Budget 2000. The Jinhao 80 Lamy 2000 Clone

[recluse]

5 hours ago, socialmoth said:

Would you know if it's a spring-loaded clip, too?

 

Perhaps, there are different versions or the quality differs vastly from pen to pen, but on mine (black clip) the clip is spring-loaded. It's similar to the Lamy 2000's clip but made of seemingly less durable material.

 

2 hours ago, A Smug Dill said:

If you're prepared, or perhaps prefer, to put a German-made gold nib on a cheap pen instead of a sturdy Lamy original to match

 

Which Lamy original that takes Z55 you are talking about?

[A Smug Dill]

1 hour ago, recluse said:

Which Lamy original that takes Z55 you are talking about?

 

Just about any Lamy fountain pen model, with the exception of the Lamy 2000, is compatible with a Lamy Z55 nib. Imporium, Scala, Studio, cp1, Accent, AL-Star, even Logo. 

[recluse]

46 minutes ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

Just about any Lamy fountain pen model, with the exception of the Lamy 2000, is compatible with a Lamy Z55 nib. Imporium, Scala, Studio, cp1, Accent, AL-Star, even Logo. 

 So, which of "Imporium, Scala, Studio, cp1, Accent, AL-Star, even Logo" is original? 

 

Or you mean that any Lamy made pen is better than Jinhao 80?

[A Smug Dill]

32 minutes ago, recluse said:

Or you mean that any Lamy made pen is better than Jinhao 80?

 

I mean, in terms of durability (and guaranteed compatibility), there are so many Lamy original pen models @socialmoth can choose from, if that quality is considered a priority. The Lamy Imporium, Scala, Studio, cp1, etc. all have metal bodies, for starters; and, given the goal is to fit a Lamy Z55 nib on a paper, it wouldn't make sense to assume that he/she specifically wants to distance himself/herself from using something of the brand.

 

If using something cheap onto which to fit a Lamy gold nib is somehow a primary aspect of the goal, then the third <US$5 Jinhao 80 pen (after two earlier ones have stopped being practically usable) is still going to give that cheap look and/or feel being sought.

[kpong11]

Just got mine. From my sample the brushed texture is made from the plastic mold, is it the same for all?

[recluse]

2 hours ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

I mean, in terms of durability (and guaranteed compatibility), there are so many Lamy original pen models @socialmoth can choose from, if that quality is considered a priority. The Lamy Imporium, Scala, Studio, cp1, etc. all have metal bodies, for starters; and, given the goal is to fit a Lamy Z55 nib on a paper, it wouldn't make sense to assume that he/she specifically wants to distance himself/herself from using something of the brand.

 

If using something cheap onto which to fit a Lamy gold nib is somehow a primary aspect of the goal, then the third <US$5 Jinhao 80 pen (after two earlier ones have stopped being practically usable) is still going to give that cheap look and/or feel being sought.

 

In terms of durability, it's possible. Mine shows no signs of deterioration but I have it only for two months, or I might be lucky. In any case, I use pens in rather mundane conditions, and a lot of my work is done by using pens and papers, so to me properties pertinent to writing itself, such as girth, uninterrupted grip section-barrel flow, balance, undisturbed grip section and so on, are of more importance. From this perspective, none of the Lamy pens that can take Z55 matches Jinhao 80. As simple as that. So, I can totally see why someone would want to buy Jinhao 80 as a suitable holder for a good nib. But I am a pragmatic and don't get excited by touching expensive things. 

[A Smug Dill]

21 hours ago, recluse said:

on mine (black clip) the clip is spring-loaded.

 

Actually, I suppose you're right (and I was wrong). Something inside the cap, at the root of the piece of plastic that makes the clip, will yield to allow the clip to make a small arc-shaped movement, so it could be spring-loaded.

 

On 6/6/2022 at 9:34 PM, J120 said:

I don't know how I feel about this. It looks great and probably writes great.  $8.98 on Ebay so it is value for money.

