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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ส.ค. 2024
- The pen doesn't do much for me, but this new #8 nib does. I have a feeling this is only the beginning for this nib and it could be a huge development for future pens.
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00:00 Introduction
01:29 X159 & MB 149 Side By Side
04:23 Use This NIb on a 3D Printed Pen
05:35 Pen Details
10:35 Nib Close Ups
12:10 Writing Sample
13:16 Missed Opportunity
17:59 Would you buy a $300 Chinese pen?
Hey Doodlebud! I just got my second x159 (Burgundy/gold) yesterday. They ARE listening my friend, because we're all complaining about the number of turns for uncapping the pen and the lack of different colors. This new one uncaps with 2 turns now. And they come in Black/gold, Burgundy/gold and Dark Blue/gold with two-tone #8 nibs. Another purpose for the o-ring on the nozzle is to keep the barrel from unscrewing while you're writing.
If it is two turns, might get the Burgundy, and keep the Black one as a desk pen.
Hope they are. We can all benefit from a better built pen
@@Doodlebud Yes, i've picked up a new x159 in black and gold. It is much improved! Would be interested in your review.
@@diggers22 I received the burgundy version, and it is indeed improved.
Yep, my Blue X159 has no rattles, & the cap removes in 2 1/4 turns. I'm not worried about microscopic imperfections in the finish, as it's a working pen, in daily use, & will end up with nicks & scratches all over it anyway :) For the $$ you pay, I don't think people are going to buy them as collectible display pens. They're made to be used. Love mine, brilliant pen.
Let's be honest. Montblanc is heavily overpriced. Build quality is very good, but the costs are only a fraction of the selling price, I suppose. Labor costs and overhead are indeed much higher, but the price is still outrageously high. I think their margin is very very robust.
Oh yes! MB 149 is over priced for sure! That's why I bough mine new old stock and got it for less than a Pilot 823! I felt that was a fair exchange. I don't even want to get into the "limited edition" ones. But whatever, if people have $2500 to spend on something and they are happy, cool. For me... uhhhhhh no
@@Doodlebud Yes, that is a bargain. But, otherwise, we could buy high quality brand new fountain pens at half or one third of the price. Anyway, the Chinese knockoff should not be overlooked and the price to value is unbeatable.
@@Theod71 For the price the X159 is a bargain. Anywhere else just the nib is going to run you more. Even at triple that it would be bargain.
Doodlebud did a video a couple of years ago on the build quality of a Mont Blonc, and it's not as good as you would think. I have a limited budget, so I limit myself to $50 max, and so far, my sad lamy safari that I had to tweak , for $23 has beat my $50 pens, Conklins, sadly, my metro pilots have beat all my pens for staying wet nibbed. Are Mont bloncs good at staying wet when not used?
Overpriced compared to what? The Montblanc 149 is competitively priced with pens like the Sailor King of Pen and Pelikan m1000. A KOP is around $880 new and the m1000 is over $800.
While you might complain that this isnt a big enough step increase from the previous model, they did do a lot - reduced weight, larger nib, cleaner design. What I think would be the thing that would impress you is if they made it into a piston filler or a vacuumatic. Jinaho has shown they are willing to make changes, but baby steps. Better than no steps.
I liked the X159 so much that I now have 3. I enjoy writing with them. I love that they have the #8 sized nib on them, because they are enjoyable to write with.
I have two! When you get multiple copies of the same pen (assuming the same color) do you do anything to them to distinguish them from apart?
@@senerhayat I put different color inks in them.
@@wolf_ceit_witch I meant in terms of outer appearance. But never mind :)
I've bought 6 jinhao 80s which look identical in black. I like black and the j80 comes in 0.3mm which is perfect for writing in my tiny notebook.
I plan to sand the clip a bit, spread a tiny bit of pva glue on and iron on some metallic foil of different colours to help me differentiate them by their outward appearance, hopefully.
I'll keep you updated on how it goes.
If the metallic foil doesn't have the desired effect or permanence, I may buy an engraving pen, and paint the grooves in the engraving on the clip with enamel paint. We shall see.
What I would like to see done with the x159 is to scap the converter make it a piston filler, fix the cap threading and do a little better resin with a better polish and use gold plated trim with a two tone #8 nib. Set the price at 35 to 50. That would make for a great pen.
Btw I really enjoy the perspective you have when reviewing various pens. Great job 👏.
I bought one and it's quite a good writer, fits your hand like a large pen does and was better polished than Doodlebud's example. The F nib writes like an M for sure so that's good or not so good depending on writing preference. One thing, an M nib can always be thinned, easily in fact if you know what you are doing. Anyway, the pen, to me, is worth more like $40, not $7, based on what similar pens sell for worldwide. Most Chinese pens in the under $10 range are cheaply made and this pen is not as cheaply made. Don't forget that fountain pens overall are immensely overpriced so once the comparison is not made the pen is priced about right. Just my two cents. The Omas 360 has to be the most overpriced collectable ever, but it is so desired ("iconic"-whatever that term has migrated to now mean). I would love to have one but when a model shows up at auction the price goes through the ceiling. Good video as always.
