Jinhao 500

[murfie]

I've just purchased another Jinhao - a 159. There is a review of this pen on FPN here by another member.

 

Great value - mine was an eBay purchase for $9.95 including postage. Doesn't get any cheaper. I've had a continual dislike for the amount of force needed to cap/uncap most Chinese pens, and the attraction of the 159 was the threaded cap.

 

I've have bought many Jinhaos, mainly for use as targets for my nib grinding adventures. If I muck up one of these, it's no big deal. My efforts to stub the 159's M nib have turned out the best job I've done, so I'm very pleased.

 

Consequently, I've just ordered another 159 along with a new celluloid model (no model no. quoted) from the same seller that also has a threaded cap - that's the pen not the seller ... :roflmho:

Edited January 5, 2013 by murfie

[Harlequin]

I can't help but notice that in the comparison pics, the X750 is the only one with the 3 shields logo on the clip. I only have the X750 (shimmering sands, w00t!), so I've never known there WAS a logo, lol. Anyone know why the X750 doesn't have it, but most of the others seem to?

[Harlequin]

I just was perusing this thread and noticed I made a mistake- the Jinhao I have is more commonly referred to as the "starry night", it seems. By the way, does anyone have an idea as to why the X750 is actually a lighter pen than the X450? I would have thought it would go the other way...

[pinbs JP]

I've owned about 5 different Jinhaos. (mostly X450s) The real problem I have had with each of them is nib creep. I love how they write and they put down a wet buttery smooth line.. but finally got sick enough of the nib creep and always having to carry around a napkin or two to clean out the cap every other day or so.

Edited March 13, 2013 by pinbs JP

[oneill]

I don't really know why, but I just don't like mine.

Please tell me why you dont like yours, I might be able to help. Which one do you have?.regards. Bryan

[chadden42]

Since I do not have tons of disposable cash but I like getting new pens I have decided to collect and use Jinhao. For less than $10 with shipping I have received a 500 fountain pen and rollerball as well as a 750 fountain pen and rollerball. They all write well. I personally thought the 500 was lighter than the 750. I also thought that the 500s post better than most Jinhao's.

[bob_hayden]

I think I have exactly the same pen -- $3.25 postpaid from jewlrey_sh on eBay. I will only comment where I can add something or disagree with the initial review.

 

The reviewer and the seller both accurately described it as brown (neutral and a bit light to me) but the seller's picture looks red and the reviewer's blue??? Mine came in a little cloth sleeve. It took about 3 weeks to get to me in the NE US from China. That's unusually long compared to other Chinese pens I have ordered.

 

The seller described mine as having a fine nib and I would say medium or slightly less. It certainly writes more smoothly than the extra fine nibs on many Hero pens, but not as smoothly as a Parker Frontier (available new for $15-25US) I compared it to. My Jinhao seems to open and close with a modest click. There is no click when posting, just progressively more friction. It posts in a position that leaves part of the black end of the body exposed, looking like something doesn't quite fit right -- like your underwear showing between your shirt and pants. I thought the weight was moderate and the cap not poorly balanced, though I have certainly seen Chinese pens with such problems. It is definitely heavier than the cheaper Heros! Fit and finish were generally good for China. Like most Chinese pens, when you unscrew the section from the body it feels like there is sand in the threads. I especially noticed this because the Parker I mentioned was silky smooth. Finally, the marbled part seems to be made by rolling up a flat piece. At least it apeared to me that there was one definite line along the length of the pen that looked like a seam where no effort had been made to align the patterns on the two sides. I could not feel the seam but it was quite visible. Overall I would say it is of pretty good (not outstanding) quality at a bargain price.

Edited November 9, 2013 by bob_hayden

[semccalljr]

I have always wondered if the pens were any good, I will have to try one out now

[Albinoni]

Just some questions here re Chinese fountain pens

 

1. Are Jinhau nibs made in China or Germany

 

2. Assume if I want to buy a medium nib equivalent in a European or USA pen on a Jinhau does

this mean I will choose a broad nib, just wondering what a Jinhau medium nib would be like

to write with

 

Thanks

[richardandtracy]

The Jinhao nibs are, to the best of my knowledge, made in China.

