Despite the fact that you CAN post a Montblanc 146, I was recently in a Montblanc boutique and was told by one of their staff that the 146 is NOT meant to be posted. So I guess Majohn took that to heart and said “Well if you aren’t supposed to post the Montblanc, we will take ours one step further and actually make it unpostable.”
The newer P136 does post. However, there are, apparently, a lot of the older ones still in the pipeline. About a month ago, I bought two from Amazon. The green one posts and the gray one doesn’t. Another acquaintance got a burgundy one yesterday and it does post.
What I heard is that they changed the material a little bit. Harder plastic makes less friction, thus made it unpostable. But you know, harder plastic feels better.
I went to order this and it's a charm. It feels good on the hand, the size of the barrel is very comfortable, the price is affordable. I got nothing to complain. Thank you for the recommendation.
I, too, like the posted pen. Here's my hack: An o-ring. I put it on the barrel, on the knob of the piston so that the cap can just go over it. I then post the pen. The o-ring slides or rolls deeper, just onto the barrel and off of the knob, as the cap snugs up, so it won't twist the knob and make an inky mess. The cap is then wedged onto the barrel enough so that it won't fly off or fall off. It takes a little finesse, but I've developed the knack. When I'm done writing and want to cap the pen, I stick the o-ring onto the clip. I pull it up to the top and pull it around the finial so that the o-ring is around the cap, waiting under the clip near its hinge. Try it and see if it works for you. It seems to work for me, so far. I'll tell Doug Rathbun about this, too, by email before his Saturday review of the P136 and see if he has a take on it.
As a fellow engineer (and automotive one on top of that), I really appreciate your thoroughness. Love this pen, frankly, I was blown aways by the quality when I bought it a month ago. Mine is sadly the non-posting ones but is long enough to not matter that much. It is almost too good to be just a knock-about pen! I experiment with iron gall ink in it and performed fantastically so far.
My P136, also green, arrived two days ago - I agree with you, it's a lovely pen! I haven't yet ordered the (dis)assembly wrench, but am heading out of town soon anyway - so I might order one when I get back. Thanks for the review!
It's always enjoyable to watch and listen to your analysis of fountain pens. Your incisive descriptions throughout the video are both informative and unique in the fountain video sphere. 😁👍
For me this is just how I naturally look at everything, so doesn't feel unique. I always wonder how something was made, how it was built, the design & manufacturing challenges along the way, etc. I try to put the story together. Sort of like when a geologists looks at a mountain wondering "what took place over time to make the mountain before their eyes?"
Revisiting this review I have several of these. As another commenter said, some of the more recent ones do post. The older ones I have I used washi tape on the barrel so I can post them. I have also put a jowo nib in two of mine (I wanted a bold nib) and they are fantastic pens for the price. These have become my go to travel pen as they are reliable, comfortable and hold a reasonable amount of ink. I would also like to see the larger body style, maybe with a Moonman no 8 nib. Wouldn't that be delightful! Thanks for all you do!
@@mrcharon6197 they are supposed to get more in stock towards the end of July. Check later on and hopefully you can snag one before they sell out again
Out of curiosity, I bought two of these pens: one in gray and the other in blue. I kind of wanted the black and/or the red but supplies were scarce. Oh well. Both look good and feel solid and they seem well made, although both had nibs that required considerable fussing to make them write properly. Tines out of alignment, scratchy...you know what I mean. Still, they are nice pens and I am reasonably satisfied with them. Thanks for the excellent video! Edit: Since I originally wrote this comment, I bought Majohn replacement nib units in Medium and 1.1mm Stub to replace the original nibs and they are excellent. I've purchased the red and black pens with Medium nibs and they write very well, too. Altogether, the P136 is an outstanding pen and I highly recommend it.
Since I do not have really large hands. I could barely palm a basketball, and I lost control anytime (at 5’11’’ tall) I tried to get up high enough to dunk a basketball. So, I always write with a fountain pen unposted. Of course, in the infancy days of fountain pens, the teaching materials (on how to write with a fountain pen) taught, if right-handed) to write with the pen correctly held and the cap held in the left hand. Simply by accident, that is what I usually do. Hence, even though I have a 1992 model of the Montblanc 149, I would prefer writing with this pen, because I worry a lot less about dropping it or (worse) leaving it on my desk for someone to “borrow.” :)
I think it's safe to say that the x159 initial "interest check" was a huge success. Doing my part by buying 2 (more) of the updated model. x159 v2 is a couple bucks more than the original (after prices settled), I wouldn't be surprised in Jinhao continues to premium-ize and increase the cost. Narwhal probably has an interesting relationship with their OEM to say the least, haha.
thanks for the video. I was thinking about buying one, but when you showed it wouldn't post....that's a deal breaker for me. Thanks for saving me some money!
Just bought the Majohn P136 in green (Sept 2024) and find that the cap posts perfectly. Perhaps they have updated the design? I also have a Montblanc 146 and believe it or not but the caps of both pens are interchangeable. Both pens weigh exactly the same and I also can't detect any noticeable difference in the quality of the 'plastic' construction of both pens. The most striking difference between them is the missing snowcap on the Majohn, but I suppose that copying that would be taking 'homage' to a whole new level! Given that the price of the Montblanc is 30 times that of the Majohn and that the Majohn is a lovely writer, it is astonishingly good value.
Fantastic review. I appreciate your attention to detail. I have them on order as well - two grey, with some nibs, the tool and nib collars. Looking forward to trying them out.
Excellent review. May buy one--but the microscope will come first. You are putting yours to good use for detailed inspections. I must follow suit. Cheers from the Great Southern Land.
Just received a Majohn/Moonman P136, which I ordered immediately after seeing your wonderful review. This one doesn't post either, but I like it anyway since I only post once in a while. Mostly not, but I forgot in the time it took to travel half-way across the planet. So what did I do? Immediately tried to post it. Ghaaa! Anyway, I think they designed it this way to protect it from drying out while capped. I'm not put off. It's still a great pen. Thanks for the analysis. We'll done. I have a number of fountain pens that you have given favorable responses, so I'll be watching further episodes. Can't have too many fountain pens after all! I'll try not to lose this one.
