Majohn T5

[VillersCotterets]

Apparently available in EF, F and M nibs.
Four subtle barrel colours 🟥, 🟩, 🟦 and frosted ⬛.
Piston and an ink window.
 

[manolo]

Really nice pen

[Mr.Rene]

It looks very "Aurora" design...  😉

Regards.

[socialmoth]

There goes my wallet 🤷‍♂️

Have they released a price for it?

 

EDIT: Honestly, shame about the Majohn name. I really think Moonman would've looked better on it.

[A Smug Dill]

33 minutes ago, socialmoth said:

Have they released a price for it?

 

Chinese fountain pen manufacturers don't set or (at least) publish MSRP or RRP for their products as standard practice, even for the Chinese domestic market, as far as I'm aware. There are “flagship stores” for some of the brands on certain Chinese-language electronic marketplace platforms (such as Taobao), but I'm not even sure that they are operated by teams in the employ of the respective manufacturers, or should be use as an indicator of the “official” retail price, given those stores are also apt to offer discounts like any other reseller on the same platforms.

 

As for the “street price”, it is what it is for that day, week, or month. If you want to know the “street price” for the pen in the Chinese market, then have a look on Taobao, JD, etc. If you want to know the “street price” for it somewhere else that is more commercially accessible to you, then I'm sure you know where to look!

 

Anyway, I know at least two FPN members have already placed their orders for this pen model.

 

[dfd2]

I think it's a pretty pen. It's indeed an "hommage" to the Aurora Optima, but it looks well made. @socialmoth: it's currently retailing at 20 GBP (27 USD) on AliExpress

[MuddyWaters]

If it was an "hommage" they could easily reference the source of inspiration for the pen. Is there any?

[sansenri]

the Moonman copycats have changed name and done it again

I may have to give in and try one of these... not that I don't have enough Optimas

but this is a favorite design as far as ergonomics go, it might be interesting to swap in a nice gold nib...

[A Smug Dill]

45 minutes ago, sansenri said:

the Moonman copycats have changed name and done it again

I may have to give in and try one of these...

 

Why? I'm not being critical, I'm just trying to understand. I don't suppose your philosophy or principles have changed, and so it should not matter whose design a Chinese pen manufacturer has chosen to copy, whether that's Montblanc, Faber-Castell, Kaweco or Aurora.

 

48 minutes ago, sansenri said:

not that I don't have enough Optimas

but this is a favorite design as far as ergonomics go,

 

If the difference this time is that you like the Aurora Optima (I do too, and between my wife and I we have several), then surely it also means that, to your way of thinking, it would be interesting or even smart for Kaweco fans to give the Delike Alpha and Element pens a try, to see if the Chinese came up with a good enough or perhaps even superior product with the same styling and ergonomics, and thus deserve to eat into the ‘original’ products' market share if they aren't sufficiently competitive (all things considered, including but not limited to pricing)?

[sansenri]

you know, ASD, probably I'm an incongruent person...

In general I dislike this fact of copying other peoples ideas for an own profit.

You also know that by that I mean blatant copies, far fetched copied do not disturb me.

As far as pens are concerned there aren't too many different shapes you can invent that will be practical, so close resemblances are likely and in fact many pens look similar.

The idea that someone is systematically copying practically all existing pens, to the minimum detail (I assume by 3d laser scanning competitor pens) and putting these identical copies on sale, without any consequence,  does however disturb me somewhat.

In a number of cases I have decided that I will not buy such copies. One example is Leonardo Momento Zero. I own a few original MZ but not the Chinese copies, and so far do not intend to buy any, they really look exactly identical.

The same goes for several other pens that have been copied, but there is one particular exception, (since I'm not a strictly congruent person), i.e. copies of the Parker Duofold Centennial.

I find the shape of the Centennial particularly ergonomic, so having other pens with that shape is sufficiently desirable to overlook my aversion to buying blatant copies...

The fact I already own a number of true Centennials (11) does make me feel as though I'm not subtracting to much from Parker in buying some copies, and in any case my scope for the copies is having a comfortable pen to house better (gold) nibs.

