Five Cheap Fountain Pens: An Artist's Recommendations
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- Опубліковано 1 гру 2022
- In this video I'm going to show you five popular inexpensive pens, and give you my recommendations as to whether you should get them.
If you'd like to purchase these pens and inks through Amazon, and support my channel, please use my affiliate link:
Hong Dian Black Forest, EF: amzn.to/4elpZMJ
Ink: Rohrer Klingner Sepia: amzn.to/4b2KWJE
Muji Aluminum Pen, EF: amzn.to/4ckXm0f
Ink: : Kaweco Blue Black: amzn.to/4ccax3I
Jin Hao X159: amzn.to/4enGkk0
Ink: Noodler’s Lexington Grey: amzn.to/3z6qcDy
Moonman P136: amzn.to/3VJU8Nt
Ink: Noodler's Brown: amzn.to/4bZWLl3
Moonman C1: amzn.to/3VspyaG
Ink: Diamine Matador: amzn.to/4c2cUq1
Timestamps:
Intro: 0:00
Hong Dian Black Forest, EF 2:20
Muji Aluminum Pen, EF 9:03
Jin Hao X159 13:50
Moonman P136 19:45
Moonman C1 24:02
Conclusion: 27:54
Thanks for this!
I got a pack of four Ooly fountain pens at Barnes&Noble for $17, and while they are definitely very wet and not meant for anything finer than note-taking, I genuinely love them for drawing. I'm also a college student who grew up in poverty and the thought of spending over $30 on a pen is *appalling* so I am definitely biased.
I was pretty poor in college, and completely get it. But sometimes you end up spending more on cheaper stuff because it’s disposable or breaks quickly. Call it the hidden cost of being poor. You can’t afford a better, more durable item so you end up buying something that needs to be replaced frequently.
I've had my oolys for 2 years now, and I use them as note takers. Mostly cus they are cheap and I'm not worried about leaving them out. I've dropped them several times in their tenure and they are still in great condition. The only thing I dislike is the wick, which makes it hard to fully clean, but I just ink them up with the same ink over and over. Anyways, they are excellent pens.
@@Saborico7g Well, it sounds like I'll have to check these Oolys out then. Maybe they'll make it to the sequel of this video!
I discovered the MUJI thanks to Peter Draws, and I absolutely love it! I still prefer Lamy Safari's for writing, but that perfectly symmetrical minimalist round aluminium body is just perfect for drawing with.
Well, I’m glad to confirm how great this pen is. I’m not as big a fan of the pen body, but that nib is exceptional.
Keep up the great work, sir! Love all the videos you make and you have the best hatching tutorials around ❤️ as someone trying to wrap their head (no pun) around form hatching, your advice has been invaluable.
Thank you for the compliment! I plan to dedicate more time to this channel year. Stay tuned!
Just found your channel. I have been looking for pen artists on UA-cam forever and there are only a handful of helpful ones. You are one of my new favorites. Thank you!
Thanks Derek! I’m so glad my channel is gradually finding an audience of like minded people. More stuff in the way!
Love ur videos man helped me so much as another artist that's into fountain pens and specifically flex nibs and making the FPR flex nibs work in different kinds of pens.
Was really happy to find that your channel isn't dead and that you still post.
Merry Christmas.
Thanks! I’m planning on being more active with this channel next year. More fountain pen/drawing stuff on the way!
Thank you sooo much for an amazing review! So detail
much love for the black forest. i got it with the fude nib and love it. Thanks for your videos Marc; your art is beautiful, and you're an excellent teacher. All the best :)
Thank you so much, Anni! I think the Hong Dian would make an excellent fude pen, considering how wet it writes.
I'm not in need of a fountain pen but watched anyway for the drawing in the thumbnail. That last pen was such a dissapointment, the tests alone foreshadowed the drawing. Really shows you how important the right tool for the job is.
I had such high hopes for the C1, but this company is always coming up with new stuff, some of it not bad, so perhaps they'll also start making better nibs.
Great to see your face, Marc! I love your channel, your tips and your drawings. I like to draw and got into fountain pen because of your channel. This video is super helpful! I've bought the majohn M2 and the nib is very inconsistent. It's a lame nib in a very well made acrilic body. Then I bought a Jinhao hooded nib. It's a very cheap and very good pen, but very wet too. The line is almost an M. So, I am going to get the Jinhao x159 because of your review and a Pilot 78g.
Thank you for the kind words, Fabio! I’m glad to hear that others have also had bad experiences with
Moonman, because after I posted this video I started to feel bad for trashing the company. And I need to try more Jinhaos. I’ve had plenty of X750’s over the years, but that’s about it.
Such professional review! Really liked your nearly "scientific" approach and well explained views! Thanks
Thank you, Aleksi!
Good to finally put a face with the voice! Great reviews. Love how fast and precise you relay the information. Cheers!
Thanks Cherice! I was told that showing my face would improve viewership. We’ll see. :)
@@mkompan I agree! It makes you seem real, lol
Good to see this type of review. I am entering the fountain pen drawing world and also get my grandkids started.
