Jinhao 992 Informal Review

[GeneralSynopsis]

My 991's have arrived, been using the smoke (black) demonstrator for a week. No sign of cracking, writes as well as the 992's (all reground to CI's).

[AmandaW]

My 991's have arrived, been using the smoke (black) demonstrator for a week. No sign of cracking, writes as well as the 992's (all reground to CI's).

 

How do you regrind to CI? If you have a moment to explain your process it would be much appreciated.

[suharsh]

I'm really looking forward to reading your thoughts about the 991 if you get one. I don't have a demonstrator model of the 992 to compare with, but my 991 demonstrator doesn't seem brittle and is pretty sturdy for an all plastic pen.

 

I got my 991s and have inked two of them (bought 15 ... at least half will be given away to friends and colleagues) ... one green with Mont blanc green and Orange with Blackstone uluru. The green one struggles to write (possibly the ink combo ...will try another green in it soon) the other one - Orange writes very well!

 

As compared to the 992, I prefer the 992 in terms of grip and how my handwriting comes out. In general I prefer slim pens and the 991 is slimmer than 992 but for some reason I just seem to grip the 992 better! Look wise though the 991 I like better - possibly because of the frosted material - it looks elegant (to me at least).

 

So bottom line these are the only 991s I will own. I will take another go at the full (non-demo version) colored 992s sometime later this year.

 

In the 21 992s that I have - 5 given away ... 9 of them been inked .. out of which 1 broke (RIP) and 1 has a big crack ... others are so far working ok.

[JFB]

I love my coffee 992 demonstrator. It's so disappointing to find out it's so fragile. Under a jeweler's loupe mine has a tiny crack at the end of the body and a couple of small crevasses that seem to be remnants of the mold. I plan on trying to remove the small plug and file it down to reduce any stress caused by it as a number of members have described. It only cost $1.99 including shipping, but I'd hate to lose it. I have three more 992s coming from various E-Bay sellers all for under $1.66 two black and one green.

 

It's a great pen one of the best posting Jinhaos I've tried so far and a smooth writer that starts right up every time. Right now I using Diamine Chocolate Brown, the first non black ink I've used in a very long time! It works quite nice in the992

 

Apart from the fragility I think my only complaint is the weight-I wish it were a tad heavier. The size is just about perfect for my hand and the balance when posted suits my hand and helps my writing.

 

After read through this thread I've bought a coffee colored 991 demo and a green Lorelei. (Can't wait for that green beauty to arrive! ) I have been on a bit of a spree, buying a bunch of these very inexpensive fountain pens from China. So far I'm very pleased with the Jinhao pens in general. Baoer-not so much. I also want to track down one of those "Jellyfish".

 

If the coffee colored 992 holds out it will stay in regular rotation, it's just so darn comfortable in my hand and a smooth writer!

 

I haven't double checked it on-line, but I seem to recall reading something years ago about certain types of translucent plastics being more brittle than opaque plastics. If so that might explain the seeming greater fragility of the translucent ones.

 

Pax,

John

[truthpil]

My 991's have arrived, been using the smoke (black) demonstrator for a week. No sign of cracking, writes as well as the 992's (all reground to CI's).

 

Thanks for the update about the 991. I don't see any cracks developing on my 991 and I hope your experience is the same.

 

 

I got my 991s and have inked two of them (bought 15 ... at least half will be given away to friends and colleagues) ... one green with Mont blanc green and Orange with Blackstone uluru. The green one struggles to write (possibly the ink combo ...will try another green in it soon) the other one - Orange writes very well!

 

As compared to the 992, I prefer the 992 in terms of grip and how my handwriting comes out. In general I prefer slim pens and the 991 is slimmer than 992 but for some reason I just seem to grip the 992 better! Look wise though the 991 I like better - possibly because of the frosted material - it looks elegant (to me at least).

 

So bottom line these are the only 991s I will own. I will take another go at the full (non-demo version) colored 992s sometime later this year.

 

In the 21 992s that I have - 5 given away ... 9 of them been inked .. out of which 1 broke (RIP) and 1 has a big crack ... others are so far working ok.

 

Great update, thanks so much! The 991 has been growing on me and I can excuse the fact that its shape is identical to a Uni-ball because the frosted plastic is quite nice.

[dapprman]

Well mine has succumbed, but how is partly a mystery. I got 6 to hand out and kept an orange one, which I converted to an eye dropper before reading about the cracks. I checked mine and it was fine. Only used it every so often, but it writes nicely and further checks showed no cracks. I don't post it and I don't carry it around so it's just been left on it's side on a rack. Today I picked it up, went to write with it and an got inky bridge (between thumb and forefinger). Looked at the top - several cracks including a long one.

 

All I can think is that in the heat (for the UK) the plug on the end has expanded, causing the cracking. As previously mentioned, i's not been n a position to be knocked or take damage, nor be posted. The cracks occurred while it was resting on it's side. Weird.

[bongo47]

Going through this thread, it seems folks feel the opaque 992s may not have the cracking issue. I may pull the trigger on a $1.55 version just to see, but even that feels like "good money after bad" if I've misread this. Anyone with solid color 992s cracking? I'm not a fan of the 991 looks so not interesting wasting my time with that version.

[GeneralSynopsis]

 

How do you regrind to CI? If you have a moment to explain your process it would be much appreciated.

