When The King Of Cheap Makes The Same Pen - Jinhao 10 Fountain Pen

[@Rgmekanic]

Awesome review. I love all my Jinhao pens, while I respect the heck out of extreme quality and precision, my budget can't afford any of the "grail" pens (yeah... $200 is grail for me right now). All my Jinhaos are lovely writers, which is the most important thing for me anyhow.

[@raeedibnzaman1]

For me anything over $30 is reaching grail budget for me! Cheap chinese pens for the win

[@lorenzoemmepi3302]

I bought a pilot capless steel alloy and a rhodium plated gold nib and I end up almost preferring my majohn A1, especially the fine nib one. I sold the body of my pilot capless and have put the nib unit in the majohn A1, also to get some money back and because the feeling was the same you are not missing anything on not having the pilot capless, especially since I think it is more of an EDC kind of pen

[@kempetai2099]

​@raeedibnzaman1 I found my people. I love the hobby but $100+ plastic with some gold is merchandise pricing. As long as it writes well, is durable and reliabe, its grail enough got me

[@Rgmekanic]

@@kempetai2099 it's really quite insane isn't it. You may be able to say something about the Visconti Homo Sapiens with its funky volcanic resin and such, but for the most part it's just plastic with about $14 worth of gold for the nib. I was curious about gold nibs and got a vintage pilot elite with an 18k Fine ($30). I had to wetten it up quite a bit, but it writes nice now. So does my $4 jinhao 82's with steel. I think the gold vs steel thing is nothing more than price justification after trying gold finally.

[@lorenzoemmepi3302]

@@kempetai2099 I mean that it is a really nice nib! I also blind tested some friends who have mont blanc and super expensive pens and, thanks to the fact that the rhodium plated nib looks like the steel one, they didn't find differences worth to be noted between the steel and the gold one We all agreed the pilot steel alloy to be the worse among all, testing pilot steel alloy F nib, pilot F gold nib, majohn A1 EF, majon A1 F

[@MordeKaiser29]

I went online to buy a Jinhao 10, I ended up buying a vintage Pilot Vanishing Point 💀

[@Doodlebud]

That's a MUCH better buy

[@storge306]

We really do appreciate you, Doodlebud. Even though you do not want all of the pens that you have, thank you for reviewing them for us. Your insights are immensely helpful.

[@DLFfitness1]

I am new to fountain pens, so I don’t have a huge collection. My JINHAO pens are the cheapest, but they are also the most reliable. No hard start, and no skipping.

[@paulmchugh1430]

Thank you for the review. The clip on all three pens bother my grip, forcing me to use the triangular/standard grip. That is why I chose the A1 with the roll stop, not the clip which I thought was a brilliant modification on their part. MaJohn nibs are consistently well made, especially over the last year. Jinhao has stepped up their quality also. Now I would like someone to compare the MaJohn and Jinhao nibs with the new Nahvalur retractable. If Jinhao offered their nib /cartridge assembly separately, I would jump at the opportunity to get one. Great review.

[@diegobarca5498]

Last year I bought a Capless. I was really happy about it. Turns out I lost it the same day, and my financial situation doesn't allow me to go into that kind of expenditure. Seeing this review has closed the deal on getting one. I'll just wait untli they release some other finishes. And honestly all of the jinhaos I have are very wet writters (and the only problem I had with their pens is that the tines always came too tight) Thanks for the review buddy!

[@DanTheElevator]

Oof, shots fired on the A3. That’s my favorite one! I appreciate that I can make it clipless because I hate the VP clip and I love the rotating action (which I know isn’t as smooth as Pilot but for the price difference I’m not going to be a stickler). I also have a Pilot nib unit in my A3 which of course makes a big difference.

[@Corndog4382]

As a lefty I can’t comfortably write with the clip there, so I’ve really liked the clipless version of the A1. I wish Pilot made one so I could buy the real version.

[@LivingArmor196]

I believe you can put a pilot VP nib unit and put it in the Majohn A1.

[@kevinorr6880]

I appreciate an honest review. So many on the net just become an extension of the companies and sell outright crap.

