I don't think you have to quantify that its good for a cheap pen. Its a good pen. The worst writing pen in my collection is a Visconti. It cost 65 times more than my Jinhao and the nib needed work and the section will not stay tight. I'm constantly having to stop and re-tighten. I'm tired of spending money on expensive pens that require work after delivery. I constantly see reviews criticizing the bad nibs on Chinese pens but don't have a problem getting a custom grind on their expense pen. Fountain pen manufacturers are taking their customers for granted. My hesitancy to buy Chinese brands is gone. They are inexpensive but they just work. If a pen doesn't write its useless..
spent good money on a Visconti only to have the magnetic band to fall off, which means the cap doesn't close now! Will never buy from them again, I'm staying with pens which have a screw closing on the cap!
@@bngr_bngr I bought it in Florence on vacation. I didn’t do my due diligence. I was so excited being in Italy and at the Visconti store that I didn’t fully check the pen out. That’s my fault. Figured it out when we returned home. I tend to collect fountain pens when we travel and this one will always evoke memories of our trip. So I kept it.
@@zebratroopfan6695 that’s unfortunate. Visconti makes great pens, to hear that you got a bad one is not what Visconti would want for its customers. I hope you reached out to them to try to resolve your issues.
I have an original Jinhao 159, the lacquer is chipped and some of the finish on the clip is wearing off and the original converter that came with it broke but all that wear and tear came from me using it all throughout my senior year of high school. I just bought a new Jinhao Dadao 9016 with the heartbeat nib last week, they have a nice place next to each other on my desk.
Oh look, yet another affordable Chinese pen that writes well right out of the box. Meanwhile, Visconti charges you $700 or more for the privilege of entering the Will-It-Write lottery.
I enjoy my X159 quite a bit (not inked up at the moment, but it was for several months). And I agree that it's a particularly excellent choice as a low-barrier-to-entry for both oversized pens and large nibs. That #8 nib is a beast and it's kind of fun how bouncy it is just by nature of that size and shape. I'm sure lots of people have gone out and spent $100, $200 and more on a highly recommended oversized fountain pen only to discover that the size just doesn't work for them or match their preferences. It's great that people trying to figure out their preferences can now buy something for $10-$20 to help with that process.
Great review , thank you ,by the way , I live in Beijing (China), and I was able to find the Jinhao X159 in different colors ,I have it in blue and burgundy .
I really like my 159, one of my best fountain pen purchases ever. Yes, rather heavy, but a really nice writer with diamine ink in it, very smooth. The X159 is definitely on my wish list for the future as i really want to try the lighter weight and the bigger nib, but there's just so many wonderful pens out there that i also want to try. As to the Montblanc version: if i had that money to spend on a pen i would not be buying a Montblanc. I think there's much prettier pens out there for the money. And it's all about the pretty factor, isn't it? LOL Thanks for review.
Thank you very much, I ordered this 159 X pen as soon as I saw your video. I already have MB149 , Jinhao 159 and Jinhao X450, I find Jinhao X450 a little less good than MB 149 ... but not much ... :) I am very curious to know if X159 will beat the original MB149 ... ? Should I tell you?
I ordered two of them. One I inked up with a Diamine, the other one with a Pilot ink. Both pens were scratchy and awful to write with. I had to put a lot of pressure on the nib to make them write. The lines sometimes were thick, then thin, then no line at all. Send them back the same day.
I used to have the Monteblanc Meisterstuck 149, and I really miss it. I think I may get one of these. But, one of the things I liked about the 149 was the huge amount of ink it held.
Wow, I’ve been away from the pen world but unless my eyes are playing tricks on me, you lost lots of weight, congratulations. Hope you make a video about it for the couch potatoes like myself. 😊
Hear, hear! My x159 was an eight dollar lesson that taught me how much I personally dislike pens this size. I followed it up with a PGS and a Prera and I love them both.
