I have three 9056 pens, in different woods, and they all needed some tuning and sanding, but I love them. Finding a wooden pen with a plastic liner so the ink doesn't dry out is rare, especially at this price. The woods are completely mislabeled (the ebony is actually mpingo, the tiger wood is bocote, the green sandalwood is Argentine lignum vitae, etc), and one of mine had a crack also, but a little superglue and sanding fixed it. Sand them with 2000+ grit sandpaper, and they become amazingly smooth and tactile.
Thanks for this info. I’m pinning this comment so anyone looking at wood pens can benefit from your advice. I must admit I don’t know that much about the different woods used to make pens.
@@stepheninks Thank you! It's no fun to get stuff that doesn't work well... or is the wrong size! That's definitely no good. As a woodworker, I've come to expect that even expensive wood products need some sanding, but there's a limit. Love your channel, by the way!
@@totallylegit2068 I'm not sure. I didn't know what my 9056s were until I had them in hand: the feel, smell and weight are as important as the look. I wish companies would use Latin names, but they may avoid it for export reasons. My guess is that it's an Asian rosewood. Apparently it's used in sushi knife handles, so it's probably pretty dense and water resistant.
Thanks! I really feel like anyone can do what I do. It’s really about learning how to draw simple shapes in 3d, and visualize the thing you want to make as those shapes. I would love for more people to pick up a pen and paper without hesitation and make something they love :)
I too have obtain the 9056 quite recently, genuinely surprised by the weight compared to its bigger brother 9058. Not sure why yours came cracked, it may be the weather in your country, mine did not do that at all. Try using beeswax+almond oil mix to to the wood and see if it can cover them up (or any natural no rancid going wax oil, I have this diy mix for leather care) and they usually fill in uneven spaces but makes things a bit more waxy. Imo, I like the jinhao x850's shape more for drawing, it is thinner than the 9056 but same nib. The 9013 (a different pen) is perhaps a much better sketch pen if you prefer a light but small sized pen. Still, jinhao nibs are servicable, not pilot level but it works, one ought to fit nibs from penbbs or bock into them to make them truly great pens.
I also have had a lot of good luck with Jinhao pens. And I’m glad others have had a better experience with it. You con tell I’m conflicted even with the bad nib, I almost still want to like it. I actually have a few other Jinhao pens with better nibs, and I might swap one out for this body. It’s a very pretty pen nonetheless.
I have three of these. I love the wood, and you can swap out the nibs easily enough. I now use Zebra G, HongDian and Noodler's Ahab flex. (All of them took some work to get them to function well though.) I also sanded them down a bit, removing the logo on the cap. The black pen I have has a black metal parts, which is much nicer. The other two have cheap-looking and cheesy brass- color metal parts that I am not a fan of, so I took the clip off at least. They're a great deal, have really nice texture, and stay sealed without drying out (a huge plus). My next mission is to get one to work with a Fountain Pen Revolution Ultra Flex nib, but that's been a challenge to keep it from railroading.
I feel like this is a project pen. Love the body and design. I need a new nib for it though. I’m going to look through some more pens I don’t like as much and see if any of their nibs fit.
I purchased an ebony Jinhao 9056 three years ago. It is still in action. In fact, I finally ordered a redwood cousin. So far, it has held up well and writes like a dream. Sorry you had two duds.
I like these wood pens , I don't use them as often as they should be used . I have so many pens . Way more than I need and not near as many as I would like
one thing to consider is that the nines by themselves are very inexpensive 6 at a time in all sizes. , ebay and Amazon. As you probably know . Have a good day.
Yeah, I just wish I didn’t have to replace a part in a brand new pen. I actually have a pen that I don’t use anymore that has a nib that should fit, so I will probably swap it out.
This pen is way too big for me as I am not a fan of the chonkers. On your recommendation I finally did order and receive the Jinhao 65's in 3 different nib sizes. Love the fine nib which wrote great out of the box. I rinsed it out before I used it and found it had been inked up with blue ink ( sealed in the plastic when it came so must be from the factory) nice to see they are doing QC on something this inexpensive, sorry they did not do it for the 9056, or they did it but it cracked in shipping. Loved the size of the 65 ( I like the small and slender). The fine nib even reverse writes very well for that extra fine line. Hope you enjoy this one as much as I am enjoying the 65.
