I don't think you have to quantify that its good for a cheap pen. Its a good pen. The worst writing pen in my collection is a Visconti. It cost 65 times more than my Jinhao and the nib needed work and the section will not stay tight. I'm constantly having to stop and re-tighten. I'm tired of spending money on expensive pens that require work after delivery. I constantly see reviews criticizing the bad nibs on Chinese pens but don't have a problem getting a custom grind on their expense pen. Fountain pen manufacturers are taking their customers for granted. My hesitancy to buy Chinese brands is gone. They are inexpensive but they just work. If a pen doesn't write its useless..
spent good money on a Visconti only to have the magnetic band to fall off, which means the cap doesn't close now! Will never buy from them again, I'm staying with pens which have a screw closing on the cap!
@@bngr_bngr I bought it in Florence on vacation. I didn’t do my due diligence. I was so excited being in Italy and at the Visconti store that I didn’t fully check the pen out. That’s my fault. Figured it out when we returned home. I tend to collect fountain pens when we travel and this one will always evoke memories of our trip. So I kept it.
@@zebratroopfan6695 that’s unfortunate. Visconti makes great pens, to hear that you got a bad one is not what Visconti would want for its customers. I hope you reached out to them to try to resolve your issues.
In the "Montblanc" style series, there are 3 pens: X350, X850, X159. What changes between these three pens, the size and the grip... you will inevitably find one to your hand! For your information, they all come with three different nibs, EF (0.4mm), F (0.5mm), M (0.7mm) and bend (1mm), as well as a wide choice of colours and a choice of gold or chrome plated metal. There are many other very good pens from Jinhao: - 911 Very simple, steel body, very cheap, hooded cap, I like it very much. - 85 (inspired by the Parker 51), writes superbly well, very well finished, well balanced, my favourite! - 100 acrylic, inspired by the Parker Duo Fold, one of Jinhao's most beautiful pens, very well balanced, great grip (the patterns are not printed, but really tinted), equal on the podium with the 85! - 100 mini wood, same as the previous one, but a bit smaller and with a wooden body. - 82 (inspired by the sailor pro gear), a smaller pen than the X350-159 series, ideal as a pocket pen. - X80 (inspired by the Lamy 2000), with its characteristic line, it's just a pity that there is no hooded cap like on the original.
Omg, thank you sooooo much for this list! ❤ . I immediately went on Aliexpress and ordered one of every thing for less than $25. Lol. I can’t wait to see what I get!
I have a couple of 149s I bought new. I was amazed at the amount of 'feedback' the fine nib gave, and was very happy with the medium nib. The folks at youtube decided, one day, to place the above video among many others on visiting their home page. The title was very intriguing and said to me, not too subtly, "Read me! Now !!" So I did. I bought one of these right away. All I can say is, "Believe the nice young lady (in spite of her taste in sweaters) !!!" Her description of it, and its writing characteristics is 'spot on'. In other words, for $22 - $25 you can have a pen that writes really nicely, fits the hand really nicely, and is styled really nicely while only 'missing' a white emblem on its cap. I may be missing something, but I'm not sure there is $950 worth of resin quality, and writing capability, though, yes, the brand name has an intrinsic value and the Jinhao's packing is lacking (read non-existent). If you like fountain pens, this pen has a incredibly large Use Value/Cost ratio.
Oh look, yet another affordable Chinese pen that writes well right out of the box. Meanwhile, Visconti charges you $700 or more for the privilege of entering the Will-It-Write lottery.
For those of us with unique hands, size comparison is super helpful and I always look for them in reviews. I have very small hands and that has made my purchasing decisions much easier in my pen journey. Oversized pens are always a hard pass for me, but todays pens tend to naturally be much bigger than vintage ones. So much so that a big pen isn’t really noted as such. I appreciate the size comparisons greatly.
Excellent review. I have a 159 and an X159, and I quite like them, but they are not my favourite Chinese pens. That said, for the price, I'd go for a Jinhao 80 or X750. I think calling it a 'knock-off' is a bit unfair. It doesn't pretend to be a Montblanc, any more than a Platinum 3776 or a Sailor 1911 or a Senator. And let's remember that Montblanc 'knocked off' the cigar shape from the Sheaffer Balance, and the piston fill from Pelikan, so it's somewhat specious.
Love your enthusiasm! Got the exact pen like in your video about a month ago. Then Doug, Inkquiring Minds, reviewed the upgrade version with two-tone nib and gold hardware;so,I ordered a Maroon/gold with two-tone nib that I like even more than the black/silver. This pushed me to get the Dark Bleu/gold;and,it is just as wonderful as the other two. They seem consistently well made. More bang for buck than any pen imho. I got all three X159s for less than $30. Definite must-have. It writes incredibly smooth and wet for me. Inexpensive enough to penable like a BOSS;so,buy several! Jinhao X159!
I enjoy my X159 quite a bit (not inked up at the moment, but it was for several months). And I agree that it's a particularly excellent choice as a low-barrier-to-entry for both oversized pens and large nibs. That #8 nib is a beast and it's kind of fun how bouncy it is just by nature of that size and shape. I'm sure lots of people have gone out and spent $100, $200 and more on a highly recommended oversized fountain pen only to discover that the size just doesn't work for them or match their preferences. It's great that people trying to figure out their preferences can now buy something for $10-$20 to help with that process.
Hi there fellow Canadian. This is the first of your reviews I've seen and really enjoyed it. The information about the size of the pen/ grip was especially useful because I've found that the worsening arthritis in my writing hand is less of a pain with a larger diameter pen. Guess that means I'm getting a Jinhao X159. Probably after Christmas though because I'm broke too. Oh, you also have a new subscriber.
FINALLY!! I'm waiting for so long for you to review this fountain pen. I noticed it's quite a new release and I currently have the same one you have with the silver trim. By the way there are other colors as well. They are green, orange, white, brown and dark olive. But I currently don't posses any of those colors. Always an awesome video thanks :DD
Actually the US Amazon store has four colors in gold and silver trims. One could order all four for like 34.98 in fine or extra fine. You're correct it's s pretty decent writer.
Up to seven colors now (12/30) - black, dark blue, dark green, coffee, ivory, lime green, and wine. Some only with gold trim, some only with silver trim, some with both, and in fine and extra fine nib options. Just got my first - after adjusting the tines a bit, it's an amazing pen for $14.
I brought a 6 pen bundle of Jinhao 992s and they're wonderful! Only $2/pen, all came with converters, all wrote well without any modification. They're wetter pens so I'm loving the amount of sheen I'm getting. AND they're all see through, which I enjoy because I like to see all the ink. 😆 Only downside so far is that they take a moment to start...which is weird considering how much ink it lays down. Not enough to deter me from using them daily, but it's a thing. I got my first Kaweco and I had to modify it to get it to write consistently.... >_>
Yes! These are great pens for 4 bucks off Ali Express. I bought 5, and gave a few away to friends. I just ordered more as I see colors othrr than black are now available. The ones off Ali came with a converter. My only complaint is the fine nib is a little more towards medium. Not a deal breaker. Took about 3 weeks to arrive from China. Also, the cap seals pretty solid. I didn't use it for a couple of weeks, and it started right away when I went to use it. The X159 is becoming my favorite Jinhao.
I have three of them and they are all phantastic writers. Honestly my Montblanc doesn´t write as smoothly. The nib is definitely a not fine but leaning heavily medium. I am currently obsessed with the Jinhao 80 in EF. It´s wonderful.