To be perfectly honest,I’ve really enjoyed my experience with my 3 number 8 nibbbed C159s. If you can’t afford a Ferrari, a Ford Sierra turbo is a pretty good banger for the mooney.
This is the old x159 being reviewed here. The newer x159s that came out a few weeks back have a gold trim, a beautiful updated no.8 nib, and come in deep blue and burgundy. Lovely pens that look and feel great, and most importantly write superbly.
This is the new x159 - just in silver trim.
The dual tone and gold trim versions were released after (like a week later or something like that)... but it is the same pen/model with just different colors.
I enjoy mine. I think I will get more of the new colors they came out with and use them for taking my language school notes.
Really like the X159, I think it’s one of Jinhao’s best pens. But I am way more excited with the #8 nib for that cheap. And it’s a great nib too. But yes, I do wish it was a ~$20 release. It could’ve been an incredible pen instead of a good pen.
Note: seeing other peoples X159’s, I seem to have gotten a very nice one. There’s no seam on my plastics and the fitting is near perfect.
I have just buyed two of this pens, will see what quality it really is. I hope they will work out as good workhorses for the daily work. Someone mentioned sonic cleaning on the new pens. That seems a good idea to me, maybe I will try it out to.
I had a Sailor 1911S handy while I was watching this. It’s also injection molded. Fairly easy to see the mold line on the section with a magnifying glass. However, on the body it’s virtually impossible to see except in the thread area. So, just for comparison…
I do hope you do a video series showing the “how to” of printing your pen. I think you’ll do an amazing job since you are so detail oriented.
I got my x159 today and it is huge. It is bigger than my x750
Just ordered three off of Amazon. Am looking forward to testing on them.
As for your question, I cannot afford hundred dollar plus pens currently. But am interested in the marketing and engineering etc.
The Majohn X1 is a clone of Montblanc’s retractable Boheme. I paid $41 and I was mindblown. It’s my edc pocket pen, fits perfectly in that tiny inside pocket in jeans aka the “iPod shuffle pocket”. I also own the Majohn A1 and the quality is mf breathtaking. All of my Jinhao pens are cheap and there’s always that one thing in build quality that doesn’t make me return to those pens. Now if they just designed a nice $30-40 quality pen, I’d cherish that brand. I always feel that Majohn hires pen enthusiasts on their team and Jinhao hires experts in cost cutting.
I agree completely! Have yet to be enthused with great build quality from Jinhao. Wingsung & Majohn on other hand... WOW! I can tell they really care about their work. I still want to see form them a UNIQUE design. Yes, all pens share similar design queues. Pens have been around FOREVER so its impossible to not share some elements. But do something unique, your best ideas, and make it with the build quality and control they do with their other "knock off" pens. They can totally do it!
I recently got my three x159’s the other day. They don’t rattle and the cap comes off on two turns. I love the two-tone nibs. I got the green one with gold trim, the blue with gold trim and the black one with gold trim. I wanted a medium, a fine and an extra fine nib. I got all three from Aliexpress for the total sum of $18.01 delivered. It’s a great deal. These are good writers and feel really good in my hand. I do have an expensive MB that doesn’t write as well. It never has written well at all. I’ve got to send it out to be worked on. For $18 bucks I got three great writers out of the box. Nice and smooth. I fixed the rattling with some tape around the top of the converters like I saw in one of your videos (I think it was yours). I love the videos, thanks for the great information.
I've had my X159 for a while now and I really enjoy writing with it. My only complaint (as it was for the original 159) is that posting it is a pain. Not sure why they can't get that to work smoother. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
You post that giant too? That got me curious. Is that for ergonomics or looks? Or you would just hate to lose the cap? :)
@@senerhayat I have large hands and for me it's just more comfortable posted.
@@senerhayat Posting is always a plus, if it works well. This pen is so light, unlike the old brass 159, that posting doesn't really mess with the balance. I sometimes post, and sometimes don't, but like the option. Hate when you can't, or where it falls off. It better not post at al rather than have an insecure posting.
Maybe your cap-body tolerance is a bit off? I got both the X159 and 159, the X159 post really fine for me, too fine in fact that when you remove the cap there is a audible laut pop. The 159 however, just slide right off when it come to posting.
@@healievanilla7836 Mine posts OK. There is some scraping sound, but it is on there pretty securely. I think that some batches might have the tolerances a bit off. Perhaps pulled from the mold too quickly after the injection molding, or slightly deformed before fully cooled.
So there needs to be some observations on the business model of Jinhao. While Wingsung and PenBBS have moved up in the price range to that +30USD bracket, Jinhao wants to keep in the niche bracket of the 10USD pen. The clever bit for why I've bought their inexpensive pens is because their #6 nib in interchanged with the Bock #6 and also the Jinhao 80 is interchanged with the Lamy nibs, i.e. interchangeable with Made in Germany nibs that I can easily buy/already have. This is why the pens are all converters - to keep it simple and to keep the costs down. The price point is important (I believe this is what's called the USP) as am perfectly fine buying such an inexpensive pen to give it a go but less enthusiastic at giving a go to something more like 40USD. I'm not sure that it would be a good idea for Jinhao to come up with something unique and innovative - we are basically buying these pens blind from ebay at rock bottom prices based of the fact that they are similar to well known and successful designs. The jinaho 159 isn't a straight copy of the MB and I think is a good inspiration. I guess the 150 sold so well they thought of coming out with a closer copy of the MB due to the over hyped fuss of the latter - a great business opportunity to cash in on the demand.
