Jinhao 991 Review

[truthpil]

Hello again to all my FP-friends,

 

Allow me to introduce to you the Jinhao 992’s oddly named and somewhat homely younger sister—the 991. This pen comes in both an EF (0.38) hooded nib and F open nib version. Since the nib, feed, housing, and converter on the F nib version are identical to that of the 992, it goes without saying that the 991 writes just as well and has the same smooth nib and flawless flow. All I had to do was put ink in the converter (I don’t like sticking my pens in bottles), put the converter back in the pen, and within just a few seconds the pen was writing a juicy medium-side-of-fine line. I can’t speak for the EF version because the black hooded nib was just too ugly to look at.

 

 

 

Nib options:

 

(Taobao)

 

Color options:

 

(Taobao)

 

 

Appearance & Design

 

There is no question as to where the design came from:

 

 

The appearance is my least favorite part about the 991. Who would want to own a fountain pen that looks just like a disposable roller-ball?? The only saving factor is that it’s a demonstrator (and, of course, a fountain pen). The coffee brown tint on this model gives it an extra bit of class over the dull black Uni-ball.

 

Looks aside, the matte finish on the cap and barrel adds a nice tactile feel. The whole pen is notably thinner than the 992 and almost as long as the X750. If you wanted a significantly thinner and lighter alternative to the X750, then you’ll probably enjoy using the 991. The section is long and slender and will be comfortable no matter where you grasp it. The design is utilitarian and comfortable, even if boring and unoriginal. I could easily write with this pen for hours on end with no fatigue.

 

 

 

 

Construction

 

I was at first concerned about the durability of the 991. The plastic is noticeably thinner and has just a tad more “give” to it than that of the 992. The thickness and strength of the plastic reminded me a lot of a Platinum Preppy (see below). In fact, I’d say the 991 is Jinhao’s answer to the Preppy (and a more cost-effective answer at that). Despite these initial concerns, after much squeezing of both barrel and cap on the 991 and a Preppy, the 991 is clearly more durable. If you like Preppies and use them regularly without cracking the cap or barrel, then you’ll love this pen! I’m just slightly more apprehensive with this pen than with the 992 about throwing it in my bag unprotected, but I don’t think you’ll have to wrap tape around the joints to prevent cracking the way I always have to with my Preppies.

 

Jinhao 992 and 991:

 

 

Jinhao 991 and Platinum Preppy barrels:

 

 

And now the million yuan question, “Does it come cracked like the 992?” After examining the whole pen with a loupe for quite some time over two days, I can assure you that at least my specimen has NO CRACKS whatsoever. [What might appear to be cracks in the photos below are injection molding seams and a few scratches in the plastic.] I’ll give you an update after a few weeks of use, but I don’t foresee cracking as a problem. The end of the barrel does have a plug in it, but it is quite different than that of the 992. The plug takes up the whole end of the barrel, as is also the case with the finial on the cap.

 

 

 

If you’re one of those brave souls who likes to eyedropperize pens, then this pen is worth your consideration. The seal on the barrel plug is airtight. I also filled the barrel with water and shook it vigorously for a while and there were no leaks. My only hesitation about using this as an eyedropper filler is that the pen is very slender and will probably heat up quickly from hand warmth and start burping, as might occur with a Preppy. Also note that, unlike the 992, this pen does not come with an O-ring, so you’ll have to supply your own and probably apply some silicone grease to the threads just to be safe. One nice point is that the threading is much finer than on the Preppy and thus provides a tighter seal.

 

 

 

Weight & Dimensions

 

Numbers mean little to me when I’m thinking about what is comfortable in my hand, so here are some comparison shots with other common pens to give you an idea of the physical dimensions of the 991.

 

From left to right: Jinhao 992, Jinhao 991, Platinum Preppy 02, Jinhao X750, Parker 45, Parker 51, Lamy Safari

 

 

 

The 991 is a very light pen. It has no heft at all when unposted and feels back-heavy and unbalanced when posted (at least for my small hands).