Glad to be of service!
Thanks- your tests are great and very helpful in selection of a pen 👍
Thanks!
I have the Muji & the Moonman C1, C2 & C4. I have changed out the nibs on all the Moonman pens by soaking the nib sections in warm soapy water for half an hour or so. It is best done with the nib, feed & collar mounted in the section & using a grippy rubber pad. This avoids applying undue stress to the nib collar. It can be a bit of a struggle the first time but is much easier thereafter. Keeping the barrel attached to the section gives better purchase.
BTW; I really like the Muji, but I have not found a way to access the feed. I like to play with 'dangerous' inks such as iron gall & pigmented varieties. I like the ability to easily field strip my C-series Moonmans (after the initial disassembly) & give them a thorough clean. If Murphy's Law does kick in, I have a small box of spare #6 feeds which only set me back a few dollars.
Thanks for the comment and the advice! It’s strange, but even with soaking and a rubber grip I’ve had no luck. Maybe I losing my grip strength in my advanced age. :) I recently purchased two more Moonman pens and the nib and feed pop right out in both. What’s more, other people have commented that they’ve managed to pull out their nibs with relative ease. One of life’s many mysteries…
Very useful comparison, with not only vocal explanation but also plenty of visual representation due to the good but quick tests showing us all the necessary traits of the pens.
Think I'm getting the MUIJI.
I like the materials used, slender design and the performance seems great.
I'm sure it will be a vast improvement over the Jotter FP for drawing.
Thanks! Good call on getting the Muji. I can’t get over how great the nib is.
Excellent video. Thanks for removing the temptation to try Moonman. I've found Jinhao's remarkably long-lasting and pleasant to use too. (If you're prone to losing pens or caps - like me- only taking budget pens outside the studio seems a sensible approach to avoid heartbreak.) Good to see you at last. Many thanks.
Thank you! This is my first time posting a bad review of a pen, and I was hesitant to do it, but it looks like I’m not the only one disappointed by Moonman nibs, so I think I’m right in telling people to stay away. And I also lose stuff, so having cheap pens for outside the studio is a necessity.
Thanks so much for the detailed video for beginners!
My pleasure!
Thanks for the review! I have a Hongdian Black Forest Max (EF nib) which the grip section is parallel along the pen and #6 nib, really beautiful and write so smooth. Want to try a fude nib one too. Another recommend Jinhao pen from my opinion is Jinhao 1001 03 nib, it’s got a Lamy style nib that reversed nib is very reliable, desk pen model and very lightweight. Maybe I will get X159 later!
You're welcome! I'll have to give the Black Forest Max a try. Pens that use #6 nibs are a favorite of mine, because you can swap the nib out for so many other options. Perhaps I'll include it in the sequel to the video. Thanks for the recommendations!
no idea if anyone mentioned it, but shout out to the platinum preppy,
cheap, reliable, and eyedropper convertable, and if you hate the utilitarian body/design you can get a platinum little shooting star or prefounte which is the same nib and feed section but just in cooler colors
I’ve mentioned the Preppy a bunch of times in my videos, including giving an honorable mention in my 5 best pens for artists. It’s a great little pen with a super reliable, albeit super stiff nib, and the fact that it can be eye-dropped is fantastic. I felt that it’s been given enough recognition however, and wanted to try cheaper pens that are just entering the Market.
Hi Mark, great video!
I also love sketching and drawing with fountain pens. The pilot 95es and the Muji are fantastic pens but the one I use most for sketching is the wing sung 610A, others cheap ones that I have and I also really like to draw with are the wing sung 626, the faber castell loom and the hero 395 that has a nib which allows for some line variation and is very cheap. Wing sung 699 and jinhao 75 are not bad either.
Good drawings!
Thank you! I’ve had bad experiences with Wingsun, but Chinese pens evolve so quickly that I’ll have to take another look. This video seems to be getting a lot of attention, so I’ll have to make a sequel soon.
Looking forward for the sequel.
Ha, I just recommended the muji as a first pen to a friend and he got it today!
Good to see you face - love a messy studio.
Good recommendation! It’s the perfect pen for those that have never used a fountain pen before.
Hello, thanks for the video I must say I just started drawing Jin Hao x159 and it is great. I have many extensive and expensive pens like duponts, townsends, Mont blancs but I must say this is an excellent pen that you recommended I love writing with it. I just got it two days ago and I just seem to keep picking it up just like you do anyways I highly recommend it to your viewers you won't go wrong and it's only like 12 euros here in Spain so buy with confidence. Cheers and thanks again for the video and the info - kind regards Adrian
You’re welcome, Adrian! It’s interesting how many very experienced fountain pen users enjoy the X159. Por cierto, saludos desde España. Estamos visitando a la familia de mi esposa en Madrid.
Great review! Thanks!
You’re welcome!
I so appreciate your efforts. I am just starting to draw with fountain pens and I really appreciate your four part test. I had many Jinhaos that didn’t work until I gave them a good cleaning. Now I love them. I will be looking forward to your videos.👍🥰
Thank you for the kinds words, Annamarie. More videos on the way!
