Majohn A1 (a capless clone)

[J120]

I left four of the A1 clip models on my desk for the weekend so I could test other pens. Picked them all up tonight in prep for tomorrow and they all started immediately, no hard starts, no ink starvation, just flowed like a hot knife through butter. No idea what other's mileage may be but these four models seal beautifully. Waiting on the other colors and models to someday make their way out of the Shenyang airport......

[jekostas]

On 12/18/2021 at 1:05 PM, OCArt said:

Aliexpress now has versions of the A1 pen clipless and colors as a PRESALE. 

 

Prices steadily creeping up, no surprises there.  I wonder where they'll eventually settle.

 

I'll echo J120's comments re: reliability - I've had no issues with drying out or hard starts, even after the pen was left for a few days.

[J120]

On 12/20/2021 at 1:03 AM, jekostas said:

 

Prices steadily creeping up, no surprises there.  I wonder where they'll eventually settle.

 

I'll echo J120's comments re: reliability - I've had no issues with drying out or hard starts, even after the pen was left for a few days.

The Majohn/Moonman flagship store on Taobao sells the pen for 139Y= 21.81 for the pen in the regular box or 159Y=24.95 for the ink and extra cartridge box. 

As you noted the markup has basically doubled the price. It is still 35-40 cheaper than its steel Pilot VP counterpart. The problem I have with the sellers upping the price is you are creeping past the point of the pen in the name of S&D. They can sell it at a markup to recoup shipping but I know like many Taobao buyers the shipping freight is greatly reduced when you buy in bulk. Supply and demand is not going to be an issue longterm because the flagship store has been restocking every 48 hours for the past month. The closer you get to Pilot's price point the more it starts undercutting the appeal. It will still be a better price for replacement parts and nibs until they start selling the nib units individually but at a certain price you might as well buy the Pilot. I buy both but it is supposed to be a more reasonable entry point model. Maybe I am being too romantic about the pens purpose...

I like and buy both but these sellers are pushing it. I think people should wait for the market to get adequately flooded and the price to drop again. The other 5 colors are coming soon and considering it is Majohn  we do not know what crazy variations and colorways will come next year. Remember Wing Sung during all this excitement.  Nothing in their pen tree is not easily accessible 4 years after the 698 started this. 

 

Unless you are Taobao brave I would wait it out for the price gouging to relax. 

The other models I have on order just now shipped out to LAX but the shipping on Taobao is typically just as quick as AliExpress. 

 

Happy Hunting to all

[penzel_washinkton]

Finally, got the A1 in my hands after approximately 3 weeks.

 

First impressions are good, the pen feels nice in the hand and the weight seems substantial. No problems with the knock mechanism and the nib writes smoothly outside of the box. Testing it with Noodler's Black and it seems like it is not too wet of a nib.

 

Several things that I am on the fence currently are the nib width of the EF is wider than I initially expected and the hump for the clipless model is kinda pointless? Not sure if the hump is there to indicate the top side of the nib or it serves other purpose for the pen.

 

Probably someone could confirm if VP's EF nib writes finer than the Moonman / Majohn A1 EF? If so, I would consider buying the EF nib unit.

[J120]

Unless you are just dying for an EF I would wait it out for the Majohn individual nib units to be sold. No idea if they will ever give us a M/B or anything else but there should be EF/F/WF. How long that will take is anyone's guess. Lanbitou started selling nib units and accessories almost simultaneously with the 3088. Majohn/Moonman represents a higher standard in quality thus they may take their time releasing the units. It is not a matter if they can, they have already shown us they can and early doors show it does not suffer leaking like the Pilot nib units. Just saying this might be something worth exercising patience in if it is not an immediate urge to scratch. No guarantee they will but considering their history it is almost certain. If in 3 months there is nothing to report, you lose little and Pilot has the variety people seek as a fall back.

That is a funny side note. Some will rage about the A1 and forget Pilot is going to benefit in the event Majohn/Moonman choose not to sell individual nib units. All of those seeking nib units outside the standard offering can only purchase them from Pilot. If you want a broad on your A1 as of today you can only get it from Pilot. Pilot gets nearly its full steel VP price at $80 for a nib unit.  That nib unit is the price (the Taobao equivalent) of three A1s. All parties win.

