First Impressions - Jinhao 80

[@ChrisSaenz13]

I love the Jinhao 80s! Just laying side by side on the desk I can't tell the Lamy 2000 from the Jinhao 80!!! Since I prefer a converter & I enjoy nib swapping and putting original Lamy nibs on these .... I've had a lot of fun with them & and they fit my budget. No cracking yet!

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I'm glad to hear about the cracking. I haven't had it either. Maybe I'm too paranoid. And I look forward to swapping nibs.

[@ibpopp]

Chinese clones allow us to try lots of different styles of classic pens without going bankrupt, so I say "hooray" for them. As you say, it's perfectly adequate for everyday use while not attracting attention, and being able to use Lamy nibs is a real bonus. Great value for money, even if not my preference. Cheers and thanks.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

It's a good pen. And if I can swap in Lamy nibs, so much the better.

[@margomccord9879]

Nice review ! In your writing sample you have “Lamy 80” and at the conclusion of the writing sample you repeat “Lamy 80”. Haha ! I think we can determine, subliminally, where your fountain pen allegiances lie. The Lamy 2000 really is inimitable!

[@WaskiSquirrel]

That is a good point! Some viewers suggested I might be confused by an actual pen called the Lamy 80 (which I own), so I may have to include it in my rodeo!

[@margomccord9879]

@@WaskiSquirrel Terrific ! I look forward to your upcoming rodeo, as always !

[@davidwatson3035]

Hi WS, thank you for another great video. Jinhao have “borrowed” not only the body/cap design from the Lamy 2000 but also the nib and feed from the Lamy Safari. That makes it a more flexible and interesting pen, since if you have already have different Safari nibs, you can easily replace the Jinhao and fit whatever you have or want to purchase. I read an online review, where the reviewer did this, and it improved the pen’s performance over his Jinhao nib. I am not entirely comfortable owning or using clones or homages, however one defines those terms, although I do have two Jinhao 9019s which were excellent value at £9 each and write exceptionally well. But if inexpensive Chinese pens, lead more people into the hobby, why not? That’s a plus point, as is their use as work pens, which will not prompt heartbreak if lost, stolen or damaged. I’m looking forward to the rodeo. However it’s very hard to beat a Lamy 2000!

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I had not thought of swapping nibs, so that is something I will try when I do the rodeo. The clone/homage topic is hardly black and white. And you bring up a good point about getting people into the hobby.

[@archivist17]

I have both a Lamy 2000, and a Jinhao 80. I can tell mine apart because the Jinhao I was sent had a black clip (in error, but hey, never mind). The 80 now has a Lamy Left Handed nib on it, which is nicely wet and comfortable. The two pens both look good, but they serve different functions for me.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

That is a good point about the nib on the Jinhao. And another pen worth mentioning is the Lamy 80.

[@ZachOwens]

I recently got a Jinhao 80 and I like it as a replacement for a Lamy Safari, because it has a normal, round grip section instead of the weird forced tripod grip. And the Jinhao works with Lamy nibs, so I put a spare Lamy medium nib I have on it and now it's a nice cheap little pen.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I never thought to try swapping nibs. Now I'll have to do that!

[@onemorepen]

The nibs are actually interchangeable with Lamy Safari nibs. I swopped the Jinhao nibs with a black Lamy Lx nib and it writes quite well. For a cheap plastic pen I think its not bad at all. Great video!

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I will have to try the nib swapping. I think I'd prefer a Lamy nib in these pens!

[@steventrosiek2623]

Thanks for a great review, as always. This Jinhao 80 pen is next on my list to buy. Im primarily a vintage fountain pen collector and repairman. Looks like it is well made. Love Parker Quink washable blue. I use it mostly in vintage 51s because it doesn't stain their bladders. 😊

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Vintage is my real joy, but I also find these lower cost pens interesting. Quink is good stuff!

[@Goldilockszone123]

Guess there is more than one fountain pen 🖋️ user awake at this strange hour. Thanks for the review.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I was actually asleep. I schedule them to release at 3am my time.