I received a Black Forest just days ago. It's a great reverse writer and I enjoy using it. However, I find the nib isn't fine enough, as you pointed out yourself. So thank you very much for turning me on to Fountain Pen Revolution!
Glad to hear my review was consistent with your experience. The 5.5 Ultraflex worked great in this pen-I would buy the Black Forest just to do that swap.
I ❤ my Black Forest FPs but I also like a medium wet writer so these fit the bill perfectly and cheap enough to have multiples. The Jinhao ones I never had any luck with out of the cheapie brands.
so fantastic, thank you
My pleasure!
great info, fountain pens are fun to use!
Thanks!
TWSBI diamond 580 great pen for sketching. I use it with nib. Pen holds large amount of ink, is a piston filler, writes first time after standing and nib is wet. TWSBI ECO is similar and also very good.
The TWSBI Eco is one of my favorite budget pens. The 580 pushes past the “cheap” category however, it is a very useful pen. That said, I’ve noticed some cracking on them lately. Nothing major, compromising the function of them pen, but I imagine that it could become a problem with time.
That Black Forest with its Fude nib option is a joy to use!!!😎😎😎
Given how wet the feed is, I’m sure the fude nib works great. Will have to try it!
hey! face reveal! love the channel Marc, I use the using a brush and water on ink drawings and the three crayons videos for reference all the time :)
Yeah, I’ve been told that showing your face helps with channel growth, so here I am. :) I’m glad to hear that you’re finding my channel useful.
As a small-handed woman any barrel diameter wider than 1cm feels uncomfortable. It’s good to have some slim ones recommended!
Glad this was useful! I have a video about pocket pens with a lot of small pen recommendations. Vintage Pilot Elites are very slender and surprisingly comfortable.
Interesting. I bought a Moonman/Majohn C1 as a fude. It came with a #6 JinHao fude nib installed, and it's my favorite fude pen. I also think it's one of my prettiest pens.
It is a very pretty pen. I’ll have to track down a fude nib for it.
I am a sucker for cheap fountain pens :). Jinhao is great option for the people who are looking for cheap fountain pen. I recently got a few 992, replaced the nib on one of them with Jinhao fude nib and works great. Another option is Wingsung pens, especially 3008. You can get 4 of them for reasonably good price. Not only Chineese brands, Parker Jotter CT pens have fine nib, fairly cheap and cheaper when on sale.
In this video Muji pen really took my attention. I would like to own the pen in the future...
I’m a sucker for them too. So many of them are neat looking and have interesting filling systems. I’ve had some bad experiences with Wingsung, but this is a very dynamic market, and things are constantly evolving, so perhaps the newer stuff they’ve putting out is better.
Very helpful video, thanks for this. In your experienced opinion, what are the very best (regardless of cost) extra-fine fountain pens out there? Thanks again for doing these great videos!
You’re welcome. I think the best are made by Pilot. I just got a Pilot Kakuno, and it’s excellent. The gold nibs made by Pilot, such as the ones on Pilot Custom 74, are exceptional.
@@mkompan I agree. I just bought a Pilot Kakuno EF and it's a terrific little pen. Plus bonus it's a soft nib so I'm getting the same amount of line variation as with the Pilot Custom SF only with a finer line. It's way less scratchy than the Preppy 02 and feels more durable. I was surprised to see that there's no cap clip, but I actually like it because it's more compact.
I got the Muji a few years back and I just absolutely love it. I've heard the quality has called off drastically recently though. Bummer. They were soo nice.
Really? Where did you hear that? This might be worth investigating, and making a video.
Great video! I wonder how you would find the Pilot Varsity. It is dirt cheap at around $5 and can be refilled although it is not necessarily designed to be so. And they practically never dry out, in fact, I have pulled Varsitys out of a drawer after not using them for nearly a decade and they still wrote without any hesitation!
Thanks! I’ve never used a varsity, but I think they’re similar to Platinum Preppies, which I love. I’ll have to give the Varsity a try.
Amazing
I use Jinhao, Noodler's, and Kanwrite.
Thanks for your tips
Thanks! Kanwrite actually makes pens for Noodler’s.
You have to try FPR's Muft with a flex nib. It has absolutely NEVER railroaded on me, and its lightness/nimbleness makes it a delight to use. Please give it a try! Would love to see what you think!
Thanks for the recommendation. I’ve been hesitating to buy more pens from FPR, since the build quality of the one I bought was poor, and based on what I’ve seen of recent reviews, there hasn’t been improvement. For now I’m enjoying their excellent flex nibs in other pen bodies, but I’ll keep your advice in mind.
Awesome video. The inexpensive fountain pens reviews are also useful for people like me that live outside of the US and due to currencies being deflated find that what qualifies as inexpensive to people in the US is still expensive to us.
