I have the dark blue X159 and love it. I am glad they didn't make it a piston filler. Jinhao don't make any piston fillers. But their converters are the best.
Hi Garry I bought a black x159 not long after they came out & was that impressed I bought 3 more in dark blue,dark green & olive green.I think for the price they are worth it for the nib alone,which if you didn’t know screws out(makes easy cleaning).I agree with the previous comment as to the pen stopping writing,when I fill the converter with a syringe I always turn it til a few drops come off the end of the nib into the bottle priming the feed & nib.
That's a good review, hits all the points. Did buy an X159. Ordered a nib, sent a nib. Case with AliExpress/Paypay. Could not succeed because I would not send a $15 pen back at a cost to me of $21. Regardless, the nib is the same line width as my nib Jinhao X850 (that was a wrong pen sent - a whole other story) and the same line width of my Parker IM Prestige . To see any difference, I use a Parker Frontier which actually is . Long way of saying the Jinhao #8 in is the same line width as the #6 medium so I'm OK with that. The section is a mm-ish big, but it is an excellent writing pen and I use it daily. I also use the X850 daily which I think sits better in my fingers because of the narrower section, but both are excellent writers.
@@GarryEves I will let you know how it goes. If there was a clear resin model, that would be perfect but I just have to know if it can work. The converter just seems inadequate for the pen. Happy Easter to you and your family.
I don't know how easy it is to obtain an Ink Miser in Australia without incurring ridiculous shipping charges, but I highly recommend using one to fill pens that won't fit in the ink bottles. The Ink Miser is also great for using up those last drops in an ink bottle or sample vials. Just pour your ink in and fill your pen from the Ink Miser (I recommend the clear one so you can see what's happening). The Ink Miser gives you an already primed feed and is much easier to clean than a syringe. I use mine constantly. They're only about $6 USD.
I've been watching for them but haven't found anywhere that sells one yet. I keep checking Cult Pens, where I get most of my pens, but they don't stock it either. I do want some more Goulet nibs, so may look at ordering them next year from a US company that also sells Ink Miser.
When I first saw this pen I was very excited. I waited to buy it until Jinhao made them in other than black. I now await other size nibs. My 'red' version writes well. Thank for this review.
All the newer Jinhao pens I've gotten recently have had a bit of blue ink in them from testing. x159's, 82's (yes, even the inexpensive 82). All have written well, too.
My guess on why the pen went dry is a combination of filling the converter with the syringe and applying pressure to flex the tines. There likely was not yet sufficient ink in the feed to keep up with how much you were writing. At this point, I have three of these but haven’t written with one yet.
I have 2 X159 pens - one black and one in burgundy with a two tone nib. It is the same size as a Montblanc 149, except for the nib which I think is a #9 nib. The resin is quite nice. Not perfect but, again, for the price, you cannot really criticize it. I really like the pen, especially for the price. If it had a piston filler, it would be perfect. Great First Impression Garry.
Well, I received another X159 for the sole purpose of seeing if I can eyedropper fill the barrel. As with the Jinhao 992, water seeped at the ring between the barrel and end cap. So, I added a bit of glue around the ring. It works nicely. It holds about 5ml of ink. I got an EF nib that is extraordinarily smooth.
Seriously considering getting one for my letter writing. Not sure if it will be as heavy as the original 159 cuz that one IS heavy! Thoughts on this: writing for long periods of time?
I've got a comparison of the two pens here: th-cam.com/video/NCho-h8NzLc/w-d-xo.html I prefer heavier pens so find the 159 nice. I do like the nib on the x159. I've had no issues with longer writing sessions, nit aching fingers or cramping in my hand.
How they manage to make so good pens at that rediculpus price? I have jinhao 999 and 9056 tiger wood . They feel and write better than other expensive pens!
I love the x159 over the previous iteration. I like the way it feels in the hand. I have 2 from the early release in black with silver trim and 2 in brown which is called burgundy with gold trim and nib which in my opinion is more impressive.
