A BIG CONTENDER: Jinhao Dadao 9019 Fountain Pen Review

A review of the Jinhao 9019 fountain pen. With the large, well-machined converter and a big No.8 nib... this is a lot of pen for a small price tag.

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The opinions are my own, based on my own experiences with the product. Not to be used for reference or as gospel.

[DanFrizzell]

This was a very enjoyable review. I’ve amassed a moderate collection of fountain pens, most of them very cheap and better for looking at than actually using. I do have a number of higher quality pens, somewhat expensive (for my limited budget), and all of them perform well. But I’m 73 and have rapidly worsening arthritis in my writing hand. Every one of those better pens, the ones I’ve used daily for years, has become almost unbearable to write with. Enter the big fat Jinhao 9019; it’s the most comfortable pen I’ve ever used. Fortunately, I seem to have won the lottery with this one because it exhibits none of the things I’ve read or seen in negative reviews. It writes like a dream, does not rattle, doesn’t skip or suffer from hard starts, and I don’t find the clip to be problematic. Overall I can’t believe it came to me just as I was resigning myself to the fact that my days of writing by hand were over.

[aldojacobi]

Nice REVIEW. I have been looking for a large BLACK FP for a while....this is it! 👍🏽

[catherinehubbard]

I have several of these 9019s and only one, with a fine nib, skips a bit. The others are EF and write like a dream, incredibly smooth and with no hard starts. Unlike with the much smaller Jinhao 82, where IMO the “fine” is like an EF, the 9019 nib EF line looks more like a F to me.

The converter in mine doesn’t rattle at all. In a transparent model you can see how the end of the converter nestles securely in struts rising from the inner surface of the barrel. I don’t know what happened with yours. If it contains ink, it should not rattle; the internal ink agitator might rattle in an empty pen. One of my converters did leak just a bit inside the pen until I put some silicone grease on the converter screw threads. So I recommend doing that proactively.

I don’t see a need for a piston filler when there is a well-made converter that holds nearly 2 ml of ink, comparable or larger than most piston fillers. What I would like to see is the huge converters available separately along with screw caps to seal them. Then you could change inks easily and without wasting ink and also take extras when traveling. Also, if planning to travel by plane, you could easily remove and seal the ink reservoir and rinse out the section and nib, thus avoiding messy ink “burps” caused by pressure change. Caps and extra converters would open up a lot of possibilities.

I am looking forward to seeing what Jinhao does in future models using this revolutionary converter. I’d also like to see #8 nibs from them or third parties with flex, stubs, obliques, cursive italics, etc. If/when separate converters are available, you could just switch one out for another to get a new ink supply (if 2 ml isn’t enough) or “fix” a defective filling system with a new converter. They aren’t copying anyone in this innovation, they are leading the field.

Finally, I wanted to point out that sets of 3 Jinhao #8 nibs fitting the x159 or 9019 are available from Amazon in different nib points and metal colors. So if you get a disappointing nib, or if you want to try a different point size without buying another pen, you can switch it out inexpensively.

[KendallW]

I hadn't noticed the rattle until you mentioned it, BUT it's only when I tap it like you demonstrated -something that just doesn't normally happen with use. So, not really an issue in my opinion. And I quite like that it's not a piston filler, it has a massive converter -so all the convenience of cleaning a converter pen with the bonus ink capacity of a piston pen.

[misswoodhouse]

Hi Mick, my take on these 'copy cat' Jinhao's is that the pens they copy, for example, the MB-149 if someone could afford it then MB won't lose any customers as no one would buy a Jihnao instead of a real thing. However, the actual fact is that Jinhao might be doing MB a favour, and in this case Pilot by giving people the chance to see the size and shape and also making people want the real thing. The only caveat to this is the design intellectual property, however, MB-149 is like a Sailor 1911 which is like a Platinum President. One last thing, I usually find those who get so upset over these Jinhao's they won the real thing and they don't like how people can get into the club without being very rich. But the truth is no one ever notices when I'm writing with a expensive pen or cheapie.
Another great video thanks c:
Chelsea

[stereodreamer]

I got one of these in transparent blue with an Extra Fine nib about a week ago. It is VERY. nicely made and writes surprisingly smooth for an EF nib. Well-balanced, and although it is MUCH thicker than most of my other fountain pens, it fits my shirt pocket well, and is comfortable to use. This pen is a GREAT value for the price, and is going to be one of my favorite "daily use" fountain pens, I believe...

[gregmonks]

At a PTA meeting last year an idiot "educator" declared that he wanted the teaching of cursive discontinued because it was obsolete. In front of everyone, in a loud voice I asked for his contact info. He patted his pockets looking for something to write with. You need one of these? I said, proferring a pen. When he reached for it, I withheld it, holding it up for all to see, to a chorus of laughter. Nah, I said, I'm not giving this to an educator who aims to champion illiteracy.

[kevinlandon]

I have just received the same pen with a medium nib. It writes great and looks outstanding, too. Mine did not come in a fancy box, only a plastic sleeve. Great review!!