If you liked the Hong Dian Balck Forest and the Muji fountain pen, there is a "hybrid" between them: Take a look athe the Hongdian H3 (AKA Hongdian Bamboo ddue to the clip styling). It has a similar styling and build materials to the Muji but it's made by hongdian. I'd love to see your review of that one.
Another request, if I may, is for a more thorough comparisson between the performance of the nibes on the Muji and the Pilot Falcon. I find it hard to believe a Jovo nib will perform that similarly to the aternatively designed gold nib on the Falcon. If it does I'll buy a Muji next month, but I'd like to be more sure since I have watched many reviews of the Muji - since I like the styling - and although they weren't done with drawing in mind - which is also my use for fountain pens - they have never talked about the Muji nib as being in any way flexible.
Thank you! I’ll have to review this hybrid Black Forest in the next batch of cheaper pens I review. Given how well this video is doing, I’ll probably be doing another one soon. Give the public what they want.
I’m not sure a comparison between the Muji and the Falcon warrants a full video, but UA-cam is trying to get everyone to make shorts, so perhaps I’ll make a little video of that. And yes, the flexibility is very comparable. It’s not a question of
The Muji being that flexible, it’s that the Falcon’s flexibility is exaggerated. It’s really a pretty stiff nib, not even considered semi-flex by most flex users.
@@mkompan Thanks fot the answer. I’ll be looking forward to both the future video and the short.
Thank you for this video. I'm slowly beginning to explore options beyond the Metropolitan, a pen I found through your channel and love so much I've avoided looking further until now. I recently tried a Jinhao 95 and love the ergonomics even better but the extra fine nib is a bit too scratchy for me., but the fine nib is excellent. Anyway, what is the red sketchbook you're using in this video? It looks like the size and paper quality I'm looking for. Thanks again!
You're welcome! I'm using a Talens Art Creations multimedia sketchbook.
@@mkompan Huh! Thank you!
The fountain pens that are working for me are the Moonman C2 Fine (about $25) and the Pilot Penmanship EF ($10 each). The nibs are not flexible but reverse quite well. The Pilot is my favourite. The line is so thin it is like a crow quill. Though the Pilot converter doesn't hold much ink.
Thanks for the input Michael. Moonmoon pens are hit or miss for me. Sometimes they work very well and sometimes they suffer from poor ink-flow and scratchy nibs.
Just bought the Muji pen. LOVE IT.!! I find it far cheaper and smoother than my Lamy Safari. Trimmer body too. Thank you for your reviews! How do I switch to permanent ink? Refill the cartridge once it’s empty?
You’re welcome! By permanent do you mean waterproof? The only waterproof inks that comes in international short cartridges is made DeAtramentis. I usually refill cartridges.
This is a wonderful video. Just wanted to confirm before buying, the FPR 5.5 ultra-flex nib and Black Forest is the budget flex pen setup.
Thanks, and yes that’s correct.
Thanks for confirming! I was also thinking about the flex and not ultra-flex nib, is the price difference worth it?
@@ShawneeUnion sure! If you really value flexibility in a nib then it’s worth it. The unaltered flex nib is a nice semi-flex which is perfectly fine for most flex purposes.
great video. Did you know the Moonman/MaJohn C3 body perfectly fits the nib and feed of a Pilot Parallel? i have a few set up. fun for drawing!
I have replaced the nibs on many moonman C1 pens. mine all just pull right out.
Thanks! I believe you’ve mentioned that the C3 fits the Pilot Parallel in one of my other videos. Not that I feel like buying another Moonman pen, but I’ll have to try it. And I don’t why I had so much trouble removing the nib. Perhaps some editions are glued in while other are not?
Diplomat magnum medium nib is my cheap go-to. I bought a couple of years ago for $15 usd. They retail now for 20-23. A great pen. I’m looking forward to getting a fine nib someday.
Thanks for that recommendation! I’ll look into that pen.
i bought a p 136 and as you say the nib is a dud, I had the luck to be able to remove it unscrewing without the special tool, the nib and feed wrapped in rubber (bicycle inner tube) .I was able to replace it with a # 6 architect (kind of ) two tones nib by Jinhao , the pen is transformed , juicy, smooth, first start every time, a joy to use with all the comforts the pen offers .
I was able to unscrew it without the tool, but had no luck in pulling out the nib. I’m a Judo player, so I don’t think it’s about my grip strength. :)
It’s good to hear that it works with other nibs, however. I’ll have to give it another try.
Great video! Is that 'custom Narwhal' a Peter pen!? :)
It is!
Thanks for your amazing reviews and drawing videos. Do you have experience with Lamy safari? I recently bought one with fine nib (the black nib). It worked well for 2 months and after that seems to be dry and only writes if I press harder. I disassembled all parts and submerged and cleaned with warm water, soap and a brush. But after 2 days some issue again, I need to make pressure for the ink to flow. I am going crazy with this fountain pen.
You’re welcome! Sorry, I don’t own the Safari and have no experience with it. By all parts, did you remove the nib from the feed? Residue can accumulate under the nib that can’t be removed unless you scrub it off.
You could also try using a piece of acetate or brass shim to clean out the ink channel on the feed, which also clog.
