I just bought a couple of Jinhao pens, a 159 and the 85. I was surprised at how smooth they are to write with. I've never tried a Parker 51 or a Montblanc 149, which Jinhao's 159 is inspired by, but they really are good and pleasant to use. Some may find the 159 too thick but they really are good alternatives for a few dollars to expensive pens from already famous brands where you are really paying for the luxury brand and materials.
This was really excellent and answered all my questions perfectly. Thank you. I have several classic P51s and love them all but I don't feel compelled to buy the new one yet. It's too expensive for what is a very generic idea nowadays, a cartridge converter hooded nib pen. There's not enough here to set it apart for the price. However the Jinhao 85 is a different proposal. Two of them arrived here yesterday and I've already bought 2 more without even inking them up yet. I just love the weight and balance. Are they perfect? No. Are they overpriced? Maybe a little, but are they a solid alternative to an X750 if you like the weight of a metal pen but with a hooded nib? Certainly.
I am very glad this video was useful for you to decide... And your comment helps a lot on the decision taking for many people who may read it, I believe. Thanks for watching and commenting. (Sorry for the late reply)
Overall I agree. There are some details better on the Parker such as a less turns to uncap and a smoother nib. But is that a difference from 8 to 260€? I don't think so. The steel nib version costing 90€ is much more affordable. As i told in the video: it is a good writing instrument. The question is: is it impressive? No!
Add one of his "custom wet" nibs to the Jinhao from Bobby from China Pens on Etsy, and, for still about 10x less, I'm wondering if the writing experience is that much different. In a stiff nib, I've not had any real difference between gold and steel. (I ordered my Jinhao 85 before I heard about the reissue Parker 51, and did the nib swap. Makes more of a true fine, and really smooth and wetter than the original.) I can say that Jinhao extra fine nibs are all a bit on the wider side than their competitors, and even some Western companies. Could be why, when I have a need for an extra fine, I tend to use a Jinhao. They're smoother than most other extra fine nibs, as well. And when you use a "Bobby" nib... Thanks for the really impartial comparison and contrast between the two pens!
@@OdE-ObjectosdeEscrita, I have read that the P51 steel nib is quite similar to the jotter nib. Some people say they are exactly the same. What about the gold nib?
@@paulherman5822 Because of Chirsrap52 videos I knew about Bobby nibs. I didn't go for one in this pen because I wasn't even that excited to have it with its design. I bought it only to show it here on the channel because of the Parker 51. I try to make the comparisons as impartial as I can, in this series of videos. I think the decision after all is for the viewer, not mine.
@@josemurad1506 I don't know for sure. But I also believe this is the Jotter nib. Made of steel for the steel nibed pens and in gold for the others. My guess is they used the same model and tooling to create the nibs inn both metals! After all, that is what Lamy does with their cheap Lamy ABC to the expensive Lamy Imporium. Same nib design, in one pen is steel, in the other is gold.
Never thought I would say this, but I prefer my Jinhao over the new Parker 51. Not the vintage one, which I own also and been writing with her for over 30 years now, but the Jinhao is a better writer than the new Parker 51, and the price is an obvious advantage. I actually own now 3 Jinhao 86 (the version with a smooth cap) and 3 Jinhao 85, every one of them with black, blue and red barrels (My favorite colors), and all of them together didn´t cost me the price for I payed for the new Parker 51. Even better is a Wing Sung 601. It´s also a Parker 51 inspired fountain pen, but with a sliding cap, I really dislike all the turns to uncap my new Parker, a piston filling system and a ink window much in the style of the Montblanc 149 ink window.
Hi Paulo. Thank you for this comparison. I have heard some people say the Parker was made in China as well but I am sure it says Made In France on the box. Unless they meant the pens are assembled in France but the parts were made in China. I don't really see the point of Parker doing that. I think the general consensus seems to be the new 2021 Parker 51 is a disappointment. I am curious to know if there is very much real difference between the Parker 51 (2021) steel nib and the Parker 51 (2021) gold nib.