Edited December 22, 2021 by J120

[penzel_washinkton]

It's not a deal breaker but yep, I really do prefer finer EF nibs. Since the EF for the Majohn is already this wide (might be as wide as a PenBBS F nib), there is very minuscule possibility they will release a nib unit finer than this. So Pilot VP EF might be the last resort for me.

[A Smug Dill]

2 hours ago, penzel_washinkton said:

Not sure if the hump is there to indicate the top side of the nib or it serves other purpose for the pen.

 

Is it effective as a roll-stopper?

 

2 hours ago, penzel_washinkton said:

Probably someone could confirm if VP's EF nib writes finer than the Moonman / Majohn A1 EF? If so, I would consider buying the EF nib unit.

 

How do you want it confirmed, at a minimum? I'm still waiting on delivery of my Majohn A1 that is fitted with an EF nib; but, as far as I'm concerned, a direct head-to-head visual comparison is not required for (confirmation of) the conclusion you seek. I have a Pilot Capless 18K gold EF nib unit, and if it can demonstrably produce lines that are narrower than what your Majohn A1's EF nib is capable (by your reckoning), then the Pilot Capless EF nib “writes finer than” the Majohn A1's EF nib.

 

I'd be happy to ink it up with (one of) Platinum Carbon Black, Sailor Kiwaguro, Sailor Seiboku, Platinum Blue-Black, or Pelikan Edelstein Smoky Quartz, write a few lines (and draw a few straight lines, too) with it, then measure the line width with a scale attached to my loupe, if that is sufficient for you to then do the equivalent with your Majohn A1.

[penzel_washinkton]

32 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

Is it effective as a roll-stopper?

 

That might be it, never quite noticed that it can also be utilized as a roll-stop.

It is rather adequate in its function as a roll-stop btw.

 

32 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

How do you want it confirmed, at a minimum? I'm still waiting on delivery of my Majohn A1 that is fitted with an EF nib; but, as far as I'm concerned, a direct head-to-head visual comparison is not required for (confirmation of) the conclusion you seek. I have a Pilot Capless 18K gold EF nib unit, and if it can demonstrably produce lines that are narrower than what your Majohn A1's EF nib is capable (by your reckoning), then the Pilot Capless EF nib “writes finer than” the Majohn A1's EF nib.

 

I'd be happy to ink it up with (one of) Platinum Carbon Black, Sailor Kiwaguro, Sailor Seiboku, Platinum Blue-Black, or Pelikan Edelstein Smoky Quartz, write a few lines (and draw a few straight lines, too) with it, then measure the line width with a scale attached to my loupe, if that is sufficient for you to then do the equivalent with your Majohn A1.

 

Measuring the line width is too detailed and might be too much of a hassle for you, if you have the chance a simple straight vertical stroke and a few lines side by side between the Pilot EF 18K with the Majohn A1 (once you have them in your hands) would be much appreciated. Not in a hurry either, still assessing how the A1 performs in the next few weeks.

[A Smug Dill]

7 hours ago, penzel_washinkton said:

Measuring the line width is too detailed and might be too much of a hassle for you,

 

Actually, that's both conceptually and practically easier for me, than to ink up two different (but similar) pens with the same ink and do a head-to-head visual comparison on the same page (which is then easier for the audience, perhaps). Measuring the line width uses an objective frame of reference against which a whole range of different ‘things’ or pen-ink-paper combinations can be (with some effort) compared by replicating the conditions that are not the variable(s) of interest.

 

Which of those inks I listed earlier do you have and/or most likely to put in your Majohn A1? I also have Noodler's X-Feather Black and X-Feather Blue for permanent inks (as well as Hero 232 and Hero 234, although I'm not inclined to let the Hero inks sit in my Pilot Capless pens for more than a few days). All six of the Platinum Classic Ink colours now, as well.

[J120]

L-R( Pilot Capless, Lily 910, Platinum Curidas, Lanbitou 3088, Majohn A1/A1 Rollstop, Shipton)

 

Nothing to report on the roll stop version other than same great quality. It will be interesting carrying it out in the wild. Anxiously awaiting the Taobao shipment to see the pen in other colors... 