@@mkompanI just tried with a shin. With aluminum foil folded once and twice because I don’t have access to buy brass shims right now. It’s softer but I think it did the job! And I also found very dried ink in the nib slit when moving the shim, which I couldn’t remove by other means. Thanks!!
Thanks!
Thank you! 😀
@@mkompanwanted to say thanks again. It’s not perfect but I swapped the nibs on the Black Forest and have an affordable flex nib pen now! Nib sticks out a bit longer but I can live with that
@@ShawneeUnion glad it working for you, but the nib should go all the way in. It’s a tight fit, but not so hard to do if you use a rubber grip.
Hi Marc -I picked up a Jim Hao X159; the nib looks well tuned under my loupe but I'm having a heck of a time with skipping. The flow starts the line for a couple centimeters -then I get a skip -and then a continuation of the line. I used a feeler's gauge to make sure it wasn't too tight but no luck. What would your next step be? I will admit I haven't soaked the thing yet -I will try that next but then I'm out of ideas
Sorry to hear that. A soaking/flush is always a good idea. The ink channel can sometimes be clogged with manufacturing debris, so I would run a sheet of acetate through to make sure it's clear. The tines on these nibs can also be tight so you can pull the shoulders back slightly (essentially gently flattening the curve of the nib) to loosen the tension, making the pen write wetter (and with less skipping.) Other than that, get another nib. The QC on these pens is not great, so it might just be that you got a dud.
Hello. I love your video's. Whats your thoughts on Micron pens for drawing ???
Thank you! I like microns a lot, and used to use them frequently before getting into fountain pens, which I now prefer because of the larger range of inks available, and their ability to vary line thickness.
I would recommend you to try the Sailor Fude de Mannen pen if you haven’t. A nice pen to draw with although with a different aspect to it, it has the tip bent so depending on the angle it produces different thickness in lines almost strokes and they come in two different variants (the angle degrees of the bent tip) And I think these are less than $20 each
Thanks for the recommendation! I’m very familiar with the Fude De Mannen and fudes in general. I even have several tutorials on them on my channel.
@@mkompan oops Now I'm seeing the videos titles from a year ago 😅
@@renegmw no worries. I love drawing with fudes and wish more artists knew about them.
you gotta get the moonman C1 with the kaigelu ef nib. mine is fantastic and flow is perfect. love that pen.
Hmmm, I just couldn't get the original nib out of the housing, don't know why. I'll try it again (maybe after soaking), and try to track to a kaigelu nib. Thanks for the tip!
@@mkompan just tbc the one i ordered on amazon had the kaigelu nib already installed. i think this was because at the time moonman didn’t manufacture their own ef, only fine and medium, although i’m just speculating here
something I would reccomend would be the zebra zensations disposable fountain pen, they are easy to use and they work like proper drawing tools
Thank for the tip! I'll look into those.
@@mkompan also one note, they are not as good as other fountain pens, as they really just feel somewhat like rollerball pens and are really easy to maintain.
@@Kyt7077 I think if you want something very inexpensive but that still functions well, I would go with a Platinum Preppy. It works as well as many more expensive pens, and has the added benefit of being refillable.
You should’ve tried the Black Forest with a fude nib. Both of the Black Forest pens are actually my favorites.
I’ll have to try it. Given how generous the feed is on the Hong Dian, it should work great with a fude nib.
That’s what I call a review!
Thank you!
I think the fountain pen is an acceptably useful tool for the artist. Although I have yet to see many good drawings done with it. It is somewhat more limited than more traditional pen and ink tools.
Depends what you're doing with your pen.
I use both and really, a fountain pen can do everything a dip pen can, but has the advantage of portability, making it much better outside of the studio.
Hi Marc, I have found that I can remove just about any nib/feed from a pen with Gorilla Tape. Just wrap the tape around the nib/feed and pull. My Jinhao x159 skipped annoyingly on the upstroke, so I removed the nib/feed (with Gorilla Tape) and flossed the tines with brass sheets. Now the pen writes beautifully, but more like a medium.
Thanks for that tip, Barbara! Someone on Facebook suggested soaking the housing unit in warm water and detergent. I’ll have to give both a try.
Do let us know if those strategies worked for you.
I purchased a second Jinhao X159 for $12 on Amazon. On this one, the fine nib wrote beautifully out of the box. I am seeing that there is some unevenness in in nib quality over the batches of product. I would say that this new pen writes like a fine/medium, whereas the other writes like a medium/broad.
@@barbarajloriordan2697 inconsistency wouldn’t surprise me. I can usually adjust the nibs and polish them to get them to do what I want, however.
I've never heard of a Moonman who's nib you couldn't swap.. Did they change something on these particular pens? That's usually the best part about them.. Have a long at the Wingsungs as well, some a absolute bangers, the 699, and 629 are steals phenomenal value.
I was surprised too, but I just couldn’t pull the nibs out. Someone suggested soaking the feed in warm water. I’ll try it as soon as I’m back from travel.