I bought two of these and definitely agree to the value. But the flip side is I now want a Pilot #30 nib… lol. I do hope this supercharges alternative #8 nibs. I want this in a med! With that said, I bought 2 and one basically fell apart at the “blind cap” end. It started to spin and just layer off. But it also was the older version with like 3.5 turns to remove the cap (I have another that is closer to 2 turns). QC is probably another reason for how cheap it is.
I completely agree: excellent pen. And you can get them for even less than you paid. I would say that while it is a knock-off of a Montblanc, Montblanc did not originate that design, so MBs are a knock-off as well.
Carrie, when I search amazon for this pen how do I know I've found the authentic 159? There are many listings for both 159 and x 159 but not sure the sellers even know the difference. Also there are other brand names on the listings, and I've found lots of colors and trims and nib sizes. (contrary to what you said in your video) I'd really like to try this pen - can you help? (Hey - maybe you could do a video on how to shop amazon, ebay, etc. for pens and how to make sure you are getting what you think you're getting)
I have one and don't recommend it. The build quality is ok for a Chinese pen and it writes smooth enough. But, like every Chinese brand of fountain pen I've tried it has ink flow issues.
I’m a huge fan of this pen and nib. Picked up the black with silver trim first. Loved it so much I grabbed the other 3 colors that came out with gold trim. Today my Gravitas titanium pen with the same nib just arrived. The only difference is this new one has an EF nib. Seriously love this pen. The nib and feeds screw out and I can’t believe how well these write.
You have to be joking. How can that possibly be the single most important pen you will ever buy. It is nothing but a piece of Chinese rubbish and a complete knock off of the Montblanc Meisterstuck 149. I own a 149 and I find this video an insult. The Montblanc 149 might be the most important pen you will ever buy but these cheap chinese copies are destined for land fill.
In the "Montblanc" style series, there are 3 pens: X350, X850, X159. What changes between these three pens, the size and the grip... you will inevitably find one to your hand! For your information, they all come with three different nibs, EF (0.4mm), F (0.5mm), M (0.7mm) and bend (1mm), as well as a wide choice of colours and a choice of gold or chrome plated metal. There are many other very good pens from Jinhao: - 911 Very simple, steel body, very cheap, hooded cap, I like it very much. - 85 (inspired by the Parker 51), writes superbly well, very well finished, well balanced, my favourite! - 100 acrylic, inspired by the Parker Duo Fold, one of Jinhao's most beautiful pens, very well balanced, great grip (the patterns are not printed, but really tinted), equal on the podium with the 85! - 100 mini wood, same as the previous one, but a bit smaller and with a wooden body. - 82 (inspired by the sailor pro gear), a smaller pen than the X350-159 series, ideal as a pocket pen. - X80 (inspired by the Lamy 2000), with its characteristic line, it's just a pity that there is no hooded cap like on the original.
Omg, thank you sooooo much for this list! ❤ . I immediately went on Aliexpress and ordered one of every thing for less than $25. Lol. I can’t wait to see what I get!
I have a couple of 149s I bought new. I was amazed at the amount of 'feedback' the fine nib gave, and was very happy with the medium nib. The folks at youtube decided, one day, to place the above video among many others on visiting their home page. The title was very intriguing and said to me, not too subtly, "Read me! Now !!" So I did. I bought one of these right away. All I can say is, "Believe the nice young lady (in spite of her taste in sweaters) !!!" Her description of it, and its writing characteristics is 'spot on'. In other words, for $22 - $25 you can have a pen that writes really nicely, fits the hand really nicely, and is styled really nicely while only 'missing' a white emblem on its cap. I may be missing something, but I'm not sure there is $950 worth of resin quality, and writing capability, though, yes, the brand name has an intrinsic value and the Jinhao's packing is lacking (read non-existent). If you like fountain pens, this pen has a incredibly large Use Value/Cost ratio.
