Problem with the pen

[Anderson.Lake]

Sorry if this is not in the right area, and please redirect if there is a better place for it.

My blue Jin Hao has started leaking. It has a crack near the opening of the cap, though this doesn't appear to be a cause of the leak. I photo'd the pen and uploaded it to a webhost, so hope this works!



The thing with the red tail at the bottom is some kind of refillable cartridge(?). It was covered in ink when I took it out so I suspect the cause is there. The cartridges from my other pen, a Pilot Metropolitan, do not fit well in this blue pen. So I have some questions.

1. Will Lamy Safari cartridges fit? Someone else said this pen is a copy of that pen. I can get Lamy Safari cartridges in Whitcoulls here. That's kind of like a stationery, books and games store.
2. Should I leave this pen and get an actual Lamy Safari?
3. Should I be buying something more advanced in quality?

Not really sure how to proceed.

[jar]

Most JinHows use the International Standard cartridge. The first thing I'd try is see if an International Standard cartridge will fit. Cracks though are a great indicator that things are wrong.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I had a few of these pens, gave some away. Some wrote well enough, others, not so much.

What's in the converter? Looks like silicon grease.

I'd go ahead and buy a Lamy Safari if you can.

[Parsimonious]

A crack in the cap shouldn't cause a leak inside the barrel, which is what the main body is called. The thing with the red part is called a converter. Are you sure you had it fully in place? They can require a firm push and a twist. Load it with plain water and see if it leaks again.

[Robalone]

Hi. The Jin hao pens are super reliable……..til they aren’t 🤣…. A Safari/ AlStar will almost certainly be consistently reliable.

I have several ‘pseudo safaris, and a common leakage problem is the last interface between converter and section. Often there develops a tiny split when the converter is pushed on and it will leak from there.

It’s definitely not mandatory to purchase a top of the range pen to have the whole FP experience……but it helps a lot to start a couple of levels up from the very cheapest ones. A safari would be an excellent starting point, and you can change nibs for a different style .

[WHITE]

My vote goes to option 2: Get an actual Lamy Safari.

[Sailor Kenshin]

@Anderson.Lake…

Could you tell us how many pens you have, what kind, and what inks? From your location, the Safari might be expensive, but if you have and use bottled ink, the Wing Sung 601 (about $20 USD) seems a decent choice and holds a good amount of ink. And there are a few sturdier Chinese pens that write well and have different filling systems.

[Anderson.Lake]

Sorry for late reply.

Right now I have two pens, a Pilot Metropolitan and the Jin Hao in the image. The Pilot takes cartridges, there are a few in my drawer. The Jin Hao was being filled from a bottle of Lamy black ink.

Lamy ink is readily available here, but the Pilot cartridges are not, so I don't know what I will do when I run out of those. Maybe refill them? Is that possible?

A converter! I knew the thing with the red tail had another name, just couldn't think what it was. In the image it is water in there and there is a kind of bung in the end to stop it coming out. Thought this was the way to clean it.


The local Whitcoulls sells quite a few different pens, more than I would have imagined! This is what they list on their website, most in various colours:

Lamy
Safari
Aion
Vista
2000
Studio
LX (looks like a Safari to be honest)
CP1

Parker
Urban
IM
Sonnet
Jotter

Waterman
Allure
Embleme
Hemisphere
Expert

Pilot
MR1 & MR3 (these look more or less the same as my Metropolitan)

Cross
ATX
Bailey

It looks like they sell Waterman cartridges and ink in bottles. Some other ink bottles by a company called J.Herbin. Some ink bottles for Lamy and some Lamy cartridges (will these fit the Jin Hao?). Some Cross cartridges. Some Parker ink bottles and cartridges. And some Pilot cartridges (that problem solved!).

Most of the brands appear to have limited colours, except for Lamy and the Herbin ones, where there is some additional colours other than blue or black.


Sorry for long post. Didn't know there were so many choices available and now a bit confused over what I should be looking for or trying out.

Any advice would be super.
Andi.

[TFarnon]

I would recommend attending a pen show or going to one or more pen shops and trying various pens. Or you can just buy one or more of each. Or both.

[Yazeh]

Lamy cartridges won't fit Jinhao... https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpen...nk_cartridges/
For the cartridges refill you can use a blunt string, like this https://deskbandit.com/products/syri...a7589067&_ss=r
or buy a Pilot convertor....

I believe "most" Lamy's uses the same nib, (not 2000). So unless the nib is gold, you're paying for the body. And there's light years difference when you switch from cheap knock off Jinhao Safari, to Lamy Safari....

[Sailor Kenshin]

Sorry for late reply.

Right now I have two pens, a Pilot Metropolitan and the Jin Hao in the image. The Pilot takes cartridges, there are a few in my drawer. The Jin Hao was being filled from a bottle of Lamy black ink.

Lamy ink is readily available here, but the Pilot cartridges are not, so I don't know what I will do when I run out of those. Maybe refill them? Is that possible?

A converter! I knew the thing with the red tail had another name, just couldn't think what it was. In the image it is water in there and there is a kind of bung in the end to stop it coming out. Thought this was the way to clean it.


