As I mentioned in my post about the fake that looked like a PILOT Prera, I recently got several cheap fountain pens. Each of them seemed interesting to me in some way, so I will take a few moments and see if this still applies after I tried using them for a while.

Today’s example is the Jinhao 992. I am uncertain if this is the real deal or a fake of a cheap pen – because it cost me less than US$2 delivered, and I can’t imagine that a working fountain pen would come that cheap. I found references on Reddit though where people confirmed that, yes, this is a very cheap and usable fountain pen. Let’s see what we got here. And since this one has Jinhao Logos plastered all over it, I will assume that it is alright.

Taking inventory

The Jinhao 992 is a cigar shape fountain pen made of plastic. It has 2 plastic finials, one of which is securing the clip. It is a cartridge converter pen that comes with a Jinhao branded converter. Thinking back to when I put in the order, I do not remember why I chose this colour. It is consistent, even, and the translucency shows off the insides very well. Mine came with an F size nib that is Jinhao branded as well. The metal applications are cheap-looking but fit well and there are no cracks.

The nib can be pulled out and the same goes for the feed. Both are friction-fitted into a soft plastic tube that also doubles as the ink reservoir interface, sliding into the inserted cartridge or converter. This way, the hard plastic grip part is never directly in contact with the feed. The soft plastic insert is better suited for the job of gripping the feed, with it remaining removable without requiring a thread.

I haven’t seen the pen or the converter called a standard international converter, so I won’t do so either. Nonetheless, the converter fits snugly on this pen as well as my pens that use standard international type filling systems. Standard international cartridges fit very well on the feed, too. Sadly, the barrel cannot be screwed on if using a full-length cartridge. With most standard international cartridges being half-length, this is probably alright. It is also not possible to carry another sealed cartridge in the pen, despite it being quite long.

The included converter reminded me of the LAMY Z 27 converter – so here are both side by side. The similarities are undeniable. In the listing on the site, the seller explicitly mentioned that they also sell a red converter and that converter colours are randomly allocated – so I at least suspect that the red one is modelled after the LAMY Z 28 converter. Fun!

Running the numbers

As usual, I took some measurements. The Jinhao 992 is a relatively long but narrow cigar shape pen. I prefer not to post those because more often than not, the cap won’t sit securely on the pen. This one fits in my hand nicely without posting it.

Looking at our collection of fountain pens, the Sailor 1911 Profit seems to be a good pen to compare it to, so here are the measurements side by side.

Looking at both pens, it is pretty obvious that the Jinhao 992 is ‘heavily inspired’ by the Sailor 1911 Profit. They share many distinct design elements. The back finial – a little plastic knob, that Sailor likes to use as a colour accent, is just one of them. The overall look of both pens, from the nib shape down to the exact outer dimensions, are at least very similar. The more I look at these two pens, the more I feel this should be another imitation comparison, but I want to give this a chance on its own.

Going over the design

I looked at this pen pretty thoroughly before I inked it, and I noticed some things that I’d like to point out.

Most noticeably, the way this pen seals is not as elegant as in more expensive similar pens, but efficient and effective as far as I can see. When screwing on the cap, the rim of the grip section is pushed against the soft plastic insert in the cap, sealing the nib. This is also how the cap is stopped from turning further. It seems a bit risky because screwing two hard plastic threads into each other against a springy surface might put some stress on the material, but it is a very cheap way to make a decent seal when production accuracy is not ideal. Other screw-cap pens go for a stop in the thread to control the rest position of the cap. This pen doesn’t, and when the cap is on properly, the clip still aligns almost perfectly with the nib. I was also surprised to see, it is a double-thread, you can choose the orientation of the nib when you put on the cap. The accuracy of this will of course change with time and use, but at that price, I guess engineering for longevity wasn’t Jinhao’s priority.

Another thing: There are guides in the back of the barrel to hold the converter in place and stop it from rattling against the barrel – or wiggling itself out. This goes a long way in preventing the converter from slipping off, as well as the sealing interface wearing. It might limit the choice in converters, but then: one that fits comes with the pen, and there is always the possibility to use cartridges. I like to see details like this in more expensive pens. Seeing it in one that costs less than a cup of coffee is a pleasant surprise.