Excellent review. I have a 159 and an X159, and I quite like them, but they are not my favourite Chinese pens. That said, for the price, I'd go for a Jinhao 80 or X750. I think calling it a 'knock-off' is a bit unfair. It doesn't pretend to be a Montblanc, any more than a Platinum 3776 or a Sailor 1911 or a Senator. And let's remember that Montblanc 'knocked off' the cigar shape from the Sheaffer Balance, and the piston fill from Pelikan, so it's somewhat specious.
@archivist17, The knock off argument is pretty old and, as you rightly point out, meaningless. Those that feign abject horror at the thought of anyone putting out an FP that looks like a cigar really annoy me. I suspect a lot of it has to do with they have paid a squillion dollars for a FP and you can get this great little writer for under 10 bucks. No one is saying it's a Mont Blanc 149, just that it's a great little pen for not much money.
I have three of them and they are all phantastic writers. Honestly my Montblanc doesn´t write as smoothly. The nib is definitely a not fine but leaning heavily medium. I am currently obsessed with the Jinhao 80 in EF. It´s wonderful.
I don’t know… everyone is praising this pen. I’ve a x159 and a x750. They writes awfully. Really, I hate them. I have 4 Chinese fountain pens and all of them writes really bad. Too wet and with inconsistent flow, hard start and skips… the x159 is di flexible that with the normal pressure it hardly writes, pressing a lot it’s a River, but is uncomfortable to hold. I have a Sailor Profit Jr and it’s perfect, just perfect. I’ll not bother with Chinese pens anymore
Never had a problem with the x159 nibs, but QC could be better. I want the MB149 and plan on getting one soon. I love Lamy's Safari I am gazing on you.. But I loathe the Lamy 2000. The Janhoa 80 with my Safari gold nib.... chefs kiss! (I also love the Lamy cursive on it as well) I have many pens ranging from $1,2000 to $1.00 Vintage to new... This is not a knock off because it's functionality a gifferent pen, although it has the same shape. They aren't sold as MB, Lamy, etc....
I brought a 6 pen bundle of Jinhao 992s and they're wonderful! Only $2/pen, all came with converters, all wrote well without any modification. They're wetter pens so I'm loving the amount of sheen I'm getting. AND they're all see through, which I enjoy because I like to see all the ink. 😆 Only downside so far is that they take a moment to start...which is weird considering how much ink it lays down. Not enough to deter me from using them daily, but it's a thing. I got my first Kaweco and I had to modify it to get it to write consistently.... >_>
Actually the US Amazon store has four colors in gold and silver trims. One could order all four for like 34.98 in fine or extra fine. You're correct it's s pretty decent writer.
Up to seven colors now (12/30) - black, dark blue, dark green, coffee, ivory, lime green, and wine. Some only with gold trim, some only with silver trim, some with both, and in fine and extra fine nib options. Just got my first - after adjusting the tines a bit, it's an amazing pen for $14.
Hi there fellow Canadian. This is the first of your reviews I've seen and really enjoyed it. The information about the size of the pen/ grip was especially useful because I've found that the worsening arthritis in my writing hand is less of a pain with a larger diameter pen. Guess that means I'm getting a Jinhao X159. Probably after Christmas though because I'm broke too. Oh, you also have a new subscriber.
Hi. New subscriber here :) I am giving myself the X159 for Christmas. I am very much a fountain pen noob. I have two Lamy Safaris - each with a different nib size. I have a Platinum Preppy on the way too. :) First time using a converter. So....my question.....What are you favorite black inks? Top 2 or 3. Please and thank you. I watched your Top 5 Most Used Inks video. I wish I was more into colors but I am a basic black kinda guy. Although that Montblanc Single Malt....well....it speaks to me. :)
It’s the best pen ever. I have about 20 of the old metallic one (most of which are still in the original wrap) and about 12 of the new ones. Everyone I bought from China and from Amazon included a converter. The prices range between $7 delivered to the USA (Aliexpess) and $13 (amazon) delivered. Thanks for the review. By the way, I have the Mont Blanc 149 from 2000 and the 146 from 2000 too. They’re good, but nothing fancy. Especially not for the price. I prefer my Pelikans 1000, 800 and even the 250 a million times more than the MBs.