[@Panzer_Z]

Just got mine today. I still haven't inked it but just playing around with it and dry writing. I was quite impressed with build and smoothness of the nib while dry and was so glad they fixed the Majohn notch issue. As for price I was seeing it go for ~1/2 of what an A1 was going for: 14USD (JH10) vs 22-28USD (MJ A1). We'll see how well it holds up in use though. Thanks for the vid

[@fightlessbirds]

Nice to see metal-on-metal threads in the Jinhao 10. It should last a very long time.

[@dogedev1337]

Was waiting for this video. I ordered mine for ~$10 and it's arriving in a few days.

[@irvintepper5]

I have all the pens mentioned in your video plus other majohn retractables. I love the Jin hao over the majohns. I have 2 jin haos 10 both nibs are great. my 10s don't have the notch defect yours does and mine both have the nibs come straight out unlike yours. Price I paid $12 US for each. Highly recommend the Jin Haos, Thanks for you review

[@JasonBarnhart]

I missed if the nib units are cross compatible. I love the polished strip model of Majohn but want an F nib. Have you tried swapping or did I miss it in the video? I have a Majohn but no Jinhao as of yet.

[@irvintepper5]

@@JasonBarnhart yes the nibs are interchangeable as is the entire unit with majohn, Pilot, and the new navalur eclipse

[@JasonBarnhart]

@@irvintepper5 thank you!

[@SAM-ko5bj]

I love your level of detail…I’m a quality manager by trade but also play an ME/EE occasionally. Jinhao meets the requirements form fit and function so good enough is enough. You get what you pay for so higher quality costs more it’s just a function of the business. Loved it that this study illustrates exactly that…I have a lower budget so I’m grateful for a low cost option but very much appreciate high quality workmanship.

[@archivist17]

Cool. I'm enjoying my 10, but I'm going to have a closer look having watched your video.

[@huckleberry12]

I bought 2 Majohn A1s and the second one I got has the same crooked nib issue (9:24) as your Jinhao. It was actually not usable because the angles of the nib and my grip misaligned the nib on paper so it'd skip constantly. It's because they crimped the metal sleeve onto the nib unit crooked so the guide notch (3:43) isn't centered with the trap door hole.

[@pesty4592]

Wow! Great morning present, earliest I’ve been for a video.

[@TSS161]

only thing stopping me from getting ANOTHER retractable pen, is how annoying it is when the nib drys out. But it is cool and I definitely feel the FOMO, another cheap option and Jinhao tends to do tons of colors later as well which is exciting

[@dagbruck]

Yes! All the manufacturing details. I can write a few lines myself and judge the result, but I’m not qualified to review the engineering.

[@amandaluker9268]

The Pilot also has a variety of nibs. I have it with a broad nib as well as a fine nib and it’s very nice

[@williamcatalano1762]

Curious to hear your take on the new Diplomat Viper. I feel like the black one is right up your alley!

[@shura0107]

I don't know about AliExpress, but on Amazon (US) the A1 is almost $40, while the Jinhao 10 is $22, so there is a significant price difference. I have 2 A1s and the nib is a little bit crooked. I do wish there was a fish scale no-clip version.

[@Guairenito]

I love my 2 Majohn A1s in Extra Fine, they really surprised me, they write fantastically!!!

[@christinemcgregor9970]

Great video! i really appreciate your eye for the small details. I've been wondering about these pens. This was a great comparison video and now I'm more inclined to get one to try out.

[@andikrauthofen3720]

my Majohn always dries out - will try the Jinhao

[@gristlevonraben]

great review! I hope you are doing well!

[@Toga_SV]

I was pretty sure it was just a re-badged A1 when I first saw it, but there were enough small differences to realise it was a completely "new" pen. The A1 nib units don't fit in mine. The locator nub on them is ~2.95mm, whereas the slot on the Jinhao is only ~2.90mm. Pilot nib units fit fine, but the Nahvalur Eclipse is also too wide, which makes me think the Eclipse is likely using the A1 unit with their own nib. I've been really liking the Jinhao's nib, & I think I prefer it to the A1's as well. It's *very* smooth, almost glassy feeling but in a kinda good way. And yeah, the just A3 sucks 🤣

[@Doodlebud]

Yeah the Jinhao10 nib is quite good and I do prefer it over the A1 (sample size of 1 keep in mind). As soon as I get my Eclipse (more shipping issues came up and it was returned grrrrrrr), I will redo the nib dry out test. Im curious to see how these new capless pens perform.