The X159 is a bit different for them as the nib isn't the #6 deal, but it is fantastic. I think you got a bit unlucky with the nib you got as the X159 I got wrote out of the box first time with no adjustment with great flow and perfect wetness. The only thing I don't like personally about the X159 is that it is too thick of a section to hold, but that's part of the design coping they've done. It would be great for them to produce a "slim" version with the same huge nib. I personally prefer something like a Ranga model 3, Pilot 823/Wingsun 699 or a Lamy studio in size and shape.
I keep a standard international long cartridge I refill in my X159 I like taking it out to jobsites (I’m a EE) so I don’t have to worry about it and have a great amount of capacity.
I’m about to buy a 149 and I originally bought the X159 to see if I liked the shape
Gravitas just released a pen equipped with this Jinhao #8 nib, so I think you're pretty much on point on what this nib means for the indie pen makers.
He told me he was planning on it but was said in confidence so kept that info quiet until he announced it ;) He was actually the one who told me to check out the pen just for the nib. Our thoughts on the pen were the same but he was very impressed with the nib. I have other details but that info isnt public yet either 😶🔐
One of the main point of using a fountain pen (aside from a good smooth nib) is the fancy unscrewing your pen so a good amount is about 2-3 turns. I cant believe MB doesn't get it for a company that sells pens and everything at way inflated price.
Anyway back on topic, I got the X159 mainly because it's the most affordable way to use/swap my #380 gold nib in which came in a nice body but useless converter with low capacity. I can swap the nib into the x159 and eyedropper it to use the smooth hungry nib.
long story short it's a damn good pen that writes better than most expensive pen including the MB.
Law of diminishing returns alway remember that.
Enjoyed your review. What microscope do you use for the nib close up? And do you ever use that microscope viewing when you are grinding your nibs? Thanks
There is the Majohn p136, its also new and around the price of the Wing Sung 699 and 629, but I am not sure about what nib size they are using on it, waiting to watch reviews in youtube.
I bought 2 of these, a few weeks apart, and while I am pleased with the results (especially after a bit of work on one of the nibs), I found the differences interesting: one of the pens posts fine, the other will not grip the cap when you try to post it. One nib is surprisingly flexible, the other is not. And a few other little things, even though, side by side, they look identical. So you make a relevant point in suggesting that the quality may soon evolve to be a bit better, even without a re-design. And I'd love to see it with a Medium or Broad nib option.
They just came out with new colors
Great fun video. Having seen the orange Mahjohn Capless again I’m really starting to like it. This is so wrong as I am not a capless pen type and the last thing I need is yet another fountain pen. Yes I agree the Jinhao would be so much better if built like the Mahjohn albeit for a higher price. My massive bugbear is that you can pay £500+ for a prestige pen that is really far from perfect out of the box. My last 2 pens were disastrous. If there was a high quality Chinese size 8 better still with an ebonite feed and a 14k nib for a decent price say £200-ish that would probably tick all the boxes for me. It’s got to be more reliable than some of the pens, a huge amount more. BTW 700 Canadian for a new MB149 is cheaper than here at £750.
Not sure if it's $700 still, could be much MUCH more now. But 7 VS 700 just sounds good! 😂
I've been waiting for this one. I'm surprised you didn't notice the threads of the section to the body slowly working themselves sloppy. I can feel the barrel move in my hand sometimes and I'm pretty sure if the wall was just a couple microns thicker it would sure up the structural integrity. I managed to get one of these nibs that came pretested and perfectly aligned and tuned... Flow and all. It writes better than a lot of my Jowo nibs. So I had to investigate...
I've ordered 1-2 of these a week for the last couple months to see what I would get... I've got a few that had to be seriously tuned but I think because I have bought so much from the same vendor in China they're testing and sending me better ones... The last several pens I've gotten have had blue ink dried in the feed and perfectly aligned feeds. This pen is surprisingly good for the price... Really 😁
this is a "my size"pen for my giant paws and I can't afford to take my king of pen or custom pen to work...I use a lot of thin pens too but I imagine this to me is what a pro gear or 145/146 is to most people.
What better time to watch your video on this pen as I've ordered the x159 today.
There are a couple of reviews already on this pen but i was just hoping you review it too and here it is. Thanks
I bought one, then bought 2 more in different colors, for someone like me who doesn't have large hands, I was surprised how good it feels and writes nice. I can write with it for a long time. I also enjoy its light weight. You cannot beat it for the price. It's fun with the large nib. I also love the jin hao 80 for the same reason plus you can change to a lamy nib if you like. I also like the majohn copy of the vanishing point. These pens are fun. I own quite a few expensive pens new and vintage that are exceptional writers. These Chinese pens don't need to be babied and can go anywhere without worry. I have never had any interest in the Pilot vanishing point, the Mont Blanc 149, or the Lamy 2000. I have tried them all, they are just for me. The Chinese pens mentioned allowing me to have fun substitutes. I do have a Wing Sung 698 with a gold nib that I got cheap for $50. It is wonderful for that price. I take these pens out and the expensive ones stay safe at home.