Your review has inspired me. I love that you love this pen. I ordered one about 2 weeks ago from a Chinese Seller on eBay when the price was about 20% better. A couple of days ago I got message from the seller that the pen had been lost in the shipping warehouse and that they were sorry. Weirdly, they seem to have them listed on eBay at a much higher price now, hmmmmmm, but I digress. I was actually kind of relieved when the order was cancelled because I couldn't shake the feeling that the #6 nib may look a little puny on such a big pen. That has been my gripe with the JinHao 159 and it's what I though the x159 really did right. The #8 nib looks so good on that big pen. I would have loved to have seen an uncapped side by side with the P136 and the x159. Regardless, based on this review I have reordered the P136 and I look forward to seeing how it holds up. Thanks again for such a great, in depth review.
@@Doodlebud Oooooh, I made assumptions that I shouldn't have. I had just seen this pen compared to the x159 in a few different places and guessed they were similar in dimension. Thanks, now I'm feeling even better about the P136.
I recently bought the Majohn T1- and it's better than my Vac 700r. It doesn't come with a wrench or silicone grease, but it turns out that surgical latex tubing works really excellently for taking the mechanism off. So you could try that.
TWSBI pens are some of the worst pens ever made. I'd rather buy a Chinese pen and day because at least they don't crack and actually write. Also TWSBI feeds break so easily. TWSBI pens also cost 5 times the price.
I don't post my pens, so it would have no effect on me - yet I still find it disturbing. Nice to see a good writing experience straight out of the box - my Hongdian N7 required several days of intense tinkering (& more than a touch of violence) to get it working nicely. Some interesting replacement nibs for the P136 available too - including a 1.1mm stub.
Interesting on the N-7. My "grey rabbit" is about as good a pen as I've ever bought from the 'it just worked' standpoint. No fiddling at all. I louped the nib and it looks as it should. (And the N7 posts like a dream. heh.)
Just love Diamine Sherwood Green!!! Would like a medium nib in the P136. As a matter of course, when you pay more you get more. Yet, those of us who do not have deep pockets for every pen we purchase, need to have pens in keeping with our budgets! I hope Majohn hears your comment about posting. Even with a smaller hand, I would like for it to post deeply.
Yeah this pen is built VERY well. Many just can't be dropping $300, $400, $500+ on a pen. But $50 and get something pretty nice in return.... This one is SO close to really good. So far the A1 still takes the cake for me
@@Doodlebud: Thoroughly agree. Own (4) of them. Put in a Pilot broad nib unit in my matte black one. Also have the orange/blue/green A1. The blue is lovely, and the green reminds me of Diamine Sherwood Green.
So, if you were to choose, judging from the pleasure of writing and the ink feed, which one of the two would you choose: the Jinhao x159 or Mahjon P136?
All depends, very different sizes. I only got my X159 for the nib. I think the pen it's self is Meh 😕. This P136 is built very well & far superior. But the no posting just makes it a bit too small for my hand
Non-posting 😔 What I've done with those kind of pens is to put a bit of Scotch tape on the inside of the cap to give the barrel something to grip onto. Sometimes it works. Thanks for another great video! Oh and re: determining the amount of ink in the pen--did you assume that the specific gravity of the ink was the same as water's? 😉
Lol,, yeah the density of the two will be very close. Probably too close for my scale to measure the difference. I do have a 10mL graduated cylinder. Could always do a test real quick I guess. The tape thing can work for sure, but for me it's a total face palm when stuff like this gets missed. So easy to think of and get taken care of in the initial design stage
@@Doodlebud Yeah, I read somewhere that the SG of fountain pen ink was 1.002-1.1035 g/cc at 25'C, so verrry close to 1 😆 Your videos aren't good for my wallet--not only did I buy myself a Majohn P136 but I also bought the same digital scale as yours 😊 As for the non-posting of the pen--omg how did they miss that detail?? I really hope they're watching your videos.
Let me add my harp to the chorus that this pen should post. Majohn, I know you can do it. I love seeing increasing quality by some Chinese manufacturers.
Hi Doodle Bud great video as always. Went into the Mont Blanc store in London’s New Bond Street to test the 149 Calligraphy nib during a COVID respite early on in the pandemic. And the shop assistant wouldn’t let me post the cap as she feared that it would damage the pen. After speaking to an expert nibmeister who advised that I shouldn’t post the cap on the back of the pen particularly a piston filler as this places strain on the piston. I’ve weaned myself off doing it. I prefer a posted pen but won’t do it anymore. At one time I’d have been pretty tee’d off with a cap that didn’t post. The pen looks good and unlike the Mahjohn I very briefly had, the nib is smooth. Thanks again for a great video D
I imagine they didn't want you posting a $1000 pen since there is a potential for scratches or the cap accidentally falling off. For vintage pens I avoid tight posting pens. But for modern pens, if it will break or crack from posting the cap, it's a poor design/build. Done properly, it won't put much stress on parts.
@@Doodlebud That’s ridiculous, pen caps don’t touch the piston knob when posted. I’ve had a 146 for years and posting marks only appear lower on the body, not on the piston mechanism knob itself.
one of the things to look for in the case of secure posting, especially in injection molded plastic pen caps, is that they have highly polished teeth/raised surfaces inside that helps secure it precisely on center, but those teeth are also a puzzle to do injection mold of, so unless you have excellent material and techniques that won't churn out fragile plastic fresh from factory, those teeth are going to create stress/unintended deformities as its pushed/pulled out of the metal mold/die since it is an interlocking shape, can't be either too hot or too cold. I've yet to see the posting teeth duplicated on cheap chinese pens, if even a platinum preppy can have it, is it that difficult? yes you can design postable pen without those teeth, still, there is no way to easily put in posting feature, even copy of, without having several iterations in production, so posting feature is likely considerable $$$ to save
Injection molding is harder than people realize. One reason why Lego gets to charge premium, and others don't. For decades the Lego knockoffs were complete crap. Today some can be serviceable, but the precision of the real Lego bricks makes them easy to tell apart. Seems simple right, but injection molding billions of bricks to be perfectly interchangeable over decades is harder then it seems. Cap that posts well is easier in comparison, but still harder than one that doesn't. Some solve it with the teeth, some with the inner cap liner, and some with the shape, but having non-postable cap in this kind of pen, and at this price is inexcusable. Especially as Jinhao managed a postable pen with the X159.