Nice job again Kerry.. you're looking great! I've got one of the original 159's but like this one more.. enjoy your holidays... I'm having a complicated spinal surgery this coming week and needed this distraction.. Very best !! Frank in Colorado
I love the pen body on this one so much ... my nib isn't good ... I've improved it a bit (flossed with brass shim) and have to do more with micromesh. I agree if possible purchase from a pen store so you can send it back if you get a bad one. I'm not giving up on mine! It's such a comfortable pen for me to write with. I was so happy to hear your opinion on this pen thank you! Wishing you much prosperity and happy winter!!!!
Jinhao X159 Acrylic Fountain Pen is an excellent fountain pen! For comparison, I have played with the below listed fountain pens, mostly medium nib (nothing over $40 USD). - Jinhao X159 Acrylic is easily a top three choice. None of the below pens can beat it. Writes on nice and inexpensive papers. Smooth. After testing 6 pens, I straight up purchased twenty (20) pens. - Cross Bailey Light, Hongdian Black Forest, Jinhao X450, Jinhao X750, Kaweco Classic Sport, Lamy Safari & Vista, Plastic Parker Jotter, PenBBS 308, Pilot Kakuno & Metropolitan, Platinum Plaisir & Prefounte, Sailor Compass 1911, TWSBI ECO.
Aloha Kerry, thank you for your recommendation. Was pondering this purchase for months and your video was the deciding factor, and it is a good pen. Blessings and prosperity always, M
I received my Jinhao X159 yesterday- bought on a whim after seeing good reviews. For its ridiculously low price it is a fantastic fountain pen. But I agree with you that its chief benefit is to make one decide whether an Oversize, Mont Blanc 149, type of pen is something to buy. After a day of writing, I definitely would not want oversize pens: for me the best size is the Sailor 1911 Large or the Pelikan M800s. I fully support your advice that one should buy a Jinhao X159 to have the opportunity of trying out Oversize pens without breaking the budget. Great video!
I have 2 i love for my arthritic thumbs!! Light weight, filled with ink, toss ‘em in my bag in a plastic container with some pen stuff to keep ‘em from drying out very fast. I had problem with a lid break and the chinese vendor sent a new one ASAP! Very nice. Plus if one gets lost in travels.. no tears! I did a Doug Inkquiring Minds micro mesh on one nib to make smoother & finer. Gonna get a couple more for a few more experiments. Thanks for bringing this one up!…..wish i could have a giant-size TWSI with san 8 nib..,.arthritis hands would love it!
I really like my 159, one of my best fountain pen purchases ever. Yes, rather heavy, but a really nice writer with diamine ink in it, very smooth. The X159 is definitely on my wish list for the future as i really want to try the lighter weight and the bigger nib, but there's just so many wonderful pens out there that i also want to try. As to the Montblanc version: if i had that money to spend on a pen i would not be buying a Montblanc. I think there's much prettier pens out there for the money. And it's all about the pretty factor, isn't it? LOL Thanks for review.
if you dont mind the waiting (from china to Spain where I live, two weeks) you can get this from AE for less than 6€ shipping included -- there you can find it in several colors with gold finish --- nib in F & EF - converter always included
I have eyedropped that nice pen and it holds a huge quantity of ink, I filled the barrel with adhesive paste "blue tack" till over the ring otherwise it would leak !and of course silicon grease on the thread of the nib section, really great!
I love my x159, it fits my larger hands perfectly and is a very smooth writer. Been thinking about added a couple more in different colors. Ali express has them in newer green and orange I’ve been eyeballing
I bought my black-blue and gold X159 from one of my usual eBay sellers for AUD 17.00 and it is am amazing pen! Mine has a two-tone nib which has a great flow and is buttery smooth (depending on course on your ink and paper). I now own a23 Jinhaos with more on the way, and they have all been great, but the X159 is by far the best of them all, far better than any of my Parkers and the Lamy I bought and don't much like.
Thank you very much, I ordered this 159 X pen as soon as I saw your video. I already have MB149 , Jinhao 159 and Jinhao X450, I find Jinhao X450 a little less good than MB 149 ... but not much ... :) I am very curious to know if X159 will beat the original MB149 ... ? Should I tell you?
Thanks for this! I have ordered me one to try. Matter of fact, maybe I will order one for all my family to maybe penable a few (without breaking the bank)! ❤
It’s the best pen ever. I have about 20 of the old metallic one (most of which are still in the original wrap) and about 12 of the new ones. Everyone I bought from China and from Amazon included a converter. The prices range between $7 delivered to the USA (Aliexpess) and $13 (amazon) delivered. Thanks for the review. By the way, I have the Mont Blanc 149 from 2000 and the 146 from 2000 too. They’re good, but nothing fancy. Especially not for the price. I prefer my Pelikans 1000, 800 and even the 250 a million times more than the MBs.
Great review. I checked with Amazon US and they do have other colors and even gold trim. I ordered a wine red and coffee brown both with gold tone nibs and trim. I have had good experiences with Jinhao pens.
I've had this lying on my desk for a while now (never inked), and after I saw your review, I will definitely give it a try, as well as the 159, which I also never inked. Thank you!
I just got one in dark navy and EF nib. I also have this one as well the full Metal 159’s love them all, although had a few issues with nib feed on one of my all metal ones, anywho, love your content and I agree with you! I haven’t been able to put my X159 down and use it all the time.
Hi always enjoy your videos. Not sure when you filmed but they do have a burgundy/wine color and a blue all with the option of silver and gold trim including the black one. Maybe as of black Friday (at least that is when I seen them) they also have 3 other colors they remind me of a vintage kitchen....there is a orange, a green, and a brown all available in silver and gold trim. Thank you for this review. You are always so detailed.
Thanks for your review. I really like these pens. I've bought 5 of them now at £4 each and found them to write a little dry. With a little 'tuning' i.e. gently pressing the nib on the back of my thumb nail, the tines open up and it writes even better, a little wetter, a little more flowing ... not Pelikan wet but certainly wet enough. Great pen for the money!
Great review , thank you ,by the way , I live in Beijing (China), and I was able to find the Jinhao X159 in different colors ,I have it in blue and burgundy .
Great review! I've one X159 too, and agreed on all your views! I'm surprised that it's so expensive in Canada. I bought mine for MYR15 (USD3.41) from an online shopping platform popular here in Malaysia, with free shipping from china, converter included. For context, a Lamy safari is sold around MYR120 (USD 28) official retails store here. And btw, X159 now comes with gold coloured trim and different colour options.
Thanks for the review. Does the nib unit and feed just pull out or is it in a screw type unit that one has to unscrew and then pull nib and feed out. Cheers
I have been using mine for a few weeks now and it has a premium look and feel, also a very smooth writer. Mine arrived with a medium nib. It’s hard to pick between this and my Jinhao X750’s, if only for the convenience of the snap cap. I like my metal 159’s too. I simply purchase extra gold plated #8 nibs as they’re cheap as chips and they’re generally reliable. I also have the 9019 Dadao and the ink delivery system is fantastic, but it lacks the elegance of the X159. The Century 100’s I have just for eye candy. Great review! 👍🏻
Got mine off aliexpress for $3 shipped. Plastic is pretty cheap but the nib writes impressively well. Diamine Oxblood actually comes out of mine as almost exactly the same color as the body (burgundy) itself, which is nice. Shape is unnoticeably different from my ~50s era 149 tbh. Not sure about modern nibs but my 149’s is a lot nicer feeling. Similarly smooth, but the 149 has that “butter” feeling, and some bounce, which my 159 doesn’t. Heard you can fit the 149 nib in the x159, but it won’t cap properly. But yeah I agree it’s a great way to see if you like the shape.