Jinhao 80 with Lamy Safari nibs, my favourite is a 1.1 italic nib.
For drawing I use a Jinhao 1001 with a fine nib.
Bock make number 8 nibs btw
Thanks for the tips!
Great review, i was curious about the moonman pens but ill just pass for now. The jinhao, i believe this model included, can fit a zebra G dip niband ull get a flex nib fountain pen, there are plenty tutorials around. Did u try that? Regards
Thanks. The previous version of the X159 used a #6 sized nib which could be switched out with the Zebra G. This newer version uses a #8 sized nib, and while I've never tried, I doubt it will work. I've done this swap many times with the Jinhao X750, however, and it works great, requiring no adjustments.
1. Excellent review, my thanks.
2. An alternate to the Muji is the TiLiner for even less, but requires you buy a Kaweco nib to go into it. I prefer it for superior build quality, and I particularly like the broader Kaweco nibs.
3. You bring up one of my persistent questions when you state the Moonman P136 performs poorly yet results in a superior drawing. I like to think that I am results driven, and therefore would draw with whatever pen produces the best result, even if it hurts. For example, I try to use drier and consequently scratchier pens because I am convinced their results are better than wet pens, even though it is more pleasurable to use a nice, wet, smooth, pen. On the other hand, I assume but cannot quantify better results when having fun over when struggling with my equipment. Also it is easier to work longer and with better focus with a fun pen. So overall I have no definitive answer to the question.
4. I personally have better control with a slimmer pen than a fatter pen. This was a surprise for me to accidentally discover, as so many folks prefer the fat. The girth difference is perhaps more important than the nib performance difference between the Muji and the x159.
Off Topic: if you have used needlepoint nibs, can you comment on any differences between them and standard nibs of similar width? I am enjoying hatching with my Franklin-Christoph needlepoint, which I suspect is not just another super narrow nib.
1. Thank you, as always!
2. Interesting question that probably deserves a more thought out response, but here are my initial thoughts:
That drawing was successful despite the pen, not because of it. A great number of factors go into making a drawing: subject matter, composition, and in the case of figure drawing, gesture, proportion, anatomical understanding, line quality and rendering. The type of pen used plays a part in the degree of control over the last two factors, but a skilled artist should be able to compensate or hide defects in a pen’s performance. For example, there are many places where the pen skipped, but I was able to cover it up. Would I have been able to do a better drawing with a better pen? An ideal pen is one you don’t have to think about, that becomes a part of you, freeing you brain to make better decisions, so the answer is probably. But it’s no guarantee, and some of the worst drawings I’ve made were done with my best pens.
Most artists understand that while materials play a part in the art making process, they’re not the most important element. A skilled painter will be able to achieve nearly of their objectives with student grade paint, whereas a beginner will struggle to realize their vision with professional grade materials. This principle is over-emphasized in much of art education however, to the point that in some programs, you’re not allowed to discuss art materials. There’s a excellent channel on UA-cam called “The London Academy” that has a lot of pen instruction, but to the frustration of many of his viewers the instructor refuses to say what kind of pen is being used in his videos! I understand his point, it’s not really about the pen, but the instrument does play a part in the drawing process and should be considered.
As for “needlepoints,” it’s just another way of saying xxf or xxxf
nib. Some of them are untipped, and some of the have a touch of tipping. Those Franklin Christoph nibs are custom ground by an expert, which is what makes them feel special.
@@mkompan 1. Good points all.
2. The needlepoint issue lets me confirm that you get what you pay for with an expert custom grind. I m happy to pay for good nibs.
*thxxx*
Ur wlcm
My FIRST fountain pen was the Muji Fountain pen. I have a few fountain pens with but this one still ranks in my top 3 and gets (near) daily use.
It's also the only pen I bought *TWICE* so far; I liked it THAT much.
I love how small and lightweight it is. And for the nib , size, and price, it has a *good* amount of variety.
The only meh thing about it is that, out the box, it needs Muji ink cartridges, *BUT* a Pelikan ink converter fits perfectly and holds a good amount.
(If you use the Muji ink cartridges, you can hold an extra one in the body)
For anyone interested, they also have a smaller pocket version, but the normal one is a good enough size.
Apparently on Reddit, there IS a way to swap out nibs, but it *is* tricky. I haven't done it myself, but it can be done.
The Muji is surprisingly good. I only wish it came with a converter, because though I have ton of Chinese converters, none of them fit, and now I have to get an European one that fit. And thanks for the tip about the shorter version. I’ll definitely get one (I’m planning a pocket pen video).
As for swapping nibs, it’s easy, requiring no special equipment. This pen has a #5 nib that pull right out, and can be switched out with a lot of different #5 sized options.
@@mkompan I didn't know the nib was pull out. Are there any No. 5 Nibs you' recommend for the MUJI? Probably could put it on my second Muji Pen.
@@TheMarioMan247the nib on the Muji so good that you’ll have a hard time finding something much better, but if you want more flex, you can replace it with #5.5 flex nib from Fountain Pen revolution.
