Chinese pen recommended

Brothers of Briar

Help Support Brothers of Briar:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Blackhorse

Blackhorse

Trading Post Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
B of B Supporter
Council Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2010
Messages
13,289
Reaction score
1,901
Location
Oregon City, Oregon - USA
Got a quad (4) of Jinhao x250 pens in from an Amazon purchase a few days ago.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D6CJFBE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

$11.23 and free shipping from Pink Colorful. They arrived very quickly.

I likely got lucky since all four lends are very smooth writers with good ink flow. Fit and finish are good. Using some Diamine Imperial Purple cartridges, they took off running.

I do like the X450 Jinhao better, but these are very serviceable and at $3 each, delivered...wow!
 
Thanks for the recommendation on these BH. How do the nibs compare to Pilot Metropolitans?
 
The P Metro is a #6, right? As such there are many good options for easily obtainable replacements. The Jinhao uses a smaller nib so that's more difficult. Other than that I imagine that the Japanese QC is far superior to the Chinese...but the cost makes up for it. So the Metro has the better nib, but it costs 5 times as much.
 
Blackhorse":axitxxi2 said:
I'm just getting warmed up!  :tongue:
Click to expand...
I can't afford anymore so your out of luck with me sir!
 
My 2nd or 3rd pen was a Jinhao 159 and the reason I bought it was because it came with a Goulet "M" nib.

I still use it to jot stuff on sticky note and/or little messages to put in my planner later.

I can't throw it away as many times as I've wanted to.

I'll keep it or PIF it.
 
Never thought I'd purposely buy something made in China but, for the money I figured what the hey and took BH's word for it.
Well, they showed up today and after figuring out how to fill the contraption. For you see I haven't had a fountain pen in my hand since the 60's or 70's and had never seen a refillable cartridge like these before but, I got it done with only minor ink fingers.
Anywho, to make a long story short, I really like these pens. I thought them having a fine point would be a problem but, they write very smooth. A bit on the heavy side but, I think I like it. Certainly can't beat the price. ;)
Thank you BH!
 
Cartaphilus":si9nbemh said:
Anywho, to make a long story short, I really like these pens. I thought them having a fine point would be a problem but, they write very smooth. A bit on the heavy side but, I think I like it. Certainly can't beat the price. ;)
Thank you BH!
Click to expand...
And you thought PAD & TAD were bad!

Welcome to the show!
 
Behike54":eak1b5jn said:
Cartaphilus":eak1b5jn said:
Anywho, to make a long story short, I really like these pens. I thought them having a fine point would be a problem but, they write very smooth. A bit on the heavy side but, I think I like it. Certainly can't beat the price. ;)
Thank you BH!
Click to expand...
And you thought PAD & TAD were bad!

Welcome to the show!
Click to expand...
Ya know, I've been trying to get a nice vintage fountain for some time and I just can't afford it, much less a real nice new one.
The only thing I'm going to purchase is some cartridges cause I'm just to lazy anymore to fill it every time it's needed and that's the end of the pen thing for me. ;)
 
Blackhorse":m74033dh said:
So Cartaphilus...which one(s) did you get? What kind of ink?

Pretty sure they will take in standard internat'l cartridges...just a thought.
Click to expand...
I got the ones you talked about here, the Jinhao 250's and yes sir, we'll be look'en for some cartridges.
Right now I'm using some ink I've had for awhile now, Parker Superchrome Turquoise Blue.
 
Cartaphilus":sbpwu0gc said:
Blackhorse":sbpwu0gc said:
So Cartaphilus...which one(s) did you get? What kind of ink?

Pretty sure they will take in standard internat'l cartridges...just a thought.
Click to expand...
I got the ones you talked about here, the Jinhao 250's and yes sir, we'll be look'en for some cartridges.
Right now I'm using some ink I've had for awhile now, Parker Superchrome Turquoise Blue.
Click to expand...

Not to be the barer of bad news, but that ink has a tendency to be quite corrosive with gold and aluminum. I don't know whether your pen has any aluminum, but it's something to consider.

If your are using it for business and want something professional, blue is your color and the number of choices can be humbling. The good part? There are some lovely blues for cheap.


Just a note a pricing of ANYTHING, used pen prices are quite attractive and fountain pen users, as a group, tend to be quite punctilious when it comes to the care of, well, EVERYTHING.

There are a boatload of pens of every price range and sometimes you get more than what you pay for. But that comes in due time.

I am ONLY speaking for myself, I would ditch the Super Chrome and use the cartridges till you buy a bottle of ink.

For EXAMPLE, a 30ml bottle of Diamine Majestic Blue (or Asa Blue or Sargasso Blue) is $7.50, which should give you plenty of time to decide on what you REALLY want. ;)

It behaves, looks beautiful, and they've been doing this for a century and a half. GOOD LUCK!
 
Two other cheap and quite good pens to consider are the Chinese Hero 616 and the Japanese Pilot 78G.  I have a number of the 78G model, which is widely available in a stub nib version, plus it takes a standard converter. On the 616 side, I just ordered a pack of TEN Hero 616's for $7.50 shipped!!! Crazy.

None of these will ever replace any of my nice Pilot, Platinum, Lamy or Pelikan pens...or my beloved TWSBI tankers (they take 2 ml of ink!)...but I find them a stunning bargain and MOST of 'em write really very well.

I've even read in a number of places that the Hero 616's are made on old Parker 51 manufacturing equipment, making them a near clone. And for less than a buck apiece? C'mon!

The 78G goes for about $20 on Amazon but can be had for under $15 on eBay.
 
Thanks guys for the info, it figures any dadburn ink I had around here and didn't have to pay for wouldn't be good for the pens.
I'll drian'em and get me some cartridges today I reckon.
And sorry, that's it, no more pens. I have these and they work fine for me, no need to go crazy.
All of my expendable income has to go into my pipe making right now and I can't afford luxuries such as collecting anything I don't need. ;)
 
Cartaphilus":e9ouso98 said:
Thanks guys for the info, it figures any dadburn ink I had around here and didn't have to pay for wouldn't be good for the pens.
I'll drian'em and get me some cartridges today I reckon.
And sorry, that's it, no more pens. I have these and they work fine for me, no need to go crazy.
All of my expendable income has to go into my pipe making right now and I can't afford luxuries such as collecting anything I don't need. ;)
Click to expand...
If only I could remember such info.

Actually, pens, paper, and ink, has been the one avocation I have taken a very fiscally responsible approach. Okay, maybe more responsible that the others is the better way of phrasing.

@Blackhorse: Grab the 78Gs while you can, they have been discontinued; when they are gone, that's it!

I think I bought my JH 159 and P 78G in the same week and they were my 2nd and 4rd pens, respectively.
 
Top