[@davidnygard1817]

Yes it looks like a Lamy 2000. Actually, there was a Lamy predecessor that had the same look and the Safari-like nib but is no longer in production. That said, comparing a $10 USD pen to one 20 times more expensive is crazy. I defy you to find a better $10 fountain pen. The Jinhao 80 writes well, it accepts all Lamy-style nib alternatives and the pen is virtually indestructible. I have at least a dozen of them. They work and work well.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I had forgotten about the Lamy 80. I actually own one, so that may be where my slips came from. I'm going to include it in my rodeo.

[@themisterchristie]

A good review again. The Jinhao 80 is a nice pen for the price. You were right when you wondered about if it was macrolon or not while writing, it is injection molded plastic textured to look like macrolon.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

That makes sense from the feel. I wonder if you have a source on that? I see what look like injection mold lines.

[@themisterchristie]

@@WaskiSquirrel I have no sources to prove it, but I believe both JG3Reviews and Inkquiring Minds both refer to it as injection molded. Also the descriptions I find on Amazon claim it is Fibre, or Carbon Fibre, and Aliexpress either lists the same materials, or no materials. I removed the medallion from the end of the barrel on my Blue one, it is a metal plug in a hole on the barrel. The way things scratched up it seems the barrel is plastic. The clip does seem to be metal as do the threads on the body. The thread look like a metal insert.

[@jeffroberts532]

I love my Lamy 2000. It’s one of my favorite pens. I’d really like to have the new pine green color but NO WAY am I paying $500+ for it! The Jinhao 80 does not appeal to me because of the exposed nib & not being a piston fill. Nice review, Waski.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I agree on the pine greeen on both desire and price. Several viewers pointed out that the Jinhao is somewhat similar to the Lamy 80, which did have an exposed nib.

[@ferrypen4952]

I quite like my Jinhao 80 for general out and about use and tend to keep my Lamy safe at home. I think it was the Kaco Edge that cracked after being in use for a little while, mine certainly did. I wrote to Kaco and they actually sent me a replacement cap for the pen, which also cracked after a while so the pen is now somewhere in my never to see the light of day again drawer 😂

[@edanthony6]

Yes, the Kaco Edge. Makrolon finish, and my cap cracked, too. One reviewer said "crack-ulon" and it was on his worst-of-the-year compilation. Maybe THE worst, because of the cracking. I got a Lamy 2000, used, and the ears had been lost or discarded. The cap cracked, too.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I'm not sure where my Kaco Edge ended up. I'm not sure if the cap went too far onto the pen or if there was a weakness in the Makrolon. It's a shame, because I was pleased with that pen.

[@davidanderson3425]

Interesting comparison. I have both pens and unsurprisingly prefer the Lamy 2000. In my little fantasy world I imagine Lamy copying the Jinhao 80 by producing a budget version of the 2000. Like the Jinhao it would have a converter filling system and the nib from a Lamy Studio. Same Macrolon body as the 2000 but a barrel without a piston knob. Call it a Lamy 1000 and sell it for under a hundred bucks. I'm sure it would fly off the shelves at most pen shops. OK, that's the end of my little daydream 😂

[@WaskiSquirrel]

That would be an interesting pen, but it would compete against other pens in their lineup.

[@sathishrao7926]

I’ve 80, 82 and 82 Mini. While 82 and 82 Mini wrote well, 80 was too scratchy and it had flow issues as well. It’s gathering dust somewhere ! Our (Indian) stock market indices which were on decline surged yesterday on your new president’s election, so no complaints here ! I was working in the US when the same person was elected back in 2016. I clearly remember that one of my colleagues said before the counting began “I’ll leave the country if this person gets elected”. I didn’t see him leave at that time, but I don’t know what he’s going to do this time !

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I was lucky with the two Jinhao 80 pens I tried. Both good pens. But I'm curious to discover how they behave with a Lamy nib. People who promise to leave the country usually are sure the other result will happen. It's a major change to live to leave a country!

[@keraba1]

On the subject of "copying", it isn't a copy; it's a cartridge/converter with no ink window or ears. It doesn't come close so the Lamy 2000 has nothing to worry about.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I was just trying to get in front of the comments I always get when I review pens like this.