[@soloraceschannel]

13:02 Well, domestically for the Chinese market the Jinhao is half the price of A1. I'm looking to buy one of these copies as a substitute pen body for my capless because the clip coating is eroding so bad. I think I have an answer now. Thanks for the review!

[@JefferyHall-ct2tr]

Hi DB! Thanks for the heads up on this one!

[@andrewdaydreamer5209]

If the price was a bit cheaper I would be tempted. I am very happy with my A1

[@williammodlin2621]

I have some points to make. 1) Thanks for another great detailed “engineering” review. 2) I have 2 Pilot VPs and 4 Majohn A1 & 2s. Not going to buy the Jinhao. 3) The performance of my Majohns is better than my Pilots in terms of dry out. Could be that the door mechanism in the Pilots needs a bit of repair? When they’re working I do slightly prefer the writing performance of the Pilots. Keep up the good work and thanks to 365 for keeping you in review pens.

[@markferguson3365]

I'm waiting for the copy of a copy of a copy of a clone!!! Then I'm buying...lol😅

[@judyjacobs5827]

I have several of the Majohn capless pen in plastic, with facets, rather than the painted metal barrel. It does exhibit the annoying "find the slot" game, which can be a pain, especially if you don't have enough hands to hold the barrel and the feed mechanism and the end at the same time and the end of the barrel decides to fly off. Is it possible to squeeze that too-long spring and make it shorter and tighter? Looks like about the same amount of spring steel wire, but stretched out. Thank you for an insightful and informative review, showing the small but possibly significant differences in these three models.

[@osbone0076]

thank you for the review i was souspicious on the Jinhao 10, i think jinhao will upgrade the pen quality but for the moment Majohn is a better option .

[@ichirofakename]

I wish every pen came with an empty stoppered cartridge, maximized for the particular barrel. Ideally a screw-in.

[@BeThePurpleStarlight]

Not all parts are interchangeable = you can put the whole part with nib and ink from jinhao to majohn but not the other way - the "notch" (this thingy) in majohn is slightly to big for jinhao 😊

[@faniro4792]

Oh, very very interesting, dear Doodlebud. Thanks!

[@avaescaner]

Hi, Doodlebud, I love your reviews and how you look into the details. I recently received a clipless Majohn A1 and although the materials look fine, it has many defects as you seem to find in the Jinhao 10. My A1 has a crooked trapdoor mechanism to one side and the feed catches a bit on it. At least the nib is straight. The springs are both somewhat creaky (not really noticeable when quickly clicking the mechanism, so that is ok). But then the roll stopper is misaligned to one side by about 35-30º, which drives me nuts. It should also be somewhat larger to work better. The brand "Moonman" in the back is equally misaligned by about 10º. And the nib was dry as the Sahara. I could improve it a bit, but only when the ink pools on the lower of the feed its wetness is ok and smooth for an EF. Then, after writing 2-3 lines, it feels very dry and draggy again: probably a problem with the feed, my Kaweco Sport is exactly the same. If Pilot had a clipless version I would go for it. My three Pilot FP are awesome.... their loss, and mine.

[@VXDGuy]

I *just* ordered this pen on aliexpress yesterday. I ordered a Jinhou 10 Red/F for $11.99 because I couldn't find a single Majohn A1/A2 in F. And in case I didn't like the VP style capless pens, I also got an OASO K019 retractable erasable (like FriXion thermal ink erasable) pen which resembles a more traditional pen body.

[@triciacampbell974]

Omg I just got mine today …. I have been looking to see if anyone in the pen community had done a review yet

[@santauxia]

I wonder if WingSung is coming with their version. That will be epic!!

[@caseyjp1]

I don't know where you're price comparing, but the J10 is consistently showing up for 10-15$(US) in my searches. The A1 is normally 22-25$. SO, for the price alone, I'd go with the 10. Of course with Majohn, I have HATED their replacement nibs. Out of three, only one worked (sorta) out of the box. 20minutes of adjusting/polishing, it finally writes like I like. Jinhao has blown me away with the nibs on the pens I've received, as well as replacement nibs. The 9019/9013/X159 #8 nibs are my favorites. Lastly, my A1 dries out like a...well, it dries out quickly. If I 'snap' close the pen, it last longer, but even then, 1-2 days and it is back to the water cup to dip the nib. So the pen is useless as a desk pen as the thing never writes when I pick it up without 'futzing'. My Jinhao pens work great as desk writers as they last at least a month if not touched before drying out a bit. TY for the review, as always!