 

 

 

 

Concluding Remarks

 

Although the 991 lacks much of the appeal of the 992, it also lacks its problems. I’m not fond of the shape and general appearance of this pen, but it’s a pleasure to write with and extremely comfortable to hold (unposted, in my case). This pen was designed to write and write and write effortlessly, although some may be uncomfortable with the slender body and light weight. Nib options are limited to EF and F, but you can easily remove the nib on the open nib model and put in another. TWSBI ECO nibs fit well and perhaps a standard #5 would work as well. I’ll have to get back to you on that once my JoWo #5 architect grind arrives.

 

I recommend the Jinhao 991 over the Platinum Preppy for the following reasons:

(1) its nib is just as smooth as an 05 Preppy; (2) its material is sturdier; (3) it comes with its own converter that holds a lot of ink; (4) it comes in several colors with no painted on branding to remove; (5) it’s about half the price of a Preppy, depending on where you live.

 

This pen is a perfect choice for your “fountain penvangelism” efforts and is just nice to have around for trying funky inks you may be afraid to put in nicer pens. This pen is so affordable that, if you can tolerate its underwhelming physique, it’s worth at least owning a couple.

Edited June 8, 2017 by TruthPil

[ParkerDuofold]

Hi TruthPil,

 

Knowing myself as I do... I'll probably get 15 of these, (or whatever the dealer pack count is), to throw at people after I've given away all the 992's, (the ones that are cracked, I'll keep for myself as lab rats; I'm not going to give someone a cracked pen).

 

That's why I wish you would have discovered these first, I think people might get more "give-away mileage" out of the 991's, the way you talk.

 

Oh, well, such is life.

 

They look like a great choice, though; albeit their supply locker looks, for lab rats, give-aways, etc. Thanks for helping me part with more of my money; that's always useful.

 

And thank you for all the time and effort you put into this review.

 

- Anthony

Edited June 8, 2017 by ParkerDuofold

[truthpil]

That's why I wish you would have discovered these first, I think people might get more "give-away mileage" out of the 991's, the way you talk.

 

 

Hi Anthony,

 

The odd thing is that the 991 was just released and came out after the 992.

I don't know what's going on with Jinhao, but I guess they had some trouble counting that day.

 

Glad you enjoyed the review!

[ParkerDuofold]

 

Hi Anthony,

 

The odd thing is that the 991 was just released and came out after the 992.

I don't know what's going on with Jinhao, but I guess they had some trouble counting that day.

 

Glad you enjoyed the review!

Hi TruthPil,

 

 

Maybe their into nostalgia and taking a retrospective numbering approach.

 

Seriously, though, how do these come packaged? I'm looking at those Jinhao boxes, both large & small in the background.

 

- Anthony

Edited June 8, 2017 by ParkerDuofold

[truthpil]

One of the benefits of living in China is you can buy direct from a distributor even in small quantities. I only bought one pen and that's how it came with free shipping. Maybe it costs too much to send the boxes overseas, considering that the international price is about the same as the Chinese price.

[rwilsonedn]

Thanks for a detailed review with great perspective! I have to agree with you that compared to the 992 this pen looks rather industrial. But I guess there are people who appreciate that look more than I do. Sounds like a really good writing instrument and starter pen.

ron

[truthpil]

I forgot to mention in the review, but thanks to Mech-for-i for the hot tip about this pen!

 

I also forgot to mention, but you can see in the section close-up, that the 991 has a snap cap. Unlike many other Chinese pens I've tried in the past, the snap is just right, giving the satisfying click and holding the cap on firmly but not so much so that it requires great force or two hands to remove.

 

Yesterday I threw it in my backpack and lugged it around all day without any negative repercussions. Still crack free on day three!

 

I just put a TWSBI ECO nib on it and it works perfectly, as with the 992.

Edited June 9, 2017 by TruthPil

[truthpil]

Eyedropper fans, rejoice! I can confirm now that the 991 is perfectly suited for eyedropper conversion, much more so than it's predecessor, the 992. The threads on the barrel seal tight enough that I didn't need any silicone grease or an O-ring. The large plug at the end also has a perfect seal.

 

I normally don't use eyedropper pens, but the extra ink in the pen adds enough weight to give a decent heft that makes the pen even nicer to write with. The more I use this pen, the more I forget about its uninteresting appearance and just really enjoy writing with it.