I recently received half a dozen x159s in the updated version. Two required some tuning and the rest wrote perfectly. A very impressive pen performing far above its' price point. I compared them to my MB149s and with all honesty the x159s provided an outstanding writing experience that I find is more enjoyable than my MB149s. I'm a compulsive cap poster and the ogive on the MB149s makes them virtually unpostable whereas the x159s post exceptionally well. I'm not a big enthusiast of Chinese made pens and I am definitely not saying that the quality is the same, however, for an everyday user the new x159s are hard to beat. If the branding was removed from the x159s and I handed one to an average fountain pen user I think they would be absolutely gobsmacked. Perhaps you could evaluate the newer version of the x159 in the near future. Cheers
I ordered one partly because of the #8 nib, and partly because it didn't have that shield on the clip. I don't know about going full "premium", but I'd happily buy a Jinhao pen in the $30 to $50 range that had a nice steel nib & appropriate build quality & feel.
Check out the Jinhao A1. Right in that price point, good nib, and the build is crazy good. I bought another one because I was blown away!
@@Doodlebud Yes, the A1 works pretty well. Danger of fidgeting with it though, just like with a clicky ballpoint.
I enjoyed the review; I think I'm going to have to get one of the new burgundy ones. I recently got the same one you have (also for the nib). The engraving on my nib is also off-center and the threads in the blind cap have some flashing and imperfections.
You will like it has 2 turn cap instead of three.
I really enjoy your reviews. It might be the passion, the honesty without fluff, some humour... Great job. I appreciate the honest reviews, especially the pens from overseas. I bought a couple JinHao pens. An 8802 with a fude that I love. Worth every dime. And a set of 992s that were bad! One was broken out of the bag. Two have shanks for nibs - they love to tear up paper. Another one lost all it's ink into the cap. And the final two write like they are sporadic stealth pens - stop and starts constantly. I am hesitant at this point.
So far I haven't be impressed by any Jinhao pens other than how cheap they are. Majohn on the other hand.... WOW! They really seem to care about what goes out the door. Cost is more, but you get more and its still super affordable. But I just want to see them make unique designs. It can look like other stuff, as most pens all share design queues, but just don't copy it with exacting dimensions. Use other pens as ideas & inspirations, then let the creative juices flow!
@@Doodlebud Majohn/Moonman is usually three, four, or five times the price though. Most of their number five nibs I had to floss to make them work, but the number six ones have worked for me just fine. I got some of x450s for three or four dollars including shipping, which is hard to beat for a pen that works right out of the box, and includes the convertor. Many brands ask more for lower quality convertor than the one included with a Jinhao. Wish the X159 unscrewed with a turn ir two, and not three. If it was piston or vac, and cost twenty to thirty, like the WS 699, it would also be pretty nice.
If you ever wanna swap your nib on the 8802 it's a "Jowo #4 size" and 5 in a few others. My first twsbi mini I went to pull the feed and nib to get document off and damaged the fins before I got it out. I put the nib on an 8802 and now it is my daily workhorse pen
I’ve had the X159 inked up on my desk for a few weeks now. It writes smooth right out of the mailer, but not very wet, so I did a little tuning to make it write wetter and I did run it over some 12k paper for a second and it writes wet and glassy now with a little bounce. My one concern is I can feel the pen flexing where the section threads into the body. But just indicates I need to relax my grip a little and not press so hard.
Jinhao and Majohn have been making improvements in the last few months to their pens. I got in some Majohn A1’s to give as gifts to some coworkers and inked them to test- the nib units were so superior to the nib units they shipped out a year ago. Super smooth and wet from the getgo!
I would for sure be interested in they own you're describing. I have a "pilot custom urushi" with what they call a #30 nib. They use their own numbering system but it's comparable to a jowo #8 and I absolutely love it. It's so bouncy in a way that nothing else is. It's not like a steel flex nib, and it's not exactly "soft" per se, but it's just so much fun to write with. If Jinhao or Moonman could give me something like that but without the $1400 price tag I would buy one in a heartbeat.
Hi guys! I am very interested in the question - how long does the ink on the pen dry under this screw cap? If I don't write with a pen for a week, a month, or several months, will it be ready to write immediately when the cap is removed?
