic, with facets, rather than the painted metal barrel. It does exhibit the annoying "find the slot" game, which can be a pain, especially if you don't have enough hands to hold the barrel and the feed mechanism and the end at the same time and the end of the barrel decides to fly off. Is it possible to squeeze that too-long spring and make it shorter and tighter? Looks like about the same amount of spring steel wire, but stretched out. Thank you for an insightful and informative review, showing the small but possibly significant differences in these three models.
now I want to see Asvine make a vanishing point.
Hi, Doodlebud, I love your reviews and how you look into the details. I recently received a clipless Majohn A1 and although the materials look fine, it has many defects as you seem to find in the Jinhao 10. My A1 has a crooked trapdoor mechanism to one side and the feed catches a bit on it. At least the nib is straight. The springs are both somewhat creaky (not really noticeable when quickly clicking the mechanism, so that is ok). But then the roll stopper is misaligned to one side by about 35-30º, which drives me nuts. It should also be somewhat larger to work better. The brand "Moonman" in the back is equally misaligned by about 10º. And the nib was dry as the Sahara. I could improve it a bit, but only when the ink pools on the lower of the feed its wetness is ok and smooth for an EF. Then, after writing 2-3 lines, it feels very dry and draggy again: probably a problem with the feed, my Kaweco Sport is exactly the same. If Pilot had a clipless version I would go for it. My three Pilot FP are awesome.... their loss, and mine.
thank you for the review i was souspicious on the Jinhao 10, i think jinhao will upgrade the pen quality but for the moment Majohn is a better option .
I wonder if WingSung is coming with their version. That will be epic!!
Omg I just got mine today …. I have been looking to see if anyone in the pen community had done a review yet
What is the Jinhao 10 converter like. Does it fill better than the Pilot?
You’ll be happy to know that my Jinhao 10 had none of the jenky cut edges and the nib comes out perfectly straight every time and it clicks super smoothly!
I think you just got a not so great one
Appreciate the video. I have Pilot VP and Majohn A1,A2 and A3 and Majohn did a good job on the copy, creating a clipless version and their accessory packs are great. I have a preference doe M nibs so I tend to swap out my Pilot nibs units into the Majohns. So this is my question. Is the Pilot nib unit compatible with the Jinhao 10 like it is with the Majohn A1? Does the Majohn accessory packs e.g. converters fit the Jinhao?
How did the one month seal test do?
hi... this pen just became available in Amazon where i live... i am planning to buy my first capless fountain pen...
you mentioned that you will test the seal over a month's duration... did it performed well?
I haven't done the 3month test with this one yet. I will be starting that test soon with some extra new entries. My Jinhao 10 dries after about 1-1.5 weeks of non-use. I've heard others say theirs last longer. I have one Majohn A1 that last a fair bit of time but another that dries out in 1 week too so its not super consistent results. But if you're going to use it regularly it won't be an issue
@Doodlebud thank you very much for the info..
It will be interesting to see if the Jinhao 10 nib will dryout
I bought a Majohn A2... Unfortunately the nib is terrible and the ink don't flow. I'm waiting a Jinhao 10 to see if works better
Nib probably just needs a little adjustment to get it working perfectly
I read that other people who also got the Jinhao 10, also noticed their pens to have their nib crooked. What makes me curious, is the fact that all of them are crooked on the same way.
A question to anyone who might have the pen. Does it have any leakage issues? Watching the pen touching the sides like it was shown in the video, really makes me think of buying it. (and the crooked pen being an addition to that too)
Thank you for revie
I'm waiting for the copy of a copy of a copy of a clone!!! Then I'm buying...lol😅
from where in Canada can a Canadian mail order Mahjohn and Jinhao fountain pens?
Links are in the description on where to order. Click those and takes about 3 weeks or so.
@@Doodlebud been thinking about these pens, what would you recommend as a first retractable pen for someone who's budget does not allow for a Pilot Vanishing point? (doesn't have to be limited to the Majohn A1 and the Jinhao 10, it can be any affordable retractable...)
@ivanupton6586 I would still say either the Jinhao 10 or Majohn A1.
I wish every pen came with an empty stoppered cartridge, maximized for the particular barrel. Ideally a screw-in.
Question!
Would the inner of a Pilot fit correctly into a A1 body?
Love my white and gold A1 but a gold more premium nib would be exciting.
Yes
I wonder how good it *could be*if you swapped in the higher quality spring, did a little parts polishing and maybe a tiny bit of dry lubricant.