 

P.S.- The Shipton on the end is a blue collar decimo alternative I.M.O.

Edited December 23, 2021 by J120

[Licue]

3 hours ago, J120 said:

L-R( Pilot Capless, Lily 910, Platinum Curidas, Lanbitou 3088, Majohn A1/A1 Rollstop, Shipton)

 

Nothing to report on the roll stop version other than same great quality. It will be interesting carrying it out in the wild. Anxiously awaiting the Taobao shipment to see the pen in other colors... 

 

P.S.- The Shipton on the end is a blue collar decimo alternative I.M.O.

 

Judging purely the looks, I think the clipless black A1 is by far the best looking one.

 

Lily, Shipton, and the grey Lanbitou share the last place.

Shipton could do significantly better if it ditched the (rose)gold, Lily should decide between gold OR silver, and the 3088 suffers from the solid color - imo the Curidas/3088 look much better in the transparent versions.

 

The orange Pilot, the black A1 with clip, and the transparent Curidas are somewhere in the middle - looking neither good nor bad, but mostly odd/strange/extravagant/futuristic.

[A Smug Dill]

Well, surprisingly, mine arrived today ahead of Christmas. It's the matt black one with a clip, and it says Moonman in white on the barrel. Seems well made, but… just as surprisingly, a converter was not to be found in the package, even though the AliExpress seller's item listing states that “Converter x 1, Dropper X 1” is included.

 

I hate having to chase up things like that with Chinese sellers; and it's the principle of it that whatever they say is there as part of the deal must be provided, if it means they have to send a second shipment uneconomically to fill the gap of what was missing. I can understand why the converter would be inadvertently left off in the case of the Majohn A1 — because it's not already inside the pen, since that space is taken up by the empty ink cartridge and the protective metal cap over it — but, if sellers don't want to send the retail boxes and any ink cartridges, on account of reduced postage charges and Chinese postal regulations prohibiting the export of liquids (of any sort in any type of container) by post, then I expect the average AliExpress/eBay seller mainly selling to overseas customers to be especially vigilant in terms of how products need to be repacked, and what needs to be included without the convenience of the factory supplying the “pen only” ready to be dispatched by warehouse staff without attentive intervention.

[werter1245]

A day ago I became the owner of a black piano. This is a box version for the Chinese market, without a bottle of ink. I used the Pilot IC-50 blue cartridge

 

 

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[penzel_washinkton]

On 12/23/2021 at 3:10 PM, A Smug Dill said:

 

Actually, that's both conceptually and practically easier for me, than to ink up two different (but similar) pens with the same ink and do a head-to-head visual comparison on the same page (which is then easier for the audience, perhaps). Measuring the line width uses an objective frame of reference against which a whole range of different ‘things’ or pen-ink-paper combinations can be (with some effort) compared by replicating the conditions that are not the variable(s) of interest.

 

Which of those inks I listed earlier do you have and/or most likely to put in your Majohn A1? I also have Noodler's X-Feather Black and X-Feather Blue for permanent inks (as well as Hero 232 and Hero 234, although I'm not inclined to let the Hero inks sit in my Pilot Capless pens for more than a few days). All six of the Platinum Classic Ink colours now, as well.

 

Sounds good then, appreciate it.

Currently I've put in some Platinum Carbon Blacks for testing.

 

Also, unfortunate that you didn't receive the converter. Hope you got that sorted out, in the meantime the refillable cartridge is decent since I am also using the cartridge version.

[Gloucesterman]

6 hours ago, werter1245 said:

A day ago I became the owner of a black piano. This is a box version for the Chinese market, without a bottle of ink. I used the Pilot IC-50 blue cartridge

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No images available. Clicking on link show a blank image with a "cracked" file image in the middle.

 

[J120]

I can confirm that that particular seller, M___ Stationary  Store sent me 6 units without any of the accessories listed. Buyer beware but that is not an issue with the manufacturer. It never has been. There are certain sellers who operate like this and sometimes you get burned. The pens work great but it is a shame that particular seller would rather hoard items for the inevitable loose accessories resale than do the right thing. This is the reason I prefer Taobao and buying directly from the flagship stores. 

