Majohn C4

[J120]

This showed up Ebay but is not listed in the Taobao flagship store. $27.73

 

Not a fan of the gold. 

[Licue]

Hm, the short clip looks kinda funny - not sure if I like it or not.

 

What I'm not a fan of is the combination of gold clip/ring with silver nib. They also did that with the C3 (only the other way around). 😒

 

Also somewhat confused by how to fill it? Eyedropper? That "mechanism" that can be seen - is it only some sort of shut-off valve?

[ChrisN]

2 hours ago, Licue said:

Also somewhat confused by how to fill it? Eyedropper? That "mechanism" that can be seen - is it only some sort of shut-off valve?

Looks like what is often referred to as a "Japanese eyedropper" - an eyedropper with a shut off valve. Namiki and Opus88 are two brands that make this style.

 

I'm not sold on the short clip, though. Unless it's a normal clip and the pen is huge... 🤔😁

[socialmoth]

6 hours ago, Licue said:

Hm, the short clip looks kinda funny - not sure if I like it or not.

 

What I'm not a fan of is the combination of gold clip/ring with silver nib. They also did that with the C3 (only the other way around). 😒

 

Also somewhat confused by how to fill it? Eyedropper? That "mechanism" that can be seen - is it only some sort of shut-off valve?

It's an eyedropper. Look at Opus' products or some vintage Japanese eyedroppers and you'll be fine.

Personally, I think it looks promising-- especially given the price.

 

3 hours ago, ChrisN said:

Looks like what is often referred to as a "Japanese eyedropper" - an eyedropper with a shut off valve. Namiki and Opus88 are two brands that make this style.

 

I'm not sold on the short clip, though. Unless it's a normal clip and the pen is huge... 🤔😁

 

Kinda reminiscent of Sheaffer's military clips, I think. That said: A clipless version would be perfect.

 

Shame about the Majohn branding though. Call me biased, but: Legal reasons notwithstanding, I really preferred the Moonman name.

 

[Licue]

11 hours ago, socialmoth said:

Shame about the Majohn branding though. Call me biased, but: Legal reasons notwithstanding, I really preferred the Moonman name.

 

Very much agreed 😫

[A Smug Dill]

11 hours ago, socialmoth said:

Shame about the Majohn branding though. Call me biased, but: Legal reasons notwithstanding, I really preferred the Moonman name.

 

I also (slightly) prefer the Moonman branding to Majohn, but I think the latter also serves to remind me, fellow hobbyists, and the fountain pen industry at large of the big fat F-you that the manufacturer dealt Kaweco in response to the legal/trademark shennanigans; that in itself is an artefact of the industry's history in the past decade. That makes me appreciate the Majohn name a bit more than the sheer ‘aesthetic’ aspects of it.

 

[VillersCotterets]

22 hours ago, ChrisN said:

I'm not sold on the short clip, though.

From a functional point of view, it may be intended as a roll-stop rather than a true clip. I don't mind that. With a little edge refinement, this three-dimensional evocation of the brand's new logo has potential. However, I would have preferred more consistency in the choice of metal plating: either all chrome hardware or all gold, but not a disparate mix of the two.

I am pleased to see that there is now a variety of nibs and filling systems that were not available in Chinese products until recently. This kind of willingness was only seen in exceptional Western and Japanese brands, but at exorbitant prices. PenBBS has been emulated throughout the industry and this is to the advantage of us, the consumers.

I agree with you, the name Moonman was nicer than Majohn, a term that search engines annoyingly insist on correcting to Mah-jong, the game with Chinese tiles. Some of the company's decisions seem to be made without considering their implications, especially with regard to online marketing. I can (almost) understand the trademark dodge, but not this level of incompetence in understanding how online sales work, especially internationally where they felt this lateral move was necessary. I think they could very well have overturned in court the roadblocks they were encountering, but that's a discussion that's no longer relevant; their decision is already made and effective.

[J120]

[OCArt]

On 9/30/2022 at 5:44 AM, VillersCotterets said:

...[snipped] I am pleased to see that there is now a variety of nibs and filling systems that were not available in Chinese products until recently. ...[snipped]

Yes, some of the pens now available from China are a *huge* leap forward from the one dollar specials of a few years ago. PenBBS, Wing Sung and others have some truly nice pens.  It's been interesting to see the emergence of piston fillers recently. 

[lascosas]

Mine arrived yesterday.  No real complaints.

 

The shut-off valve works very well.  Because everything besides the nib unit and hardware are crystal clear, you can easily see that when the shut-off valve is closed, the ink is kept out of a small chamber next to the nib unit.  Open the valve and watch the ink fill up again. 