[@LisaPottinger]

Appreciate the video. I have Pilot VP and Majohn A1,A2 and A3 and Majohn did a good job on the copy, creating a clipless version and their accessory packs are great. I have a preference doe M nibs so I tend to swap out my Pilot nibs units into the Majohns. So this is my question. Is the Pilot nib unit compatible with the Jinhao 10 like it is with the Majohn A1? Does the Majohn accessory packs e.g. converters fit the Jinhao?

[@andrewdaydreamer5209]

It will be interesting to see if the Jinhao 10 nib will dryout

[@user-gl5ld9vm7i]

Hi DB. Thank you for another great review. After going through the clones, I'm still sticking with my original Pilot Vanishing Point in the rhodium plating stripes edition. The clones all had problems with drying out, and the shutter door not closing correctly. I could see light coming through when I would view inside the barrel.

[@stelioshz]

I read that other people who also got the Jinhao 10, also noticed their pens to have their nib crooked. What makes me curious, is the fact that all of them are crooked on the same way. A question to anyone who might have the pen. Does it have any leakage issues? Watching the pen touching the sides like it was shown in the video, really makes me think of buying it. (and the crooked pen being an addition to that too)

[@smUser8990]

Thank you for revie

[@abyss0429]

I really enjoy my Jinhao 10, thankfully the nib comes out straight on my stealth black version. I did have an issue where the top came off, exposing the gate mechanism. I suppose the adhesive wore off and then it was only a friction fit. I ended up putting a thin layer of E6000 adhesive to more properly secure it. I reach for it over my Pilot Capless (alloy nib) and Majohn A1 now.

[@KellyB.-wi9nf]

I wonder how good it *could be*if you swapped in the higher quality spring, did a little parts polishing and maybe a tiny bit of dry lubricant.

[@ryzengaming8870]

the jinhao 82 is best i think in budget . can u make a review on the medium nib and there are fude and glass pen nib ones sold with the body for it also. pls review

[@circumferenc]

My Jinhao 10 just arrived today. On mine the door touches the nib, it grabs on the tip a bit when closing.

[@neilpiper9889]

What is the Jinhao 10 converter like. Does it fill better than the Pilot?

[@AG-en5y]

call me an elitist or brand whore, I just couldn't settle for the Chinese copies. I saved up and got the silver pilot extra fine :)

[@Doodlebud]

Nothing wrong with that at all. There's a very noticeable difference with the higher end brand pens, much like cars, clothes, food, and everything else. You're not an elitist for having an appreciation for higher quality and saving up. I find delayed gratification is more rewarding and lasts much longer.

[@eleanor.shadow]

My Majohn A1’s “window” (the little trap door from where the nib comes out) broke and so my nib dries out… heartbroken.

[@KL005]

BOOM

[@eileengoldenberg270]

I have a couple of Majohn A1.and I do find the nib dries out. I have to wet it almost every time I try to draw with it.. Do you think the Pilot version stays wet longer?

[@eleanor.shadow]

I have an A1 and a Pilot Capless, the latter is always ready to write but my A1’s trap door has stopped working properly, so the nib dries out. Pilot is always superior, but it’s not a surprise considering the price difference.

[@philnaunton7181]

Ver-r-r-y interesting. Just an opinion; I find it hard to believe that there is room in the market for yet a third capless copy of this model. I'm sure that they did their research, but how many of these Model 10s do they expect to flood the market with, and at almost the same discounted price? I have three models, and frankly I am done. P.S. I would buy a Vintage, however, but they are not easy to come by.

[@LewisLittle66]

Surprised by the prices there. Here in the UK, the Jinhao is £25 and the A1 is £40.

[@wonderingatom8203]

Where are you getting yours from? Picked up my A1 with the fine nib in blue for £25, add delivery and it came to £29. I got mine from Etsy and it was delivered directly from China.