I'd like a grip section of 15-17mm, and a good flare at the end, you could design the cap to have an inner soft sleeve that touched and seated to that flare making the air in contact with the nib have less volume. Also, I would like a cartridge style pen with a cap on the tail end that comes off so you can wash it. I like to refill cartridges because converters leak air or are so thin that the walls or plunger sucks inward, and it messes up the feed's air exchange system causing hard starts or even for fast writing, a constant need to unscrew the pen and re-prime the converter. As for types of lids, a quick screw on is best for me, but snap on's do seem better for note taking or when researching. Pocket clips are great, for me, but I think for women, they just snag on things in their bag, so an optional clip like on the Sports might be better? Finally, maybe have the option to buy a barrel length that will go to one section, I have a big hand, and have to cap all my pens, I even have to cap my safari. For clips, even triangle shaped can be made for slipping on and off the barrel. I've noticed that a lot of people find a wider part above the section to be more ergonomic and pleasant, like with the Duke Charlie Chaplin pens, but I don't think it should always be taken to those extremes. Anyway, good luck, and great review as always! I loved your titanium lightning pens, but was watching it on TV and couldn't comment at the time. Have a great weekend! 😃😃😃
The blue and burgundy with gold trim has just been released. I really hoped they could make the trim rings more substantial. They just look so disproportionate with the size
Or more trim rings like the 149
Or even better.... design cool looking rings themselves! LOL I don't get it sometimes. If they go through all that effort, doing a few unique things isn't hard. 🙄
Give them a break 😭
Writes better than my TWSBI 580 Diamond. Fits well in my hand and you can definitely tell the writing is made from a fountain pen and not a ballpoint. So worth it, the price makes this an every day carry and it's thick so you don't get tired from writing. 9/10 from me.
Mine doesn't rattle. It is likely the convertor, where so rattle, and others don't as the QC for that doesn't seem to care, if it works and doesn't leak. I am pretty sure that switching convertor, even to different Jonhao one might solve that.
I got bitten by the large nib bug and this was a perfect "do I really start saving for a Custom Urushi?" lol. My casing was pretty bad, cloudy at points. Nib was a bit tight. After loosening it to what I'd consider normal for me, the F felt closer to an M. But it's pretty dang smooth out of the box. This seemed better than their #6 nibs (I was not a big fan of my X750 on that front). But not a match for say, Pilot, but a Custom Urushi starts at $800ish... if I import it (I still want one...).
What I'm really interested in is what Gravitas does with these. And I really hope he can QC them well. I'm not quite sure it's up to his #6 options (jowo and now kanwrite I heard?). But I haven't used my X159 long enough.
And yes, the forever turning REALLY hurts this pen for me. It seems to be this way for no apparent reason?
Exactly what kind of cartridge converter is it?
Is it a standard international or 2.3mm bore?
Is it like the one that comes with the jinhao 599 'safari homage/clone'?
Thanks
Yes, I’m thinking about a King of Pen body size, with a 21K #8 nib and with attention to the nib I would take that pen out for a sail.
Isn't the rattle just the converter hitting against the inside of the barrel? If so, one could silence it by using a cartridge, refilling it with a syringe and needle in order to use special inks when desired. Supposedly the updated version of the X159 solves some of the problems with the early production version, and the new version is even available in several colours.
That could solve it, but to me it's a fail when users have to fix design or build problems from a manufacturer.
The design and weight of the JX159 somewhat resembles that of the Hero 856, which I stopped using long ago and am now picking up with renewed love. And it is that I tried the 159 and I did not like the sensation of writing with it, nor its line point
Would a premium fountain pen from Jinhao include a 10k, 12k, 14k or 18k nib to have a reasonable price?
Very nice overview, thanks! Did you ever find a solution for the damn rattling/off center clicker on your original Mahjohn A1? I have 4 of them now, and my fav colorway, namely the orange one you have in the video, is just about my perfect pen but... it's got the aforementioned clicker defect something bad. Oddly the other 3 A1s I've got have perfectly fine clickers.
I have the same orange one and it's lovely and the clicker is perfect! Can maybe look into it more
@@Doodlebud The clicker on mine wobbles and snaps side to side like the gear switch on an old Caddilac! I lack the engineering insight to figure out whether that could somehow be fixed, but it seems a very similar quality control issue similar to your original Majohn A1, which I remember you complained about having an off-kilter clicker. The clicker on mine works fine functionally though, just drives you crazy with the wobblyness when you handle the pen.
As a 3d Printing enthusiast, I am curious about your plans to make the pen body to house the Jinhao nib and converter. I assume that you are going to use a resin printer for obvious reasons. Please do share the STL files when you get it done.
I have some videos that I've done since then on the 3D printing
7:09 Do you think your Big Beak Bird pen could benefit from a similar arrangement in its cap? A tiny bit of elasticity would maybe keep the cap from secretly unscrewing slightly when left to its own device?
I find that very hard (and shiny) plastig barrels and caps, with low tolerances in the threading, which in itself should be a sign of high quality, more often can happen to unscrew a tiny bit spontaneusly. Steep threading, as with the Pelikan 1-turn-only cap might contribute to the lesser elasticity too I imagine?
I bought a Jinhao 159 a couple of years ago. It gave a lot of hard starts and skipped. Was also just plain heavy. Eventually I just stopped using it. Recently got an x159 with a fine nib. Big improvement--nice feel and color. At first it was just too dry, put down too little ink, skipped a lot. So I did something I would do only on a $13.00 pen: I pressed down hard on the nib to widen the slit. The result was excellent, now it puts down a fine/medium line and does not skip. I like this pen. If you can get over problems with a cheap nib then get an x159.