There's several ways to do it if they're aren't up to skill on the injection molding. But from the quality of all the other parts, especially the threads, I think they're capable. Tons of pens have cap liners that are softer & more flexible, or even just the correct taper on the parts. So lots of ways to get it incorporated into the design. You can see everything fitting together in SolidWorks (or whatever CAD they are using) to ensure proper fitment & clearances. If Gravitas can make their all metal pens some of the best posting pens I have, this should be a no brainer on this pen. I think it's just an oversight in design and/or QC, and not so much a manufacturing limitation. If someone at the get go said "hey it doesn't post, this needs to post" they could do it no prob
@@Doodlebud Seems like quite an oversight for a pen manufacturer that has been around longer than a minute. Also they make pens that do post just fine, so this is quite an oversight.
@@Doodlebud yeah, very surprising fact because the 144/145/149 all seem to do well. My expectation was also for 146 to post well given the shape but guess never know before trying......
Great review. I've also found that Majohn quality is up there. For a lower price pen it is great. I have a couple of the Vanishing point ones and the quality is also there. I guess this will be my next pen. BTW what ink do you use in your introduction.
Excellent review. I ordered my P136 a couple of weeks ago and included the wrench for $4, not $20. I thought it was going to compare to the 149. The pictures were somewhat misleading. In any case I want to do my own comparison with the X159. I do wish it had a #8 nib but if the nib writes well like yours, I will be happy with the pen. I think I asked this before, but do you have the Wing Sung 629? I think the quality of the pen is so good that one may not want to buy the 146. It would be great to compare the two.
I was very very surprised with the WS 629 too. It got "Meh" reviews in our little UA-cam circuits, but I feel very undeservedly so. It instantly became my favorite Chinese pen ever after I wrote with the WS 629 for a few days. You write, and you forget it's in your hand, that's a beautiful pen experience. Three pages ink later, and you wake up from the timeless reverie with appreciation for that large, well designed pen and surprisingly quality nib. There's a WingSung 628 too btw, which is of a very similar quality and look, but shorter and slimmer, plus is catridge converter and takes Sailor catridges/converters. For my bigger hands the 629 was perfection.
@@idimiditavicorpzone5954 Here is a little talked about fact of the Montblanc precious resin. It is not black but a very deep red. The 629 is the same. If you put a bright light behind the pen, it "glows" red.
I feel like both the montblanc homages (p136 and x159) have been so close to being great pens, but fall short at the last moment. Hopefully these small issues will get resolved in time.
What is different in the cap that causes the non post situation I can’t figure it out I have one of each color and 2 more on way! Have you had any luck figuring the difference between the 146 and this I need a pinpoint led light for observing the difference in cap interiors By the way thanks for your videos!!
Thats a tricky comparison as they are very different pens. Since the P136 doesn't post it just doesn't fit in my hand very well and unfortunately I just don't use it. I have a video of the Gravitas Entry so maybe check that out: ua-cam.com/video/RNg3HfboD3g/v-deo.html
What a fun review -- 19 minutes of amusement. Thanks! Still, I think that pen would be a decent purchase at @US$25 and including a wrench. On the other hand, I think a Pelikan M800/805 (I dearly would like one) is worth paying maybe as much as @US$250 rather than +US$500 if purchased from a retailer in the United States.
@@user-br3sl9go3b Ah, I see. Good deal - and on the off chance that you DO stumble on a blue & black M805 in good shape for $250, holler at me! I miss mine!
I like that it’s a piston filler, I don’t like extra for a piston wrench( have so many from TWSBI and Jinhao) and doesn’t POST. That for me is a dealbreaker.
This review saved me…I was gonna buy one of these, but I have gigantic meat mittens, so I would need this pen to post! Thanks for the review DB. Keep fiddling with your pen is…all I can say!😂
You got a Pilot Vanishing Point, nice! What nib size did you get and how do you like it? I have one in Matte Black with a fine nib and I almost exclusively use Platinum Carbon Black in it. It’s one of my favs. As for that Majohn, I’m gonna pass on that one, thank you for your review!
I was very excited to get this pen and got mine today too! Was sad to see it couldn't post. I was confused and checked mine as well (thought for a second maybe I got a defect or something). It is nice so far, other than that it cannot post, haha. Perhaps they can make some changes and and allow it to be able to post. My husband was excited to order this pen, until he saw the issue with the posting, haha.
@@Doodlebud yeah that's the same problem my husband has, he has pretty large hands so he likes to have pens that can post. I like posting too, but my hands are small enough to where the pen fits fine in my hands, but I still wish I could post it
But is it equal (or nearly enough) to the MB 146? Very nice review, as always! I’ve ordered one of these, with the wrench ($11 US now). I want to see first hand how it compares to my 146 LeGrand and will be devastated/elated if it’s close. Also want to see if the wrench will work on my 146. Thank you DB for all the cool things you do!
Its just me or the density of the ink shuldnt be the same as the density of the water,so diferent from 1 , so measuring the weight should not be th same as measuring the volume of ink inside , but maybe because the fountain pen inks are based on water the density is really close to 1 one , i dont know can someone clear me on that???
It will be close enough to the same for what we're trying to achieve here. My scale isn't sensitive enough to detect the change in mass from 1ml of H20 vs 1ml of ink
Greetings from Australia. Good video which reinforced that I will not buy this pen. Too short and it doesn't post. I can buy 4 new X159s in the new colours with gold fittings for that price. BTW I too never flush out new pens. I don't have the patience. Thanks for the video.
2:15 - gigidy... jam it harder maybe!? :D. Damn, that thing looks smaller than what is pictured... so glad I hold off on buying it. I would have been annoyed lol.
As they say; "a dollar short and a -day- week late" . I just ordered this pen along with the wrench on the 24th and if I had seen this first, I would not have! No posting ... ugh! Most of my pens are "oversize" and don't need to be posted. But, pens this size, I typically post!
Lovely pen. Not least the very nice green color. And a piston-filler, to boot. The fit and finish and the material as you describe it all look and sound great to me. The nib and trims look very nice. On first sight, the pen looks so much like a Sailor 1911S. I just can’t stand posting pens at all. So, not being post-able is always quite irrelevant to me anyway. And, best of all, it seems to write quite wonderfully. The price is very fair. I’d buy it right now if I hadn’t resolved to stop buying new pens for at least the rest of this year. I think I like this pen better than the Jinhao X159. I reckon I should have bought this pen instead.