[@LewisLittle66]

@@wonderingatom8203 havent got any of them (yet) but those are the prices I see on Amazon UK. Havent tried Etsy or Ebay - I've had bad experiences with Ali Express and don;t really trust them.

[@denisripley8699]

Currently the Jinhao 10 on ebay UK is £19.19 incl p&p China.

[@stefanogarbuglia]

I'm just a copy of a copy of a copy..

[@Reeeepicheep]

No medium nib or stub nib option for the knockoffs

[@MiguelDeMarchena]

I inherited from my mother a vintage Esterbrook fountain pen that belonged to my grandfather (i believe the 1940 version), almost 3 decades ago I used it a lot but one day the internal mechanism failed (what a mess of ink) then i tried different fountain pens but none worked for me, as a Gen Xer with a love for classic stuff like petrol brass lighters, wooden pipes and brass belt buckles i want a come back to the fountain pen and after browsing a bit I found a pen that is not expensive and looks like what i need to restart (Asvine P30). Is there something i need to know about it ?

[@paulherman5822]

The Esterbrook is very easy to repair yourself. Section is pressure fit. Comes out with no glue. Needs a new ink sac. Those are a number 16, available from Anderson Pens and the Pendragons, among others. Clean the part that the old sac was attached to, cut new sac to fit (plenty of videos on repair online) shellac the sac back to the section, let dry 24 hours, dust sac with pure talc (NOT baby powder!) and reassemble. Done. Esterbrook pens are almost indestructible, so I really recommend them as a first vintage repair attempt.

[@MiguelDeMarchena]

@@paulherman5822 thanks for the advise sir, i still have the pen stored in my desk for over 20 years as a relic but if i can get it fixed it will be a dream come true .

[@HistoricGentleman]

I bet it’s cast Zamak

[@Scout5150]

I don’t need this, but I definitely want it. Some of my jobs are still reserved for ballpoints, and this would eliminate my major use for those.

[@agabrielhegartygaby9203]

Just because they didn't put "pilot" on the copy - it totally gives me pause: I wonder if it would survive a suit for copyright infringement. Its the sense of entitlement: Chinese companies see something that sells well and they copy shamelessly - id argue that the absence of the brand is not enough....ouch!

[@sushanart]

😇🩷🙏🙌

[@dracolipop]

This is the shein temu thing all over again 😂

[@atbossgrim]

Wonderful, i hope Pilot run out of business 😂

[@Doodlebud]

Do you understand the irony of that statement? Without Pilot, one of the best manufacturers out there, this pen wouldn't exist for Majohn & Jinhao to copy.

[@atbossgrim]

@@Doodlebud yap, without Nokia and motorola we wont had an iphone or mass pruduced hand phones, and so on and on... companies who bring value at better price wins... or more of it..

[@oldaudionerd]

Personally I find you promoting companies that make cheap copies of pens very off putting. Taking the work of others, mass producing in likely questionable factories, and selling for a fraction of the cost is nothing to be celebrated or given legitimacy by a forum such as yours. Disappointing.

[@victorphillips7770]

Not everyone has the budget to buy pilot vanishing point. People like me need these reviews

[@CarzorStelatis]

The patent on the Pilot mechanism has expired so other companies are free to use it. That's exactly how the patent system is supposed to work.

[@paulherman5822]

The "expensive" brands frequently copied each other while they were still in copyright. How is a Chinese brand copying something out of copyright so bad?

[@manuelsalazar3938]

Well, I would ask you: Are you affected by this? Given their silence, don't you think Pilot would be, instead, grateful because all this is increasing sales of the original and even the vintage? What if there was a commercial agreement that doesn't necessarily have to be public? Have you not considered that if the design had copyright it may have already expired? Or are you a Pilot stakeholder losing money? C'mon kid, stop looking at the sins of others and be yourself a better person.

[@majajamie]

@oldaudionerd - It’s an objective review done by an honest, unbiased reviewer with an engineering background. I have zero complaints about /what/ is being reviewed - it’s *his* channel and *his* choice of what to review - and I am appreciative of Doodlebud’s time, effort and willingness to share his thoughts.

[@Zaguzah]

Obligatory: Nine Inch Nails - Copy of A kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6C2pp2NrM6Imrcsi=j4jcyDi21kZq9aFz