Most of my Centennial copies hold Omas or Bock nibs.

 

Now, since the Aurora Optima (and 88) is my top preference as far as ergonomics in pens (even more than the Centennial), with this copy of the Optima, a new desirable nib holder is being offered.

Also in this case, the number of owned Optimas (9) does comfort me that I'm not detracting too much from Aurora if I try one of these copies, with the same scope of finding a comfortable housing for one of my spare nibs (I still have an Ancora nib somewhere that would love to have a comfortable place to go, but I will not be buying an Aurora Optima sans nib for that... ).

 

In the end, probably the difference is that my scope of buying these pens is not to have a cheaper Optima or Centennial, but an affordable shape I know and like to use for experimenting with different nibs.

[A Smug Dill]

My order of five Majohn T5 pens arrived today. They look great, including the matt black one, which feels especially nice to hold. The experience of uncapping the pen gave a distinct feel that it is well made with precision, and the 32g heft is well-balanced and pleasing. My wife and I quickly divvied up the loot with glee…

 

… and then that bubble of euphoria burst.

 

First of all, contrary to my expectations — including after visually inspecting the business end of the pens, to see that the nib and feed are housed in a separate cylinder embedded in the gripping section — the (obvious) nib units do not screw out readily (or at all) in any of the five pens. I can only assume that there is some sort of adhesive applied between the two articles of plastic, as part of the standard manufacturing process for this pen model. Swapping nibs between pens would be harder for it, never mind any prospect of acquiring additional/replacement nib units to fit the pens.

 

That's isn't a showstopper, though; I think I've pretty much selected the most suitable nib width grades for the pens I got.

 

Then, I noticed that the piston plug does not move into view of the ink window when I go to fill the ink reservoir; the piston knob comes to a dead stop before it happens. That means it'll take multiple partial fills to accumulate a fill full of the reservoir's capacity.

 

OK, still not a showstopper.

 

Then, the piston knob on one of the pens just snapped into two as soon as I turned it. It hasn't happened on the other four pens, but it certainly calls into question the quality and robustness of the plastic used, and just how long these pens will last (especially if used enough, or with frequent change of ink colours).

 

 

On account of all that, even if that pen is simply defective and does not reflect on its kin, I won't be recommending the pen model to my friends, say over a HongDian N1-S, even if in my opinion the styling and feel-in-hand of the Majohn T5 is nicer.

 

[Mech-for-i]

Got both, the Aurora, and the Moonman, well they actually do not look alike , probably just the overall appearance presented on the photos. Mine function all fine , touchwood. Not the best, not the worst, pretty generic styling. The Yuk pointed finale is not uncommon among Chinese fountain pens nor others. overall OK but nothing spectacular

[A Smug Dill]

39 minutes ago, Mech-for-i said:

Mine function all fine , touchwood. Not the best, not the worst, pretty generic styling.

 

I don't think the Majohn T5 is ‘generic’ at all. One can argue whether the striated cap ring on it, and the slightly more angular shape (looking a bit like an elongated version of Moonman's old logo) of the clip, make it stand apart sufficiently from the Aurora Optima's styling to say Majohn didn't blatantly copy Aurora's design.

 

What isn't obvious from the marketing images is that the Majohn T5 is a longer pen than the Aurora Optima. Among the ones (all with EF nibs; it's the single F-nibbed one that broke before first use) I have, they're lovely writers; the line width is at least as good (as in suitably narrow) as Aurora's EF nib, and the Majohn T5's steel EF nibs write with less feedback than Aurora's gold EF nibs. I didn't get an Aurora Optima in matt black because I hear it feels underwhelmingly lightweight in the hand; the matt black Majohn T5 does not have that problem, and I quite like the contrast between the matt ‘satin finish’ barrel (and cap), and the glossy cap crown and piston knob on it.

 

I have taken the opportunity to inspect the insides of the Majohn T5, given the piston knob has broken off on one of my new ones, and the back-end of the barrel prolapsed and fell out besides. Let's just say I'm not impressed; or, put another way, I'm now much more appreciative of how the HongDian N1-S is put together, as far as recent Chinese piston-fillers with ‘copycat’ styling go.

