I’ve seen a lot of people on Reddit discovering fountain pens by way of Amazon, Temu and other low-cost options with a focus on the Chinese pen makers. So today I want take time to compare the nib sizes on the Jinhao 82 — a “dupe” for a Sailor ProGear Slim or similar in terms of overall design aesthetics.
Things the Jinhao 82s are:
- Very affordable, approx. $10USD or less through most channels
- Available in an array of barrel colors
- Standard international converters included, not proprietary converters or cartridges
Things the Jinhao 82s are NOT:
- Does not have a gold nib. Strictly steel.
- Limited nib options: EF, F and M only
- Not Japanese nib sizing
The Nib Comparisons
To make this a fair comparison, I filled all three nib sizes with Pilot Iroshizuku Ku-Jaku. I am also including sample writing from Sailor ProGears in EF, F and MF (I don’t have a ProGear in M so MF is as close as I have). The ProGears were all filled already so I went with whatever ink was loaded. The MF was not filled so it got Ku-Jaku as well.
The Jinhao 82 is actually quite smooth in writing. For the price point, they really are good performing pens in a TON of color options.
The Jinhao nibs are much wider than the ProGear Slims. Jinhao nibs are probably more comparable a European nib sizing than Japanese nib sizes. So, if you are hoping to get a budget Sailor F or EF pen by buying the Jinhao 82, you’re going to be disappointed. However, if you want a pen comparable to the Sailor MF, than the Jinhao 82 in EF is probably pretty similar.
In writing, I did find that the nib widths in the Jinhao 82 pens did not seem as different from one another as the Sailor nibs but there is some variation. I didn’t notice enough difference between the Jinhao EF and F nib on the same paper with the same ink (see image above). If I were to repurchase I would only get the EF and M and skip the F since its not that different from the EF.
I did occasionally notice a skip when writing with the Jinhao 82 pens but I am an overhanded left-handed writer so it could be a “me problem” but I don’t have skipping issues with other (higher priced) pens.
Is it a fair trade for a $10 pen? — absolutely. Would I stand for skipping in a Sailor ProGear Slim? — not even a little.
Do you own a Jinhao 82? Would you consider buying one? What nib size?
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I love my Sailor PGS, and I love my Jinhao 82s. The latest Jinhao 82s I have received were their limited editions and I believe the resin is better, every nib has been great, but they do not have the Sailor feedback which I enjoy only in a Sailor. With the price increases of Sailor, I will not be able to afford any more and if I do save up enough money I would probably buy a different brand pen. So with that said I do still really love my Sailor PGS, but for the money the Jinhao’s are a lot of fun and come in great colors especially on AliExpress.
I buy Jinhao 82’s in bulk from AliExpress (20 at a time), ink them up, test them, and then give them away.
They are a great way to introduce people to the FP world, and a cheap way to do it.