The expensive wrench thing is really annoying. Been trying to find some kind of adjustable generic "toothy wrench" alternative, but so far not sure what the right search term for that would be....
They should send you their initial iteration of a new pen to get critiqued before they release it. All of these things would have been caught before its public
Ahhh, I've never owner a PenBBS before so thx for the info. I find just normal flushing the pen gets it cleaned out good enough. With this one I figure if you need a special tool that's not included to removed the bits, I probably don't need to remove the bits. That is most likely Montblancs philosophy with their pens. My 149 has operated perfectly since I've owned it and have no need to disassemble it. WingSung copied that feature in their "design" 🙄 but not sure if it's translated into "design philosophy." If you deliver a pen that's not designed to be serviced easily you either don't care about long term user experience, or you feel VERY confident that you've delivered a pen that will deliver an excellent long term experience.
It's too bad that it doesn't post! It would greatly bother me, especially with how it looks like it SHOULD be able to. Otherwise, it looks like a nice pen.
@@Doodlebud yeah. That’s why I bought it. That being said there are different versions of 146. Old and new not the same and there are slight differences.
I don't understand pen manufacturers making any pen unpostable. It seems lazy, like the R&D team said "Oh just let the cap roll around on the table and get in the way of writing." 🙁
Did you mis-speak yourself about the length of the pen capped? You said 164.5 mm capped, and 161 mm "posted." My Montblanc 146 is about 142 mm capped. Anyway, I couldn't see from the look inside the cap why it doesn't post, maybe the trim ring being off-center had something to do with it? Or the inner cap? That's an area of pen design (one of many) about which I am ignorant, but I think you must be right that they chose to make it that way, and could have done it differently. It's enough to turn me off of it.
That would be annoying to have a pen that has can obviously can post but just doesn’t have the fitting to do stay. There must be a hack to make it post
Looks like they've used the tooling for the knock offs, changed the cap band and removed the star & nib.....IMO too close to a 146 and screams IP theft.
@@Doodlebud I noticed that in the video you were kind of slamming it when you tried to post it. I put the cap on the barrel gently and then twist it into place and it stays posted.
In USA on Etsy, eBay, or Ali, about $10, some come with tool. My MB 149 also posts for shyte. This pen ain't worth $40 IMHO. Chinese metals and plastics aren't very good.
Mr Bud, are you sure the capped length is 164.5? My MB 149 is only 145 capped. Not that I'm insecure about length, just curious.
Ahhh good catch, that was my dyslexia kicking in. Its 146.5 not 164.5 LOL
Though that might be it, I get a bit of that too again and now . . .
Despite the fact that you CAN post a Montblanc 146, I was recently in a Montblanc boutique and was told by one of their staff that the 146 is NOT meant to be posted. So I guess Majohn took that to heart and said “Well if you aren’t supposed to post the Montblanc, we will take ours one step further and actually make it unpostable.”
The newer P136 does post. However, there are, apparently, a lot of the older ones still in the pipeline. About a month ago, I bought two from Amazon. The green one posts and the gray one doesn’t. Another acquaintance got a burgundy one yesterday and it does post.
What I heard is that they changed the material a little bit. Harder plastic makes less friction, thus made it unpostable. But you know, harder plastic feels better.
I went to order this and it's a charm. It feels good on the hand, the size of the barrel is very comfortable, the price is affordable. I got nothing to complain. Thank you for the recommendation.
Glad it worked out for you
I, too, like the posted pen.
Here's my hack: An o-ring. I put it on the barrel, on the knob of the piston so that the cap can just go over it. I then post the pen. The o-ring slides or rolls deeper, just onto the barrel and off of the knob, as the cap snugs up, so it won't twist the knob and make an inky mess. The cap is then wedged onto the barrel enough so that it won't fly off or fall off. It takes a little finesse, but I've developed the knack.
When I'm done writing and want to cap the pen, I stick the o-ring onto the clip. I pull it up to the top and pull it around the finial so that the o-ring is around the cap, waiting under the clip near its hinge.
Try it and see if it works for you. It seems to work for me, so far.
I'll tell Doug Rathbun about this, too, by email before his Saturday review of the P136 and see if he has a take on it.
As a fellow engineer (and automotive one on top of that), I really appreciate your thoroughness. Love this pen, frankly, I was blown aways by the quality when I bought it a month ago. Mine is sadly the non-posting ones but is long enough to not matter that much. It is almost too good to be just a knock-about pen! I experiment with iron gall ink in it and performed fantastically so far.
Another excellent review. You Canadians are the best reviewers
LOL Canadian charm I guess
My P136, also green, arrived two days ago - I agree with you, it's a lovely pen! I haven't yet ordered the (dis)assembly wrench, but am heading out of town soon anyway - so I might order one when I get back. Thanks for the review!
Great video. Very professional too.
It's always enjoyable to watch and listen to your analysis of fountain pens. Your incisive descriptions throughout the video are both informative and unique in the fountain video sphere. 😁👍
For me this is just how I naturally look at everything, so doesn't feel unique. I always wonder how something was made, how it was built, the design & manufacturing challenges along the way, etc. I try to put the story together. Sort of like when a geologists looks at a mountain wondering "what took place over time to make the mountain before their eyes?"
Me, too.
Revisiting this review I have several of these. As another commenter said, some of the more recent ones do post. The older ones I have I used washi tape on the barrel so I can post them. I have also put a jowo nib in two of mine (I wanted a bold nib) and they are fantastic pens for the price. These have become my go to travel pen as they are reliable, comfortable and hold a reasonable amount of ink. I would also like to see the larger body style, maybe with a Moonman no 8 nib. Wouldn't that be delightful! Thanks for all you do!
@@mrcharon6197 Majohn #8 nib available in this pen
ua-cam.com/video/3EC2Z06n87I/v-deo.html
@@Doodlebud I've been looking for this with a number 8 they are all out of stock, only the 6s avail :( Thanks for the link though!!!
@@mrcharon6197 they are supposed to get more in stock towards the end of July. Check later on and hopefully you can snag one before they sell out again
Out of curiosity, I bought two of these pens: one in gray and the other in blue. I kind of wanted the black and/or the red but supplies were scarce. Oh well. Both look good and feel solid and they seem well made, although both had nibs that required considerable fussing to make them write properly. Tines out of alignment, scratchy...you know what I mean. Still, they are nice pens and I am reasonably satisfied with them. Thanks for the excellent video!
