The Plastic Jinhao 599 From Someone Who Hates Safaris.

[Funkmon]

http://funkmonpens.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/599colours1.jpg?w=640&h=640

 

Before we get started, as always, this post is on my blog in an easier to read format! Yes, it is just as long and flippant. Sorry!

 

I’ve gone on about how much I don’t like Jinhao pens a lot. My 250 is scratchy, my 500 leaks, my 1200 skips, my X450 is dry, skips and is a hard starter. So I got the 599 from isellpens in the same shipment as the Metropolitan. I couldn’t tell you why I thought that was a good idea.

 

It turns out, though, that it was. The pen is easily the best writing Jinhao I have ever had, though that’s not saying much as a rock with some blood on it could produce a better and more consistent line than those, but it’s more than that. This is as good of a writer as any of my non American cheap pens with only a single exception. The Herlitz pen I mentioned in that Duke 961 review. We’re going to give that one more time. First, we’ll chat about Jinhao.

 

Not much is definitively known about Jinhao here in the west, other than they’re a Chinese brand, currently based in Shanghai. They’re fairly new, only a few decades old, and they have a reputation for excellent build quality at cheap prices, which I have not experienced. That said, the parent company of Jinhao manufactures Baoer pens, which I have had much more luck with in the past.

 

Anyway, let’s get into the review.

 

 

 

Appearance: 3/10.

 

I hate how Lamy Safaris look. I just absolutely hate em. They are ugly shaped, they are aesthetically on par with a lacquered frozen dog turd, and are so unfathomably loud and cheap looking, I can’t not judge a person I see using them.

 

http://funkmonpens.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/691fe-33546lamy_3.jpg?w=600&h=450

Nobody actually likes these, right?

 

Eugh. I’m talking about the Lamy Safari because the Jinhao 599 is a Safari copy. There are a few other Safari copies out there, like the Hero summer colours pen, but this is the only one I bothered to get.

 

http://www.isellpens.com/v/vspfiles/templates/penandink/images/homepage/slideshow/slide2.jpg

The Hero I don’t like. Totally stolen from http://isellpens.com

 

 

Now, you may be wondering why I’d get the 599 versus the Hero pen. I’ll tell you. The appearance.

http://funkmonpens.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/599uncapped.jpg?w=640&h=261

This is the Jinhao 599 uncapped. We can begin to note the similarities and differences here. The nib, for example, looks normal. The Jinhao punched into the side of the pen is clearly different form the Lamy. The clip is made of a flatter sheet of metal instead of a bent cylinder.

 

 

Okay, yes. This still looks, fundamentally, like a Lamy Safari. But, it’s slightly better. The nib looks more normal, the clip is a little bit different, and has a different mounting mechanism. Regardless of these things, it’s still ugly as sin. This is like a 1979 Escort completely rusted out and looking like it’s hours away from destruction, but the owner painted the hood.

 

 

http://i.imgur.com/nUK4iI6.jpg

Or scissor doors on an Aztek. You know, my dad almost bought one of these…and I kind of wanted him to. I liked that car a lot.

Regardless, it is still a little bit better than the normal Safari.

 

For those of you who have never owned a Safari, and good for you, it has an interesting shape. The cap is circular, but the back part of the pen’s body has two parallel sides, like they were cut out of the circle. This is actually a useful design feature to keep the pen from rolling, and it keeps the pen from looking like it cost $ .10.

 

The nib section is triangular on the top of a Lamy Safari with a round portion underneath it, preventing a person from comfortably using the pen inverted, but who does that anyway? In this feature, actually, the Jinhao departs…slightly. The Safari section is like a 60 degree angle where one side of the triangle is a curve. This pen is more like a circle with two flat sides cut out at 60 degrees from one another. Examine the above picture. I guess what I’m trying to say is that on the Jinhao the finger hold spots are a bit smaller.

On to that nib, then!

 

http://funkmonpens.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/599nib1.jpg?w=640&h=388

As we can see, this is one of Jinhao’s normal nibs, normally available in a two tone gold/silver look. This is still printed with 18kgp…yeah. Sure it is, Jinhao. Pardon the ink all over the damn thing, I had just filled up with Baystate Blue, a hell of a hard ink to use.

 

 

The nib is an okay looking nib with little flourishes around the outside, but nothing particularly special going on here. But, at least it’s not just a square with some tines at the end, like the Lamy nib.

 

This may be a good time to bring up the fact that I have a specific variant of the 599, the all plastic one. There are also aluminum ones that look like the Lamy Al-Star and have a Lamy-esque nib to match. You can see that variant, which is also the most widely reviewed one, on isellpens.