Goulet Pens has the Jonhao X159 with the converter for $15 US. I just bought the Jinhao X750 in Frosted Black (only comes in Medium) which I got with a converter at Goulet Pens for $4.95 on Black Friday (usually $9.90), and I really like it. And I adore the Jinhao 51A in wood (Fine); it writes soooooo beautifully. But my fave pen remains my Pilot Metropolitan in Retro Gray with the 1.1 mm stub nib -- still MAGICAL!!!!
The ink flowed without any skipping…looks like it could be used for outdoor sketching, I’m going to see if fountain pen hospital in New York City carries it.
Nice video to fill the time waiting six weeks schipment from China to Europe. I orderd two X159 (black en burgundy to be filled with Daimine Oxblood😄) and Diamine Wild Strawberry ink. Can’t wait to try them
They now come in silver and gold trim. The colors are Black,white, brown, red, avocado, dark green, orange, and Navy. They now have xf and f nib ( the usual round up from Chinese pens) .. US ebay has them from $7.00 to $15.00 ... I am sure they will have replacement nibs soon. I couldn't help but to buy them in each color. I even had a nib ground in a specialty grind (Flex). The only down side... and it's a pick is that QC is sometimes lacking and replacement nibs are hard to come by. Also the come with converters
My recent JH x450 showed signs of inking (blue in my case,) and I am pursuing an understanding where there is indeed an adopted QC by JH, or if it is being done to fake one. Hoping for the best, if they are pursuing better QC, and upping their game with better construction, and finishing, then the brand deserves our attention by providing good writing experiences, period. BTW, per online resources by various sources, the FP manufacturers have a vast history of adopting each other's designs, and tech, so JH has license to continue to do what they do, aside from any activities leading to legal prosecution. Let's not forget early Waterman, and Parker, to name a few forerunners in innovations pre and post WWII.
my x159 came with a converter, I love it so much i am waiting on a 9019 to arrive soon. I have been told the rubber ring is to prevent a cracking problem related to over tightening. And to be totally fair, I was so fond of my x159, that my wife now uses my Mont Blanc because I am happier with the x159. I know that may make me an oddball, but it is what it is
Another good and informative video. Like how you tell it like it is. I bought all colors with the exception of the green apple variant and with the majority of them they wrote fine out of the package. I found them for $7.88 free shipping on ebay. You are absolutely right they are not a 149 (which I recommend you try yourself in person at a montblanc boutique, if you're able to) or a sailor KOP, but in this economy they are perfect and you can use your misbehaved inks in them without worry. If you lose one, better it be this than a montblanc 149. Ouch! I purchased my 149 used and let's just say it skipped like a child with money on its way to the ice cream truck. Worked on it myself with utube tutorials, it's fine now. eBay has a mandarin orange sailor kop for $961. I bought my jinhao x159 orange in the chrome trim for $7.88 just saying.
Mine fell apart after 3 months, clip came off cap came undone, this was after nib section kind of stopped screwing in so i used crazy glue. I do love the pen tho
A 149 is costly because it's a real fountain pen made from very high quality materials, and not a cheap piece of plastic with a cheap, very low grade stainless steel nib.
I bought one out of curiosity. Out of the box, my pen was pleasant to hold and unpleasant to use. There was a bit of skipping on the cross strokes and upward slating strokes - enough skipping to be annoying. It was a bear to remove the nib and feed from the grip section, a task that I finally accomplished with the assistance of Gorilla Tape. I spread the tines enough to insert two brass strips and then pulled them gently in opposite directions to separate the tines slightly. It was hard to re-insert the nib and feed, and I am not sure if I got them in as deeply as they were originally inserted; however, I could not insert them any farther. I then made a few strokes with the assembled pen on Mylar paper. Now the pen is working well. The pen has been filled with Noodler’s Liberty’s Elysium. I read that Noodler’s inks are perhaps not the best choice for Jinhao pens, so I will try a Diamine or Monteverde ink next time, or perhaps one of the Noodler’s Eel inks. I can’t say that this is my favorite pen, but I do enjoy using it.
I've bought 3 of them: One is fantastic, a great writer with a surprising amount of bounce and line variation. One is just OK, not bad but not as smooth. And one is pretty bad, with a lot of skipping. Bottom line, at this price I can't complain much -- the good one is worth 3 times its price, so I could throw out the other 2 and still have my money's worth. But I would advise people to adjust expectations for now regarding quality control, hope for the best and maybe consider buying more than one for insurance.
Hi. New subscriber here :) I am giving myself the X159 for Christmas. I am very much a fountain pen noob. I have two Lamy Safaris - each with a different nib size. I have a Platinum Preppy on the way too. :) First time using a converter. So....my question.....What are you favorite black inks? Top 2 or 3. Please and thank you. I watched your Top 5 Most Used Inks video. I wish I was more into colors but I am a basic black kinda guy. Although that Montblanc Single Malt....well....it speaks to me. :)
Every now and then I pull out my expensive Visconti pens.. to look at them because they have been finicky even with tuning and nib meistering.. my x 159 in dark blue is fun and writes well. I’ve been also enjoying my two Majohn mini fountain pens..thanks Kerry,Frank in Colorado
They have other colors, I have blue with gold trim. :) Just takes a bit longer to get here. I completely agree with your review, especially your thoughts about the nib. Fatter than it should be for an F, kinda dry but super smooth. My issue is if I tune it to be wet it'll be even wider again, so I'm leaving it alone. The nib is just too broad for me. If they offer an EF at some point though I'll be jumping on that!
Thank you so much for this review. I am the odd one that loves a heavy pen. My first purchase was Duke Charlie Chaplin with a fude nib. I now have it coming in a fine nib(one vendor said it actually is more like a medium nib) I now have 10 Jinhao x750 and would love to see a video comparing all Jinhao models.
Hear, hear! My x159 was an eight dollar lesson that taught me how much I personally dislike pens this size. I followed it up with a PGS and a Prera and I love them both.
This pen is actually available in other colours. I have a black with silver trim and a burgundy with gold trim. I really love this pen. I have many pens already but wanted to try one with a girthy section, it feels really comfortable. When I ordered it I was actually sent an OG 159. I was pissed because I think it is completely ugly and too heavy but I was able to return it and get an X159. Both nibs write amazingly and perfectly. I would actually recommend this pen for people starting out in fountain pens. I don't really care for the MB 149 because I like to take and use my pens at work.
The Pen is great. And it is available in a view other colors also. I own it in Dark Blue and Black. Both with Gold Trim. Hope we willbget it soon with a medium nib.
Hola. Cordial saludo. Hay muchas situaciones distintas a las que menciona en la revisión. Ahora hay varios colores y algunos de ellos tienen la posibilidad de elegir entre acabados dorados y plateados. Además ya se consigue el plumón en EF y F. Puedes consultar esto en varias páginas en aliexpress. Las últimas versiones incluyen algunas mejoras a los primeros X159. Yo tengo 3 negros con acabados plateados (versión inicial) y otros 3 en colores y las ultimas versiones ciertamente mejoran en: 1) reducen el numero de giros que hay que dar para desmontar el capuchón, 2) Además el grabado del nombre y referencia aumentan en tamaño. 3) Accesorios en tono dorado y 4) al menos 7 colores nuevos (azul, verde musgo, verde chatee, blanco, borgoña, café y naranja) Cordial saludo desde Medellín, Colombia.