I agree with you. To me it makes no sense that claim it was made in China but I read it often everywhere online. And I always ask people who say that to show me where they got that evidence. No answers so far! I don't agree it is a general consensus that the 2021 Parker 51 is a disappointment. I think it is for the users or owners of the old Parker 51. For "new" users I think it may be quite attractive and it is selling very well in the more affordable steel nib version. And I suspect the performance will be very similar with both nibs.
Many say it was made in the same factory as the Jinhao, and assembled in France. . This would not surprise me. Parker says it was made in France, but is surprisingly quiet when asked where the parts were made, so who knows. It always makes sense to have something made in China, if you pay for quality control. It's much, much cheaper.
It's cheaper for Parker to just bought all the counterfeit factory than suing them and pay for intellectual property. Compare that to how Kaweco deals with Moonman.
That usually is why that feature is present in school pens. More expensive pens don't have that, most of the times. I don't know why Parker decided to include that feature.
🤔I still don't understand. Why Parker made ut a screw cap? 😑. Anyway, I kinda find both pens not to of my esthetically appeal to be honest. Hero, Wing Sung and even Jinhao have better models more alike to the Original 51. But I understand that if Parker sees this reissue have success they may continue this line, so I hope this Parker 51 caught the attention of more public apart from us Parker 51 junkies 😅... and who knows? maybe they will give us more surprises. Thank you for the video and the comparison.
I don't understand it either. But I like to think they made a market survey about that and concluded the threaded cap was what their target audience (and that may be the key... maybe they have a very special target audience) antede... I think this Parker will sell very well. Not for most Parker 51 previous users but for new pen users. And I understand that Parker did this. After all, many other brands around the world have been selling pens inspired on the Parker 51, except Parker... So they also wanted to have their own Parker 51 re-interpretation. Any re-interpretation of such an iconic pen would always be a matter of a lot of discussion. It would never fit every Parker 51 users tastes... I remember that was true with the Parker 51 SE from 2002 and also for the (wonderful, in my opinion) Parker 100.
So many people find the new Parker 51 pen over prized. I read some about the new Parker beforehand, and knew this already. For others it might be an unintentional unpleasant surprise. On the flip side, it rekindles my love for my vintage 51:s with slip caps and pleasant tubular nibs. I forgive them for having bad pocket clips and being terribly hard to clean.
Mentioning the price way into a review, or close to the end is very appropriate in my opinion. In serious wine- tasting ( degustation) for example, telling the price of the wines compared, is always delayed until every participant has given their verdict. After that everyone can decide if the price is the right one, for them.
@@Johan-vk5yd I disagree. It wastes the time of a viewer to learn that the prices are so different so far into the video. That one pen is so inexpensive and the other ridiculously more negates the comparison to 'serious wine tasting'
I had thought that I wasn’t going to buy the new Parker 51. Wanted to get the 18k gold one but the very unjustified price tag made me quickly drop that idea. I thought a lot before deciding to buy the steel nib new 51. I got the burgundy CT. I have already commented on another channel that I’m quite happy with the pen, overall. I’m quite sick of seeing these Chinese replicas of the marquee vintage pens. Jinhao pens anyway usually look to me rather gaudy and unattractive. And I wouldn’t ever buy this Jinhao 85. The new P51 is just a fine, fun pen.
The pen performs well, I agree. And it made no sense that Parker was a brand that didn't have their version of the Parker 51... I bought this Jinhao just to make this video. I thought it would be interesting and it would make sense to make this comparison.
I just bought a couple of Jinhao pens, a 159 and the 85. I was surprised at how smooth they are to write with. I've never tried a Parker 51 or a Montblanc 149, which Jinhao's 159 is inspired by, but they really are good and pleasant to use. Some may find the 159 too thick but they really are good alternatives for a few dollars to expensive pens from already famous brands where you are really paying for the luxury brand and materials.