[A Smug Dill]

9 minutes ago, J120 said:

The pens work great but it is a shame that particular seller would rather hoard items for the inevitable loose accessories resale than do the right thing.

 

I doubt that is the reason behind it. I'm more inclined to think it's sheer laxity, and not studying and understanding the products they're selling, to exclude only any liquids (however contained, including in factory-sealed ink cartridges with tiny volume) from what is in the manufacturer's retail packaging, even if all the bits aren't self-contained inside the pen's cap and body.

[J120]

 The retail packaging currently only comes in two forms. You either get the ink bottle and the cartridge accessory pack or you get the loose three pieces.  There is not some deep dive that needs to be done on the part of an independent seller to understand which goes with which. There is only one seller on Aliexpress at the moment selling the entire kit. The rest are advertising the product with the loose accessories. This comes down to an outlier seller thinking people will not call them out or complain and attempting to take advantage. They can open a retail box but do not understand their own language written on the box? Whoever is running M__ Stationary Store knows exactly what they are not doing. After opening a dispute and complaining now they miraculously are looking to find the items in the "warehouse." Do not accept have efforts

[J120]

I received shipment 1 of 2 of the delayed flagship store shipments. (Full box with ink version delayed by pandemic issues)The difference from the flagship store on Taobao versus the individual sellers on Ebay, Aliexpress,  and Etsy is you get the original retail box and all the contents if you order straight from the manufacturer.  

 

The Piano Black and the Bean Red are beautiful pens, not as slippery as they look, and same quality etc. 

 

There are 5 other colorways of this model: Cloud White, Piano White, Latter Yellow, Bean Green, Bean Blue. 

 

After observing the Majohn X1 and using these models at work the past two weeks I feel it is a matter of when and not if we end up with a "LS" model. The days of " they cannot replicate that" due to complexity died with the vacuum fillers.

 

Not here to debate the morality but I am more skeptical by the day this is the product of 3D scanning that has been available at the industrial level for more than a decade. If Majohn had gone the way of Shipton and made a international standard cartridge version I would have considered the 3D argument. The A1/ VP/ Capless models are interchangeable down to the cartridge. I strongly doubt someone went through the trouble to reverse engineer an entire pen. Undisclosed sealed manufacturing agreement feels more likely. The type of thing Pilot and Western manufacturers would never publicly admit to because it would torpedo the arguments about manufacturing quality and the inevitable markup questions that would follow.

Manufacture in one country, assemble in another, QC, and price it. It also explains the amount of MB clones that look like QC fails flooding Aliexpress. 

 

This niche hobby is not immune from opportunistic manufacturing agreements that every other industry in the world takes advantage of. 

 

 

[MarioR81]

1 hour ago, J120 said:

I received shipment 1 of 2 of the delayed flagship store shipments. (Full box with ink version delayed by pandemic issues)The difference from the flagship store on Taobao versus the individual sellers on Ebay, Aliexpress,  and Etsy is you get the original retail box and all the contents if you order straight from the manufacturer.  

 

The Piano Black and the Bean Red are beautiful pens, not as slippery as they look, and same quality etc. 

 

There are 5 other colorways of this model: Cloud White, Piano White, Latter Yellow, Bean Green, Bean Blue. 

 

After observing the Majohn X1 and using these models at work the past two weeks I feel it is a matter of when and not if we end up with a "LS" model. The days of " they cannot replicate that" due to complexity died with the vacuum fillers.

 

Not here to debate the morality but I am more skeptical by the day this is the product of 3D scanning that has been available at the industrial level for more than a decade. If Majohn had gone the way of Shipton and made a international standard cartridge version I would have considered the 3D argument. The A1/ VP/ Capless models are interchangeable down to the cartridge. I strongly doubt someone went through the trouble to reverse engineer an entire pen. Undisclosed sealed manufacturing agreement feels more likely. The type of thing Pilot and Western manufacturers would never publicly admit to because it would torpedo the arguments about manufacturing quality and the inevitable markup questions that would follow.

Manufacture in one country, assemble in another, QC, and price it. It also explains the amount of MB clones that look like QC fails flooding Aliexpress. 

 

This niche hobby is not immune from opportunistic manufacturing agreements that every other industry in the world takes advantage of. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's an interesting take on in. Thanks for sharing.