 

I only paid US$5.16 (i.e. US$4.99 + 10% tax - promo discount, ‘free’ shipping included) for mine, and I still think the pen is inferior to both the Kaco Edge^† in that kind of material and for which I paid US$6.96 last November, and any of the eight units of the all-black Jinhao 35 I ordered at the same time as the Jinhao 80 (but from a different seller) for US$1.28 each‡ on average.

 

On 7/16/2022 at 5:37 PM, A Smug Dill said:

So, I've now raised a dispute directly to bypass all that pointless 'negotiation', requesting a full refund

 

I got my refund requested approved by AliExpress, and received my refund through PayPal, in under 24 hours. Surprisingly, I also got a message from Lusfer Store apologising for the error, and asked me to keep the pen “as a gift”, about 40 minutes after AliExpress notified me of its decision and formally closing the dispute. While I don't think AliExpress actually gave the seller a choice in the matter, the “gesture” is still nice, so I guess I'm open to dealing at this seller in the future when looking for particular new models.

 

At this point, though, I don't think I'll bother ordering another unit of the Jinhao 80 (hopefully correctly) fitted with an E nib. With the “free” unit I got, I suppose I can ink it and then set it aside, to test the model's cap seal effectiveness; but I have serious doubts that it would outperform either the Kaco Edge or the Jinhao 35.

 

 

^† Specifically, the (blue and brown) variants that came fitted with gold-coloured F nibs. Those German-made Schmidt F nibs are so good! I didn't think much of the plain polished steel Schmidt EF nib on the black variant, however; it wrote so much broader than the gold-coloured F nib out-of-the-box. I ended up getting quite a few to give away.

‡ I thought the all-black Jinhao 35 was a bargain even for US$2.31, which was when I ordered my first one, and then added more shortly after I've received and tested it.

 

[HobbitLife]

Just got mine in the mail yesterday and it was about what I expected. Feels more like a cheaper, textured injection molded plastic than Makrolon (though I have zero scientific evidence ). The size seems nearly identical to my L2K, which is great bc the L2K is perfect for my hand. Like the L2K, posts wonderfully. Much lighter of course, without the stainless steel hooded section (and cheaper build in general). Can confirm the clip is metal (at least, it was noticeably hotter than the black plastic around it when I brought the package in from the summer heat) and seems spring loaded - in fact it lifts up further than the clip on my L2K. 
 

I ordered the 03 nib and it is VERY fine and very toothy. Has the same architect-ish tipping as the L2K EF but much finer with XXF vertical strokes and EF cross strokes. A little too fine and toothy for me - already did some smoothing to help. I will probably end up putting a Lamy nib on there (which does fit - I tried it). 
 

All in all seems like a great cheap workhorse for when you don’t want to put your Lamy 2000 on the front lines. 

[Karmachanic]

1 hour ago, HobbitLife said:

The size seems nearly identical to my L2K

 

Thanks!  Time to ink the J80. L2K's been on the list for a long time.  If I can off-load some pens at the London Oct show I may actually purchase one.  Does the L2K EF  show similar line variation?

[recluse]

9 minutes ago, Karmachanic said:

Does the L2K EF  show similar line variation?

 

All Lamy 2000 standard nibs (at least, EF through M, which I inspected and, at least, tried) have this characteristic "architect" grind. None of those that I tried showed substantial line variation between horizontal and vertical strokes. There are many images of writings by Lamy 2000. They seemingly support this observation.

[Optionsguy]

I have had a set of Jinhao 80 fiber black pens with both the silver and black clips, endcaps for almost three weeks. They are terrific pens that write well and seem damn near bullet proof. Lightweight, solid and dependable oh and inexpensive. Just fantastic. The same can be said for the Jinhao x159 although this cousin has a completely different look and feel. This company is on a roll!