Mine fell apart after 3 months, clip came off cap came undone, this was after nib section kind of stopped screwing in so i used crazy glue. I do love the pen tho
Yes! These are great pens for 4 bucks off Ali Express. I bought 5, and gave a few away to friends. I just ordered more as I see colors othrr than black are now available. The ones off Ali came with a converter. My only complaint is the fine nib is a little more towards medium. Not a deal breaker. Took about 3 weeks to arrive from China. Also, the cap seals pretty solid. I didn't use it for a couple of weeks, and it started right away when I went to use it. The X159 is becoming my favorite Jinhao.
Love your enthusiasm! Got the exact pen like in your video about a month ago. Then Doug, Inkquiring Minds, reviewed the upgrade version with two-tone nib and gold hardware;so,I ordered a Maroon/gold with two-tone nib that I like even more than the black/silver. This pushed me to get the Dark Bleu/gold;and,it is just as wonderful as the other two. They seem consistently well made. More bang for buck than any pen imho. I got all three X159s for less than $30. Definite must-have. It writes incredibly smooth and wet for me. Inexpensive enough to penable like a BOSS;so,buy several! Jinhao X159!
Jinhao X159 Acrylic Fountain Pen is an excellent fountain pen! For comparison, I have played with the below listed fountain pens, mostly medium nib (nothing over $40 USD). - Jinhao X159 Acrylic is easily a top three choice. None of the below pens can beat it. Writes on nice and inexpensive papers. Smooth. After testing 6 pens, I straight up purchased twenty (20) pens. - Cross Bailey Light, Hongdian Black Forest, Jinhao X450, Jinhao X750, Kaweco Classic Sport, Lamy Safari & Vista, Plastic Parker Jotter, PenBBS 308, Pilot Kakuno & Metropolitan, Platinum Plaisir & Prefounte, Sailor Compass 1911, TWSBI ECO.
Hi always enjoy your videos. Not sure when you filmed but they do have a burgundy/wine color and a blue all with the option of silver and gold trim including the black one. Maybe as of black Friday (at least that is when I seen them) they also have 3 other colors they remind me of a vintage kitchen....there is a orange, a green, and a brown all available in silver and gold trim. Thank you for this review. You are always so detailed.
For those of us with unique hands, size comparison is super helpful and I always look for them in reviews. I have very small hands and that has made my purchasing decisions much easier in my pen journey. Oversized pens are always a hard pass for me, but todays pens tend to naturally be much bigger than vintage ones. So much so that a big pen isn’t really noted as such. I appreciate the size comparisons greatly.
I've bought 3 of them: One is fantastic, a great writer with a surprising amount of bounce and line variation. One is just OK, not bad but not as smooth. And one is pretty bad, with a lot of skipping. Bottom line, at this price I can't complain much -- the good one is worth 3 times its price, so I could throw out the other 2 and still have my money's worth. But I would advise people to adjust expectations for now regarding quality control, hope for the best and maybe consider buying more than one for insurance.
The cheap Chinese pens are a fun and cheap alternative for pen collectors on a budget, but with their lack of quality control you never know what you are going to get, a gem or a dud. For someone who is maybe not into collecting pens and is more interested in dependability, and a smooth carefree writing experience then the staid but trusty Metropolitan is the way to go.
if you dont mind the waiting (from china to Spain where I live, two weeks) you can get this from AE for less than 6€ shipping included -- there you can find it in several colors with gold finish --- nib in F & EF - converter always included
I bought my black-blue and gold X159 from one of my usual eBay sellers for AUD 17.00 and it is am amazing pen! Mine has a two-tone nib which has a great flow and is buttery smooth (depending on course on your ink and paper). I now own a23 Jinhaos with more on the way, and they have all been great, but the X159 is by far the best of them all, far better than any of my Parkers and the Lamy I bought and don't much like.
