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.
Yep. I came to the same conclusion. Even though they look quite similar, they feel different when writing. Sailor still has their mystical feedback but the Jinhao 82s have a great nib for the price.
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.
100%. I bought a bunch of the Shark and Swan pens and did the same thing!
Fwiw Jinhao 82s also have fude, naginata-style, and glass dip nibs.
I did not come across thosse nib sizes but that’s sounds intriguing. I will certainly keep an eye out for those.
I have an 82 with the fude nib. It’s certainly an interesting writing experience!
The Jinhao 82 is also an ideal platform if you want to tune your own nibs. Most I have seen have plenty of tipping to play with
Definitely the right price point for experimenting with nib tuning!
As several have said, the value for price can’t be beat with 82s. I have a PGS I’m trying to unload right now because the “Sailor feedback” just isn’t for me. With the 82s, I like to wait for an AilX sail, pick up a 3-5 for under $20 and make my own “special editions” by swapping the parts! It’s a lot of fun for my whole family! Here are some of our collection: https://photos.app.goo.gl/gBESKN3PpCGdnRoDA