[@Biber0315]

I wonder if you could pull the nib and feed of the Jinhao and thread it to take a Parker 45 nib unit?

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I think that would be really complicated and likely end in tears. But installing a Lamy Safari nib would be quite straight forward.

[@afongen]

I don’t care for the feel of the Jinhao 80 in the hand but use it with inks I don’t yet trust. As you say, serviceable writing. A perfectly cromulent pen. Nothing like the Lamy 2000 writing experience, as expected. No idea if this is actually makralon. Definitely feels cheap. Cheaper than the Safari, even. What I don’t see often is a comparison to the Lamy 80, which is where I assume Jinhao got the name. From the 70s and 80s, inspired by the Lamy 2000 but slimmer. The Lamy 80 (and 81, 86, variants) has what looks like a longer precursor to the Z 50 nibs on the Safari & others, in steel & gold. Still a better writing experience than the Jinhao 80 but not a Lamy 2000 feel at all either.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

You made an excellent point about the Lamy 80. I own one, which may be where the slip came from, especially after I did it intentionally once. I'll include it in my rodeo. Cromulent is a good word for it. Works, but doesn't wow.

[@afongen]

@ Hah, I didn’t actually catch that you’d slipped and said Lamy 80. 🤷🏽‍♂️ It’s just what I think of when I pick up the Jinhao.

[@afongen]

@ I’ll be happy to see it in the rodeo.

[@MrAndrew1953]

When you can get these in a variety of colours,why would you pay $650 Australian 🇦🇺 dollars for a green Lamy 2000 macralon. I see neither North or South Dakota approved legislation to legalise marijuana in the US elections. Being a fan of hefty pens, I always weigh my pens.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I'm not going to buy the green Lamy. Just can't talk yself into it. No, the ballot measures went as expected in North Dakota.

[@MrAndrew1953]

@ indeed,neither could I. The price is just ridiculous at $650 AUD for a pen I’d pay $400 tops. I’ve got my eye on a Diplomat Elox with green bands and a gold nib. Diplomat steel nibs are the best but I want to see for myself how much better the gold nibs are.

[@anguswhite8233]

the Jinhao’s prettier but it will still write like a crayon as the Chinese follow the European convention (of making EF’s which write nothing like an EF:(; btw, you look like I felt for 15yrs teaching in inner city schools, Glasgow, Scotland:)

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I hope I've fixed how I look: I had issues with the white balance. I'm not actually yellow and suffering liver disease!

[@cd3694]

I bought a Jinhao 80, and it writes wonderfully. It’s a true EF. I have zero interest in the Lamy 2000

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I was impressed by the Jinhao 80. I just happen to like the Lamy 2000 better.

[@alexpastukhov8222]

I have jinhao 80 ,awesome pen. and I don't need lamy 2000 now 😂

[@steventrosiek2623]

If you're willing to spend the money Lamy 2000 is well worth the cost. Very smooth point and great ink flow. Nothing like genuine Lamy 2000. They were first issued in 1966. I bought mine during the early 1980s. A few of them have 18 karat nibs.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

These Jinhao pens are good. There is something special about the Lamy 2000, but the question only you can answer is if it's worse the price to you.

[@alexpastukhov8222]

@steventrosiek2623 Yes, I studied the history of the creation of this pen, it is unique, practical and reliable.

[@alexpastukhov8222]

@@WaskiSquirrel $378 for a new lamy 2000 is way too expensive for me. I'm happy with my Kaweco liliput...

[@MultiEbbot]

Nooooooo... not parker quink washable blue! ;)

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I'm addicted to the stuff!

[@jeffroberts532]

@@MultiEbbot haha!

[@neilpiper9889]

The main difference is in the weight of your wallet

[@WaskiSquirrel]

That is an important difference.

[@louishalleux]

Disturbing presentation 😢 with this mixture of “Lamy 80 / Jinhao 80”. Perhaps the inspiration comes from the design of the real Lamy Model 80 81 86 macrolon, W-Germany 1975-1987, precursors of the Lamy 2000.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

I actually do own a Lamy 80, but didn't think of it during the filming. That may be where the slip came from, especially after I put it into my own head in the opening.