Edit: Since I originally wrote this comment, I bought Majohn replacement nib units in Medium and 1.1mm Stub to replace the original nibs and they are excellent. I've purchased the red and black pens with Medium nibs and they write very well, too. Altogether, the P136 is an outstanding pen and I highly recommend it.
Since I do not have really large hands. I could barely palm a basketball, and I lost control anytime (at 5’11’’ tall) I tried to get up high enough to dunk a basketball. So, I always write with a fountain pen unposted. Of course, in the infancy days of fountain pens, the teaching materials (on how to write with a fountain pen) taught, if right-handed) to write with the pen correctly held and the cap held in the left hand. Simply by accident, that is what I usually do. Hence, even though I have a 1992 model of the Montblanc 149, I would prefer writing with this pen, because I worry a lot less about dropping it or (worse) leaving it on my desk for someone to “borrow.” :)
I think it's safe to say that the x159 initial "interest check" was a huge success. Doing my part by buying 2 (more) of the updated model. x159 v2 is a couple bucks more than the original (after prices settled), I wouldn't be surprised in Jinhao continues to premium-ize and increase the cost.
Narwhal probably has an interesting relationship with their OEM to say the least, haha.
thanks for the video. I was thinking about buying one, but when you showed it wouldn't post....that's a deal breaker for me. Thanks for saving me some money!
No worries my friend 👍
Just bought the Majohn P136 in green (Sept 2024) and find that the cap posts perfectly. Perhaps they have updated the design? I also have a Montblanc 146 and believe it or not but the caps of both pens are interchangeable. Both pens weigh exactly the same and I also can't detect any noticeable difference in the quality of the 'plastic' construction of both pens. The most striking difference between them is the missing snowcap on the Majohn, but I suppose that copying that would be taking 'homage' to a whole new level! Given that the price of the Montblanc is 30 times that of the Majohn and that the Majohn is a lovely writer, it is astonishingly good value.
You got lucky with the posting. I received another P136 recently and it didn't post either
I got my with a 1.1 mm Stub and i'm quite surprised . 55$ pen that write wonderfully , you said it BIG TIME WIN !
Oh wow did know they are offering different nib sizes now
What stub do you have? I'm interested in trying this pen.
Fantastic review. I appreciate your attention to detail. I have them on order as well - two grey, with some nibs, the tool and nib collars. Looking forward to trying them out.
Excellent review. May buy one--but the microscope will come first. You are putting yours to good use for detailed inspections. I must follow suit. Cheers from the Great Southern Land.
I just love the new toy
Just received a Majohn/Moonman P136, which I ordered immediately after seeing your wonderful review. This one doesn't post either, but I like it anyway since I only post once in a while. Mostly not, but I forgot in the time it took to travel half-way across the planet.
So what did I do? Immediately tried to post it. Ghaaa!
Anyway, I think they designed it this way to protect it from drying out while capped.
I'm not put off. It's still a great pen.
Thanks for the analysis. We'll done.
I have a number of fountain pens that you have given favorable responses, so I'll be watching further episodes.
Can't have too many fountain pens after all!
I'll try not to lose this one.
Your review has inspired me. I love that you love this pen.
I ordered one about 2 weeks ago from a Chinese Seller on eBay when the price was about 20% better. A couple of days ago I got message from the seller that the pen had been lost in the shipping warehouse and that they were sorry. Weirdly, they seem to have them listed on eBay at a much higher price now, hmmmmmm, but I digress.
I was actually kind of relieved when the order was cancelled because I couldn't shake the feeling that the #6 nib may look a little puny on such a big pen. That has been my gripe with the JinHao 159 and it's what I though the x159 really did right. The #8 nib looks so good on that big pen. I would have loved to have seen an uncapped side by side with the P136 and the x159.
Regardless, based on this review I have reordered the P136 and I look forward to seeing how it holds up.
Thanks again for such a great, in depth review.
This pen is significantly smaller than the x159 which is why I didn't bother to include it in the size comparison
@@Doodlebud Oooooh, I made assumptions that I shouldn't have. I had just seen this pen compared to the x159 in a few different places and guessed they were similar in dimension.
Thanks, now I'm feeling even better about the P136.
I recently bought the Majohn T1- and it's better than my Vac 700r. It doesn't come with a wrench or silicone grease, but it turns out that surgical latex tubing works really excellently for taking the mechanism off. So you could try that.
My T1 has dismal nib and flow.
@@Lorvina1 Have you cleaned it up, or look at the feed. Sometimes you need to cut a deeper channel in the feed. Or perhaps try out a different ink.
TWSBI pens are some of the worst pens ever made. I'd rather buy a Chinese pen and day because at least they don't crack and actually write. Also TWSBI feeds break so easily. TWSBI pens also cost 5 times the price.
I don't post my pens, so it would have no effect on me - yet I still find it disturbing. Nice to see a good writing experience straight out of the box - my Hongdian N7 required several days of intense tinkering (& more than a touch of violence) to get it working nicely. Some interesting replacement nibs for the P136 available too - including a 1.1mm stub.
Be interesting to see the level of compatibility with other brands.
Interesting on the N-7. My "grey rabbit" is about as good a pen as I've ever bought from the 'it just worked' standpoint. No fiddling at all. I louped the nib and it looks as it should. (And the N7 posts like a dream. heh.)
I don't like piston fillers and I like posting so the X159 ticks the boxes for me. I have a black and a blue one. And the price of £7 is unbeatable.
I've always dreamed of a MB146 in British Racing Green and now I can have one, at a tenth of the price, albeit minus the gold nib and the snowflake.
They are very different, but on its own its a great pen
great video as always!
Just love Diamine Sherwood Green!!! Would like a medium nib in the P136. As a matter of course,
when you pay more you get more. Yet, those of us who do not have deep pockets for every pen we
purchase, need to have pens in keeping with our budgets! I hope Majohn hears your comment
about posting. Even with a smaller hand, I would like for it to post deeply.
Yeah this pen is built VERY well. Many just can't be dropping $300, $400, $500+ on a pen. But $50 and get something pretty nice in return.... This one is SO close to really good. So far the A1 still takes the cake for me
@@Doodlebud: Thoroughly agree. Own (4) of them. Put in a Pilot broad nib unit in
my matte black one. Also have the orange/blue/green A1. The blue is lovely, and
the green reminds me of Diamine Sherwood Green.
