It’s a mini review for a mini pen!
They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery, but I’m not so sure that counts in the pen world, where the Jinhao 82 is clearly a near 1:1 of the Sailor Pro Gear Slim, and the 82 mini is the 1:1 of the Sailor Pro Gear Slim Mini, with the biggest difference being material and price.
While Sailors come with 14k gold nib, the Jinhao comes with a bi-color steel nib. I opted for a fude nib on my mini, in the hopes of making it different enough from my other pens to make me want to use it.
So far… that has been a true statement.
See, I don’t like mini/pocket pens. I’ve tried. I want to love Kawecos and collect them all, I’ve had a Schonsdgn Pocket Six I desperately tried to fall in love with but just couldn’t. So I didn’t exactly go into this purchase with high hopes. I picked up the “Citrus” which is very close in appearance to a limited edition Sailor, though more orange. It’s very creamsicle vibes, with gold colored furniture and a sparkly green end cap (that does screw off for mix and match vibes).
I was also surprised to see an o-ring on the threads of the body of the pen. While I personally wouldn’t eyedropper it, it’s nice they include extra sealing. There’s also a plastic cap in the cap to keep the nib from drying out, which is nice since there’s basically a hole in the cap where the finial is screwed in.
Maybe it’s the familiar Sailor vibes, maybe it’s the fun nib, or maybe it’s because it was cheap and don’t feel any need to baby it, whatever it is, I do enjoy the Jinhao 82 mini for short writing sessions.
It definitely has to be posted, even for my little hands, but it has a comfortable weight to it. I was pleased to see it came with a mini-converter, which holds a nice amount of ink though I’m not sure how much.
As for the fude nib? It’s pretty nice. Im not crazy familiar with the fude form, but it lays down a nice broad line depending on the angle, and gives a nice hairline stroke on the tip/reverse.
Overall, I’m happy I tried this pen out. But I don’t know that I would seek another out.
Casual Crossings 