@@GarryEves I agree, though it seems you and I are in the extreme minority because every single other reviewer prefers the lightness of the X159. Personally, I think the original 159 feels more solid and expensive, whereas the X159 almost feels like a cheap plastic lightweight disposable, even though the #8 nib is excellent.
You dipped the pen nib ever so slightly in the ink when you tested to dip the whole pen and it wouldn't fit with the body. That caused the pen to write immediately after you filled the converter with the syringe, but in between the nib ink and the converter ink there was left a small portion of air which caused the issue. That is my theory. Nice video review. Thank you Garry.
Thank you for this review. Very nice pens! I bought a Burgundy one and a dark green one. Both wrote well after flushing the blue testing ink out. Very smooth and no skips using almost no pressure. I am pretty sure your's ran dry because the ink had not yet reached the feed in sufficient quantity. Since it wrote well a few minutes later, seems nothing to be concerned about. Thanks for sharing.🙏
Thanks. I've used the pen a couple of times since filming this, including repeating this test. I have had no further issues with it. I need to be less impatient when filling pens via the blunt-nosed syringe.
I have two of these pens and when the brown one wouldn't fit my Diamine bottle, I switched to Noodler's Miles Standish Blue; these bottles have a wide mouth. I then bought a black/silver one and the pen writes completely differently with Noodler's Saguro Wine ink. Much thinner lines. My wife ordered a Blue X159 for me for Christmas so I'm anxious to see how it writes as well. Love the way the brown one writes; like the Black one.
Ooh, a brown one. I'll have to look for one of those when I do my next AliExpress order. I like brown inks, so a brown pen would be a good match with them.
You seem skilled with ink quills! I dream of a Jinhao X159 (similar to the Montblanc 149) because I want to use it to sign my books at my book readings. BUT: it has a #8 nib in fine and I want a wider one, M or B. Do you know where to buy a #8 nib? That would be awesome, right? Regards from Roland, germany
I've got an x159 also with a F nib. Like you, I would love a wider nib but so far have not been able to find anywhere that I can get #8 nibs from. I'm hoping that Jinhao release some x159 models with a M nib.
Thank you for the review - these look great for the money! Can I ask - where did you get the converter for this pen from? A ll the eBay listings I can see don't seem to mention whether it comes with a converter, and I can't find anything on eBay called 'Jinhao converter'! Thanks!
Hi Garry. It feels like every pen reviewer has tried this new Jinhao model. Opinions appear divided. Most people seem to like the pen but I've watched one or two "meh" reviews! I bought one of the first X159's. It was only available in black at the time. I think the new colours are much more appealing. I like the pen very much. It is a big improvement over the earlier 159 with its heavy metal body and ugly clip. The X159 is much nicer, in my opinion. I agree with you, it would have been a great opportunity for Jinhao to fit the pen with a piston filling mechanism and an ink window. I am encouraged that Jinhao have offered the pen in a wide choice of new colours. My hopes for the future are that they introduce a couple of nib variations such as an EF and a M size. Thanks for a very interesting "First Impression" on this pen.
I bought the 4 pack with the gold trim and all four had been tested. I’m impressed with their attention to the writing experience.
I've used the pen a number of times now, I'm really enjoying using it.
Thank you, Garry and all the commenters below. I've decided to pull the trigger on this one and join the party.
I have the dark blue X159 and love it.
I am glad they didn't make it a piston filler.
Jinhao don't make any piston fillers.
But their converters are the best.
Hi Garry I bought a black x159 not long after they came out & was that impressed I bought 3 more in dark blue,dark green & olive green.I think for the price they are worth it for the nib alone,which if you didn’t know screws out(makes easy cleaning).I agree with the previous comment as to the pen stopping writing,when I fill the converter with a syringe I always turn it til a few drops come off the end of the nib into the bottle priming the feed & nib.
It was nice using this pen yesterday morning.