This is why people invest in China. No pesky intellectual property. Most design can be cheap knockoff when you don't have to pay extra for EU or US labor law. There is no argument that such copycat is a bang for your buck, and as I've tried it, it writes ok. I always find Jinhao to write well - better than other Chinese brands. So, yeah, if you don't respect intellectual property, it's a good pen. I won't put it that high tho. I don't really like resin pen. I use wood pen, and Jinhao don't make good wood pen. Maybe because there's no easy way to copy from. Resin can be copied easily but it's get Moise in a long session.
Unless it comes with a .03 nib it's not for me. I love Jinhao 80s in black with black or chrome clips. I love these pens so much I'm ordering 3 more of each. I'm a writer and not a collector, and the Jinhao 80s are just so perfect for me.
I have been using mine for a few weeks now and it has a premium look and feel, also a very smooth writer. Mine arrived with a medium nib. It’s hard to pick between this and my Jinhao X750’s, if only for the convenience of the snap cap. I like my metal 159’s too. I simply purchase extra gold plated #8 nibs as they’re cheap as chips and they’re generally reliable. I also have the 9019 Dadao and the ink delivery system is fantastic, but it lacks the elegance of the X159. The Century 100’s I have just for eye candy. Great review! 👍🏻
Every now and then I pull out my expensive Visconti pens.. to look at them because they have been finicky even with tuning and nib meistering.. my x 159 in dark blue is fun and writes well. I’ve been also enjoying my two Majohn mini fountain pens..thanks Kerry,Frank in Colorado
Got mine off aliexpress for $3 shipped. Plastic is pretty cheap but the nib writes impressively well. Diamine Oxblood actually comes out of mine as almost exactly the same color as the body (burgundy) itself, which is nice. Shape is unnoticeably different from my ~50s era 149 tbh. Not sure about modern nibs but my 149’s is a lot nicer feeling. Similarly smooth, but the 149 has that “butter” feeling, and some bounce, which my 159 doesn’t. Heard you can fit the 149 nib in the x159, but it won’t cap properly. But yeah I agree it’s a great way to see if you like the shape.
Hola. Cordial saludo. Hay muchas situaciones distintas a las que menciona en la revisión. Ahora hay varios colores y algunos de ellos tienen la posibilidad de elegir entre acabados dorados y plateados. Además ya se consigue el plumón en EF y F. Puedes consultar esto en varias páginas en aliexpress. Las últimas versiones incluyen algunas mejoras a los primeros X159. Yo tengo 3 negros con acabados plateados (versión inicial) y otros 3 en colores y las ultimas versiones ciertamente mejoran en: 1) reducen el numero de giros que hay que dar para desmontar el capuchón, 2) Además el grabado del nombre y referencia aumentan en tamaño. 3) Accesorios en tono dorado y 4) al menos 7 colores nuevos (azul, verde musgo, verde chatee, blanco, borgoña, café y naranja) Cordial saludo desde Medellín, Colombia.
I've just ordered the Jinhao Dadao 9019 colorless demonstrator. At just under $20AUD this pen is still quite cheap even though I purchased it with Australian play money. It comes with a medium No.8 nib. There are two other demonstrators in blue and pink.
It’s a little disconcerting to hear how often really expensive pens need to have their nibs worked on after delivery. This is a great video review, thank you so much for doing it. Also, these are less than $5 US on Aliexpress.
I don’t get it. It’s cheap and it feels cheap. It even has “18k” written on its steel nib. What’s the point? If I want to safe money, I will not buy stuff that has no real utility (beyond your first pen) to begin with. If I want a Montblanc … I buy one.
The X159 is a fairly well made fountain pen, but the nib is rubbish, iron not stainless steel, and will corrode if the owner uses more extreme inks. The iridium point on the tip of the nib is very rough and even scratched. It feels bad when writing. I wonder if it is real iridium. My solution is to remove the original nib and replace it with a genuine German nib such as a nib from BOCK or a nib from WIN. Before refitting, polish the German-made nib well, and polish the iridium point as smooth as a mirror. At this point you will be amazed at the potential of this pen.