Not all parts are interchangeable = you can put the whole part with nib and ink from jinhao to majohn but not the other way - the "notch" (this thingy) in majohn is slightly to big for jinhao 😊
My Jinhao 10 just arrived today. On mine the door touches the nib, it grabs on the tip a bit when closing.
Hi, is Jinhao 10's body made of metal or plastic? Can you please confirm. My Majohn A2 plastic body cracked at the middle ring within a month.
The Jinhao is a metal body. The Majohn A1 is also metal but the A2 is plastic
Metal
the jinhao 82 is best i think in budget . can u make a review on the medium nib and there are fude and glass pen nib ones sold with the body for it also. pls review
I bet it’s cast Zamak
I just got my Jinhao 10 and the tines were bent when I attempted to straighten them one snapped off.
I really enjoy my Jinhao 10, thankfully the nib comes out straight on my stealth black version. I did have an issue where the top came off, exposing the gate mechanism. I suppose the adhesive wore off and then it was only a friction fit. I ended up putting a thin layer of E6000 adhesive to more properly secure it. I reach for it over my Pilot Capless (alloy nib) and Majohn A1 now.
I wanna get the A1, but I tried the VP and I felt that it was a bit heavy for me. The Decimo was lovely in my hand. But I heard that the A2 has some build quality issues. Anybody can share your experiences? Highly appreciated 🙏🏻
My Majohn A1’s “window” (the little trap door from where the nib comes out) broke and so my nib dries out… heartbroken.
I have a couple of Majohn A1.and I do find the nib dries out. I have to wet it almost every time I try to draw with it.. Do you think the Pilot version stays wet longer?
I have an A1 and a Pilot Capless, the latter is always ready to write but my A1’s trap door has stopped working properly, so the nib dries out. Pilot is always superior, but it’s not a surprise considering the price difference.
Surprised by the prices there. Here in the UK, the Jinhao is £25 and the A1 is £40.
Where are you getting yours from? Picked up my A1 with the fine nib in blue for £25, add delivery and it came to £29. I got mine from Etsy and it was delivered directly from China.
@@wonderingatom8203 havent got any of them (yet) but those are the prices I see on Amazon UK. Havent tried Etsy or Ebay - I've had bad experiences with Ali Express and don;t really trust them.
Currently the Jinhao 10 on ebay UK is £19.19 incl p&p China.
No medium nib or stub nib option for the knockoffs
It seems to me that the Jinhao converter is smaller. Maybe it’s just me.
BOOM
I don't know where you're price comparing, but the J10 is consistently showing up for 10-15$(US) in my searches. The A1 is normally 22-25$. SO, for the price alone, I'd go with the 10.
Of course with Majohn, I have HATED their replacement nibs. Out of three, only one worked (sorta) out of the box. 20minutes of adjusting/polishing, it finally writes like I like.
Jinhao has blown me away with the nibs on the pens I've received, as well as replacement nibs. The 9019/9013/X159 #8 nibs are my favorites.
Lastly, my A1 dries out like a...well, it dries out quickly. If I 'snap' close the pen, it last longer, but even then, 1-2 days and it is back to the water cup to dip the nib. So the pen is useless as a desk pen as the thing never writes when I pick it up without 'futzing'.
My Jinhao pens work great as desk writers as they last at least a month if not touched before drying out a bit.
TY for the review, as always!
Hi DB. Thank you for another great review.
After going through the clones, I'm still sticking with my original Pilot Vanishing Point in the rhodium plating stripes edition.
The clones all had problems with drying out, and the shutter door not closing correctly. I could see light coming through when I would view inside the barrel.
I'm just a copy of a copy of a copy..
The nibs blow...all of them
Ver-r-r-y interesting. Just an opinion; I find it hard to believe that there is room in the market for yet a third capless copy of this model. I'm sure that they did their research, but how many of these Model 10s do they expect to flood the market with, and at almost the same discounted price? I have three models, and frankly I am done.
P.S. I would buy a Vintage, however, but they are not easy to come by.
I inherited from my mother a vintage Esterbrook fountain pen that belonged to my grandfather (i believe the 1940 version), almost 3 decades ago I used it a lot but one day the internal mechanism failed (what a mess of ink) then i tried different fountain pens but none worked for me, as a Gen Xer with a love for classic stuff like petrol brass lighters, wooden pipes and brass belt buckles i want a come back to the fountain pen and after browsing a bit I found a pen that is not expensive and looks like what i need to restart (Asvine P30). Is there something i need to know about it ?