So, if you were to choose, judging from the pleasure of writing and the ink feed, which one of the two would you choose: the Jinhao x159 or Mahjon P136?
All depends, very different sizes. I only got my X159 for the nib. I think the pen it's self is Meh 😕. This P136 is built very well & far superior. But the no posting just makes it a bit too small for my hand
dang. the posting issue is a deal-breaker for me but it looks super nice!
Yeah its a real shame! The pen is so nice, but for me its just too small without being able to post. Won't get nearly the use as if it did post 😣
Sorry about the edit error at the start of the video. The non-posting issue phased me so much I messed up my editing 😆
fazed?
Non-posting 😔 What I've done with those kind of pens is to put a bit of Scotch tape on the inside of the cap to give the barrel something to grip onto. Sometimes it works. Thanks for another great video! Oh and re: determining the amount of ink in the pen--did you assume that the specific gravity of the ink was the same as water's? 😉
Lol,, yeah the density of the two will be very close. Probably too close for my scale to measure the difference. I do have a 10mL graduated cylinder. Could always do a test real quick I guess. The tape thing can work for sure, but for me it's a total face palm when stuff like this gets missed. So easy to think of and get taken care of in the initial design stage
@@Doodlebud Yeah, I read somewhere that the SG of fountain pen ink was 1.002-1.1035 g/cc at 25'C, so verrry close to 1 😆 Your videos aren't good for my wallet--not only did I buy myself a Majohn P136 but I also bought the same digital scale as yours 😊 As for the non-posting of the pen--omg how did they miss that detail?? I really hope they're watching your videos.
Let me add my harp to the chorus that this pen should post. Majohn, I know you can do it. I love seeing increasing quality by some Chinese manufacturers.
Their pens are getting extremely good now
Hi Doodle Bud great video as always. Went into the Mont Blanc store in London’s New Bond Street to test the 149 Calligraphy nib during a COVID respite early on in the pandemic. And the shop assistant wouldn’t let me post the cap as she feared that it would damage the pen. After speaking to an expert nibmeister who advised that I shouldn’t post the cap on the back of the pen particularly a piston filler as this places strain on the piston. I’ve weaned myself off doing it. I prefer a posted pen but won’t do it anymore. At one time I’d have been pretty tee’d off with a cap that didn’t post. The pen looks good and unlike the Mahjohn I very briefly had, the nib is smooth. Thanks again for a great video D
Didn’t know about that, I usually post pens myself
I imagine they didn't want you posting a $1000 pen since there is a potential for scratches or the cap accidentally falling off. For vintage pens I avoid tight posting pens. But for modern pens, if it will break or crack from posting the cap, it's a poor design/build. Done properly, it won't put much stress on parts.
@@Doodlebud That’s ridiculous, pen caps don’t touch the piston knob when posted. I’ve had a 146 for years and posting marks only appear lower on the body, not on the piston mechanism knob itself.
I got a gray one in today's mail. Unlike yours it DOES post ok although a little bit particular about having to line the clip up with the nib first.
You must have received a unicorn pen! 🦄 I haven't heard of anybody being able to securely post the cap
one of the things to look for in the case of secure posting, especially in injection molded plastic pen caps, is that they have highly polished teeth/raised surfaces inside that helps secure it precisely on center, but those teeth are also a puzzle to do injection mold of, so unless you have excellent material and techniques that won't churn out fragile plastic fresh from factory, those teeth are going to create stress/unintended deformities as its pushed/pulled out of the metal mold/die since it is an interlocking shape, can't be either too hot or too cold. I've yet to see the posting teeth duplicated on cheap chinese pens, if even a platinum preppy can have it, is it that difficult?
yes you can design postable pen without those teeth, still, there is no way to easily put in posting feature, even copy of, without having several iterations in production, so posting feature is likely considerable $$$ to save
Injection molding is harder than people realize. One reason why Lego gets to charge premium, and others don't. For decades the Lego knockoffs were complete crap. Today some can be serviceable, but the precision of the real Lego bricks makes them easy to tell apart. Seems simple right, but injection molding billions of bricks to be perfectly interchangeable over decades is harder then it seems. Cap that posts well is easier in comparison, but still harder than one that doesn't. Some solve it with the teeth, some with the inner cap liner, and some with the shape, but having non-postable cap in this kind of pen, and at this price is inexcusable. Especially as Jinhao managed a postable pen with the X159.
There's several ways to do it if they're aren't up to skill on the injection molding. But from the quality of all the other parts, especially the threads, I think they're capable. Tons of pens have cap liners that are softer & more flexible, or even just the correct taper on the parts. So lots of ways to get it incorporated into the design. You can see everything fitting together in SolidWorks (or whatever CAD they are using) to ensure proper fitment & clearances. If Gravitas can make their all metal pens some of the best posting pens I have, this should be a no brainer on this pen. I think it's just an oversight in design and/or QC, and not so much a manufacturing limitation. If someone at the get go said "hey it doesn't post, this needs to post" they could do it no prob
@@Doodlebud Seems like quite an oversight for a pen manufacturer that has been around longer than a minute. Also they make pens that do post just fine, so this is quite an oversight.
Can you do a segment on lever fillers?
How has the piston filler being doing? I have my doubts about the quality of the components of this replica.
They are brass parts and are made pretty well. No problems at all
Actually my 146 seems to be not so much better in terms of posting. I have to put a lot of force to get the cap more like "stuck" on the body......
Oh wow
@@Doodlebud yeah, very surprising fact because the 144/145/149 all seem to do well. My expectation was also for 146 to post well given the shape but guess never know before trying......
I have a few Moonman/Majohn pens and they’ve all been good writers, even maybe a little too smooth.
Great review. I've also found that Majohn quality is up there. For a lower price pen it is great. I have a couple of the Vanishing point ones and the quality is also there. I guess this will be my next pen. BTW what ink do you use in your introduction.
Excellent review. I ordered my P136 a couple of weeks ago and included the wrench for $4, not $20.
I thought it was going to compare to the 149. The pictures were somewhat misleading.
In any case I want to do my own comparison with the X159. I do wish it had a #8 nib but if the nib writes well like yours, I will be happy with the pen.