The local Whitcoulls sells quite a few different pens, more than I would have imagined! This is what they list on their website, most in various colours:

Lamy
Safari
Aion
Vista
2000
Studio
LX (looks like a Safari to be honest)
CP1

Parker
Urban
IM
Sonnet
Jotter

Waterman
Allure
Embleme
Hemisphere
Expert

Pilot
MR1 & MR3 (these look more or less the same as my Metropolitan)

Cross
ATX
Bailey

It looks like they sell Waterman cartridges and ink in bottles. Some other ink bottles by a company called J.Herbin. Some ink bottles for Lamy and some Lamy cartridges (will these fit the Jin Hao?). Some Cross cartridges. Some Parker ink bottles and cartridges. And some Pilot cartridges (that problem solved!).

Most of the brands appear to have limited colours, except for Lamy and the Herbin ones, where there is some additional colours other than blue or black.


Sorry for long post. Didn't know there were so many choices available and now a bit confused over what I should be looking for or trying out.

Any advice would be super.
Andi.

Pilot cartridges are quite refillable (if we're talking about the ones with the wide 'mouth'), so no problem there. Can you buy ink sample vials? You can get a variety of inks and test those to see which you like.

Of the pens you listed, I'd still go with the Lamy Safari. You can refill those carts too, if you have a slim tip pipette, or an ink syringe. If you do buy a Safari, you'll have to buy the converter separately.

[Anderson.Lake]

Phew! Semester 2 done

Will treat to a new Lamy. It looks like the LX and regular Safari pens are the same except for the material and the price. A trip to Whitcoulls is in order to see the colours in real life. Ink sample vials? Where are those sold? I don't see any in the shops.

Right, thanks for the advice on the pen, and that I need to buy the converter (got to use that word now) separately.

Andi.

[Yazeh]

Phew! Semester 2 done

Will treat to a new Lamy. It looks like the LX and regular Safari pens are the same except for the material and the price. A trip to Whitcoulls is in order to see the colours in real life. Ink sample vials? Where are those sold? I don't see any in the shops.

Right, thanks for the advice on the pen, and that I need to buy the converter (got to use that word now) separately.

Andi.

Ink samples are sold by online vendors.
Here is one:
https://deskbandit.com/collections/ink-repository
It's a cheap way of getting numerous types of inks and testing them with a certain pen without being stuck with bottles of inks which we'll never use.

[Anderson.Lake]

Sorry for this question. Are there any other online websites for fountain pen hobby people? It's sorta quiet in here and I was hoping for a little more engagement. Thanks. Andi

[Empty_of_Clouds]

Hi Andi. I see you are in Christchurch (I'm in Dunners). In the last few years when Covid wasn't being a pain I believe the Pelikan Hubs were sometimes held in your city. These are meetings sponsored by Pelikan and hosted by someone local, as I understand it, and often have free products like bottles of ink. Of course, you get to meet people who will most likely be bringing along some Pelikan pens, which I think aren't sold in our country, but also other pens too. Not sure if there will be a Hub in C'church next year, worth keeping an eye out!

As far as other websites go, you can google 'Fountain Pen Network'. That's a much bigger site than this one with more members and a bit more traffic. There's also a subreddit for fountain pens - r/fountainpens. And there are probably others for inks and drawing and handwriting and so on, but I've not explored that so I can't be sure. Reddit is quite lively with a lot of new pen users like yourself, so that may be a better fit for you. There's another site called PenTrace but it is a bit moribund and probably not worth looking at.

Other members here may know of other places, but these are the ones I have seen. Hope you find what you like!

[TSherbs]

Andi, your converter for thsat pen has a shape at the nipple end that I have never seen before. I wonder if that converter does not actaully fit that pen tightly. Does it seem loose when you push it on? Any others of you here seen that shape before? I wonder if the leak simply came from the pen jostling around in a bag or pocket and coming loose.

If, on the other hand, you see *inside* the converter that the ink is getting past the plunger of the converter (you would see ink on both sides of the plunger), then you would have a defective converter and need a new one (or a cartridge).

If you like the way this jinhao writes, and would rather buy yourself a couple pints for you and your mates, then I would keep trouble-shooting and not buy a new pen to solve what may be a much simpler problem with the Jinhao. But that is me....

[Stands on Feet]

Andi, your converter for thsat pen has a shape at the nipple end that I have never seen before. I wonder if that converter does not actaully fit that pen tightly. Does it seem loose when you push it on? Any others of you here seen that shape before? I wonder if the leak simply came from the pen jostling around in a bag or pocket and coming loose.

That isn't a converter. It contains silicone grease. I have one that came with my Wing Sung 601 that looks exactly like that, complete with that clear, viscous liquid.

[TSherbs]

Andi stated that it was water inside that he used to clean it out. Perhaps he then started using it also as an ink converter.

A converter! I knew the thing with the red tail had another name, just couldn't think what it was. In the image it is water in there and there is a kind of bung in the end to stop it coming out. Thought this was the way to clean it.

Sure did look like silicone, though.

[Anderson.Lake]

I got around to trying a Waterman's cartridge in the Jin Hao but it still leaks so the pen is probably broken. No matter as there will be a gift to me this Xmas of a shiny new Lamy All Star.. I didn't like the feel of the Safari abs plastic. Special thanks to Sailor Kenshin who pushed me in the direction of a genuine Lamy. just spotted the smiley button list!

Andi

[Sailor Kenshin]

I got around to trying a Waterman's cartridge in the Jin Hao but it still leaks so the pen is probably broken. No matter as there will be a gift to me this Xmas of a shiny new Lamy All Star.. I didn't like the feel of the Safari abs plastic. Special thanks to Sailor Kenshin who pushed me in the direction of a genuine Lamy. just spotted the smiley button list!

Andi

😀

Enjoy your Al-Star! I've got one loaded today with a mix from last year's InkVent calendar.