1. I'm tempted by that Jinhao 65, the looks appeal to me, and I like thin, cylindrical pens. Another good metal Jinhao in this price range is the x750, which is very solid, heavyish. 2. Another vote for the Jinhao 82, AND it can come with a fude nib. 3. For those who want a wide line, say 1.5mm to 6mm, Pilot Parallels come in such widths. 4. For anyone completely new to fountain pens, I recommend a Pilot Varsity (also under $10). So you can see if you like making lines with liquid ink without dealing with filling the pen.
Hey there Ichiro, I have both the Platinum Preppy and the Pilot Varsity and there is no comparison on the nibs, the Platinum is sooooo much smoother than the Varsity. Also the Varsity is disposable unless you know how to fill it, which is not something new users will be comfortable doing. I will have to check out the x750 as I like slightly weightier thin pens. See you tomorrow for HJ's stream.
I had a Varsity when I was in high school, before I knew what fountain pens were. Someday I want to buy another one and try refilling it, as I’m told you can do. The Parallel is also a fantastic recommend.
It's really a shame that Platinum discontinued the older desk pen model. That was an absolutely fantastic and cheap pen. I'm glad I was able to pick up a couple for a reasonable price.
It almost seems insult to injury that they re-released a pen under that name which is basically the preppy with. A long body. I was mailed one of the old designs by a viewer of this channel, and I’m really grateful. The crazy thing is, they were so common when I started getting into fountain pens that I didn’t even have that pen on my radar. You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone, I guess.
Great drawing! I agree except for the Jinhao 65 that is too thin for my taste. But let me add two more, Kaweko Perkeo and Jinhao 992. The first is similar to the Kakuno but more scratchy, the second very similar to the 82.
I do think the 65 is the most “acquired taste” pen on this list. I don’t have a Perkeo, but it looks like something I would like. The 992 also looks pretty good. Someday, if it’s not too much of a bother, I would really like Jinhao to come up with actual names for their pens.
I've never seen this kind of Preppy, it must be the very first version. I had one that was between yours and the current one, so there were at least 2 design updates.
Yes, it’s a design from about 2015. I also bought it when I lived in South Korea, so I don’t know if there is a regional difference in the design also.
Decent list. I would have swapped the Jinhao 80 for the 62 as it has a similar feed but a wider grip. Both have nibs that can be swapped with Lamy nibs or Chinese equivalents. This means that you can easily swap in broad nibs or colored nibs for under $10 USD.
I literally had the 80 on my list. The 62 beat it out by just a bit because I liked the nib better. The 80 I got needed brass sheets and a lot of smoothing. Works fantastic now, but it took some work getting there.
I feel like that’s the most controversial inclusion. That pen is so minimalist it almost doesn’t exist! Haha. But since it’s my personal opinion, I put it in there. I didn’t think I would like it until I actually bought one.
Pilot penmanship. Nib is same design as Kakuno , but kakuno for me personally dries out quickly. Penmanship has a screw on cap so its very reliable and doesnt dry out, shape is also interesting minimal with no clip . Penmanship comes only in EF, but its a pretty good nib.
I’ve played with those. I think you’re either on team Kakuno or team penmanship. Really similar feed/flow for the two pens, but different ergonomics, and yeah, that cap ins really unique. Solid recommend.
A good fountain pen i tried and has a very good potential to be a demonstrator and eyedropper pen is Tramol F10 F nib. It is 3 dollars and comes with a cartridge converter and the body can be eyedropped anx it writes and draws quite wet. I have bought 5 of them and gave away one to a friend. It is possibly a good starter as a demonstator and eyedropper. Also it comes with an eyedropper
I had to Google that one. Woah! Looks really cool. Almost like the preppy with a cleaner design. I don’t love eyedroppers myself, but I might pick up one of the c/c versions and give it a spin. Thanks for the recommend!
I do not use shimmer inks, but from what I’ve heard, you want a wider nib to avoid clogging, because shimmer inks tend to do that. I would guess a medium, but a fine might be okay. From what I can tell, the Platinum, Pilot, and the Jinhao 82 are pens you can get with a medium nib, so I would start there.