That's a good review, hits all the points. Did buy an X159. Ordered a nib, sent a nib. Case with AliExpress/Paypay. Could not succeed because I would not send a $15 pen back at a cost to me of $21. Regardless, the nib is the same line width as my nib Jinhao X850 (that was a wrong pen sent - a whole other story) and the same line width of my Parker IM Prestige . To see any difference, I use a Parker Frontier which actually is . Long way of saying the Jinhao #8 in is the same line width as the #6 medium so I'm OK with that. The section is a mm-ish big, but it is an excellent writing pen and I use it daily. I also use the X850 daily which I think sits better in my fingers because of the narrower section, but both are excellent writers.
I have an x850 in my review queue for a First Impressions video. Hopefully will bot out in the next month or so.
I just ordered this blue version with an EF nib. I may seal the end of the barrel to make it an eyedropper fill pen. Hopefully it will work.
I'd be interested to know how you get on with eyedroppering it. The issues things that puts me off doing that is lack of an ink window.
@@GarryEves I will let you know how it goes. If there was a clear resin model, that would be perfect but I just have to know if it can work. The converter just seems inadequate for the pen.
Happy Easter to you and your family.
Thank you for the review, glad you did not hide the footage of when the pen stopped writing. Merry Christmas!
Thanks. I try to make the reviews are accurate as possible.
Merry Christmas to you as well.
I don't know how easy it is to obtain an Ink Miser in Australia without incurring ridiculous shipping charges, but I highly recommend using one to fill pens that won't fit in the ink bottles. The Ink Miser is also great for using up those last drops in an ink bottle or sample vials. Just pour your ink in and fill your pen from the Ink Miser (I recommend the clear one so you can see what's happening). The Ink Miser gives you an already primed feed and is much easier to clean than a syringe. I use mine constantly. They're only about $6 USD.
I've been watching for them but haven't found anywhere that sells one yet. I keep checking Cult Pens, where I get most of my pens, but they don't stock it either.
I do want some more Goulet nibs, so may look at ordering them next year from a US company that also sells Ink Miser.
@@GarryEves Goulet Pens carries the Ink Miser as far as I know. I think you will enjoy it!
@@marilyngardner4269 thanks. I'll check them out next year.
@@GarryEves Bookbinders has them for $9.99
When I first saw this pen I was very excited. I waited to buy it until Jinhao made them in other than black. I now await other size nibs. My 'red' version writes well. Thank for this review.
Thanks. I am eagerly waiting for them to release a M nib, and in a perfect world a B nib.
All the newer Jinhao pens I've gotten recently have had a bit of blue ink in them from testing. x159's, 82's (yes, even the inexpensive 82). All have written well, too.
👍
My guess on why the pen went dry is a combination of filling the converter with the syringe and applying pressure to flex the tines. There likely was not yet sufficient ink in the feed to keep up with how much you were writing. At this point, I have three of these but haven’t written with one yet.
Yeah, I think it was. I've used the pen a number of times since recording the video and have had not issues with the pen.
I have 2 X159 pens - one black and one in burgundy with a two tone nib. It is the same size as a Montblanc 149, except for the nib which I think is a #9 nib.
The resin is quite nice. Not perfect but, again, for the price, you cannot really criticize it.
I really like the pen, especially for the price. If it had a piston filler, it would be perfect.
Great First Impression Garry.
Thanks. I've used the pen a few times since recording this, I'm really enjoying it.
I have this pen and love it, after a bit of tweaking to spread the nib a bit.. thanks for posting
Well, I received another X159 for the sole purpose of seeing if I can eyedropper fill the barrel. As with the Jinhao 992, water seeped at the ring between the barrel and end cap. So, I added a bit of glue around the ring. It works nicely. It holds about 5ml of ink. I got an EF nib that is extraordinarily smooth.
I think 5ml of ink would last me over a year.
Thanks for doing the experiment.
I like my Jinhao x159, I use it as everyday carry. I had the Jinhao 159 but gave it away because it was too heavy.
Seriously considering getting one for my letter writing. Not sure if it will be as heavy as the original 159 cuz that one IS heavy! Thoughts on this: writing for long periods of time?
I've got a comparison of the two pens here: th-cam.com/video/NCho-h8NzLc/w-d-xo.html
I prefer heavier pens so find the 159 nice. I do like the nib on the x159.