This was really excellent and answered all my questions perfectly. Thank you. I have several classic P51s and love them all but I don't feel compelled to buy the new one yet. It's too expensive for what is a very generic idea nowadays, a cartridge converter hooded nib pen. There's not enough here to set it apart for the price. However the Jinhao 85 is a different proposal. Two of them arrived here yesterday and I've already bought 2 more without even inking them up yet. I just love the weight and balance. Are they perfect? No. Are they overpriced? Maybe a little, but are they a solid alternative to an X750 if you like the weight of a metal pen but with a hooded nib? Certainly.
I am very glad this video was useful for you to decide... And your comment helps a lot on the decision taking for many people who may read it, I believe. Thanks for watching and commenting. (Sorry for the late reply)
The gold nib not withstanding, the Parker is way overpriced and I don’t see it is that much better than the Jinhao.
Overall I agree. There are some details better on the Parker such as a less turns to uncap and a smoother nib. But is that a difference from 8 to 260€? I don't think so. The steel nib version costing 90€ is much more affordable. As i told in the video: it is a good writing instrument.
The question is: is it impressive? No!
Add one of his "custom wet" nibs to the Jinhao from Bobby from China Pens on Etsy, and, for still about 10x less, I'm wondering if the writing experience is that much different. In a stiff nib, I've not had any real difference between gold and steel.
(I ordered my Jinhao 85 before I heard about the reissue Parker 51, and did the nib swap. Makes more of a true fine, and really smooth and wetter than the original.)
I can say that Jinhao extra fine nibs are all a bit on the wider side than their competitors, and even some Western companies. Could be why, when I have a need for an extra fine, I tend to use a Jinhao. They're smoother than most other extra fine nibs, as well. And when you use a "Bobby" nib...
Thanks for the really impartial comparison and contrast between the two pens!
@@OdE-ObjectosdeEscrita, I have read that the P51 steel nib is quite similar to the jotter nib. Some people say they are exactly the same. What about the gold nib?
@@paulherman5822 Because of Chirsrap52 videos I knew about Bobby nibs. I didn't go for one in this pen because I wasn't even that excited to have it with its design. I bought it only to show it here on the channel because of the Parker 51.
I try to make the comparisons as impartial as I can, in this series of videos. I think the decision after all is for the viewer, not mine.
@@josemurad1506 I don't know for sure. But I also believe this is the Jotter nib. Made of steel for the steel nibed pens and in gold for the others. My guess is they used the same model and tooling to create the nibs inn both metals!
After all, that is what Lamy does with their cheap Lamy ABC to the expensive Lamy Imporium. Same nib design, in one pen is steel, in the other is gold.
Never thought I would say this, but I prefer my Jinhao over the new Parker 51. Not the vintage one, which I own also and been writing with her for over 30 years now, but the Jinhao is a better writer than the new Parker 51, and the price is an obvious advantage. I actually own now 3 Jinhao 86 (the version with a smooth cap) and 3 Jinhao 85, every one of them with black, blue and red barrels (My favorite colors), and all of them together didn´t cost me the price for I payed for the new Parker 51. Even better is a Wing Sung 601. It´s also a Parker 51 inspired fountain pen, but with a sliding cap, I really dislike all the turns to uncap my new Parker, a piston filling system and a ink window much in the style of the Montblanc 149 ink window.
Hi Paulo. Thank you for this comparison. I have heard some people say the Parker was made in China as well but I am sure it says Made In France on the box. Unless they meant the pens are assembled in France but the parts were made in China. I don't really see the point of Parker doing that. I think the general consensus seems to be the new 2021 Parker 51 is a disappointment. I am curious to know if there is very much real difference between the Parker 51 (2021) steel nib and the Parker 51 (2021) gold nib.
I agree with you. To me it makes no sense that claim it was made in China but I read it often everywhere online. And I always ask people who say that to show me where they got that evidence. No answers so far!
I don't agree it is a general consensus that the 2021 Parker 51 is a disappointment. I think it is for the users or owners of the old Parker 51. For "new" users I think it may be quite attractive and it is selling very well in the more affordable steel nib version. And I suspect the performance will be very similar with both nibs.
Many say it was made in the same factory as the Jinhao, and assembled in France. . This would not surprise me. Parker says it was made in France, but is surprisingly quiet when asked where the parts were made, so who knows.