Carrie, when I search amazon for this pen how do I know I've found the authentic 159? There are many listings for both 159 and x 159 but not sure the sellers even know the difference. Also there are other brand names on the listings, and I've found lots of colors and trims and nib sizes. (contrary to what you said in your video) I'd really like to try this pen - can you help? (Hey - maybe you could do a video on how to shop amazon, ebay, etc. for pens and how to make sure you are getting what you think you're getting)
I ordered two of them. One I inked up with a Diamine, the other one with a Pilot ink. Both pens were scratchy and awful to write with. I had to put a lot of pressure on the nib to make them write. The lines sometimes were thick, then thin, then no line at all. Send them back the same day.
Wow, I’ve been away from the pen world but unless my eyes are playing tricks on me, you lost lots of weight, congratulations. Hope you make a video about it for the couch potatoes like myself. 😊
I used to have the Monteblanc Meisterstuck 149, and I really miss it. I think I may get one of these. But, one of the things I liked about the 149 was the huge amount of ink it held.
Absolutely right! I have one, and I do like it better than the original. "Precious resin" is basically a Google Translate type translation fail for "plastic." So, plenty of high end pens are just plastic. 😁 Even the Lexan (Plexiglas) used in the original Parker 51 is just a plastic. "Resin" as used in pens is generally just plastic. (Resin used to just mean tree sap. Don't know any pens made of tree sap. 😁) Again, I agree with you about the X159. Of course, as it's an oversize number 8 nib, currently you're kind of stuck with the nib it came with right now. And there's those who dislike anything that's not a broad or wider. Not for them. I cut my teeth on fountain pens decades ago, and I got used to the medium and finer most US vintage used, so this pen ticks a lot of the right boxes for me. Are there better out there? Certainly! Just not in the same price range, generally. And nothing else like it in the size. And as to it's being a copy... Even Montblanc copied the shape from the same era Sheaffer and the original piston from Pelikan. Copying has been a thing since the first fountain pens, and unlike this Jinhao, sometimes when they were still in copyright.
There is a real difference between a resin and "plastic". Yes, the term "resin" originated from tree saps that cured over time (like amber) but nowadays the term refers to any material that cures due to some chemical reaction (like acrylics) and cannot be changed after that (NB: ebonite is a cured rubber but not a plastic). So a pen made from a resin has to be made by turning from a solid rod. "Plastic" mostly refers to a material that can be heated and then moulded into any form (polystyrene, polycarbonate, ABS etc.). Injection moulding allows producing large numbers in a short time reducing production costs. So you have to check the description of a pen carefully. A resin pen always means more effort to produce it and it will most likely be more durable. But even some expensive pens are made by injection moulding like the transparent Platinum 3776 (which is still a very good pen). On the other hand, companies like PenBBS use acrylics (which is a resin) for most of their (rather inexpensive) beautiful pens.
There are many grades and many types of plastic, and saying that even high end pens are made from plastic is just silly. The 159 is not a copy of anything. That's like saying a Tonka truck is a copy of the real thing. The 159 has the basic shape of the 149, and that's it. It's made from incredibly cheap plastic, and there is a MAJOR difference between this cheap plastic crap and the resin used in quality pens. "A plastic" is a silly, silly statement, and you should actually do some real research before saying such things. The 159 is an eighty cent pen. Even with the inhumanly low wages the workers are paid, you can use quality materials and make a pen for eighty cents. Some of the Jinhao and other pens actually sell for fifty cents in China. Yeah, "just plastic". Cheap children's toys are also plastic, so is the plastic wrap you use in the kitchen. It's like building your house and the balcony out of balsa wood rather than southern pine and redwood because it's all just wood. The nib is even worse. It may be smooth, but big deal. It's still made of incredibly low-grade stainless steel, and the tipping is just as bad. The entire pen costs eighty cents to make, so how much do you suppose the nib cost? Of course, metal is all just metal, right? So the cheap, low-grade stainless steel used for the nib and tipping is just as just as the high-grade stainless steel and far harder, longer wearing tipping on quality pens. Plastic is plastic and metal is metal, so we really only need one type of each to do everything. It's one thing to own such a "pen", but it's something completely different when you try to compare it to the materials used in a high end pen. Like all such pens, the 159 is an incredibly cheap plastic. You can keep telling yourself this is a quality pen, and that it is somehow a 149 substitute, but you have to know better. It's just one more Jinhao pen that's shaped a little differently than the other crappy Jinhao pens. This is the main thing China does. Change the shape or size of the cheap plastic, and in this case put on a little larger cheap nib that will not last with steady use, and people think it's something new. It isn't.
I got in on these early, when the quality was pretty spotty. Had two where the cap fell apart. I wanted to let them know the enthusiasm was there for this upgrade, so I don’t mind. I’m going to buy the improved version in some new colors now that they’re available. The one that didn’t come apart is a gem of a writer, and I expected poor quality from the first batch. I won’t be as forgiving if the next one performs that way, but I even adored the 159 that weighed a semiton and had some ugly hardware issues. I still use my rose gold one, and get compliments.
It is genuinely a very good pen! You should look further, this pen exist in all combinaisons of fine or extra fine, black or burgundy, gold or silver trim. And at least on Amazon France, you can find all these SKUs. Don't know about in Canada tho 🙂
Yup. I've gifted two already. I completely agree with your assessment of the value of this pen. If one wants a grail MB, get it, because it is MB. The writing experience will not be the same factors as the ... grail? ... difference. My x159 writes beautifully. Would I be all in for a piston fill, 14k nib x159? Beyond question!!! Until then, "settling" for this pen isn't lowering one's standards much.
I don't think you have to quantify that its good for a cheap pen. Its a good pen. The worst writing pen in my collection is a Visconti. It cost 65 times more than my Jinhao and the nib needed work and the section will not stay tight. I'm constantly having to stop and re-tighten. I'm tired of spending money on expensive pens that require work after delivery. I constantly see reviews criticizing the bad nibs on Chinese pens but don't have a problem getting a custom grind on their expense pen. Fountain pen manufacturers are taking their customers for granted. My hesitancy to buy Chinese brands is gone. They are inexpensive but they just work. If a pen doesn't write its useless..
spent good money on a Visconti only to have the magnetic band to fall off, which means the cap doesn't close now! Will never buy from them again, I'm staying with pens which have a screw closing on the cap!
Why didn’t you return the Visconti?
@@bngr_bngr I bought it in Florence on vacation. I didn’t do my due diligence. I was so excited being in Italy and at the Visconti store that I didn’t fully check the pen out. That’s my fault. Figured it out when we returned home. I tend to collect fountain pens when we travel and this one will always evoke memories of our trip. So I kept it.
@@zebratroopfan6695 that’s unfortunate. Visconti makes great pens, to hear that you got a bad one is not what Visconti would want for its customers. I hope you reached out to them to try to resolve your issues.
In the "Montblanc" style series, there are 3 pens: X350, X850, X159.
What changes between these three pens, the size and the grip... you will inevitably find one to your hand!
For your information, they all come with three different nibs, EF (0.4mm), F (0.5mm), M (0.7mm) and bend (1mm), as well as a wide choice of colours and a choice of gold or chrome plated metal.
There are many other very good pens from Jinhao:
- 911 Very simple, steel body, very cheap, hooded cap, I like it very much.
- 85 (inspired by the Parker 51), writes superbly well, very well finished, well balanced, my favourite!