Bless you. You have personality and share a love for pens. But seriously, this and other made in China knockoffs are truly inferior than serious precision made German technology pens. Sad truth, most modern Montblancs are also crap. But if you were as lucky as me to own an original 149 from 1952 you would soon enter a completely different world with an instrument that would set your habit on fire. There is simply no comparison in any way. One is a serious object and offers so much. The other is a knockoff piece of you know what. It's not fair you cannot afford to buy the real thing but such is life.
I tried to buy one. Coudl nto find in local brazil market. Checked amazon to import. 210$ USD of delivery and import fees.... aaaa nope.. better save for a 149 in these conditions.
I don’t agree on the comparison…. We know even same size pen with different nib write in a total different way. On the cost …. Mont Blanc has materials which are more more expensive.. gold nibs, precious resins and so on.. would u ever compare Fiat and Ferrari? At the end they both produce cars…..
20 CAD on Amazon, You could of bought that pen for 7 CAD shipped on Aliexpress. It takes longer to get here because it ships from China. But the savings are worth it.
FINALLY!! I'm waiting for so long for you to review this fountain pen. I noticed it's quite a new release and I currently have the same one you have with the silver trim. By the way there are other colors as well. They are green, orange, white, brown and dark olive. But I currently don't posses any of those colors. Always an awesome video thanks :DD
I love the pen body on this one so much ... my nib isn't good ... I've improved it a bit (flossed with brass shim) and have to do more with micromesh. I agree if possible purchase from a pen store so you can send it back if you get a bad one. I'm not giving up on mine! It's such a comfortable pen for me to write with. I was so happy to hear your opinion on this pen thank you! Wishing you much prosperity and happy winter!!!!
Without messing with the line width at all is fairly difficult because by default, more ink means a thicker line BUT if you only increase it by a little then the line differences may be negligible. You can widen the tines or mess with the feed but if you’re worried about messing it up, I’d send it to someone who knows what they’re doing lol
They have other colors, I have blue with gold trim. :) Just takes a bit longer to get here. I completely agree with your review, especially your thoughts about the nib. Fatter than it should be for an F, kinda dry but super smooth. My issue is if I tune it to be wet it'll be even wider again, so I'm leaving it alone. The nib is just too broad for me. If they offer an EF at some point though I'll be jumping on that!
I have 2 i love for my arthritic thumbs!! Light weight, filled with ink, toss ‘em in my bag in a plastic container with some pen stuff to keep ‘em from drying out very fast. I had problem with a lid break and the chinese vendor sent a new one ASAP! Very nice. Plus if one gets lost in travels.. no tears! I did a Doug Inkquiring Minds micro mesh on one nib to make smoother & finer. Gonna get a couple more for a few more experiments. Thanks for bringing this one up!…..wish i could have a giant-size TWSI with san 8 nib..,.arthritis hands would love it!
I received my Jinhao X159 yesterday- bought on a whim after seeing good reviews. For its ridiculously low price it is a fantastic fountain pen. But I agree with you that its chief benefit is to make one decide whether an Oversize, Mont Blanc 149, type of pen is something to buy. After a day of writing, I definitely would not want oversize pens: for me the best size is the Sailor 1911 Large or the Pelikan M800s. I fully support your advice that one should buy a Jinhao X159 to have the opportunity of trying out Oversize pens without breaking the budget. Great video!
I recently bought an x159 and another controversial pen the Jinhao 80 (a Lamy 2000 knockoff). Of the two the 80 writes much better; the x159 (at least mine) is pretty dry and scratchy and will need some tuning. I've had a few Jinhao's over the years, and for the the issue is inconsistency / quality control. I've had some that are amazing (mainly X750's) and some others that were....well... let's just say they were perfect candidates for swapping in a Goulet nib.
I should add at this price point, some inconsistency is not the end of the world; it's much more annoying when more expensive pens exhibit obvious QC issues.