I think I asked this before, but do you have the Wing Sung 629? I think the quality of the pen is so good that one may not want to buy the 146. It would be great to compare the two.
Don't have the 629. Where are you looking to get the wrench for $4!?
I was very very surprised with the WS 629 too. It got "Meh" reviews in our little UA-cam circuits, but I feel very undeservedly so. It instantly became my favorite Chinese pen ever after I wrote with the WS 629 for a few days. You write, and you forget it's in your hand, that's a beautiful pen experience. Three pages ink later, and you wake up from the timeless reverie with appreciation for that large, well designed pen and surprisingly quality nib. There's a WingSung 628 too btw, which is of a very similar quality and look, but shorter and slimmer, plus is catridge converter and takes Sailor catridges/converters. For my bigger hands the 629 was perfection.
@@idimiditavicorpzone5954 Here is a little talked about fact of the Montblanc precious resin. It is not black but a very deep red. The 629 is the same. If you put a bright light behind the pen, it "glows" red.
Hey can the wrench be used in the 149? Tia!
@@shared29 as far as I know it cannot. The wrench for the P136 has two "hooks" to attach to the piston for removal.
That’s a beauty! :) 😮
I feel like both the montblanc homages (p136 and x159) have been so close to being great pens, but fall short at the last moment. Hopefully these small issues will get resolved in time.
What is different in the cap that causes the non post situation I can’t figure it out I have one of each color and 2 more on way! Have you had any luck figuring the difference between the 146 and this I need a pinpoint led light for observing the difference in cap interiors
By the way thanks for your videos!!
Its just the overall design profile of the pen and cap. You can design a cap to post or not to post... this one is the later
This looks super interesting!
How does it compare to a gravitas entry ?
Thats a tricky comparison as they are very different pens. Since the P136 doesn't post it just doesn't fit in my hand very well and unfortunately I just don't use it. I have a video of the Gravitas Entry so maybe check that out:
ua-cam.com/video/RNg3HfboD3g/v-deo.html
What a fun review -- 19 minutes of amusement. Thanks! Still, I think that pen would be a decent purchase at @US$25 and including a wrench. On the other hand, I think a Pelikan M800/805 (I dearly would like one) is worth paying maybe as much as @US$250 rather than +US$500 if purchased from a retailer in the United States.
Good luck finding an M80x for $250 that's not beat to thunder. Buy every one you possibly can at that price.
@@rroossinck No, no! I have no ambitions about finding an M800 for $250. I'm only saying that's what one is worth to me!
@@user-br3sl9go3b Ah, I see. Good deal - and on the off chance that you DO stumble on a blue & black M805 in good shape for $250, holler at me! I miss mine!
I like that it’s a piston filler, I don’t like extra for a piston wrench( have so many from TWSBI and Jinhao) and doesn’t POST. That for me is a dealbreaker.
Won't post...? No...! I've been wanting to buy a P136, but since it won't post, I'll have to pass. Excellent review, as always!
Yeah I'm super disappointed with that. Would be so much better if it did!
Thanks for the review DB. What is unposted length ( without the nib ). Section + Barrel length
This review saved me…I was gonna buy one of these, but I have gigantic meat mittens, so I would need this pen to post! Thanks for the review DB. Keep fiddling with your pen is…all I can say!😂
Yeah I won't use this pen as much since it's a bit small for me without posting. A bit disappointed with that
Posting doesn't bother me, even for my Kaweco Sport, but it's pretty much redundant for a pen this size.
The cross Bailey doesn’t post either, drives me crazy!
You got a Pilot Vanishing Point, nice! What nib size did you get and how do you like it? I have one in Matte Black with a fine nib and I almost exclusively use Platinum Carbon Black in it. It’s one of my favs. As for that Majohn, I’m gonna pass on that one, thank you for your review!
It has a medium. There will be a review coming soon
@@Doodlebud nice! Looking forward to it!
I was very excited to get this pen and got mine today too! Was sad to see it couldn't post. I was confused and checked mine as well (thought for a second maybe I got a defect or something). It is nice so far, other than that it cannot post, haha. Perhaps they can make some changes and and allow it to be able to post. My husband was excited to order this pen, until he saw the issue with the posting, haha.
I understand how he feels. Have second thoughts myself about ordering one.
Yeah I'm bumed about it. For my larger hands, it's just not great for writing. If the cap posters, PERFECT!
@@Doodlebud yeah that's the same problem my husband has, he has pretty large hands so he likes to have pens that can post. I like posting too, but my hands are small enough to where the pen fits fine in my hands, but I still wish I could post it
But is it equal (or nearly enough) to the MB 146?
Very nice review, as always! I’ve ordered one of these, with the wrench ($11 US now). I want to see first hand how it compares to my 146 LeGrand and will be devastated/elated if it’s close. Also want to see if the wrench will work on my 146. Thank you DB for all the cool things you do!
It's very good for the price, but very far from an MB.
Hi, does the p136 come in medium and broad nibs and are spare medium or broad nibs for p136 available.
Have a look on Aliexpress to see what they have
Please review the Majohn P139!
Its just me or the density of the ink shuldnt be the same as the density of the water,so diferent from 1 , so measuring the weight should not be th same as measuring the volume of ink inside , but maybe because the fountain pen inks are based on water the density is really close to 1 one , i dont know can someone clear me on that???
Fountain pen ink indeed is almost entirely water, so it is ok to consider it the same density as water.
It will be close enough to the same for what we're trying to achieve here. My scale isn't sensitive enough to detect the change in mass from 1ml of H20 vs 1ml of ink
Can you exchange the nib for a gold nib?
If you have a gold nib that fits the pen then one could be used it wanted
@@Doodlebud thought so... the nib size looked pretty standard and it would be a great upgrade for an "inexpensive" but well made pen
When they make this pen postable, I will buy one immediately. Until then, no deal. This was a great review as always! Cheers
Greetings from Australia.
Good video which reinforced that I will not buy this pen.
Too short and it doesn't post.
I can buy 4 new X159s in the new colours with gold fittings for that price.
BTW I too never flush out new pens. I don't have the patience.
Thanks for the video.
2:15 - gigidy... jam it harder maybe!? :D.
Damn, that thing looks smaller than what is pictured... so glad I hold off on buying it.
I would have been annoyed lol.
It's an ok size, but not being able to post makes it too small for me for long writing. And yes... Giggidy Giggidy
My P136 is fantastic! And it posts... sort-of.