 

http://cdn3.volusion.com/rvbga.avcnm/v/vspfiles/photos/JIN-599-FP-Lime-2.jpg

Note the nib difference, and the lack of breather hole.

That nib is…all right. It actually reminds me of the $3 Pilot Varsity pens.

 

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61v0sSzzujL._SL1500_.jpg

See the similar shape?

The rest of the pen is pretty ugly. The semi triangular grip section, the loud colours, the everything. It’s really bad. The pen looks like it costs 50 cents (which is more than ten), and the design was terrible. You can see the converter’s edge in the ink preview window. Who thought that was a good idea?

 

By the way, I normally wouldn’t bring up the converter until later, but Jinhao has made a special one just for this pan, and I think it’s actually really remarkable.

 

http://funkmonpens.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/599apart.jpg?w=640&h=355

Take a look at that specially designed converter made just for this pen. It’s made to mimic the Lamy converter.

It’s very very similar to the Lamy converter. It has the same shape as the barrel of the pen, flat on two sides and round on two sizes, with one part of it showing the Jinhao name. This is very close to the Lamy converter.

 

http://cdn3.volusion.com/khspe.uttxf/v/vspfiles/photos/LZ24-2.jpg?1378022128

Note the holdy part’s similarity. What’s the term for this? The grip?

So that’s actually nice. The design of the thing you will never see. If we go back to the 79 Escort analogy, now you’ve put in leather seats. Except leather seats are functional. This converter is extremely difficult to use, borderline sisyphean, but I’ll get into that later.

 

So, yeah, I’m trashing the looks of the pen, but if you buy into, and like, the Safari looks, you will like the looks of this pen. I don’t know how you can write if you’re blind, but you’ll like it. They are very similar.

 

 

 

Build Quality: 5/10.

 

This finish looks absolutely terrible.

 

http://funkmonpens.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/599back.jpg?w=640&h=728

Here we have a terribly finished cap and super evident mold lines. It looks like they made it in the plastic army men factory.

We can see seams and places it’s broken off from others, not sanded down. Yes, we’re paying $6 for a pen, but do you think uni-ball would allow this shoddy workmanship in any of their $.40 pens? I don’t. And it’s not just the plastic that’s terrible.

 

http://funkmonpens.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/599finish.jpg?w=640&h=410

The clip missed some chrome plating. How hard is this to do? Seriously?

There are metal clips on dozens of pens that cost less than a dollar, and this one can’t be chromed correctly for six?

 

The top of the cap, too, isn’t so good. The plastic top, in which Hero has their logo and Lamy a cross, is, here, just a black plastic top. No problem with that. But, it looks like the hole in which it was stuck was cut by a homeless guy with a meat cleaver. It’s pretty rough.

 

And again, WHO THOUGHT SEEING THE CONVERTER IN THE INK WINDOW WAS A GOOD IDEA? It not only looks ugly, but it ruins functionality.

 

http://funkmonpens.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/599window.jpg?w=640

This is dumb. What it’s effectively done is make the ink preview window less useful. We can see it disappear, but we don’t know how far down it is.

Because we have dropped off a good millimeter of resolution on this thing, it’s effectively like your gas gauge saying empty at a quarter tank. Yeah, at that point, you should refill it, but how much longer do you have? 5 miles? 50 miles? Can you run to the store? You won’t know.

 

So then you have to unscrew the stupid pen. Luckily, this part is okay. The threads were designed with a stop at the end so you can’t go past the cutout in the ink window to see the ink. Well designed. It’s not particularly pleasant to use, since it’s plastic on plastic, but what’re you going to do?

 

Other things that are all right are the cap and clip in function. The cap is friction fit and clicks in well and silently. It’s pretty strong, but not hard to close. The clip is stiff but with the low gradient and wide opening at the end, it can probably clip onto anything. If I needed a pen to clip onto a fish, this would be on my short list.

 

Something that’s actually good is its solidity. It’s made poorly, but it seems like the plastic quality isn’t lacking, despite its looks. It’s stiff. hard, and doesn’t feel like it’ll break. It’s also fabulously well balanced even if it’s posted. A very well done pen in that regard.

 

So, even though it looks terrible, it runs fine.

 

 

 

Refilling and Maintenance: 6/10.

 

http://funkmonpens.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/599apart.jpg?w=640&h=355

Take a look at that specially designed converter made just for this pen. It’s made to mimic the Lamy converter.
Is anyone getting déjà vu?

I’ve kind of gotten a standard thing going for the reviews, and if a pen has an easily replaceable #6 nib, international converters and cartridges, it gets a ten. Just international converters and cartridges? 7/10. This one meets those criteria, but it has that special converter…so it’s worse.