[cingkrab]

Eyedropper fans, rejoice! I can confirm now that the 991 is perfectly suited for eyedropper conversion, much more so than it's predecessor, the 992. The threads on the barrel seal tight enough that I didn't need any silicone grease or an O-ring. The large plug at the end also has a perfect seal.

 

I normally don't use eyedropper pens, but the extra ink in the pen adds enough weight to give a decent heft that makes the pen even nicer to write with. The more I use this pen, the more I forget about its uninteresting appearance and just really enjoy writing with it.

 

Any news on whether it would fit a standard #5 nib?

[truthpil]

 

Any news on whether it would fit a standard #5 nib?

 

I still have to wait a couple more weeks to get my #5 before I can let you know for certain.

However, the nib on this pen is identical to those of the 599A and 992 and I've read of several cases where a #5 nib has fit the 599A, so it should theoretically work.

[sapient]

Hello, thanx for the review.

How are these with drying? The main advantage of the preppy for me is that it does not dry out after prolonged idleness: I do not write that much, but when I need to, I am usually in a hurry and not inclined to fiddle with the pen first.

Edited June 25, 2017 by sapient

[truthpil]

Hello, thanx for the review.

How are these with drying? The main advantage of the preppy for me is that it does not dry out after prolonged idleness: I do not write that much, but when I need to, I am usually in a hurry and not inclined to fiddle with the pen first.

 

I'm not sure about long periods of time like weeks or months, but I've had no problem with drying after being left for a couple days. Immediate start up every time. That was with Herbin Lie de The, so I'm not sure about other inks that are more prone to drying out.

[anuvratfpn]

I forgot to mention in the review, but thanks to Mech-for-i for the hot tip about this pen!

 

I also forgot to mention, but you can see in the section close-up, that the 991 has a snap cap. Unlike many other Chinese pens I've tried in the past, the snap is just right, giving the satisfying click and holding the cap on firmly but not so much so that it requires great force or two hands to remove.

 

Yesterday I threw it in my backpack and lugged it around all day without any negative repercussions. Still crack free on day three!

 

I just put a TWSBI ECO nib on it and it works perfectly, as with the 992.

I guess they do have certainly taken uniball eye's good points 😂

Thanks for the update regarding eyedropper and crack.issue.

 

I have ordered in both the Fine open nib as well as the hooded 0.38mm one from.ali. let's hope it reaches me soon.

 

After your review, I think it's far much better than the 992.

[MontPelikan]

Hello,

 

I just finished a little video review on the JInhao 991.

 

 

Thank you for watching

 

MontPelikan

[truthpil]

Hello,

 

I just finished a little video review on the JInhao 991.

 

 

Thank you for watching

 

MontPelikan

 

Great review!! These pens look great as eyedroppers!

[bob_hayden]

I just got two of these. Both wrote fine right out of the box. I am much happier with the looks. That fat band around the midriff of the 992 is a real turnoff for me.

[andy1m]

Thanks for the review of 992 and 991 TruthPil. Going to order a few from Aliexpress. Too bad 992 got this cracking problem. But still worth trying

[truthpil]

I just got two of these. Both wrote fine right out of the box. I am much happier with the looks. That fat band around the midriff of the 992 is a real turnoff for me.

 

Glad your 991s turned out well...so far I haven't seen any bad reviews, like with the 992. I know what you mean about the fat band. I liked the looks of it, but it makes the pen unable to lie flat and can easily spin and fly off the table if bumped.

 

Thanks for the review of 992 and 991 TruthPil. Going to order a few from Aliexpress. Too bad 992 got this cracking problem. But still worth trying

 

Thanks for reading! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts about these pens once they arrive.

[anuvratfpn]

 

Got the jinhao 991 today, looks good, very light weight and comfortable to write with pen. Nib experience same as with 992, excellent for the price. Can't complain anything about this pen.

Everything is same as uniball eye pen.

 

Best part took just 19 days from China to India.

Bought from jinhaoflagshipstore on aliexpress.

 

Thanks for bringing this pen in notice.

[fjoly79]

I'm very impressed, for a "cheap pen" to see this quality of writing. Thank you for this review TruthPil.