Is it possible to change the nib to a Goulet nib or similar. It is an unexciting writer.
As they say; "a dollar short and a -day- week late" . I just ordered this pen along with the wrench on the 24th and if I had seen this first, I would not have! No posting ... ugh! Most of my pens are "oversize" and don't need to be posted. But, pens this size, I typically post!
Yeah it really upsets me it doesn't post. Because of my hand size, I don't see myself writing with this pen much 😔
It also looks identical to a Sailor 1911.
Hello! Can you tell the p136 pen cap closed, how long time it can be keep in wet for nib ?
I don't know how long but mine writes immediately after not using it for a month
@@Doodlebud thank you !
Any ideas if I can fit the majhon x159 nob on this p136?
Not sure
@@Doodlebud I'll keep on investigate I am scared to try without knowing first 🙄
Cheers Doodle Bud! Really expensive for a Chinese pen. they are beginning to take the piss😊
That’s a seriously nice looking pen, but utterly distracted by that stunning Pilot vanishing point!:)
It's a beauty 😍
“No post rage” 🤣🤣🤣
So disappointed that this doesn't post. It's probably the deal breaker for me on buying this in gray. Other than that it looks to be an amazing buy.
Lovely pen. Not least the very nice green color. And a piston-filler, to boot. The fit and finish and the material as you describe it all look and sound great to me. The nib and trims look very nice. On first sight, the pen looks so much like a Sailor 1911S.
I just can’t stand posting pens at all. So, not being post-able is always quite irrelevant to me anyway.
And, best of all, it seems to write quite wonderfully. The price is very fair. I’d buy it right now if I hadn’t resolved to stop buying new pens for at least the rest of this year. I think I like this pen better than the Jinhao X159. I reckon I should have bought this pen instead.
Not being able to post is a big negative for me
I’ll wait for version 2 / and or the 149 clone!
The expensive wrench thing is really annoying. Been trying to find some kind of adjustable generic "toothy wrench" alternative, but so far not sure what the right search term for that would be....
I couldn't get a pen I can't post. That would just bother me too much.
Perhaps it cannot be posted because it would be too close to a Montblanc 146. This could be purely intentional. One never knows.
Would that be bad?
As somebody who really hates the very idea of posting pens, I actually quite like the fact that many pens are not designed to post. 🙂
They had no reservations about copying the Pilot Vanishing Point bang on so do think that's the reason here. I think it was simply an oversight
They should send you their initial iteration of a new pen to get critiqued before they release it. All of these things would have been caught before its public
I'd be open to it
is the nib a #6 or #8?
This is a #6
@@Doodlebud in that case, let’s wait for Jinhao to come up with the X159 piston filler version - that one will surely be cheaper and postable 😀
The feed reminds me of the PenBBS feed. I don't like that feed: they're fragile and end up bent if I remove the nib and feed.
Ahhh, I've never owner a PenBBS before so thx for the info. I find just normal flushing the pen gets it cleaned out good enough. With this one I figure if you need a special tool that's not included to removed the bits, I probably don't need to remove the bits. That is most likely Montblancs philosophy with their pens. My 149 has operated perfectly since I've owned it and have no need to disassemble it. WingSung copied that feature in their "design" 🙄 but not sure if it's translated into "design philosophy." If you deliver a pen that's not designed to be serviced easily you either don't care about long term user experience, or you feel VERY confident that you've delivered a pen that will deliver an excellent long term experience.
I have two of these now - one of them posts, one does not. :/
6:40 well my Sailor 1911 is a step up on all sides... So... not too bad...
If the step up is uniform all the way around, it will be an intentional feature
A green pen surelly need a green ink. Women do not understand so simple concept cause they has a so complex mind.
Real fine review.
Goodness! You do write fast! 😂
It's too bad that it doesn't post! It would greatly bother me, especially with how it looks like it SHOULD be able to. Otherwise, it looks like a nice pen.
Wonder if the wrench can work on the og 146
Wouldn't be surprised. In that case its a cheap wrench! LOL MB would want $120 for their wrench 🤣
@@Doodlebud yeah. That’s why I bought it. That being said there are different versions of 146. Old and new not the same and there are slight differences.
Oh of course, they keep it that way you have to buy several different $120 "wrenches" LOL.
@@Doodlebud Hey man if you ever do manufacture some wrenches for sale, do let me know.
I also like a pen that posts. Other than that looks very nice.
Kinda disappointed it doesn't post
I don't understand pen manufacturers making any pen unpostable. It seems lazy, like the R&D team said "Oh just let the cap roll around on the table and get in the way of writing." 🙁
I think that is ridiculous that they ask more than 10 bucks for that pen
Did you mis-speak yourself about the length of the pen capped? You said 164.5 mm capped, and 161 mm "posted." My Montblanc 146 is about 142 mm capped. Anyway, I couldn't see from the look inside the cap why it doesn't post, maybe the trim ring being off-center had something to do with it? Or the inner cap? That's an area of pen design (one of many) about which I am ignorant, but I think you must be right that they chose to make it that way, and could have done it differently. It's enough to turn me off of it.
How many turns to remove the cap? I don’t think I heard you mention it.
Mentioned it right at the start.... 😉
That would be annoying to have a pen that has can obviously can post but just doesn’t have the fitting to do stay. There must be a hack to make it post
There's always a hack or work around, but we shouldn't have to do that. Simple check in the initial design stage can catch this.
Looks like they've used the tooling for the knock offs, changed the cap band and removed the star & nib.....IMO too close to a 146 and screams IP theft.
Mine posts.
How hard do you have to push it on? I can make it post if I push hard enough, but it's not a proper fitment
@@Doodlebud I noticed that in the video you were kind of slamming it when you tried to post it. I put the cap on the barrel gently and then twist it into place and it stays posted.
Thanks for the mini review. Now I'm decided I won't get one.
Hey Bud, you really know how to beat a dead horse!
In USA on Etsy, eBay, or Ali, about $10, some come with tool. My MB 149 also posts for shyte. This pen ain't worth $40 IMHO. Chinese metals and plastics aren't very good.
Ugh! Man, I SO hate CHN fountain pens that are +- impossible to post on
And there are MANY of them
Why......WHYYYYYY...
Might as well get a TWSBI. Better quality in that price point.