[Helen350]

13 minutes ago, Optionsguy said:

I have had a set of Jinhao 80 fiber black pens with both the silver and black clips, endcaps for almost three weeks. They are terrific pens that write well and seem damn near bullet proof. Lightweight, solid and dependable oh and inexpensive. Just fantastic. The same can be said for the Jinhao x159 although this cousin has a completely different look and feel. This company is on a roll!

 

My two have been inked for 14 days, and my experience has been just like your experience

with the Jinhao 80.  This pen will make a nice gift to give someone just beginning the fountain

pen journey; along with a bottle of Sheaffer ink.  Jinhao has really kicked up its game over the

past 5-7 yrs.

[Mech-for-i]

On 7/25/2022 at 4:20 AM, recluse said:

 

All Lamy 2000 standard nibs (at least, EF through M, which I inspected and, at least, tried) have this characteristic "architect" grind. None of those that I tried showed substantial line variation between horizontal and vertical strokes. There are many images of writings by Lamy 2000. They seemingly support this observation.

 

Had the Y2K B and M , just similar here , no this Lamy is not quite for artistic expression in penmanship 

 

My 80(s) here for a while with the 0.3 nib , just straight writing with no fuss 

 

It's not just Jinhao , many newer and current  Chinese fountain pen models are showing this level of ready and readiness more often OOB , it's just progression on display

 

 

[Optionsguy]

This is a wonderful pen! Light, solid feel, just wet enought and resilient -- all for well under $10. It even looks good! This is in my daily writer rotation along with the x159. This is an impressive value that is well worth checking out! Sorry for the duplicate post.

[ExcaliburZ]

Hi, I got mine Sunday, it writes well, feels nice in the hand. It would make a nice starter fountain pen for professionals (office). Also may be a good way to start people who are thinking of get a 2k, form factor wise.

 

As for is it Makrolon, the sellers on Taobao is ABS plastic. And it feels different from my 2Ks when I hold them.

[Karmachanic]

What's our favorite nib removal technique?

[day]

35 minutes ago, Karmachanic said:

What's our favorite nib removal technique?

Just now I succeeded to remove the nib - after a lot of failed attempts (and sore fingers) to remove the nib by hand, I resorted to a help of very unconventional tools and used a small screwdriver to push the nib: there is a small gap between the base of the nib and the base of the section, so I used the screwdriver as a lever (using the edge of the section as a fulcram) to push the nib. This moved the nib enough up the feed to create a more convenient holding points, after which I succeed to pull it out completely by hand (which was still very hard). I cannot remove the feed itself.

 

This method did damage the section a bit (the part which holds the cap in place - where it flares up at the very end of the section and which I used as a fulcram), but it is quite small, and hard to see during a casual inspection. Not a big deal for a pen which costs less than 4$ (including shipping).

 

I don't think that I am going to try Lamy nibs on it though - just clean up the pen, put the nib back and leave it there. This pen was definitely not made with an easy nib replacement in mind.

[Karmachanic]

Uhh.  Thank you.  Apologies for being dense, but I find your explanaition hard to follow.  The base of the nib is inside the section on top of the feed.  The base of the section abuts the barrel. The ring on the barrel holds the cap in place. The only gap I see is in the underside of the feed.

Anyway.  Looks like I'll have to accept it the way it is.  I was hoping to open the tines a tad for a wetter line.

[HobbitLife]

5 hours ago, day said:

I used the screwdriver as a lever

I did the same thing with mine except with the back of a knife blade, which at least got the nib dislodged and moving a tad, then pulled it the rest of the way off with a rubber grip strip like I would on a Lamy Safari. 
 

I put a Lamy Aion nib on there afterward and am happy with it. 

[HobbitLife]

3 hours ago, Karmachanic said:

The base of the nib is inside the section

At least on mine, the nib does not extend all the way to the section (just as my Safari’s nib doesn't touch the section- there is about a 1mm gap). Even when it is fully pushed in and seated on the feed there is a small gap where the nib ends and the feed continues into the section.