Aim for the form shown in many places including this one using a loupe (anything from nominal 6x to 20x seems to work for me) to check the form as you go. I tend to use emery boards for shaping and nail buffing supplies and Kraft paper for smoothing rather than my stones... and of course lots of practice including some failures.

 

(I can get a better result if I grind all the tipping away, but that is rather more work that I usually want to do)

Edited July 8, 2017 by GeneralSynopsis

[truthpil]

Going through this thread, it seems folks feel the opaque 992s may not have the cracking issue. I may pull the trigger on a $1.55 version just to see, but even that feels like "good money after bad" if I've misread this. Anyone with solid color 992s cracking? I'm not a fan of the 991 looks so not interesting wasting my time with that version.

 

My opaque 992 has some hairline cracks where the plug enters the barrel end, but not so severe as to cause any problems with the pen. They don't appear to be growing either, but we'll see how it holds up in the summer heat.

[AmandaW]

Thankyou @GeneralSynopsis. Nail supplies I happen to have and a borrowed loupe as well. Thankyou for the link. I will order more Jinhao 992 and play with the one I have while I wait.

[bongo47]

My opaque 992 has some hairline cracks where the plug enters the barrel end, but not so severe as to cause any problems with the pen. They don't appear to be growing either, but we'll see how it holds up in the summer heat.

Thanks. I think I'll let this one go.

[dapprman]

The question is - the cracking issue only really affects those of us who would want to eye dropper the pen, and would you really want to ED an opaque 992 ? After part of the reason is to be able to watch the ink sloshing around.

[GeneralSynopsis]

The question is - the cracking issue only really affects those of us who would want to eye dropper the pen, and would you really want to ED an opaque 992 ? After part of the reason is to be able to watch the ink sloshing around.

The cracking is not confined to the end of the barrel but can also occur around the clip. Leading eventually to the clip and the end of the cap breaking away from the rest of the cap.

[suharsh]

The cracking is not confined to the end of the barrel but can also occur around the clip. Leading eventually to the clip and the end of the cap breaking away from the rest of the cap.

 

The question is - the cracking issue only really affects those of us who would want to eye dropper the pen, and would you really want to ED an opaque 992 ? After part of the reason is to be able to watch the ink sloshing around.

 

Yes, I haven't used a single one as ED and yet one broke off from the clip!

[Seele]

Well mine has succumbed, but how is partly a mystery. I got 6 to hand out and kept an orange one, which I converted to an eye dropper before reading about the cracks. I checked mine and it was fine. Only used it every so often, but it writes nicely and further checks showed no cracks. I don't post it and I don't carry it around so it's just been left on it's side on a rack. Today I picked it up, went to write with it and an got inky bridge (between thumb and forefinger). Looked at the top - several cracks including a long one.

 

All I can think is that in the heat (for the UK) the plug on the end has expanded, causing the cracking. As previously mentioned, i's not been n a position to be knocked or take damage, nor be posted. The cracks occurred while it was resting on it's side. Weird.

 

dapperman,

 

Heat would not be a factor: as the barrel and plug are made of the same material, they would expand at the same rate.

 

The issue is that the plug is a tight push-fit; even without being an interference fit, the plug is exerting an expanding force against the circumference of the hole, it might not happen all of a sudden but after a while - and depending on the brittleness of the material - it would reach that tipping point where it would start developing a crack or more.

 

There are two factors beyond the tightness of the fit. First is the brittleness of the material: for reducing production cost I believe the 992 is made out of polystyrene, a material that works very well in the injection moulding process, but quite brittle: the Lorelei claims to employ polycarbonate which is a much tougher material.

 

Second, the Jinhao plug is not like that in the Lorelei for being solid. This means the plug has no "give" at all, unlike the Lorelei's thin-wall hollow plug, which is another factor that reduces the opposing forces between the plug and the hole.

 

While I have fixed my 992 "coffee" some weeks ago, I have ordered another example so that I can make a video demonstrating the method to banish the cracking problem: now I am waiting for it to turn up.

[DaveBj]

Three of my six demos have leaked around the barrel plug, and I have switched them back to the converter and will do so to the others, as I discover them leaking, as I'm sure I will. Two of them have also leaked ink into the cap, where it has gotten between the blind cap and the outer cap, very unsightly in a demo. Not sure how to fix this.

[DaveBj]

Three of my six demos have leaked around the barrel plug. I have switched them back to the converter, and I will do the same to the remaining three, as I discover them leaking, which I'm sure I will. Two of them have also leaked ink into the cap, where it got between the blind cap and the outer cap -- very unsightly in a demo. Not sure what to do about that.

[DaveBj]

**duplicate**

Edited July 10, 2017 by DaveBj

[Helen350]

What I have found interesting about the 992:

 

1. I have 2 demonstrators. One - top of the cap broke off. The second one has developed a long crack in the cap.

2. Both solid colored 992s are doing well, with no cracks on either pen.

 

I am questioning why the demonstrators have experienced more of the problem with cracking?

[anuvratfpn]

What I have found interesting about the 992:

 

1. I have 2 demonstrators. One - top of the cap broke off. The second one has developed a long crack in the cap.

2. Both solid colored 992s are doing well, with no cracks on either pen.

 

I am questioning why the demonstrators have experienced more of the problem with cracking?

Maybe because of the density of the material.used in the transparent version is different from the one used in the solid color version.

 

The solid ones are definitely fine, they don't leak or don't have any crack.ossues

 

Sadly, I have only one solid one, 3 transparent. 😞