 

Jinhao never offer alternative nibs in a model. One nib size per model. Most of Jinhao's larger open nib pens use the same nib (though the stamping on it does change from time to time) and it's a nib that fits on a 6mm diameter feed (examples being the J159, X450, X750, J1200). That nib tends to be slightly on the broad side of medium for a US user - more of a UK medium. The 5mm diameter feeds in something like the Jinhao Century Mk2, tend to be a US medium, so a bit on the fine side for a UK medium.

When Jinhao did hooded nib pens (the 321 & 325) then those nibs were a true fine.

 

You can almost ignore the seller's description, & just look at the pen & nib to determine the nib width, knowing that it'll be either a US medium or slightly wider.

 

Regards,

 

Richard

[Funkmon]

Richard, you're pretty much the expert of cheap Chinese pens round here, but just to be sure, on something like this

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jinhao-X450-Fountain-Pen-Black-And-Red-Lacquer-0-7mm-Broad-Nib-Gold-Trim-/251414468867?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a89785903

 

Where the seller says .7 mm broad nib, it is the same as all the other ones?

[richardandtracy]

I try not to be an expert on anything - when you are the 'expert', it's usually the point at which suffer from serious foot-in-mouth disease - and I want to avoid that if I can!

 

Yep. That nib seems to be the usual X450 nib. That's the nib for a 6mm feed, so it'll be the 'UK Medium' type pen.

 

I reckon a UK Medium tends to run between 0.5 & 0.7mm with a majority hovering around 0.6mm, and on round tipped nibs unless you press very hard, you won't get a line the full width of the iridium ball, so 0.6mm seems reasonable from a 0.7mm wide nib.

I am amazed, and somewhat gratified, that a seller has seen fit to use objective units rather than subjective assessments. I applaud them.

 

I personally prefer really fat mediums, and actually think of the replacement JoWo 0.8mm 'broad' nib as a nice fat medium - but then that's just me.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[vans4444]

I try not to be an expert on anything - when you are the 'expert', it's usually the point at which suffer from serious foot-in-mouth disease - and I want to avoid that if I can!

 

Yep. That nib seems to be the usual X450 nib. That's the nib for a 6mm feed, so it'll be the 'UK Medium' type pen.

 

I reckon a UK Medium tends to run between 0.5 & 0.7mm with a majority hovering around 0.6mm, and on round tipped nibs unless you press very hard, you won't get a line the full width of the iridium ball, so 0.6mm seems reasonable from a 0.7mm wide nib.

I am amazed, and somewhat gratified, that a seller has seen fit to use objective units rather than subjective assessments. I applaud them.

 

I personally prefer really fat mediums, and actually think of the replacement JoWo 0.8mm 'broad' nib as a nice fat medium - but then that's just me.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

 

Richard, you are being modest, you are certainly the person I would go to if I had a Parker 61 question

[richardandtracy]

Hrrumph.

I seem to have misplaced the 'Blowing a Raspberry' emoticon.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[Fairlight]

Hello.

What size nibs are these 500's please?

[Sasha Royale]

I like the Jinhao 500. It resembles a Pelikan. I have them in white pearl and black-white checkerboard. I think the smaller nib writes better, It is the same nib as the x250.

[bob_hayden]

Both of mine had nibs a bit on the wide side of medium. The seller claimed it weighed 32 grams which is about my limit but on arrival it weighed 46 inked. It does not feel that heavy, and is better balanced than some overweight pens, but still tiring to use, If you like the nibs more than the pen, the former are available separately on eBay at quite reasonable prices. Some claim to be F nibs,

[bob_hayden]

Older Jinhaos were one nib per model but recent ones often have a choice of a MF open nib or a hooded nib that is advertised as setting down a finer line. That was not the case in the only one I tested though others have found the claim to be true.

[Ardakilic]

I got one last week from China. It looks like this. has a two-tone Jinhao nib, which is nice. However, the nib was almost EF. The finest Jinhao #5 nib I've ever experience on a pen or as a replacement nib. It's hopefully due to manufacturing error. The nib was not scratchy though.

 

I've swapped the nib with a Baoer nib, same as the nib on this pen, and it's now a smooth, medium, wet writer. Using Diamine Oxblood with that.