 

I own many Opus 88s and was hoping that this would be an inexpensive alternative.  It is, and I would call this pen an Opus 88 rip-off.  Different shape, but the same basic look and shut-off valve.  The quality of the materials is good, as is typical of this company.  My main complaint, though not a surprise, is the nib unit.  It is a boring #6 steel nib.  Very generic, though  it has the Moonman China on it.   Yes, Moonman.  The cap band says Majohn.   I was hoping to swap in a broader nib to take advantage of the huge ink capacity, but I generally have no luck removing the nibs in these units, and this was yet another example of that.  Mine came with a fine nib and after writing for a couple of hours straight I can't even see a reduction in the ink level.  Since this copies the Opus 88 I was hoping I couple swap-in an Opus 88 #6 nib unit.  Opus generally uses Jowo nib units, and any Opus that takes a Jowo #6 unit can also take a Pilot Parralel nib unit.  Alas, it didn't fit.  BUT...three Opus 88 models use a Bock #6 nib unit, and that fits in the C4.  The Bock is slightly longer than the Moonman, so it sticks out a tiny amount, but it works.  To me the main problems with the Bock units are 1) they are expensive, $30, and 2) the stub is 2.3, which I find too broad.  The Jowo's are 1.4 & 1.5.

 

And the clip looks every bit as stupid in person as in the photos.  And while you can see the threads where the clip is attached, the clip is sealed under plastic.  No removing it.

[socialmoth]

16 hours ago, lascosas said:

It is, and I would call this pen an Opus 88 rip-off.  Different shape, but the same basic look and shut-off valve.

I'd be pretty hard-pressed to call it a ripoff by those factors alone, especially considering demonstrator cigars are nothing new and that Japan's been using that kind of eyedropper system for decades.

[A Smug Dill]

17 hours ago, lascosas said:

I was hoping to swap in a broader nib to take advantage of the huge ink capacity, but I generally have no luck removing the nibs in these units, and this was yet another example of that.

 

Aren't the nib and feed just friction-fit in some sort of housing, irrespective of whether there is a distinct demarcation between collar and the wall of the gripping section (with or without glue between them)? The Majohn T5 piston-filler has no separate collar that I can see, and the gripping section wall itself is the housing; but I had no problem pulling the Moonman nib (and feed) out cleanly, and replacing them with Nemosine Stub and Kaigelu ‘long knife’ NMF nibs in two of my T5 pens.

[lascosas]

Yes, friction fit, so it shouldn't be that hard.  But I have no luck.  Part of the problem is that the plastic on the nib unit that unscrews from the pen is easy to crack.

[A Smug Dill]

5 minutes ago, lascosas said:

Part of the problem is that the plastic on the nib unit that unscrews from the pen is easy to crack.

 

So my suggestion is don't even try to unscrew the nib collar. Soak the gripping section in warm (~40°C) water for half an hour or so, then pull the Moonman nib and feed straight out ‘once and for all’ from the collar that is still inside the gripping section. Replace the nib (with the original Majohn/Moonman feed) with whichever broader nib — as in the piece of bare metal — that you deem more suited to the larger ink capacity of the pen, and call it good and be done with it; that's at the heart of replacing the nib on the Majohn C4, no?

 

Not aiming for flexibility to reuse the Bock or JoWo nib (however much it costs) in other pens, but simply make this pen better at the cost of a dedicated replacement nib, since you're unsatisfied by the one with which the pen is factory-fitted.

 

[lascosas]

Thank you very much.  It worked!  The pen now has a FPR Architect nib.

[langere]

If this is a piston filler, why does it have an eyedropper enclosed?  I am a bit confused.

 

Erick

[lascosas]

It is a shut-off valve, not a piston.

[Mech-for-i]

I fail to appreciate the mechanical engineering of Japanese eye dropper , I mean yeah a stop valve provided but now instead of a single point of concern regarding sealing ( only ) we had now multiple area that need to be sealed and yet allow them free movement

 

Just not my cup of tea  

[A Smug Dill]

1 hour ago, Mech-for-i said:

I mean yeah a stop valve provided but now instead of a single point of concern regarding sealing ( only ) we had now multiple area that need to be sealed and yet allow them free movement

 

I'm not sure I follow the ‘concern’. The ink reservoir, which the user needs to have some access in order to (re)fill its cavity directly with an eyedropper or some such tool from time to time, must be easily and securely resealable to prevent ink from leaking. The ‘Japanese eyedropper’ has more parts and, I suppose you could argue, more points of potential failure, but a properly maintained and functioning pen of that design does not increase the burden on the user when it comes to sealing the ink reservoir to prevent leaking.

 

The other two main concerns would be: 1. whether there are any components of the fountain pen that would prone to corrosion or failure from extended exposure to ink, but it is not a given that the shutoff plug or its driver rod in a properly engineered ‘Japanese eyedropper’ would increase the risk of that happening; and 2. the likelihood of unintended ‘burping’ of ink through the nib and feed due to air pressure equalisation at an inopportune moment. The shutoff mechanism allows the user to control exactly when air pressure equalisation between the interior of the ink reservoir and the external environment is allowed to occur; but, in order to have that control, there must be one more ‘area’ or thing of which the pen user must be mindful. It's either that, or electing not to have control over timing of air pressure equalisation, by either going with a simple ink reservoir design or leaving the shutoff mechanism always sufficiently open to let ink and air through.

 

[Licue]

On 10/15/2022 at 7:19 AM, Mech-for-i said:

I fail to appreciate the mechanical engineering of Japanese eye dropper , I mean yeah a stop valve provided but now instead of a single point of concern regarding sealing ( only ) we had now multiple area that need to be sealed and yet allow them free movement

 

Just not my cup of tea  

What I (probably) would not like about this pen/this type of pens, is the gap at the end when you open the valve for writing.