The Esterbrook is very easy to repair yourself. Section is pressure fit. Comes out with no glue.
Needs a new ink sac. Those are a number 16, available from Anderson Pens and the Pendragons, among others.
Clean the part that the old sac was attached to, cut new sac to fit (plenty of videos on repair online) shellac the sac back to the section, let dry 24 hours, dust sac with pure talc (NOT baby powder!) and reassemble. Done.
Esterbrook pens are almost indestructible, so I really recommend them as a first vintage repair attempt.
@@paulherman5822 thanks for the advise sir, i still have the pen stored in my desk for over 20 years as a relic but if i can get it fixed it will be a dream come true .
I can’t imagine that any of those clips in the grip area wouldn’t be uncomfortable (but, that may be a “me” problem, I’ve never tried any of them and I know they’re super popular.) I came to this review because I saw that Jinhao copied the ombré white to blue colorway and it’s gorgeous…but, I don’t think I’ll like it (to hold) so I’ll pass for now. I wish the reviews on M3 (or I wish Majohn had made it better) were better because that white with black trim is really cool looking. It’s a pricey one, too @ $40 US when I checked yesterday. I’ve watched the reviews from the people (like you) that I normally go to for that, and everyone was like, cool looking, but pass.
i wonder. is it unethical for a company other than Levi Strauss to sell blue jeans?
Here's what I know when it comes to product development. Its VERY difficult to create a new product or design that the market loves. But when a company does it and the world takes notice, competitors will do the same. Everyone company is trying to create products/services the market wants/needs. When someone gets the recipe right, others will create their own version. Some version are a bit different, and others are damn near the same. Great ideas are tough to come by.
call me an elitist or brand whore, I just couldn't settle for the Chinese copies. I saved up and got the silver pilot extra fine :)
Nothing wrong with that at all. There's a very noticeable difference with the higher end brand pens, much like cars, clothes, food, and everything else. You're not an elitist for having an appreciation for higher quality and saving up. I find delayed gratification is more rewarding and lasts much longer.
Just because they didn't put "pilot" on the copy - it totally gives me pause: I wonder if it would survive a suit for copyright infringement. Its the sense of entitlement: Chinese companies see something that sells well and they copy shamelessly - id argue that the absence of the brand is not enough....ouch!
The patent expired so everyone can copy the design without any ltrouble
Tell me you don't know the different between a copyright and a patent without saying you don't know the difference between a copyright and a patent.
The patent on the vanishing point has expired
I don’t need this, but I definitely want it. Some of my jobs are still reserved for ballpoints, and this would eliminate my major use for those.
😇🩷🙏🙌
This is the shein temu thing all over again 😂
pilot copied the design from sailor anyway
Wonderful, i hope Pilot run out of business 😂
Do you understand the irony of that statement? Without Pilot, one of the best manufacturers out there, this pen wouldn't exist for Majohn & Jinhao to copy.
@@Doodlebud yap, without Nokia and motorola we wont had an iphone or mass pruduced hand phones, and so on and on... companies who bring value at better price wins... or more of it..
Personally I find you promoting companies that make cheap copies of pens very off putting. Taking the work of others, mass producing in likely questionable factories, and selling for a fraction of the cost is nothing to be celebrated or given legitimacy by a forum such as yours.
Disappointing.
Not everyone has the budget to buy pilot vanishing point. People like me need these reviews
The patent on the Pilot mechanism has expired so other companies are free to use it. That's exactly how the patent system is supposed to work.
The "expensive" brands frequently copied each other while they were still in copyright. How is a Chinese brand copying something out of copyright so bad?
Well, I would ask you: Are you affected by this? Given their silence, don't you think Pilot would be, instead, grateful because all this is increasing sales of the original and even the vintage? What if there was a commercial agreement that doesn't necessarily have to be public? Have you not considered that if the design had copyright it may have already expired? Or are you a Pilot stakeholder losing money? C'mon kid, stop looking at the sins of others and be yourself a better person.
@oldaudionerd - It’s an objective review done by an honest, unbiased reviewer with an engineering background. I have zero complaints about /what/ is being reviewed - it’s *his* channel and *his* choice of what to review - and I am appreciative of Doodlebud’s time, effort and willingness to share his thoughts.
Obligatory: Nine Inch Nails - Copy of A
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