@@TheMarioMan247 To help you with this, the unit that the Muji pen comes with is the German made stainless steel Schmidt nib (FH241 if I'm not mistaken). This likely means that Jowo and Bock nib compatibility is very limited. I have had some success shoehorning a bock titanium nib into a similar nib unit but of course with these mods, your mileage may vary. I'm hoping this architect-like grind from aliexpress will be compatible with it (search "Hand-polished Aircraft Nib 26/35mm Bright Nib Calligraphy Signature Writing Practice Word Small Dark Long Knife-shaped Pen Nib", if you're curious, I'm going for the 26mm variety and hoping it'll fit). If you're feeling adventurous, you can scan ebay for vintage pens that are being sold for parts and one to look for is any that come with a vintage Sheaffer #5 gold feathertouch nib; I have one in my brass kaweco sport and I daresay it would probably fit into this muji pen too.
@@hw7504 Thank you very much. Let me know id that Aliexpress Nib actually works.
Pilot kakuno is excellent for drawing!
I just a got a Kakuno and a Safari and will be doing a comparison of them.
Hi great work! May I ask what notebook you use and if I can use watercolor for that said notebook? Thanks!
Thanks! I'm using a Talens Art Creations sketchbook here, and yes, it takes watercolor pretty well.
@@mkompan thanks for your quick reply, youve been very helpful with your videos (started with your comparisons of the Pilot "flex" pens)
I am looking forward to buy jinhao x159 but they have updated it and made few changes to it. Now i am confused, do i get the updated new one or the older one is just fine? Help!
Updated it recently? The version I’m using here is the new plastic version, featuring a #8 nib. The old version is metal, and has a #6 nib. I prefer the newer version.
Hello!Very helpful video! I have a question. If you are familiar with the artist Arthur Rackham and his style(he Has a lot of ink paintings) do you have an idea what size of nib he used or maybe a size of nib that creates such fine lines that look almost invisible. I would appreciate your help a lot because you are very experienced.
Thank you! Rackham is one of my favorite artists, and a great source of inspiration. Artists of that era had access to a much larger variety of nibs than we do, since the use of pen and ink for writing, calligraphy and drawing was far more widespread. However, there are still plenty of nibs around that can approximate the kind of tools used by Rackham. I would look at “crow” nibs, such the Hunt 102, which is a very fine, very flexible nib used by many comic book artists. Using crow nibs requires a lot of training and a smooth drawing surface. I’ll have to do some videos on it at some point.
@@mkompan Thank you very much!
Can I ask how you were able to swap out the nib on the Hong Dian Black Forest? I have been trying to get the nib and feed out of the housing unit but I can’t get them to budge a single millimeter. I’d be grateful for any pointers. Did you use any tools?
I remember it being a tight fit, but nothing crazy. I believe I used two wide rubber bands for grip to take out the nib. Sometimes soaking the housing unit in warm water helps loosen it.
thanks so much! @@mkompan
To remove the feed and nib from the housing on a moonman, you twist it. That's what I did to switch my nib between my Moorman and navalhur pen.
Hmmm, ok I’ll try it and report back.
I am really confused by the review of the Moonman (Majohn) C1 since my favorite aspect of the pen is how perfect it is for swapping out with better #6 nibs making it an amazing pen for the price. I am not sure what caused you to be unable to remove the nib or feed in yours. I am even more confused about the complaint about the feed not keeping up. I have swapped out nibs in multiple C1s for subs and flex nibs and never found it struggled so I can't imagine why it would struggle to keep up with the nib it comes with - I can't help but assume the problem was specifically with your nib, if the problem wasn't simply that the feed wasn't saturated since it is an eyedropper filler and therefore doesn't have the feed filled directly during the filling process and takes some patience to be ready to write at its best - but I would assume that wouldn't be a mistake you would make. I have a FPR Ultra-Flex nib in mine and that combined with the simple design and huge ink storage (at a price where tinkering, damaging it, or losing it isn't heartbreaking) make it my absolute favorite pen well above vastly more expensive pens in my collection.
I'm still confused by it. I was really hoping to be able to swap nibs but to this day I still can't get the nibs out from either of these Moonman pens. I had much better luck with a more recent purchase, the Wancai. The nib popped right out.
You got really unlucky with your p136 EF nib, mine is one of the best steel EFs I've ever used. That being said you can order replacement nib collars for both Jowo and Bock nibs for the P136. The quality of the pen and piston makes this worthwhile in my opinion as the pen truly is phenomenal. That being said I only write with my pens and couldn't draw a stick figure if my life depended on it.
Seems like I’m not the only unlucky one, but the pen body is excellent and I’m willing to give this pen another shot and seek out a nib collar for a Jowo nib. The main issue is how difficult it is to pull the nib out of the collar, making it difficult to fully clean.
can you compare Hero A11 against Muji Aluminum Pen or Hogdian Black Forest... thanks
I don’t have a Hero A11. Perhaps I’ll include it in the sequel.