It always makes sense to have something made in China, if you pay for quality control. It's much, much cheaper.
It's cheaper for Parker to just bought all the counterfeit factory than suing them and pay for intellectual property. Compare that to how Kaweco deals with Moonman.
The 85 is a nicer looking pen to my eye: the wider fluting on the cap, and the more restrained use of colour.
That really is a matter of personal preference...
@@OdE-ObjectosdeEscrita No, that's a fact. ;-)
@@greyareaRK1 😁
"if you swallow a cap" 👍 :))
That usually is why that feature is present in school pens. More expensive pens don't have that, most of the times. I don't know why Parker decided to include that feature.
@@OdE-ObjectosdeEscrita maybe to prevent possible suicides after the buy ;))
@@dariuszjablonski1969 😁
🤔I still don't understand. Why Parker made ut a screw cap? 😑. Anyway, I kinda find both pens not to of my esthetically appeal to be honest. Hero, Wing Sung and even Jinhao have better models more alike to the Original 51. But I understand that if Parker sees this reissue have success they may continue this line, so I hope this Parker 51 caught the attention of more public apart from us Parker 51 junkies 😅... and who knows? maybe they will give us more surprises.
Thank you for the video and the comparison.
I don't understand it either. But I like to think they made a market survey about that and concluded the threaded cap was what their target audience (and that may be the key... maybe they have a very special target audience) antede... I think this Parker will sell very well. Not for most Parker 51 previous users but for new pen users. And I understand that Parker did this. After all, many other brands around the world have been selling pens inspired on the Parker 51, except Parker... So they also wanted to have their own Parker 51 re-interpretation. Any re-interpretation of such an iconic pen would always be a matter of a lot of discussion. It would never fit every Parker 51 users tastes... I remember that was true with the Parker 51 SE from 2002 and also for the (wonderful, in my opinion) Parker 100.
Waited until 12:23 to mention the huge price difference, lol
What do you mean with that?
So many people find the new Parker 51 pen over prized. I read some about the new Parker beforehand, and knew this already. For others it might be an unintentional unpleasant surprise. On the flip side, it rekindles my love for my vintage 51:s with slip caps and pleasant tubular nibs. I forgive them for having bad pocket clips and being terribly hard to clean.
Mentioning the price way into a review, or close to the end is very appropriate in my opinion. In serious wine- tasting ( degustation) for example, telling the price of the wines compared, is always delayed until every participant has given their verdict. After that everyone can decide if the price is the right one, for them.
@@Johan-vk5yd I disagree. It wastes the time of a viewer to learn that the prices are so different so far into the video. That one pen is so inexpensive and the other ridiculously more negates the comparison to 'serious wine tasting'
@@Johan-vk5yd I agree with you, but I see there can be different visions on this.
I had thought that I wasn’t going to buy the new Parker 51. Wanted to get the 18k gold one but the very unjustified price tag made me quickly drop that idea.
I thought a lot before deciding to buy the steel nib new 51. I got the burgundy CT. I have already commented on another channel that I’m quite happy with the pen, overall.
I’m quite sick of seeing these Chinese replicas of the marquee vintage pens. Jinhao pens anyway usually look to me rather gaudy and unattractive. And I wouldn’t ever buy this Jinhao 85. The new P51 is just a fine, fun pen.
The pen performs well, I agree. And it made no sense that Parker was a brand that didn't have their version of the Parker 51...
I bought this Jinhao just to make this video. I thought it would be interesting and it would make sense to make this comparison.
Did you buy the F or the M nib? I am curious about the F nib, what it feels like, if it writes smooth or if it scratches the paper.
@@danielabengescu6778 The one I used was an F...
I bought this Jinhao - the worst one I've had so far!
In my opinion, the one I got is not bad. Writes well. But it isn't excited in any way!
*NOTHING* from China. 👎🏻
But thanks for your valuable review. 👍🏻
Sir, are you an extremist?
What material is the jinhao barel made of?
Metal. Not sure of which metal, though.