 

Have you ever tried to twist in a wood screw with your hands? Then you’ve basically tried to use the Jinhao 599 converter. The special design keeps the user from being able to have a good grip on it, like any other converter anywhere. (Except for Lamy).

 

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41tZVN%2BDo5L._SL1500_.jpg

 

A typical converter, this one by Pelikan. Look, the twisty part has SOMETHING WITH WHICH TO GRIP IT.

This wouldn’t be so bad, as it isn’t in Lamy’s converters, if the torque necessary to turn the thing could be provided by something less powerful than a two stroke at full throttle, like, say, the average person’s hand. The Jinhao converter was so annoying to use I am considering just putting in my cartridges. which is too bad since the pen writes like a gosh darn dream.

 

 

 

Performance: 10/10.

 

That’s right, on a Jinhao. One that I own, even! This pen performs better than my Baoer 507, any of my Dukes, and is even better than the Pilot Metropolitan. This pen writes like a $40 pen, easy. I am loving that thing. It writes a true medium line, unlike most of the medium fine lines that eastern pens tend to write.

 

 

http://funkmonpens.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/599lines.jpg?w=640&h=178

As we can see, all the indicated M nibs are a little different. The 599 on top and the Duke 209 are about even, with the Parker Latitude writing a little bit thicker. The Metropolitan writes a standard eastern medium, or a medium fine to us.

And, this pen is smooth smooth smooth. It’s probably the smoothest M nibbed pen I own that isn’t a Parker. Except maybe that Herlitz. It’s sure as hell a much smoother writer than my formerly owned Safari, which was about as smooth as public restroom toilet paper, which I’m pretty sure is made of small shards of glass stuck into a 2 ply 6 gsm roll.

 

This one is just a pleasure to write with, though. It has never skipped and starts right up even when it’s been a day just sitting there. I did three pages with it today even, and that isn’t just due to the great ink delivery, it also has a lot to do with the design. As much as I hate the appearance of this pen and its build quality, it’s so light and well balanced with such an easy to use section it’s hard to not love writing with the pen.

 

 

 

Value: 8/10.

 

The pen writes great for this price, but you pay for it with all the other crappy stuff about it. You’d need to get lucky on a Parker Beta for a pen that writes this well in this price range, but those nibs (the same as the Vector) are sketchy at best. For performance value, it’s second to none. For show off value, it’s worse than a Pentel rollerball. Ugh.

 

 

Conclusion: 9.0/10.

 

 

Yeah, I spent most of the review taking a dump on this fugly pen, but it writes so unbelievably well for so unbelievably cheap I cannot help but recommend that you buy it. It’s truly a great pen, and is going to go with me in my bag to be pulled out in dark rooms where nobody can see me using it.

 

 

 

Here’s some terrible writing.

 

 

http://funkmonpens.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/599sample.jpg?w=238&h=300

[usk15]

What a review! Great, detailed and well pointed!

I hate as well Safari's range, but I'm waiting in the mail for a 599 black smoke. I don't know why I order one, but i'm hoping for the best.

Thank you!

[a_m]

The nib is the heart and soul of fountain pen!

[disillusion]

Great review! I agree about the poor finishing. I don't really want to like these pens but they are cheap and they work.

 

 

 

I've kind of gotten a standard thing going for the reviews, and if a pen has an easily replaceable #6 nib, international converters and cartridges, it gets a ten. Just international converters and cartridges? 7/10. This one meets those criteria, but it has that special converter…so it's worse.

I have four 599s (a bit excessive but then I got them for about the price of a Pentel rollerball). The opaque orange one has the nib and feed glued to the section, but the clear blue, clear orange and smoke ones have removable nibs and feeds. I can fit a #5 nib from Fountain Pen Revolution from them. Presumably other #5 nibs would work as well, but I don't have any others so I can't say for sure.

[ctt1wbw]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who hates Lamy pens. I can't stand them. I don't recommend them at all, ever, not even for a first timer. I said this over and Reddit and people thought it was hilarious, but I consider Lamy to be the Toyota Camry of cars. I don't know what to get, so I'll just get a Camry.

[Funkmon]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who hates Lamy pens. I can't stand them. I don't recommend them at all, ever, not even for a first timer. I said this over and Reddit and people thought it was hilarious, but I consider Lamy to be the Toyota Camry of cars. I don't know what to get, so I'll just get a Camry.

If you'd said that about TWSBI over there, there'd be a lynch mob at your door the next day.