[Bazerkly]

I purchased a Jinhao 9019 and I am very impressed with Note it is a large pen if you have small hands...

[impish]

Mick !!! I've been waiting for this review. thanks for posting

[Goldilockszone]

I love mine. It writes amazingly well with no hard starts or skips and a touch of feedback. It makes me want to write with it.

[neilpiper]

For those who like to use cartridges the Jinhao 9019 takes standard international cartridges that just push in. I have the medium nib in my Teal colour version of this pen . It's a very smooth writer.
Jinhao makes fantastic medium nibs. No rattles in mine. That converter holds so much ink, I don't need a piston filler.

[LewisLittle]

I bought one of these a couple of months ago and I was really impressed with the quality. I got the clear demonstrator version specifically to show off that awesome converter. It's just a bit too thick in the girth for me to use comfortably for a long period of time.

[gregs.]

I have had some problems with mine and was wondering if any other pen enthusiasts had experienced similar ones. The first thing I noticed was that the part of the converter that one rotates with one's fingers was wobbly enough to make the pen rattle anytime I touched it at all. I didn't have to move it very far or shake it for that to happen. My "fix" for this was to pull off the ridiculous metal cap that was making the converter so top-heavy. The pen no longer rattles even if I shake it, but this is a good solution only for 9019s in solid colours. Some owners of 9019s in transparent colours might not want to do this, because underneath the metal cap is the same flat-sided Lamy-style rotating knob that Jinhao uses on their standard-size bottle converters. The result is that when the larger 9019 converter is completely filled with ink, the threaded centre rod sticks out of the top of the rotating knob, which some people may consider a bad or messy look for a clear demonstrator pen. Of course the rod won't be visible if you fill the converter only 80 - 85% or so. The other thing that bothered me was that both the X159 and the 9019 have caps that allow the nibs and feeds to dry out, especially if I use my favourite Waterman Serenity Blue ink. For both of my X159s, switching to Namiki Blue Fountain Pen Ink -- the kind that comes in curiously shallow 60 ml bottles inside red boxes -- solved this problem completely. Namiki doesn't market this product as an "infinity" ink, but it certainly seems to work that way inside my X159s. I still have a real fight on my hands, however, getting my 9019 to write for the first time each day. The Namiki ink and flushing out factory residues from the feed and section with a rubber bulb-style ear syringe have helped only a little bit.

[channelsixtynine]

I tend to like large-width pens and pencils. When using a pencil, I put a triangular-shaped eraser on the barrel to give it extra width. For me, it is more comfortable as a left handed writer. I've got some 9019 demonstrators on order, so looking forward to these pens.

[paulherman]

There's only so many ways to make a tube that holds ink and releases it in a controlled manner.😁 The X159s design it closer to Sailor than the Montblanc. And Pilot/Namiki took the clip design from the 1920s Parker pens. AND every cigar shape pen took their design from Sheaffer's, generally while the design was still under copyright.
As for the QC? Is it really that different from some better known brands? I've heard from collectors of the LAMY Safari that they tend to have the same around 20% issue with consistency. Fortunately, there's so many people who are willing to work on their own nibs today. 😁 Isn't like the past when people took their pens to the stationers for work, or like today still, sent them to the manufacturer for work.
For what they are, Jinhao is a good value, and generally as good a writer as some much more expensive brands.
And their replacement nibs, at least on eBay are much cheaper than virtually everything else. Except for maybe this unavoidable "iridium point Germany" ones that are also Chinese. 😉
In my opinion, the girth would probably be good for people with arthritis and similar difficulties. Look at some of the almost cartoonish ones from Japan sold for the disabled, like the Tombow. This is longer, so less likely to be dropped.
Nice review of this pen. Similar to what you said, your milage may vary with them. Frankly, with any pen. I love the 1940s Wahl-Eversharp Skyline. Best gold nibbed pens I've used. But the Henry Dreyfuss Art Deco design isn't for everyone.😉

[JoseFbtbk]

My unit poses the same nib issues like hard starts and skipping. I cannot sign anything with it. If you write at a normal pace both nib and feed respond very nicely.
It's funny to see that I can put
a consistent signature with any of my Jinhao's 992 with EF nibs. But inconsistency is one of the prices you pay with such affordable prices.
Good vídeo.
Greetings from Spain!

[jamesfahey]

Yeah, I have two of these & they’re both great. I probably find them just a bit too girthy.

[khk]

Mine required quite a bit of fine tuning the nib and the feed. The nib is a stiff nail despite its larger #8 size. The plastic feels like... cheap plastic, unlike those better quality, thicker plastics with a tad of resilience and plasticity to prevent sudden cracking once you accidentaly drop it... but you get what you pay, so you have to manage the expectation here. Despite the cartridge being a screw type, with motion, it hits the barrel producing a rattling sound. As a writing experience, it takes a while to get used to it because of its larger girth, it feels like writing with a child's big, fat crayon.

[Scouzeboy]

Thanks, Mick,
Now I'm getting one with a Hong dian D5 Quin Dynasty. Have you seen the latter. I would love to hear your thoughts on that one.