Loved the review! I’ve had an x159 for about 3 weeks now, and it writes smooth with no feedback right out of the box. Go figure. Luck of the draw I guess! Thanks.
Same here. Nothing special, but writes just fine for me.
After playing with my x159 for an hour or so, I dropped it (on carpet), but after retrieving off the floor, I found that the metal thread collar on the feed came "unglued" from the rest of the section. I took it apart, cleaned up the pieces and found that I could glue it back together. I used shellac to do it, and after it dried it was fine. I really like the feel of the pen, and have written with it a lot since I've gotten it. I don't have a 149 to compare it to (anyone who has one to send me for comparison, please let me know), but I am impressed with the writing experience for the price!
I bought a couple of these bad boys a few weeks ago and I am pleasantly surprised. When I flushed them out prior to inking up for the first time, I got a brief blast of blue ink which suggests they were tested before they were shipped and when I put pen to paper discovered the nibs are amazingly smooth and nicely wet. I've purchased another two X159s in the red/god and blue/gold and I've had the same experience with the nibs. Very satisfying. The rest of the pen is light plastic that is decent enough and the pocket clip is much improved over the old metal 159. I've experienced no rattles or ill-fitting parts in any of the pens and the threads are smooth. However, I have no doubt that Jinhao missed a real opportunity with this pen. If they had used a better quality plastic/resin, made it a touch more substantial, added a bit more polish and care with the main body, and sold it for $20-$30, they would have had a real world beater. As it is right now, it is a fun pen with an exceptional nib for dirt cheap. Not bad , overall. So close to great, though. So close.
And bring on a 14k version of this rascal that doesn't cost $500. I'm in!
Thanks, DB! Fun review, interesting questions. A #8 for $8, that's what I went for, nothing to do with resemblance to MB. Interest
in a $300 Jinhao = 0. I would be interested in your picks for a better fountain pen for < = $10.
Yep, me too. Only number eight I have.
Hi! I wanted to ask you for an advice. I am planning to 3D print a pen for me aswell. What UV resin would you use for your 3D printed pen?
Many thanks in advance 😀
I can't really say at this point as I haven't printed one to determine if there are some resins better than others
How does this Jinhao X159 compare with the Jinhao 9019 Dadao? Nib size, Pen size, Ink volume?
I just received my dark green and gold X159, the first of a few pen I ordered to get into the hobby of fountain pens. I hope it can compete with some of the others I purchased like the waterman laureat, Parker 45 classic, and Pilot metropolitan that I am waiting for. To be honest, I have been writing with mine the past 4 hours before I took a break to watch some videos. I think my wrist would have been hating me 30 minutes in if I had been writing with one of my favorite ballpoints.
The Edson Collier Grande has a # 8 nib come in 18k and a draw filer
Check out the Majohn P136, that one is even more closely resembles MB 149.
I actually have one on the way. Not so much because its close to a MB 146 (wish they made their own design), but because the build quality looks really good from the pics. From the X159 pics I could see stuff that didn't impress me at all and I got what I expected. But the #8 nib is COOL!
I would like a Ranga with a value #8 nib...would the Jinhao X159 fit? Ranga are just so large!
That's actually a great idea! Only one way to find out....
I like the pen. But for me the pen is a converter pen only. I used two waterman cartridges and the nib showed a slow leak in each case. Ink gathered on the nib and eventually dripped or flowed when the side of the nib touched a notebook. The converter makes a good seal, but the cartridge must be a bit open so air can flow in. Unfortunate.
Not only yes, but hell yes! I'd jump at such a pen, IFF it passes your tests.
oh I made a 3dprinted vacum filler pen I loved it so much!
That sounds really cool. I was thinking about doing a vac or piston filler at some point. Options are endless. There's so much cool stuff you can do and play around with especially with new print materials that come out. Only limited by creativity.
After I got my x159 I ended up ordering 3 more. Great penabling pen!
What ink are you using?😊
New to fountain pens, so honestly I’m not in a spot where I’d be interested in spending more than $50 on a pen, but I could see some interest in a pen like that.
I love how Jinhao is improving the x159 on the fly.
The newer version of the x159 (Gold colored trim, different colors available) has plastic threads on the section where it screws onto the barrel, not metal. Less likely to excavate new threading on the barrel! I assume your design will have plastic-on-plastic threading.
I prefer the two twists for cap removal of the newer model. Jinhao listened, it seems.
I think the ring on the barrel peeks into the chamber, or I'd be tempted to eyedropper it, especially with the o ring in place and the plastic threads. Converter is fine, though I'd love a piston fill with a window, still threaded at the mouth of the barrel.
And a Medium or Broad nibs, please! The Fine nib is pretty generous with ink, so I'm almost fully pleased with it.
I had an issue with the earlier design. The finial broke off and got lost! I'd kept it in a sleeve attached to my journal; the finial was exposed and probably got bumped a lot. It happened to two of the pens. The newer, gold-trim model seems to have less play where the finial and the clip band meet, so it might not recur, and I don't expose it as much, any more. The pen is worth replacing, in any case.