[ctt1wbw]

I actually recommend TWSBI over Lamy for a first pen. It's much better imho and about half the price.

[Funkmon]

I actually recommend TWSBI over Lamy for a first pen. It's much better imho and about half the price.

Where the hell are you buying your TWSBIs? They're $50 and I could get a Safari for $20.

[mrchan]

Just out of curiosity, you seem to dislike all the jinhaos and stuff, why did you still persist in buying them? Just get a few nice ones and forget about jinhaos?

[ctt1wbw]

Where the hell are you buying your TWSBIs? They're $50 and I could get a Safari for $20.

 

People seem to recommend Lamy in general and I didn't buy a Safari, I bought another model for about 130 and didn't like it. I sold it on eBay.

[FloatingFountain]

Great review

 

Lamy. "Cheap, plastic, bulky stuff for school children." That is how the brand is sold where I live, and that's how it's etched into my mind. I just find them ugly; most of them, at least.

[Funkmon]

 

 

Just out of curiosity, you seem to dislike all the jinhaos and stuff, why did you still persist in buying them? Just get a few nice ones and forget about jinhaos?

Quit being sensible and rational with your choices.

 

Just kidding. Mostly because I bought a few based exclusively on good reviews (and they only cost me $11 TOTAL), and I know I can put Goulet nibs on the ones I have at some point. I have no further desires nor inclinations to buy any more.

[Cryptos]

One of these 599s in clear blue just appeared in my mailbox today. Don't remember ordering one ... anyway, I inked it up with some Diamine Eclipse and it writes exceptionally smoothly. A little finer than a Western medium in my extremely limited experience but nowhere near an Asian fine. Overall the construction and feel in the hand is solid, though a tad uninspiring. Might make a good bag thrower.

Edited May 12, 2014 by Cryptos

[jrnabors]

Lamy pens are overrated, which begs the question--why are the Chinese trying to knock off a pen that is mediocre at best and hideous at its worst? There are far better pens out there to knock off. For the price I bought one of these Jinhaos just to mess with. To me the exterior appearance and build quality is better than Lamy. It takes international cartridges rather than proprietary, which I think is a better idea than Lamy. The writing, though, is dry, scratchy, and terrible, which is the same problem I've had with some Lamy Safaris, even after sending them to get repaired. I would tell anyone looking for a good cheap pen to try Pilot rather than Lamy or any of the Chinese knockoffs. If the Asians want to knock something off, how about the beautiful Stipula pens based on ancient Rome? I want a Gladiator!

[Funkmon]

It's weird that we had the exact opposite experience with this pen.

[Paul80]

Who is knocking who off here

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pelikan-P58-Style-Silver-Fountain-Pen-Medium-/231195756455?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35d45747a7

[PeterPenPencil]

By the way, even if no one asked me, I ordered one Jinhao today, my experience with the Lamy Safary is that the pen I ordered is scratchy. Lamy does not have to worry, we can purchase a Lamy and one Jinhao at the same time, I don't think we can go broke on that movement.

[Morames]

First Funkmon, what did you ink the Metropolitan with? Nice light blue.

 

I just got the extra fine version of these pens in the mail two days ago and inked with parker quink blue-black, I am extremely impressed at the hot knife on butter glide this has. So writing performance 13/10...build quality...3/10...maybe. As you pointed out you can see the metal from the converter in the window. Speaking of the converter, I didn't have your troubles twisting the knob. Mine works like my al-star z24. If I want a nice tight seat on the section I see the plastic from the section in the window. The cap posts insecurely so that it tips back and forth in my hand, and I'm concerned about it falling off the barrel if I don't push hard.

 

However for less than $3 USD shipped, I'm ok with 3/10 build and 13/10 writing. The line is about the same as my TWSBI Vac 700 EF but not as scratchy. I presently own the green EF hooded nib, and I'm pondering getting the blue and red EF pens for another $7.50. As my ink collection grows, so must my pen options right?

[79spitfire]

My clear blue has plastic problems.... after using it at work I've noticed a crack in the cap above the clip, and the nib holder is loose inside the pen, allowing the nib, holder, and converter to be pushed up and down in the section, and it's leaking ink in there, and I can see it..

 

Other than that this pen is a solid writer, and can sit for several days to a week and still start up like it was just filled.

 

Overall I think these are a great addition to the market in that price range. I'm going to use mine for testing questionable inks. You know the ones with super color, but bad reputations.....

[Gloucesterman]

What a review! Great, detailed and well pointed!

I hate as well Safari's range, but I'm waiting in the mail for a 599 black smoke. I don't know why I order one, but i'm hoping for the best.

Thank you!

 

....and such colorful language!