It’s an acquired taste for sure. The 65 and this one pretty much run the entire range of thickness of pens I own. Ironically, the 9056 is more expensive than the 65, but the 65 had a nicer nib… Oh well, I’m just the very specific type of weird that I like them both.
@@stepheninks well you called it on the Jinhao 65's. Even the extra fine writes well. Definitely going to order more of them. Can't miss with that price, and they all came with converters and were factory tested. I am daily driving the fine nib. Really impressed with them. Thanks again for the hook up.
This is the worst nib I have gotten from them by a mile. I can usually smooth and floss the nib into a gem, but this one isn’t save able. I might swap out this nib though. That would bring it 100% around for me.
I usually don’t post the art of other artists on this channel, but it might be an interesting idea to do something inspired by. I loved that game when I was in college!
Some months ago, I ordered a pink Hongdian 525 with a mini-fude nib, and the store marked it as sent but then told me it was out of stock. They said they'd get it soon and would send me an extra pen if I didn't cancel the order. They sent me one of these with a huge heavy metal cap, with an engraved tiger and a fine nib. It's nothing like the pen I wanted and I would never choose it myself, but the nib is a delight. I ended up getting a refund after 4 months, but they didn't want me to send the pen back.
@@stepheninks I also ordered Diamine Golden Brown and got Chocolate Brown instead. Then they sent me a bottle of Soft Mint to apologize for the mistake!
You can see in the video that I do look at it under my macro lens to show what is wrong with it, and it isn’t the alignment of the tines, it is that the nib itself was improperly cut. (I do have a loupe as well, but the macro lens basically does the same thing). I also did inspect the nib and give it a good flossing, cleaning, and micromeshing, but I like to also try the pen out of the box as well, since some people are new to the hobby, and I want to be accessible and welcoming to them, meaning that if a pen needs work out of the box, and they don’t have the tools (yet), it might be a pass for them. I agree that a pen loupe ( and a few other simple tools) are musts for anyone diving deeper into the world of fountain pens, but we’ve got to protect the new recruits :)
I have had good experience with my Jinhao 51a. I will probably come back to this pen if it gets better or worse over time. That’s something I really need to do for a few of my pens that i have reviewed before.
I’m just going to assume that by this comment, you mean that you don’t care for the art I make? That’s fine. There are lots of full time artists on this platform. Feel free to enjoy their stuff. I know I do! But for me, I refuse to remove the title of artist from how I describe myself. The world of art is diverse enough to include also people like me; a non-professional artist who likes making things that bring him joy. So… yes. So naive hand… but artist! (! rather than ?)
I have three 9056 pens, in different woods, and they all needed some tuning and sanding, but I love them. Finding a wooden pen with a plastic liner so the ink doesn't dry out is rare, especially at this price. The woods are completely mislabeled (the ebony is actually mpingo, the tiger wood is bocote, the green sandalwood is Argentine lignum vitae, etc), and one of mine had a crack also, but a little superglue and sanding fixed it. Sand them with 2000+ grit sandpaper, and they become amazingly smooth and tactile.
Thanks for this info. I’m pinning this comment so anyone looking at wood pens can benefit from your advice. I must admit I don’t know that much about the different woods used to make pens.
@@stepheninks Thank you! It's no fun to get stuff that doesn't work well... or is the wrong size! That's definitely no good. As a woodworker, I've come to expect that even expensive wood products need some sanding, but there's a limit. Love your channel, by the way!
@@alexbrendan7181 thanks! Your information enriches it!
do you know what the "red guibao" wood is?
@@totallylegit2068 I'm not sure. I didn't know what my 9056s were until I had them in hand: the feel, smell and weight are as important as the look. I wish companies would use Latin names, but they may avoid it for export reasons. My guess is that it's an Asian rosewood. Apparently it's used in sushi knife handles, so it's probably pretty dense and water resistant.