- 100 acrylic, inspired by the Parker Duo Fold, one of Jinhao's most beautiful pens, very well balanced, great grip (the patterns are not printed, but really tinted), equal on the podium with the 85!
- 100 mini wood, same as the previous one, but a bit smaller and with a wooden body.
- 82 (inspired by the sailor pro gear), a smaller pen than the X350-159 series, ideal as a pocket pen.
- X80 (inspired by the Lamy 2000), with its characteristic line, it's just a pity that there is no hooded cap like on the original.
Omg, thank you sooooo much for this list! ❤ . I immediately went on Aliexpress and ordered one of every thing for less than $25. Lol. I can’t wait to see what I get!
Does one of them have a piston filler?
@@bngr_bngr None of these. To get a piston with this design (Montblanc), you need to look at other brands: Majohn P136 or Wing Sung 629/630.
I have a couple of 149s I bought new. I was amazed at the amount of 'feedback' the fine nib gave, and was very happy with the medium nib. The folks at youtube decided, one day, to place the above video among many others on visiting their home page. The title was very intriguing and said to me, not too subtly, "Read me! Now !!" So I did. I bought one of these right away. All I can say is, "Believe the nice young lady (in spite of her taste in sweaters) !!!" Her description of it, and its writing characteristics is 'spot on'. In other words, for $22 - $25 you can have a pen that writes really nicely, fits the hand really nicely, and is styled really nicely while only 'missing' a white emblem on its cap. I may be missing something, but I'm not sure there is $950 worth of resin quality, and writing capability, though, yes, the brand name has an intrinsic value and the Jinhao's packing is lacking (read non-existent). If you like fountain pens, this pen has a incredibly large Use Value/Cost ratio.
I love ugly Christmas sweaters tho 🤣
Oh look, yet another affordable Chinese pen that writes well right out of the box. Meanwhile, Visconti charges you $700 or more for the privilege of entering the Will-It-Write lottery.
For those of us with unique hands, size comparison is super helpful and I always look for them in reviews. I have very small hands and that has made my purchasing decisions much easier in my pen journey. Oversized pens are always a hard pass for me, but todays pens tend to naturally be much bigger than vintage ones. So much so that a big pen isn’t really noted as such. I appreciate the size comparisons greatly.
Excellent review. I have a 159 and an X159, and I quite like them, but they are not my favourite Chinese pens. That said, for the price, I'd go for a Jinhao 80 or X750.
I think calling it a 'knock-off' is a bit unfair. It doesn't pretend to be a Montblanc, any more than a Platinum 3776 or a Sailor 1911 or a Senator. And let's remember that Montblanc 'knocked off' the cigar shape from the Sheaffer Balance, and the piston fill from Pelikan, so it's somewhat specious.
Love your enthusiasm!
Got the exact pen like in your video about a month ago. Then Doug, Inkquiring Minds, reviewed the upgrade version with two-tone nib and gold hardware;so,I ordered a Maroon/gold with two-tone nib that I like even more than the black/silver. This pushed me to get the Dark Bleu/gold;and,it is just as wonderful as the other two. They seem consistently well made.
More bang for buck than any pen imho. I got all three X159s for less than $30. Definite must-have. It writes incredibly smooth and wet for me. Inexpensive enough to penable like a BOSS;so,buy several! Jinhao X159!
I enjoy my X159 quite a bit (not inked up at the moment, but it was for several months). And I agree that it's a particularly excellent choice as a low-barrier-to-entry for both oversized pens and large nibs. That #8 nib is a beast and it's kind of fun how bouncy it is just by nature of that size and shape. I'm sure lots of people have gone out and spent $100, $200 and more on a highly recommended oversized fountain pen only to discover that the size just doesn't work for them or match their preferences. It's great that people trying to figure out their preferences can now buy something for $10-$20 to help with that process.
Hi there fellow Canadian. This is the first of your reviews I've seen and really enjoyed it. The information about the size of the pen/ grip was especially useful because I've found that the worsening arthritis in my writing hand is less of a pain with a larger diameter pen. Guess that means I'm getting a Jinhao X159. Probably after Christmas though because I'm broke too.
Oh, you also have a new subscriber.
🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
They cost even less on Ali Express, although delivery may take a while.
FINALLY!!
I'm waiting for so long for you to review this fountain pen. I noticed it's quite a new release and I currently have the same one you have with the silver trim.
By the way there are other colors as well. They are green, orange, white, brown and dark olive. But I currently don't posses any of those colors.
Always an awesome video thanks :DD
Actually the US Amazon store has four colors in gold and silver trims. One could order all four for like 34.98 in fine or extra fine. You're correct it's s pretty decent writer.
Up to seven colors now (12/30) - black, dark blue, dark green, coffee, ivory, lime green, and wine. Some only with gold trim, some only with silver trim, some with both, and in fine and extra fine nib options. Just got my first - after adjusting the tines a bit, it's an amazing pen for $14.
I agree with you. I've had one for a while now and it writes beautifully and is very comfortable in my hand. Thanks for sharing.
I brought a 6 pen bundle of Jinhao 992s and they're wonderful! Only $2/pen, all came with converters, all wrote well without any modification. They're wetter pens so I'm loving the amount of sheen I'm getting. AND they're all see through, which I enjoy because I like to see all the ink. 😆 Only downside so far is that they take a moment to start...which is weird considering how much ink it lays down. Not enough to deter me from using them daily, but it's a thing.
I got my first Kaweco and I had to modify it to get it to write consistently.... >_>
Blessings ❣️
Yes! These are great pens for 4 bucks off Ali Express. I bought 5, and gave a few away to friends. I just ordered more as I see colors othrr than black are now available. The ones off Ali came with a converter. My only complaint is the fine nib is a little more towards medium. Not a deal breaker. Took about 3 weeks to arrive from China. Also, the cap seals pretty solid. I didn't use it for a couple of weeks, and it started right away when I went to use it.
The X159 is becoming my favorite Jinhao.
I have three of them and they are all phantastic writers. Honestly my Montblanc doesn´t write as smoothly. The nib is definitely a not fine but leaning heavily medium. I am currently obsessed with the Jinhao 80 in EF. It´s wonderful.
Agree, agree and agree. Love the x159's and really enjoy the Jinhao 80's.
Nice job again Kerry.. you're looking great! I've got one of the original 159's but like this one more.. enjoy your holidays... I'm having a complicated spinal surgery this coming week and needed this distraction.. Very best !!
Frank in Colorado
Great review, I just ordered one and this review is what put me over the edge!
I love the pen body on this one so much ... my nib isn't good ... I've improved it a bit (flossed with brass shim) and have to do more with micromesh. I agree if possible purchase from a pen store so you can send it back if you get a bad one. I'm not giving up on mine! It's such a comfortable pen for me to write with. I was so happy to hear your opinion on this pen thank you! Wishing you much prosperity and happy winter!!!!
Jinhao X159 Acrylic Fountain Pen is an excellent fountain pen! For comparison, I have played with the below listed fountain pens, mostly medium nib (nothing over $40 USD).
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Jinhao X159 Acrylic is easily a top three choice. None of the below pens can beat it. Writes on nice and inexpensive papers. Smooth. After testing 6 pens, I straight up purchased twenty (20) pens.
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Cross Bailey Light, Hongdian Black Forest, Jinhao X450, Jinhao X750, Kaweco Classic Sport, Lamy Safari & Vista, Plastic Parker Jotter, PenBBS 308, Pilot Kakuno & Metropolitan, Platinum Plaisir & Prefounte, Sailor Compass 1911, TWSBI ECO.