I love my x159, it fits my larger hands perfectly and is a very smooth writer. Been thinking about added a couple more in different colors. Ali express has them in newer green and orange I’ve been eyeballing
A 149 is costly because it's a real fountain pen made from very high quality materials, and not a cheap piece of plastic with a cheap, very low grade stainless steel nib.
The Pen is great. And it is available in a view other colors also. I own it in Dark Blue and Black. Both with Gold Trim. Hope we willbget it soon with a medium nib.
Absolutely right! I have one, and I do like it better than the original. "Precious resin" is basically a Google Translate type translation fail for "plastic." So, plenty of high end pens are just plastic. 😁 Even the Lexan (Plexiglas) used in the original Parker 51 is just a plastic. "Resin" as used in pens is generally just plastic. (Resin used to just mean tree sap. Don't know any pens made of tree sap. 😁) Again, I agree with you about the X159. Of course, as it's an oversize number 8 nib, currently you're kind of stuck with the nib it came with right now. And there's those who dislike anything that's not a broad or wider. Not for them. I cut my teeth on fountain pens decades ago, and I got used to the medium and finer most US vintage used, so this pen ticks a lot of the right boxes for me. Are there better out there? Certainly! Just not in the same price range, generally. And nothing else like it in the size. And as to it's being a copy... Even Montblanc copied the shape from the same era Sheaffer and the original piston from Pelikan. Copying has been a thing since the first fountain pens, and unlike this Jinhao, sometimes when they were still in copyright.
There is a real difference between a resin and "plastic". Yes, the term "resin" originated from tree saps that cured over time (like amber) but nowadays the term refers to any material that cures due to some chemical reaction (like acrylics) and cannot be changed after that (NB: ebonite is a cured rubber but not a plastic). So a pen made from a resin has to be made by turning from a solid rod. "Plastic" mostly refers to a material that can be heated and then moulded into any form (polystyrene, polycarbonate, ABS etc.). Injection moulding allows producing large numbers in a short time reducing production costs. So you have to check the description of a pen carefully. A resin pen always means more effort to produce it and it will most likely be more durable. But even some expensive pens are made by injection moulding like the transparent Platinum 3776 (which is still a very good pen). On the other hand, companies like PenBBS use acrylics (which is a resin) for most of their (rather inexpensive) beautiful pens.
There are many grades and many types of plastic, and saying that even high end pens are made from plastic is just silly. The 159 is not a copy of anything. That's like saying a Tonka truck is a copy of the real thing. The 159 has the basic shape of the 149, and that's it. It's made from incredibly cheap plastic, and there is a MAJOR difference between this cheap plastic crap and the resin used in quality pens. "A plastic" is a silly, silly statement, and you should actually do some real research before saying such things. The 159 is an eighty cent pen. Even with the inhumanly low wages the workers are paid, you can use quality materials and make a pen for eighty cents. Some of the Jinhao and other pens actually sell for fifty cents in China. Yeah, "just plastic". Cheap children's toys are also plastic, so is the plastic wrap you use in the kitchen. It's like building your house and the balcony out of balsa wood rather than southern pine and redwood because it's all just wood. The nib is even worse. It may be smooth, but big deal. It's still made of incredibly low-grade stainless steel, and the tipping is just as bad. The entire pen costs eighty cents to make, so how much do you suppose the nib cost? Of course, metal is all just metal, right? So the cheap, low-grade stainless steel used for the nib and tipping is just as just as the high-grade stainless steel and far harder, longer wearing tipping on quality pens. Plastic is plastic and metal is metal, so we really only need one type of each to do everything. It's one thing to own such a "pen", but it's something completely different when you try to compare it to the materials used in a high end pen. Like all such pens, the 159 is an incredibly cheap plastic. You can keep telling yourself this is a quality pen, and that it is somehow a 149 substitute, but you have to know better. It's just one more Jinhao pen that's shaped a little differently than the other crappy Jinhao pens. This is the main thing China does. Change the shape or size of the cheap plastic, and in this case put on a little larger cheap nib that will not last with steady use, and people think it's something new. It isn't.