I see that Doug Rathbun's Maroon pen still had the metal threads for his review. My black one has plastic. Jinhao marches on!
I've had my x159 (the black original version) for close to two months and, for the most part, love it. My only complaints are the three turns to remove the cap (I'm a slip-capper at heart) and the cap just barely posting. The slit in my nib is perfectly centered and the top of the cap doesn't have the dull "patch" that DeeBee's has. It wrote perfectly out of the box (cellophane sleeve) and within my expectations for a fine nib.
Because of the cap threads and insecure posting, mine has been reassigned to desk duty. I've gone back to my two vintage Platinum "long caps", one in fine, the other a medium and both with gold nibs. Neither of these cost me more than $30. I have about a dozen other gold nib pens, all vintage that write beautifully, and none more than $50. So no, I wouldn't spend more than $100 on anything new that I have seen so far.
I am jealous of DoodleBuds Sheaffer Imperial and one of those might get me to go over "my limit".
Check out the Majohn P136 for a MB 146 clone!
I have one on the way. Not because of the MB 146 clone thing, but from the pics the build quality looks fantastic
I just got 2 of these and mine are slightly different. 1) mine take only two turns of cap to uncap. 2) mine do not have a metal threads internally on section to attach pen body. I did get the gold trim version. Weird..
WOAH!!! That is strange! That makes no sense at all as that would be completely different molds and parts. Hmmmmmmmm, are there different places making the same newly designed pen? Copies of copies????
@@Doodlebud if I got bootleg jinhaos I will be upset!
@@Doodlebud With the Chinese market you never know. Making a knockoff of a seven dollar pen seems dubious, but there are knockoff x450 out there, which is like a dollar in China, so who knows. Find it hard to make sense at that point, but it happens.
@@catchacoolbreeze Either that, or fast iteration. If it works well, then does it matter?
@@martinlebl631 my comment was more tongue-in-cheek than anything else. However, then I thought about it again. This pen makes you appreciate the precious resin in an actual 149. It is very cheap feeling. The plastic sounds different when you cap and flexes a bit (i.e. you can squeeze it). If mine is not "authentic", I'm curious if the authentic version "feels" better in hand. That being said...my initial thought was it was a fast iteration after hearing feedback.
Please please and please I love the Omas 360 lookalike you had in the video. How can I get one?
I have an up coming video on the pen I showed so will have all the details then
Wishing for a $250 or $300 vac or piston fill pen with great build quality and a big 14K nib? It already exists in the Pilot Custom 823.
When you design your 3D printed pen…are you going to share the stl or the step file?
Haven't really thought that far yet. I'm just hoping to find like 1hr/week to work on it. Have to learn this new software first before I can tackle a pen. I know what i want to do, I just have to learn the software to make it do what I want.
Wing Sung has a knockoff or two that they offer with gold nibs, not #8 size though. PenBBS offers gold nibs too.
I had the same experience with my x159 - tines too tight. But what can you expect for $7.00? Other than that, it’s a great value!
Mine seems to be OK on that.
The colored versions have a 2 turn cap opening! That makes it much nicer with about 30 minutes work the pen has much better feel, polish it, back weight it like the montblanc, put top quality converter in it and wow what a writer!!
It'd certainly be interesting, but I can't quite make myself like a knockoff pen. Maybe I'd 3D print the butt of the pen so I can put a feather in and make it a desk pen - given it writes reliably
I had to get the X159 when I saw a review. No way is it even a close comparison to the MB. But, the pen stands on its own. Like the weight, the feel and the performance of the nib.
For the price, how can you go wrong?
Would I consider a pen with a #8 gold nib, piston filler for $300? If it was $200, definitely.
This is model 1 of X159 and the nib collar is deprecated if somebody wants to purchase this one.. model 2 X159 nib collars are different and available for purchase in EF, F, M size nibs
Very interesting! I just found out about the X159, so I ordered one. Looking forward to it.
I do have a few Jinhao pens - 159, X750, X450 - and was never disappointed. Always great writers. I also got few extra nibs which I ground to cursive italic, just for fun but they actually came out pretty good, and wrote well. And what you showed about the slit not being centered on this X159, I've noticed it on all the #6 nibs on every Jinhao I have. It always annoyed me, but didn't affect the writing. Just aesthetically ruins the rest of the pen. I wish they would fix this.
Trust me You would found it also happens on monblancs😅
@@cooperwu1511 Just wanted to post an update.
The pen arrived a while back, but only today did I got around to ink it up. It wrote beautifully right away, and fairly wet. Even in reverse writing for an extra fine line the ink flow is perfect. No adjustment needed. And you know what? The slit is almost perfectly centered.
One interesting thing happened, though. I always rinse every pen in water before first use. And when I dipped this one into the water, residue blue ink came out. I've never seen that happen before with a new pen. Did someone else buy this pen before me, used it, and then returned it? I got it on eBay, so I doubt that happened. Maybe they test a random samples in factory? Who knows.