Aloha Kerry, thank you for your recommendation. Was pondering this purchase for months and your video was the deciding factor, and it is a good pen. Blessings and prosperity always, M
Ur way to express the product is really good, nd ur handwritting is also good. 😊
I received my Jinhao X159 yesterday- bought on a whim after seeing good reviews. For its ridiculously low price it is a fantastic fountain pen. But I agree with you that its chief benefit is to make one decide whether an Oversize, Mont Blanc 149, type of pen is something to buy. After a day of writing, I definitely would not want oversize pens: for me the best size is the Sailor 1911 Large or the Pelikan M800s.
I fully support your advice that one should buy a Jinhao X159 to have the opportunity of trying out Oversize pens without breaking the budget. Great video!
I have 2 i love for my arthritic thumbs!! Light weight, filled with ink, toss ‘em in my bag in a plastic container with some pen stuff to keep ‘em from drying out very fast. I had problem with a lid break and the chinese vendor sent a new one ASAP! Very nice. Plus if one gets lost in travels.. no tears! I did a Doug Inkquiring Minds micro mesh on one nib to make smoother & finer. Gonna get a couple more for a few more experiments. Thanks for bringing this one up!…..wish i could have a giant-size TWSI with san 8 nib..,.arthritis hands would love it!
I really like my 159, one of my best fountain pen purchases ever. Yes, rather heavy, but a really nice writer with diamine ink in it, very smooth. The X159 is definitely on my wish list for the future as i really want to try the lighter weight and the bigger nib, but there's just so many wonderful pens out there that i also want to try.
As to the Montblanc version: if i had that money to spend on a pen i would not be buying a Montblanc. I think there's much prettier pens out there for the money. And it's all about the pretty factor, isn't it? LOL
Thanks for review.
Woot! Amazon has them in an extra fine now for 12.50. Ordered one! Great review, Thanks!
if you dont mind the waiting (from china to Spain where I live, two weeks) you can get this from AE for less than 6€ shipping included -- there you can find it in several colors with gold finish --- nib in F & EF - converter always included
I have eyedropped that nice pen and it holds a huge quantity of ink, I filled the barrel with adhesive paste "blue tack" till over the ring otherwise it would leak !and of course silicon grease on the thread of the nib section, really great!
Perhaps we need to discuss the Metropolitan. I find the threads too sharp for constant use. Love to hear your thoughts
I love my x159, it fits my larger hands perfectly and is a very smooth writer. Been thinking about added a couple more in different colors. Ali express has them in newer green and orange I’ve been eyeballing
I bought my black-blue and gold X159 from one of my usual eBay sellers for AUD 17.00 and it is am amazing pen! Mine has a two-tone nib which has a great flow and is buttery smooth (depending on course on your ink and paper). I now own a23 Jinhaos with more on the way, and they have all been great, but the X159 is by far the best of them all, far better than any of my Parkers and the Lamy I bought and don't much like.
Thank you very much, I ordered this 159 X pen as soon as I saw your video. I already have MB149 , Jinhao 159 and Jinhao X450, I find Jinhao X450 a little less good than MB 149 ... but not much ... :)
I am very curious to know if X159 will beat the original MB149 ... ?
Should I tell you?
Thanks for this! I have ordered me one to try. Matter of fact, maybe I will order one for all my family to maybe penable a few (without breaking the bank)! ❤
It’s the best pen ever. I have about 20 of the old metallic one (most of which are still in the original wrap) and about 12 of the new ones. Everyone I bought from China and from Amazon included a converter. The prices range between $7 delivered to the USA (Aliexpess) and $13 (amazon) delivered. Thanks for the review. By the way, I have the Mont Blanc 149 from 2000 and the 146 from 2000 too. They’re good, but nothing fancy. Especially not for the price. I prefer my Pelikans 1000, 800 and even the 250 a million times more than the MBs.
Great review. I checked with Amazon US and they do have other colors and even gold trim. I ordered a wine red and coffee brown both with gold tone nibs and trim. I have had good experiences with Jinhao pens.
I've had this lying on my desk for a while now (never inked), and after I saw your review, I will definitely give it a try, as well as the 159, which I also never inked. Thank you!
I just got one in dark navy and EF nib.
I also have this one as well the full
Metal 159’s love them all, although had a few issues with nib feed on one of my all metal ones, anywho, love your content and I agree with you! I haven’t been able to put my X159 down and use it all the time.
Hi always enjoy your videos. Not sure when you filmed but they do have a burgundy/wine color and a blue all with the option of silver and gold trim including the black one. Maybe as of black Friday (at least that is when I seen them) they also have 3 other colors they remind me of a vintage kitchen....there is a orange, a green, and a brown all available in silver and gold trim. Thank you for this review. You are always so detailed.
they come in so many colors now! wooo!
I got one in navy on EBay for $8.49 US$ and mine writes really well too
Thanks, Kerry! I'm with you on the pen and on Christmas calories, too!!!
Thanks for your review. I really like these pens. I've bought 5 of them now at £4 each and found them to write a little dry. With a little 'tuning' i.e. gently pressing the nib on the back of my thumb nail, the tines open up and it writes even better, a little wetter, a little more flowing ... not Pelikan wet but certainly wet enough. Great pen for the money!
I really appreciate your reviews-thank you.
Great review , thank you ,by the way , I live in Beijing (China), and I was able to find the Jinhao X159 in different colors ,I have it in blue and burgundy .
I like the energy. Brings smile to my face.😇
Great review! I've one X159 too, and agreed on all your views! I'm surprised that it's so expensive in Canada. I bought mine for MYR15 (USD3.41) from an online shopping platform popular here in Malaysia, with free shipping from china, converter included. For context, a Lamy safari is sold around MYR120 (USD 28) official retails store here.
And btw, X159 now comes with gold coloured trim and different colour options.
Thanks for the review. Does the nib unit and feed just pull out or is it in a screw type unit that one has to unscrew and then pull nib and feed out. Cheers
Merry Christmas and a happy new year.
In China, the Jinhao hometown, the Jinhao X159 costs around 4 dollars. I am so thrilled.
I have been using mine for a few weeks now and it has a premium look and feel, also a very smooth writer. Mine arrived with a medium nib. It’s hard to pick between this and my Jinhao X750’s, if only for the convenience of the snap cap. I like my metal 159’s too. I simply purchase extra gold plated #8 nibs as they’re cheap as chips and they’re generally reliable.
I also have the 9019 Dadao and the ink delivery system is fantastic, but it lacks the elegance of the X159. The Century 100’s I have just for eye candy.
Great review! 👍🏻
LOVE this pen! I just want one with a broad nib!
Got mine off aliexpress for $3 shipped. Plastic is pretty cheap but the nib writes impressively well. Diamine Oxblood actually comes out of mine as almost exactly the same color as the body (burgundy) itself, which is nice. Shape is unnoticeably different from my ~50s era 149 tbh. Not sure about modern nibs but my 149’s is a lot nicer feeling. Similarly smooth, but the 149 has that “butter” feeling, and some bounce, which my 159 doesn’t. Heard you can fit the 149 nib in the x159, but it won’t cap properly.
But yeah I agree it’s a great way to see if you like the shape.
Very cool, I will try one asap!
