X450: $.99Usd/free Shipping!

[TaylorT]

I hate to admit that I have $1 Jinhaos that write better that pens that cost 100x that.

[magnus919]

I hate to admit that I have $1 Jinhaos that write better that pens that cost 100x that.

 

 

I've had (non FP enthusiast) co-workers tell me that they vastly prefer writing with the Jinhao X450 than pens like my Pilot Custom 823 or Lamy 2000. Blows my mind. I've heard of studies that show that wine enthusiasts and cigar enthusiasts are forming opinions mostly on psychosomatic suggestion, and I wonder if the same may be true of many FP enthusiasts.

[Ian the Jock]

 

 

I've had (non FP enthusiast) co-workers tell me that they vastly prefer writing with the Jinhao X450 than pens like my Pilot Custom 823 or Lamy 2000. Blows my mind. I've heard of studies that show that wine enthusiasts and cigar enthusiasts are forming opinions mostly on psychosomatic suggestion, and I wonder if the same may be true of many FP enthusiasts.

I started a thread on this a while back, and it turned into ww3.

People have very strong views on why they'll "never buy from China" and how "everything from China is cheap rubbish".

I was amazed at what was stirred up.

At the time "Chinese pens and fountain pen snobbery" was just a newbies' innocent observation.

Wow, did I learn quickly.

 

Ian

[ian1964]

 

 

I've had (non FP enthusiast) co-workers tell me that they vastly prefer writing with the Jinhao X450 than pens like my Pilot Custom 823 or Lamy 2000. Blows my mind. I've heard of studies that show that wine enthusiasts and cigar enthusiasts are forming opinions mostly on psychosomatic suggestion, and I wonder if the same may be true of many FP enthusiasts.

I think you are absolutely correct. I bought a Mb146 after being imerced within the Mb forum and a Pelikan with an EF nib after reading so many wonderful comments about "butter smooth nibs"..Why? I am still not sure! Both have bitterly disapointed me. However, I bought a ( as it turns out fake/counterfeit) Lamy Safari because I liked the colour and it is now my daily work pen. It is really a great pen. $9 only. I work in a busy A&E and patient regularly say "what a great pen, where do you buy it?"

[SmurfK]

I've heard of studies that show that wine enthusiasts and cigar enthusiasts are forming opinions mostly on psychosomatic suggestion, and I wonder if the same may be true of many FP enthusiasts.

 

Well, it is. I used to write with Hero pens, as they were only pens available in my school years, and, when more expensive pens started to appear in my country, my mom grabbed an gold nib Pelikan. I know it was pretty expensive. Anyway, i tried both, her Pelikan and my old Hero, but, for me, that Hero was much better.

 

After all, we're talking about simple, almost rudimentary tools. There's not too much you can do to fountain pens, as they are today. If it writes, it meets the criteria of being an fountain pen. And the differences, as some pen writing better than other one, are personal. Some might like a little bit of feedback, some might enjoy an more smooth nib, there are pens for everyone.

 

I usually move around these kind of communities, like FP, as i'm passionate about many things. I started out with guitars, and i liked to experiment with a lot of pickups, strings, effects, all that stuff. And asking communities to participate in blind tests, none of them were conclusive. I would compare two different effects, for example, one being simply an free computer plugin, other one an $200 analog pedal, and they couldn't tell witch one sounded better. But, if you would present them the effects right of the back, they would find the faults in the free plugin and the benefits of the expensive analog pedal. .

These kind of things can be biased. Some people might have problems admitting that their $2000 equipment can be the same as $100 one.

 

With pens, the same thing can happen. And, as i saw, it's mostly present on the middle of the road prices. If you pay $2000 on a pen, you are having your reasons, but i doubt they are strictly practical ones. It might not write better than a cheaper one, it's not gonna take more ink, but it's a luxury product at that price. But on $50-$200, you might see the bias i was talking about coming up. Even if $50 it's not a big sum, it can be hard to realize that you can find some pen that costs $2, that writes better than the $50 one, maybe sits better in your hand, i don't know.

 

The state of this instrument it's not the same as it was in the past either. They are not an utility item anymore. I think that most of the fountain pens end up not even being used, as they are often used as presents. And you will not gonna give an $2 Jinhao as present, you will go for an better known brand. I even saw newer pen producers that wouldn't even give details about the nibs these days, they wouldn't even present you any options, even if their pens vary between $200 and $1000. But, they make the body by hand, from different materials, like wood or stone. And i also had the pleasure to read testimonies about those pens. Guess what? No one said something about how those pens wrote. Everyone was saying that they were looking great, and they took them as a present for someone else.

[bmillicent]

< Snip >

 

"there are pens for everyone"

 

 

So true, even beyond FPs. I have introduced more than a couple of folks to the idea that a writing instrument of any type ought to be a pleasant experience that elicits more than just a boring old "whatever". One need not be a collector to derive some enjoyment from their use. Often I notice the level of surprise at how much difference it does make. Little things that matter in the bigger picture

 

[TaylorT]

 

 

I've heard of studies that show that wine enthusiasts and cigar enthusiasts are forming opinions mostly on psychosomatic suggestion, and I wonder if the same may be true of many FP enthusiasts.