Hi , Thank you for the video, May I ask what is the nib size of Jin Hao X159 , Extra fine or Fine ? Thanks
You’re welcome! This is an extra-fine.
@@mkompan Thank you , I will get one .🙂
So what about flex nib pens? Is it just the Ahab?
I have a number of other videos on cheap flex. One of the cheapest and best flex options is the Ahab paired with an Ultraflex nib from Fountain Pen Revolution. That nib fits into a number of inexpensive pens, however, including the Jin Hai x750. I’ll have to do more research on what other pens are compatible.
👍👍👍👍
Thanks!
Hi , may I ask what ink you use in the fountain pens for drawing ? Thanks
Are you asking what inks I used in the drawings in this video, or in general? For this video, I’ll list them in the description.
I use a huge variety of inks.
My favorite blacks are Platinum Carbon Black and Noodler’s Black.
Thanks for answering. Some inks suited for drawing are not great for fountain pens. India inks in particular. So was checking if you were using bullet proof inks. This helps. Thanks.
@@rex_yt Yes, of course, I only use inks intended for fountain pens. There is one company, the Indiegraph that has designed a pen that can use idea ink, but I have never tried it.
My $5. ebay Lamy knockoff works great.
Cool! What’s the name of it?
I got to the same conclusion, avoid cheap pens that goes to the garbage in short time and buy something durable with a decent writing experience.
Thanks! The Jinhao 159 broke soon after this video was made, and into to the trash it went.
: Faber Castell Grip
Good tip!
From my experience, some really cheap pens write better than expensive brands. I admit to buying Chinese knock offs ( of the Lamy Safari for example). The bottom line for me is always nib quality.
That certainly can be true. Some luxury pen brands (I’m looking at you Visconti) rely too much on their reputations and are notorious for having problems with their nibs. I find that the higher end models of Pilot, Sailor and Platinum have excellent quality control however, and you would be hard pressed to find an inexpensive pen that functions quite as well.
This novice got a Sailor Fude de Mannen, the favorite of our local Urban Sketchers. It is really scratchy and unpleasant to use. I went to the art supply store and got a Moonman Youth Fude. It has a heavy, metal body and a nice weight to it. A little scratchy but I looked online and learned that I could smooth it with my whetstone I use on knives. I was able to make it smoother and it even writes upside down, which i like, but it's so highly polished it's slippery to hold on to. I wish I would have seen your video first. I purchased the Jin Hao X159 online based on your recommendation. It said in the description that they test the pen prior to sending and to expect some ink residue. I am so pleased and delighted with this pen. It is a pleasure to draw with and moves smoothly as silk in all directions. The only thing it won't do is write upside down which I like to do for a finer line with my other pens. Is there any way to adjust it so that it will write upside down? I wasn't sure that I would like how fat it is, but I have discovered that with the arthritis in my hand that it is comfortable to hold and draw with. I watched several of your videos before I chose this pen and I wanted to say thank you, Mark, for your evaluations and for suggesting this pen. It glides so beautifully and I couldn' t be happier. It is a joy to sketch with!
You're welcome Donna! As for getting a nib to reverse write, you can sometimes do it with a 12000 grit micro mesh. It's essentially the same as your whetstones, but since it's padded cloth it will be gender on your nibs. If you take an inked nib (the ink will provide lubrication) and run a few figure eights on the micro-mesh it might start to write smoothly in reverse. There's no guarantee, of course, and you should also get a brass shim (or a thin piece of plastic) to clear metal grit from the slit of the nib.
Hi Mark, I finally got brass shims and 12,000 grit micro mesh. I liked that Jinhao X159 with the fine nib that I bought a second one with an extra fine nib. I tried your method and both pens will now reverse write, the fine nib is still very dry but the extra fine nib reverse writes pretty well. I wanted to let you know the outcome.
@@donnaturner20 glad to know it worked out for you. I’m experimenting with ways to make pens write wetter by altering the feed. If my experiments are successful it should help with those very dry writing Jinhaos.
600th like
Thanks!
Ha.. I am from Brazil, even a metropolitan is half my rent!
Sorry to hear that, but the great thing about art is that you don’t really need anything expensive. Many artists just use disposable ball point pens.
I wish that was only half my rent :( its more like 15%
I guess it depends on the pen.
Marc, great job! However ld clean up your act just a tad…the messy bg detracts from your credibility which you don’t deserve.
Thank you! You may be right, but organizing my workspace each time I need to record would eat into precious studio time. My hope is that my audience recognizes that credibility comes from expertise in the subject rather than what’s happening in the background.
When I first saw the thumbnail, I thought it was a tutorial " How to draw Trump naked from behind..."
Haha. Were you looking for such a tutorial? Perhaps I need to make one.
I like the video, but if in your introduction you feel the need to describe yourself as a youtube personality, you are not one.
I'm not? So sad to hear it!
Muji pen on my wishlist now! 😇🩵🙏🙌
Great pen!
Amazing.
What's your Instagram page?
Thank you again. My Instagram account is just my name.
Thank you sooo much for an amazing review! So detail
You’re welcome!