You killed me with the Pinocchio reference. Too funny! Thanks for another great review
Thanks for watching!
When I see you drawing, I get pretty jealously!!! I like the way you draw and do the shadows. Well done Sir.
Thanks! I really feel like anyone can do what I do. It’s really about learning how to draw simple shapes in 3d, and visualize the thing you want to make as those shapes. I would love for more people to pick up a pen and paper without hesitation and make something they love :)
One of my most favorite pens. I love it because it's so damn comfortable. In addition it's also compatible with many nibs making it amazing.
That compatibility might save it for me. I’m going to see if it will take another nib I have for a broken pen. Then it will be fantastic for me too.
The review is awesome I just subscribed to your channel, I am looking for more pens for artist
Welcome! I try to update regularly, but sometimes my day job is a LOT. I’ve got a few years of back catalog whenever I slow down!
After watching your video, I ordered the pen. Hopefully, I will have a better unboxing experience. The wood body is beautiful!
The body really is just as nice as it looks! Shame about my nib, but I might use swap it out with something I have lying around.
I too have obtain the 9056 quite recently, genuinely surprised by the weight compared to its bigger brother 9058.
Not sure why yours came cracked, it may be the weather in your country, mine did not do that at all. Try using beeswax+almond oil mix to to the wood and see if it can cover them up (or any natural no rancid going wax oil, I have this diy mix for leather care) and they usually fill in uneven spaces but makes things a bit more waxy.
Imo, I like the jinhao x850's shape more for drawing, it is thinner than the 9056 but same nib. The 9013 (a different pen) is perhaps a much better sketch pen if you prefer a light but small sized pen. Still, jinhao nibs are servicable, not pilot level but it works, one ought to fit nibs from penbbs or bock into them to make them truly great pens.
I also have had a lot of good luck with Jinhao pens. And I’m glad others have had a better experience with it. You con tell I’m conflicted even with the bad nib, I almost still want to like it.
I actually have a few other Jinhao pens with better nibs, and I might swap one out for this body. It’s a very pretty pen nonetheless.
I have three of these. I love the wood, and you can swap out the nibs easily enough. I now use Zebra G, HongDian and Noodler's Ahab flex. (All of them took some work to get them to function well though.) I also sanded them down a bit, removing the logo on the cap. The black pen I have has a black metal parts, which is much nicer. The other two have cheap-looking and cheesy brass- color metal parts that I am not a fan of, so I took the clip off at least. They're a great deal, have really nice texture, and stay sealed without drying out (a huge plus). My next mission is to get one to work with a Fountain Pen Revolution Ultra Flex nib, but that's been a challenge to keep it from railroading.
I feel like this is a project pen. Love the body and design. I need a new nib for it though. I’m going to look through some more pens I don’t like as much and see if any of their nibs fit.
I purchased an ebony Jinhao 9056 three years ago. It is still in action. In fact, I finally ordered a redwood cousin. So far, it has held up well and writes like a dream. Sorry you had two duds.
Glad to hear it! I really like the pen despite its flaws (that is, the flaws in the model I received)
I love this yes dearly had it for a year and written with it on the daily.
Oh, the drawing of the human figure is superb and it reminds me some old school cartoons.
I wish that such a pretty wooden pen were better.
Thanks! I’m going to probably swap nibs with another pen I have with a damaged body. As a full package, I think that would be stellar.
I have most of those wood pens. I have put Fude nibs on some and worked on others . I enjoy the pens, I work on the nib of most pens I get .
.
At this price point, you kind of have to. Shame that the cut of the tines on this nib aren’t something I can fix.
I like these wood pens , I don't use them as often as they should be used . I have so many pens . Way more than I need and not near as many as I would like
I think with a new nib, I would use this much more. Really like the body.
one thing to consider is that the nines by themselves are very inexpensive 6 at a time in all sizes. , ebay and Amazon. As you probably know . Have a good day.
Yeah, I just wish I didn’t have to replace a part in a brand new pen. I actually have a pen that I don’t use anymore that has a nib that should fit, so I will probably swap it out.