I think I'm the opposite of that study, I seem to enjoy a pen more when I know it was cheap (as long as it writes well)!

[Parth P]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Students-Collectable-Vintage-Fountain-Pen-Medium-Nib-Black-Gold-Stainless/351462897432?_trksid=p2045573.c100034.m2102&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D32831%26meid%3Dbc819d756b5a4cf78a5989fed1348723%26pid%3D100034%26rk%3D7%26rkt%3D8%26sd%3D311131162818

 

 

This is a very nice price, indeed. It is so low that I wonder how such a price is possible. I received mine,my first X450, and found it to be an excellent writer.

 

Of course the US-based "locavore" pen shoppers can always seek-out a dealer who provides "excellent service" and pay 10 to 15 times as much.

You should post this in the beginners to fountain pens section. This would be a great buy for them, especially if they are not wanting to spend alot on a first pen.

[k3eax]

Patel, when I first posted the message, the vendor was selling the X450 for $.99/free shipping. Now that same vendor charges $.99 plus $1.99 for shipping. And so, from that source it is no longer quite the bargain. However, there are other vendors offering the X450 at $.99/free shipping.

Edited March 10, 2016 by k3eax

[amarjit]

Patel, when I first posted the message, the vendor was selling the X450 for $.99/free shipping. Now that same vendor charges $.99 plus $1.99 for shipping. And so, from that source it is no longer quite the bargain. However, there are other vendors offering the X450 at $.99/free shipping.

can you share the seller link who still sells at 0.99 free shipping

[k3eax]

can you share the seller link who still sells at 0.99 free shipping

 

 

Because I've made recent and repeated purchases, several limit these repeat purchases. And so when their eBay offering is accessed, a notice appears claiming that there is some sort of technical difficulty. Perhaps another reader can help with your request?

[amarjit]

 

 

Because I've made recent and repeated purchases, several limit these repeat purchases. And so when their eBay offering is accessed, a notice appears claiming that there is some sort of technical difficulty. Perhaps another reader can help with your request?

no issues, thanks

[Xmsteel]

 

 

I've had (non FP enthusiast) co-workers tell me that they vastly prefer writing with the Jinhao X450 than pens like my Pilot Custom 823 or Lamy 2000. Blows my mind. I've heard of studies that show that wine enthusiasts and cigar enthusiasts are forming opinions mostly on psychosomatic suggestion, and I wonder if the same may be true of many FP enthusiasts.

 

I was wondering a similar thing myself today at work, actually. I was writing with one of the Pilot G2 when I remembered a friend saying something about "being picky" and only liking to write with those. Got me thinking of what they would pick if you gave them another pen or change the refill or something and see if they noticed.

[rwilsonedn]

I picked up one of these bargain X450s back toward the beginning of this thread, and finally had a chance to put it into the rotation this week. I haven't been using my Chinese pens lately, and so I'd forgotten just how pleasurable they can be. I think Jinhao must be making the industry's smoothest nibs today.

There are lots of things I could quibble about with the X450. It is heavy, has a snap cap that probably won't stay tight for more than a few thousand cycles, the finish will probably wear thin in spots, and the nib dries out in a couple of days. I have to consciously ignore the stupid indentations in the section.

But right now, the pen is beautiful. There are no indications of careless manufacture or poor materials. Maybe given a few strokes to get it started (I know, I could seal the cap if that really bothered me) it writes as well as any wet M- or B-nib pen I've ever tried, and far better than most. It flatters my handwriting, even though the broader-than-usual nib forces me to write larger than I generally do.

I would be delighted if a $200 pen had all these attributes. Perhaps the X450 won't last as well as a Pelikan or such. But I don't mind replacing expensive shirts or slacks when they wear out: I certainly won't complain if someday I have to spend another dollar to replace the X450. Thank you, OP, for reminding me about these pens.

ron

[dvalliere]

Maybe given a few strokes to get it started (I know, I could seal the cap if that really bothered me)

 

How does one go about doing that?

[rwilsonedn]

 

How does one go about doing that?

 

The easy and relatively innocuous way to seal the cap is first, to blow through the open end to find out where the air is leaking out. I can pretty much guarantee it will be at the point where the clip mounts to the cap. Assuming this is the case, light a candle, hold the cap open-end up, and let a couple of drops of candle wax drip into the cap, aiming at the place where the air is leaking. Rotate the cap around in your fingers a bit so that as the wax cools, it flows into the tiny holes in the cap and fills them.

You should now have a cap that does not leak air, and that will considerably slow the drying out of the nib. If any wax made it to the outside of the cap, you can easily scrape it off with a fingernail. There are more sophisticated ways of going about this, I'm sure, but this one is sufficient for me and my $1 Jinhaos.

ron

[Arkanabar]

Ron, I wish I'd known about this. I would have done it to my Noodler's Konrad, which dried out in 4 hours, while capped, sitting horizontal on the desk, so bad that I had to dunk the nib in water to get it going again.