I've had no issues with longer writing sessions, nit aching fingers or cramping in my hand.
How they manage to make so good pens at that rediculpus price? I have jinhao 999 and 9056 tiger wood . They feel and write better than other expensive pens!
I love the x159 over the previous iteration.
I like the way it feels in the hand. I have 2 from the early release in black with silver trim and 2 in brown which is called burgundy with gold trim and nib which in my opinion is more impressive.
The main thing I miss is the weight, I do like slightly heavier pens.
@@GarryEves I agree, though it seems you and I are in the extreme minority because every single other reviewer prefers the lightness of the X159. Personally, I think the original 159 feels more solid and expensive, whereas the X159 almost feels like a cheap plastic lightweight disposable, even though the #8 nib is excellent.
You dipped the pen nib ever so slightly in the ink when you tested to dip the whole pen and it wouldn't fit with the body. That caused the pen to write immediately after you filled the converter with the syringe, but in between the nib ink and the converter ink there was left a small portion of air which caused the issue. That is my theory.
Nice video review. Thank you Garry.
Thank you for this review. Very nice pens! I bought a Burgundy one and a dark green one. Both wrote well after flushing the blue testing ink out. Very smooth and no skips using almost no pressure.
I am pretty sure your's ran dry because the ink had not yet reached the feed in sufficient quantity. Since it wrote well a few minutes later, seems nothing to be concerned about.
Thanks for sharing.🙏
Thanks. I've used the pen a couple of times since filming this, including repeating this test. I have had no further issues with it. I need to be less impatient when filling pens via the blunt-nosed syringe.
I have two of these pens and when the brown one wouldn't fit my Diamine bottle, I switched to Noodler's Miles Standish Blue; these bottles have a wide mouth. I then bought a black/silver one and the pen writes completely differently with Noodler's Saguro Wine ink. Much thinner lines. My wife ordered a Blue X159 for me for Christmas so I'm anxious to see how it writes as well. Love the way the brown one writes; like the Black one.
Ooh, a brown one. I'll have to look for one of those when I do my next AliExpress order. I like brown inks, so a brown pen would be a good match with them.
@@GarryEves They call it "red" but it's really brown. It looks nice and writes great,
You seem skilled with ink quills!
I dream of a Jinhao X159 (similar to the Montblanc 149) because I want to use it to sign my books at my book readings. BUT: it has a #8 nib in fine and I want a wider one, M or B. Do you know where to buy a #8 nib? That would be awesome, right?
Regards from Roland, germany
I've got an x159 also with a F nib. Like you, I would love a wider nib but so far have not been able to find anywhere that I can get #8 nibs from. I'm hoping that Jinhao release some x159 models with a M nib.
Thank you for the review - these look great for the money! Can I ask - where did you get the converter for this pen from? A ll the eBay listings I can see don't seem to mention whether it comes with a converter, and I can't find anything on eBay called 'Jinhao converter'! Thanks!
The ones I buy come with a convertor. I've only had one pen come without one and that was a very small pocket pen.
@@GarryEves Thank you!
Hi Garry. It feels like every pen reviewer has tried this new Jinhao model. Opinions appear divided. Most people seem to like the pen but I've watched one or two "meh" reviews! I bought one of the first X159's. It was only available in black at the time. I think the new colours are much more appealing. I like the pen very much. It is a big improvement over the earlier 159 with its heavy metal body and ugly clip. The X159 is much nicer, in my opinion. I agree with you, it would have been a great opportunity for Jinhao to fit the pen with a piston filling mechanism and an ink window. I am encouraged that Jinhao have offered the pen in a wide choice of new colours. My hopes for the future are that they introduce a couple of nib variations such as an EF and a M size. Thanks for a very interesting "First Impression" on this pen.
Thanks. I'm holding out for an M nib now, ideally in a nice green colour.
The angle that you hold the nib in relation of the paper could be causing poor ink flow.
Cool. Thanks. I'll experiment with that.
I use my x159 's daily. The price is very low but for me each of them is worth 250,- €.
I'm with you there. I've used the pen a number of times now and enjoy using it.