This pen is way too big for me as I am not a fan of the chonkers. On your recommendation I finally did order and receive the Jinhao 65's in 3 different nib sizes. Love the fine nib which wrote great out of the box. I rinsed it out before I used it and found it had been inked up with blue ink ( sealed in the plastic when it came so must be from the factory) nice to see they are doing QC on something this inexpensive, sorry they did not do it for the 9056, or they did it but it cracked in shipping. Loved the size of the 65 ( I like the small and slender). The fine nib even reverse writes very well for that extra fine line. Hope you enjoy this one as much as I am enjoying the 65.
It’s an acquired taste for sure. The 65 and this one pretty much run the entire range of thickness of pens I own. Ironically, the 9056 is more expensive than the 65, but the 65 had a nicer nib… Oh well, I’m just the very specific type of weird that I like them both.
@@stepheninks well you called it on the Jinhao 65's. Even the extra fine writes well. Definitely going to order more of them. Can't miss with that price, and they all came with converters and were factory tested. I am daily driving the fine nib. Really impressed with them. Thanks again for the hook up.
Pretty wood, nice clip design. Too bad Jinhao still needs to up their nib game. I kind of doubt the dud nib has anything to do with what pen it is in.
This is the worst nib I have gotten from them by a mile. I can usually smooth and floss the nib into a gem, but this one isn’t save able. I might swap out this nib though. That would bring it 100% around for me.
Can you, in one of the upcoming videos, try to draw some of the characters from the game Plants vs Zombies? That would be nice!
I usually don’t post the art of other artists on this channel, but it might be an interesting idea to do something inspired by. I loved that game when I was in college!
Some months ago, I ordered a pink Hongdian 525 with a mini-fude nib, and the store marked it as sent but then told me it was out of stock. They said they'd get it soon and would send me an extra pen if I didn't cancel the order. They sent me one of these with a huge heavy metal cap, with an engraved tiger and a fine nib. It's nothing like the pen I wanted and I would never choose it myself, but the nib is a delight. I ended up getting a refund after 4 months, but they didn't want me to send the pen back.
Interesting. I have never been so lucky with an order mistake. Certainly not in this video, at least.
@@stepheninks I also ordered Diamine Golden Brown and got Chocolate Brown instead. Then they sent me a bottle of Soft Mint to apologize for the mistake!
@@solitaryascidian chocolate and mint make a nice pairing, I guess!
Look up Dr. Stuart McGill's Big 3 back exercise series to safely strengthen your lower back.
Roller Coaster summer next year!
Most nibs need to aligned on cheaper pens. I'm not sure how people buy fountain pens and not have a loupe to align the tines. Only takes a second!
You can see in the video that I do look at it under my macro lens to show what is wrong with it, and it isn’t the alignment of the tines, it is that the nib itself was improperly cut. (I do have a loupe as well, but the macro lens basically does the same thing). I also did inspect the nib and give it a good flossing, cleaning, and micromeshing, but I like to also try the pen out of the box as well, since some people are new to the hobby, and I want to be accessible and welcoming to them, meaning that if a pen needs work out of the box, and they don’t have the tools (yet), it might be a pass for them. I agree that a pen loupe ( and a few other simple tools) are musts for anyone diving deeper into the world of fountain pens, but we’ve got to protect the new recruits :)
Wooden pen's are to AVOID....I have a Jinhao and the threads don't work, and if you clean the pen with water, it will crack (the wooden part).
I have had good experience with my Jinhao 51a. I will probably come back to this pen if it gets better or worse over time. That’s something I really need to do for a few of my pens that i have reviewed before.
artist? so naive hand...
I’m just going to assume that by this comment, you mean that you don’t care for the art I make? That’s fine. There are lots of full time artists on this platform. Feel free to enjoy their stuff. I know I do!
But for me, I refuse to remove the title of artist from how I describe myself. The world of art is diverse enough to include also people like me; a non-professional artist who likes making things that bring him joy. So… yes. So naive hand… but artist! (! rather than ?)