Goulet Pens has the Jonhao X159 with the converter for $15 US. I just bought the Jinhao X750 in Frosted Black (only comes in Medium) which I got with a converter at Goulet Pens for $4.95 on Black Friday (usually $9.90), and I really like it. And I adore the Jinhao 51A in wood (Fine); it writes soooooo beautifully. But my fave pen remains my Pilot Metropolitan in Retro Gray with the 1.1 mm stub nib -- still MAGICAL!!!!
Just got here and loved your videos.... ❤️
Great pens - I got a maroon colour with gold trim for the cost of a couple of cups of coffee. Rights so well…not sure how they do it?
Thanks Kerry! I was waiting for a review of the pen, trusting your opinion I'm going to order mine from Amazon, I think there's a xfine available now
I have a Sailor KOP and MB 149 and I just ordered the X159. I’m excited to compare and try it for myself.
The ink flowed without any skipping…looks like it could be used for outdoor sketching, I’m going to see if fountain pen hospital in New York City carries it.
Mine in wine arrives tomorrow. Can't wait. It's gotten so many good reviews, I couldn't resist.
Nice video to fill the time waiting six weeks schipment from China to Europe. I orderd two X159 (black en burgundy to be filled with Daimine Oxblood😄) and Diamine Wild Strawberry ink. Can’t wait to try them
I'm curious how the size compares to your Benu Briolette?
Sold!
Oddly, I was filling my pens today...
I'm anxious to check out this Jinhao.
(Yes, I've seen a Montblanc...
Nope.
They now come in silver and gold trim. The colors are Black,white, brown, red, avocado, dark green, orange, and Navy. They now have xf and f nib ( the usual round up from Chinese pens) .. US ebay has them from $7.00 to $15.00 ... I am sure they will have replacement nibs soon. I couldn't help but to buy them in each color. I even had a nib ground in a specialty grind (Flex). The only down side... and it's a pick is that QC is sometimes lacking and replacement nibs are hard to come by. Also the come with converters
My recent JH x450 showed signs of inking (blue in my case,) and I am pursuing an understanding where there is indeed an adopted QC by JH, or if it is being done to fake one. Hoping for the best, if they are pursuing better QC, and upping their game with better construction, and finishing, then the brand deserves our attention by providing good writing experiences, period. BTW, per online resources by various sources, the FP manufacturers have a vast history of adopting each other's designs, and tech, so JH has license to continue to do what they do, aside from any activities leading to legal prosecution. Let's not forget early Waterman, and Parker, to name a few forerunners in innovations pre and post WWII.
my x159 came with a converter, I love it so much i am waiting on a 9019 to arrive soon. I have been told the rubber ring is to prevent a cracking problem related to over tightening. And to be totally fair, I was so fond of my x159, that my wife now uses my Mont Blanc because I am happier with the x159. I know that may make me an oddball, but it is what it is
Another good and informative video. Like how you tell it like it is. I bought all colors with the exception of the green apple variant and with the majority of them they wrote fine out of the package. I found them for $7.88 free shipping on ebay. You are absolutely right they are not a 149 (which I recommend you try yourself in person at a montblanc boutique, if you're able to) or a sailor KOP, but in this economy they are perfect and you can use your misbehaved inks in them without worry. If you lose one, better it be this than a montblanc 149. Ouch! I purchased my 149 used and let's just say it skipped like a child with money on its way to the ice cream truck. Worked on it myself with utube tutorials, it's fine now. eBay has a mandarin orange sailor kop for $961. I bought my jinhao x159 orange in the chrome trim for $7.88 just saying.
All Jinhao reviews put a smile on my face. It's a flawless pen at that price point...then again just my opinion.
Mine fell apart after 3 months, clip came off cap came undone, this was after nib section kind of stopped screwing in so i used crazy glue. I do love the pen tho
Have always wanted a MB 149 but they are so costly. The Jinhao 159 scratches that itch. Fine video as always.
A 149 is costly because it's a real fountain pen made from very high quality materials, and not a cheap piece of plastic with a cheap, very low grade stainless steel nib.
I bought one out of curiosity. Out of the box, my pen was pleasant to hold and unpleasant to use. There was a bit of skipping on the cross strokes and upward slating strokes - enough skipping to be annoying. It was a bear to remove the nib and feed from the grip section, a task that I finally accomplished with the assistance of Gorilla Tape. I spread the tines enough to insert two brass strips and then pulled them gently in opposite directions to separate the tines slightly. It was hard to re-insert the nib and feed, and I am not sure if I got them in as deeply as they were originally inserted; however, I could not insert them any farther. I then made a few strokes with the assembled pen on Mylar paper. Now the pen is working well. The pen has been filled with Noodler’s Liberty’s Elysium. I read that Noodler’s inks are perhaps not the best choice for Jinhao pens, so I will try a Diamine or Monteverde ink next time, or perhaps one of the Noodler’s Eel inks. I can’t say that this is my favorite pen, but I do enjoy using it.
I've bought 3 of them: One is fantastic, a great writer with a surprising amount of bounce and line variation. One is just OK, not bad but not as smooth. And one is pretty bad, with a lot of skipping. Bottom line, at this price I can't complain much -- the good one is worth 3 times its price, so I could throw out the other 2 and still have my money's worth. But I would advise people to adjust expectations for now regarding quality control, hope for the best and maybe consider buying more than one for insurance.
@Teh Psychedelic Definitely not "disposable" - they are solid and usable, and I have no doubt they could last a long time..
Hi. New subscriber here :) I am giving myself the X159 for Christmas. I am very much a fountain pen noob. I have two Lamy Safaris - each with a different nib size. I have a Platinum Preppy on the way too. :) First time using a converter. So....my question.....What are you favorite black inks? Top 2 or 3. Please and thank you. I watched your Top 5 Most Used Inks video. I wish I was more into colors but I am a basic black kinda guy. Although that Montblanc Single Malt....well....it speaks to me. :)
Every now and then I pull out my expensive Visconti pens.. to look at them because they have been finicky even with tuning and nib meistering.. my x 159 in dark blue is fun and writes well. I’ve been also enjoying my two Majohn mini fountain pens..thanks Kerry,Frank in Colorado
I bought the black with silver and gold trim. I bought a blue one and red wine color. All came with a size 8 nib, and converter. Very very light
They have other colors, I have blue with gold trim. :) Just takes a bit longer to get here. I completely agree with your review, especially your thoughts about the nib. Fatter than it should be for an F, kinda dry but super smooth. My issue is if I tune it to be wet it'll be even wider again, so I'm leaving it alone. The nib is just too broad for me. If they offer an EF at some point though I'll be jumping on that!
I found the EF on eBay!
There are EFs on Ali express and EBay.
Thank you so much for this review. I am the odd one that loves a heavy pen. My first purchase was Duke Charlie Chaplin with a fude nib. I now have it coming in a fine nib(one vendor said it actually is more like a medium nib) I now have 10 Jinhao x750 and would love to see a video comparing all Jinhao models.
I purchased two today from Amazon. One in blue and the other in orange. I'm looking forward to trying out a steel #8 nib.
Ok. I just ordered one in wine. I have 2 Jinhao 80’s and absolutely love them!
Great video! Great attitude its contagious hehe New subscriber here!
Hear, hear! My x159 was an eight dollar lesson that taught me how much I personally dislike pens this size. I followed it up with a PGS and a Prera and I love them both.
Question, give your more honest reco for a fountain pen to draw.. Thanks
Love your t-shirt, so true
This pen is actually available in other colours. I have a black with silver trim and a burgundy with gold trim.
I really love this pen. I have many pens already but wanted to try one with a girthy section, it feels really comfortable.