Wonderful pen! No complaints, other than I got the older model so the cap takes more turns to open and close.
@@File001 Factory test pens before shipment, Parker Doufold sometimes has a similar situation, usually blue ink
@@cooperwu1511 I figured it had to be that, just didn't think they test such cheap pens. I guess they are required by law regardless of what the product value is. I'll consider it a factory warranty. After using it for a while, it does write wonderfully.
@@File001bit late, but I think they do test their pens. both my jinhao 81 and 51a had blue ink come out of both so I assume it’s tested before shipment
I just went to alexpress, and cant tell if the x159 has a #8 nib??? Says .7 or .5....curious.
I'd be curious to see what Majohn/Moonman can do with $200. They have shown that they can do rather intricate manufacturing with the A1 and they're already offering some gold nibbed pens at ~ $100, so going towards the high end seems like the natural progression for them anyway.
What I'd be really interested in is something akin to the Namiki Emperor in ebonite, not a copy just in that vein.
On the X159: The 159 is something Jinhao are/were infamous for. It's been a mainstay for budget pens for years. If they're going to come out with the cheapest nr. 8 nib on the market that has to be the platform to do it on. I'd also have liked to see them do it at the $30 price point but I get why they went the route they did. The only thing that baffles me is the three-turn cap. I mean it's fine - but why?.
I really like this pen, not heavy, posted well.
Shame only F, but very wet. In any case, there is no inexpensive JoWo #8 to make it into broad.
Unfortunately, this morning, the pen just disintegrated - the tip of the top came off and it appears to be just glued together.
Too much work to glue everything together. I think it does not seal very well and the ink evaporated quite quick in a few days if not used.
Well ...........
I have the Pilot Vanishing Point and love the cheaper version MUCH better! I'll be getting another as well!
My thoughts ...after a few months the x159 has gone to the bottom drawer...the no.8 nib is nice but it sprung a leak. ...ok back to using my parker 45 . They were 20 bucks a few years back but people have caught on...hardto f8nd one after 100 now
It just spent about triple what that x159 costs on a Donghian N7-Grey. Now I'm no expert, but this one feels a LOT like what you're talking about in a 'discount' pen. Between it and the Donghian (sensing a pattern here) Black Forest series, I'm pretty situated on pens...Although that Majong interests me. With that I'd have converter/piston and a 're-tractor'. hmmmmm. Keep up the good work!
Tell me, please, the name of the seller/provider on Aliexpress you've bought this fountain pen from. Thanks!
Just go on aliexpress and type Jinhao X159. There are so many options
Man, you're really jonesing for a 360. I get it. Have you checked out SBRE Brown video on the Titan 720?
Yeah saw that pen, looks interesting. I just need the time to start working on a design in my software
Lovely review!
I would be down with a premium pen with a #8 gold nib. I'd also like a #10 nib as well!
Hi Doodlebud, do you think it can be eye dropped? as this version is no more metal?
There's really only one way to find out ;)
@@Doodlebud oh I missed that part : the screw of the nib unit linking with the barrel is metal....so no eye dropping...
If you shine a torch closely on this pen, the pen and cap are actually dark brown and the top finial is black .
I’m honestly surprised Jinhao has witness lines on that pen. I think most people would pay a tiny bit more to have those buffed out.
I have two of the updated Jinhao x159s, and there are no witness lines. Where are the witness
lines to be found on your X159????
@@HJKelley47 they were present in the video.
They are there visible, but less pronounced than on TWSBI Swipe. 😕
I bought this guy to check out a #8 nib. Granted it is way wider than a #6, but I was disappointedd that it is NOT markedly longer. Maybe it's seated deeper in the housing? BTAIM, I didn't find the bigness prettier, more comfortable, easier, or more precise. Now I can't remember why I thought a bigger nib was desirable.
By itself it might not be prettier, but looks more proportional on a big pen like the X159, which is part of pretty for some. Also more space for scroll work, so more space to make it prettier, if the manufacturer bothers.
A quality pen from Jinhao? Yes! But perhaps not as much. Pilot makes gold nib pens without compromising quality build around 150 so that may be the threshold.
Jinhao might be offsetting the slit on purpose?? I looked up prices here and saw the same right side offset in the pictures! The nibs still write well so it’s a quirk I can deal with for the price you’re paying.
Hey doodlebud - would you mind ID'ing the blue tricorn pen you were gifted?
Just watched this last night and thought I'd look into it. $4.06 on eBay shipped with tax, so why not give it a try?
While the Jinhao X159 may not perform just as smoothly as a Montblanc 149. I do feel that the Jinhao X159 is way too underpriced. Jinhao company could’ve raise the price of a Jinhao X159 by 10 folds and I still wouldn’t have a problem with the price.
I will happily sell you mine for 10X what I paid for it 😁
now in vietnam we colud not aford buying a montblanc one because it is expensive
You should do a video of the Jinhao X350.
I think the market is ready for #8 nibs by bock and jowo even in steel the market is saturated with the same old crap # 6 and #5 nibs. Twsibi would come to mind for a good quality pen and a nice steel #8 nib