 

p.s. (not addressing @Mech-for-i specifically, of course) Please don't ask me to provide a photo or three to show the Aurora Optima and Majohn T5 side by side. I'd be happy to measure the pens with a pair of callipers and tell you the difference between the lengths of the pens, if you want to know and make a comparison between the models in your own mind.

[penzel_washinkton]

Does the Majohn / Moonman EF writes like a Western EF or Japanese EF?

Contemplating in getting one but this might be a deal breaker for me personally.

[Mech-for-i]

probably cause I had at least half a dozen ( might be more ) that share this same styling all from different vintage and different made , the basic shape of straight tapered ( or almost straight ) barrel and cap, the wide cap ring , and pretty standard clip placement to me is generic enough. I once did had the Stealth Black Aurora ( its gifted to someone else already ) and I can testify the weight is indeed not there and made for a less than satisfied ergonomic.

 

The Hong Dian is certainly a better pen , but as far as Chinese Piston Filler mechanism goes , I still would rate the Caliarts Ego series having the best though its not one of the easiest to maintain. I am OK with the Piston not fully screw back into the reservoir , smooth piston operation and good sealing IMHO is more important. Those will had to wait till more cycles of fill before I can made a judgement.

 

Moonman's recent release IMHO lean too heavy towards pirating others styling ; and shown less and less of originality , the M700 IMHO could be a good one but they screw it with the arrow clip .. and one ad to wonder why not piston on that model instead of the T5, the S7 is even worse , might as well just take out my much older Lorelei

[A Smug Dill]

On 12/1/2021 at 7:31 PM, penzel_washinkton said:

Does the Majohn / Moonman EF writes like a Western EF or Japanese EF?

 

I don't think “Western EF” is meaningful as a frame of reference, given that I've now encountered and experienced EF nibs made by JoWo and branded-and-finished by “Western” brands (e.g. Edison Pen Co.) that outperforms the average Japanese (across many specimens I have of the ’Big Three’ brands) EF nib in putting down thin lines of ink without being scratchy, as well as of course EF nibs that, in my opinion, should be graded a Medium or broader as supplied.

 

But I can tell you the Japanese ‘Big Three’ brands' EF nibs write more finely than the smooth-writing Majohn T5's steel EF nibs.

[Licue]

This pen's optics leave me pretty cold (good! 😉)

 

And did I understand that correctly?: The piston does not extend all the way to the top??

Why on earth would they do that? Combined with an apparently glued in nib unit (another WTH?!) this seems like a terribly impractical combination - not just for filling, but especially for cleaning. 

And as the "cherry on top" the piston mechanism appears to be quite fragile... 😒

 

 

Btw, detail question: Cap band shows "Majohn" (😩), but I think on the nib I still see "Moonman". Is that true?

[A Smug Dill]

1 hour ago, Licue said:

Btw, detail question: Cap band shows "Majohn" (😩), but I think on the nib I still see "Moonman". Is that true?

 

Affirmative.

 

Re: The ‘new’ Majohn name, I don't really have a problem with it; at least it isn't Mahjong! I'm surprised 末匠 didn't register and change its brand name in English to FUKAWECO, though. 😛

[Licue]

20 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

Affirmative.

 

Re: The ‘new’ Majohn name, I don't really have a problem with it; at least it isn't Mahjong! I'm surprised 末匠 didn't register and change its brand name in English to FUKAWECO, though. 😛

LOL 😂

 

Google does try to change my Majohn (A1) searches to Mahjong...

 

I wonder why it's changed on cap bands, but not on the nibs? 🤔 

Maybe they have lots of left over nib stock? But M nibs are a fairly new thing for Moonman/Majohn afaik 🤔??

 

I still strongly dislike "Majohn" 😣 can't help it. I guess I'll have to focus on "vintage" Moonmans 😑

[AmandaW]

So if one were to be looking for a genuine Moonman  before they all disappear is there a model which is recommended? Something that writes well and doesn't tend to dry out?