When I ordered it I was actually sent an OG 159. I was pissed because I think it is completely ugly and too heavy but I was able to return it and get an X159. Both nibs write amazingly and perfectly.
I would actually recommend this pen for people starting out in fountain pens.
I don't really care for the MB 149 because I like to take and use my pens at work.
The Pen is great. And it is available in a view other colors also. I own it in Dark Blue and Black. Both with Gold Trim. Hope we willbget it soon with a medium nib.
Hola. Cordial saludo. Hay muchas situaciones distintas a las que menciona en la revisión.
Ahora hay varios colores y algunos de ellos tienen la posibilidad de elegir entre acabados dorados y plateados. Además ya se consigue el plumón en EF y F. Puedes consultar esto en varias páginas en aliexpress.
Las últimas versiones incluyen algunas mejoras a los primeros X159. Yo tengo 3 negros con acabados plateados (versión inicial) y otros 3 en colores y las ultimas versiones ciertamente mejoran en: 1) reducen el numero de giros que hay que dar para desmontar el capuchón, 2) Además el grabado del nombre y referencia aumentan en tamaño. 3) Accesorios en tono dorado y 4) al menos 7 colores nuevos (azul, verde musgo, verde chatee, blanco, borgoña, café y naranja) Cordial saludo desde Medellín, Colombia.
They do have choices on etsy..
I think it is true. The only pen I keep among top quality 30 Chinese pens. This is the only keeper pen so far.
Carrie, when I search amazon for this pen how do I know I've found the authentic 159? There are many listings for both 159 and x 159 but not sure the sellers even know the difference. Also there are other brand names on the listings, and I've found lots of colors and trims and nib sizes. (contrary to what you said in your video) I'd really like to try this pen - can you help? (Hey - maybe you could do a video on how to shop amazon, ebay, etc. for pens and how to make sure you are getting what you think you're getting)
I ordered two of them. One I inked up with a Diamine, the other one with a Pilot ink. Both pens were scratchy and awful to write with. I had to put a lot of pressure on the nib to make them write. The lines sometimes were thick, then thin, then no line at all. Send them back the same day.
Thank you for this suggestion, always nice for me since I am closer to the bottom 1% income. Montblanc is for the yacht club level.
Wow, I’ve been away from the pen world but unless my eyes are playing tricks on me, you lost lots of weight, congratulations. Hope you make a video about it for the couch potatoes like myself. 😊
I used to have the Monteblanc Meisterstuck 149, and I really miss it. I think I may get one of these. But, one of the things I liked about the 149 was the huge amount of ink it held.
Get another 149. Do not buy this rubbish.
Absolutely right! I have one, and I do like it better than the original.
"Precious resin" is basically a Google Translate type translation fail for "plastic." So, plenty of high end pens are just plastic. 😁 Even the Lexan (Plexiglas) used in the original Parker 51 is just a plastic. "Resin" as used in pens is generally just plastic. (Resin used to just mean tree sap. Don't know any pens made of tree sap. 😁)
Again, I agree with you about the X159. Of course, as it's an oversize number 8 nib, currently you're kind of stuck with the nib it came with right now. And there's those who dislike anything that's not a broad or wider. Not for them.
I cut my teeth on fountain pens decades ago, and I got used to the medium and finer most US vintage used, so this pen ticks a lot of the right boxes for me.
Are there better out there? Certainly! Just not in the same price range, generally. And nothing else like it in the size.
And as to it's being a copy... Even Montblanc copied the shape from the same era Sheaffer and the original piston from Pelikan. Copying has been a thing since the first fountain pens, and unlike this Jinhao, sometimes when they were still in copyright.
There is a real difference between a resin and "plastic". Yes, the term "resin" originated from tree saps that cured over time (like amber) but nowadays the term refers to any material that cures due to some chemical reaction (like acrylics) and cannot be changed after that (NB: ebonite is a cured rubber but not a plastic). So a pen made from a resin has to be made by turning from a solid rod. "Plastic" mostly refers to a material that can be heated and then moulded into any form (polystyrene, polycarbonate, ABS etc.). Injection moulding allows producing large numbers in a short time reducing production costs.
So you have to check the description of a pen carefully. A resin pen always means more effort to produce it and it will most likely be more durable. But even some expensive pens are made by injection moulding like the transparent Platinum 3776 (which is still a very good pen). On the other hand, companies like PenBBS use acrylics (which is a resin) for most of their (rather inexpensive) beautiful pens.
There are many grades and many types of plastic, and saying that even high end pens are made from plastic is just silly. The 159 is not a copy of anything. That's like saying a Tonka truck is a copy of the real thing. The 159 has the basic shape of the 149, and that's it. It's made from incredibly cheap plastic, and there is a MAJOR difference between this cheap plastic crap and the resin used in quality pens. "A plastic" is a silly, silly statement, and you should actually do some real research before saying such things. The 159 is an eighty cent pen. Even with the inhumanly low wages the workers are paid, you can use quality materials and make a pen for eighty cents.
Some of the Jinhao and other pens actually sell for fifty cents in China. Yeah, "just plastic". Cheap children's toys are also plastic, so is the plastic wrap you use in the kitchen. It's like building your house and the balcony out of balsa wood rather than southern pine and redwood because it's all just wood. The nib is even worse. It may be smooth, but big deal. It's still made of incredibly low-grade stainless steel, and the tipping is just as bad. The entire pen costs eighty cents to make, so how much do you suppose the nib cost? Of course, metal is all just metal, right? So the cheap, low-grade stainless steel used for the nib and tipping is just as just as the high-grade stainless steel and far harder, longer wearing tipping on quality pens. Plastic is plastic and metal is metal, so we really only need one type of each to do everything.
It's one thing to own such a "pen", but it's something completely different when you try to compare it to the materials used in a high end pen. Like all such pens, the 159 is an incredibly cheap plastic.
You can keep telling yourself this is a quality pen, and that it is somehow a 149 substitute, but you have to know better. It's just one more Jinhao pen that's shaped a little differently than the other crappy Jinhao pens. This is the main thing China does. Change the shape or size of the cheap plastic, and in this case put on a little larger cheap nib that will not last with steady use, and people think it's something new. It isn't.
Excellent pen for the cost... it's an inexpensive pen and lacks quality, but again for the price, it fabulous. Well done. Thanks for sharing.
WOULD A 149 nib fit the x159?
I love this pen, but really wish they’d offer some other nib options!!
I got in on these early, when the quality was pretty spotty. Had two where the cap fell apart. I wanted to let them know the enthusiasm was there for this upgrade, so I don’t mind. I’m going to buy the improved version in some new colors now that they’re available. The one that didn’t come apart is a gem of a writer, and I expected poor quality from the first batch. I won’t be as forgiving if the next one performs that way, but I even adored the 159 that weighed a semiton and had some ugly hardware issues. I still use my rose gold one, and get compliments.
It is genuinely a very good pen! You should look further, this pen exist in all combinaisons of fine or extra fine, black or burgundy, gold or silver trim. And at least on Amazon France, you can find all these SKUs. Don't know about in Canada tho 🙂
Yup. I've gifted two already. I completely agree with your assessment of the value of this pen. If one wants a grail MB, get it, because it is MB. The writing experience will not be the same factors as the ... grail? ... difference. My x159 writes beautifully. Would I be all in for a piston fill, 14k nib x159? Beyond question!!! Until then, "settling" for this pen isn't lowering one's standards much.
I bought the blue one with golden metalparts of Aliexpress.... less than 7 € with shipping.... But I had to wait a few weeks.