The nib and feed can be easily removed. I greatly appreciate that because I like to switch inks often. This feature makes cleaning a pen straightforward. Every part of the pen that comes in contact with ink during use can be disassembled and rinsed with water and dried quickly. I was able to wash this pen in under 30 seconds, including finding out how the nib and feed were to be removed. The cap can be completely disassembled as well. The top finial is a screw that keeps the clip on. It screws into a nut, hidden behind the sealing insert. The insert can be removed by taking the cap apart or, more easily, by pulling it out using friction. That way, ink that – spoiler – might get in between the insert and the cap’s wall can be easily removed.

The pen contains two ornamental metal parts – the clip and a silver trim on the cap. Both are designed to fit perfectly and feel well-made. They are finished well, are pleasant to touch and there are no sharp edges.

And there are many smaller details that are just surprising to see in such a cheap pen: a rubber seal keeping the barrel from opening on its own, a nib engraved with logo, nib size and decorative designs and a clip finished in a way that doesn’t catch on fabric or paper.

All this gives this pen enough character that I would not want to call it a ‘fake 1911 Profit’ but rather an appreciated and well-thought take on its style.

Let’s see if this thing holds water

… and there is a reason for phrasing it like that. The first thing I noticed that this pen isn’t exactly good at holding on to liquids – even though they are leaving the pen through channels that ink is supposed to leave a pen: through the nib.

I am not one for filling converters through the feed. I use them more like an ink syringe that fits into the pen. Dipping the nib and potentially the grip section into ink somehow feels wrong. This means that when I start a new pen with a converter, I have to wait a moment for the feed to saturate – just like when using cartridges.

After inking the converter with Pelikan 4001 royal blue and inserting it, I accidentally bumped it on the table with the cap on and saw that a big drop of ink had left the pen through the feed. On one hand, I was pleasantly surprised that the feed channel had been saturated in just a few seconds. On the other hand, having ink slosh around in the cap makes for an unpleasant surprise when unscrewing it to use it. Thankfully, the cap is transparent, and you can check for it before unscrewing the cap. Luckily, the insert can be removed if ink ever dares drip beside it and gets stuck there.

The nib writes very wet and pretty wide for an Asian F – I’d compare it with a LAMY Z 50 M. It slides across the paper smoothly, and I couldn’t get it to catch on the paper in any direction. It is quite stiff and provides just enough feedback to feel the difference between it skipping (which it did just once) and writing. While using it, I tried doing a barrel roll with the pen, trying to stop the ink flow by turning it sideways or upside down. It did not stop writing – but sideways the ink flow slowed, and it felt like the Fake Prera from a previous article. Still: this pen writes better sideways than a fake PILOT Prera that is twice the price. What a discovery.

The space between nib and feed easily fills with ink, and my suspicion is that this is the reason drops of ink fall out when bumped. This is not a problem when writing, though.

Summary

I have used this pen for some short writing sessions: taking a few notes and writing down some thoughts. It has not failed to start at any point and is a pleasant pen to pick up. The screw cap doesn’t make it the best pen for a quick note or scribble, I have to admit.

Jinhao’s cheapest and most affordable pen might still be the 993 ‘Shark’ pen that is also often sold for less than US$3, but the Jinhao 992 has to be taken serious as an affordable pen. It might not be an everyday workhorse or have the longest life expectancy, but it doesn’t feel flimsy at all, is easy to maintain and fill with any bottled or pre-filled ink (converter included, standard international compatible) and seems to be built for use, not for show.

In my opinion, this is a good penabling pen, a pen to keep around the kitchen or a desk that is less frequently used. I would give this to someone who isn’t yet into fountain pens but wants to see what it is all about. And I wouldn’t worry too much about a bent nib, or getting it back at all. To be honest, this is what I hope for, when I pick up a cheap pen.

I see a bright future for this pen in my collection, and I am certain that, if treated well, it can last a long time despite some cheap design decisions. What I don’t know is if we needed another cheap pen on the market when this was released. As always, decide for yourself.