Review: Jinhao 8802 “Shell”

Review: Jinhao 8802 “Shell”

The Jinhao 8802 with the “Shell” finish is simply one of the most beautiful pens in my collection thus far. Inlaid abalone is something you just don’t see on fountain pens under $150, but you do get it here and it’s beautifully finished. Thankfully the writing experience of this pen matches the striking aesthetics.

The 8802 is a medium to long pen of medium girth and medium to heavy weight. It is brass construction with silver finish on all of the moving parts, including the all-metal threads which fasten the section to the barrel. The package I chose came with 10 standard international ink cartridges in 5 colors as well as a converter. I have not tested any of the included ink but the converter is the same nice Jinhao unit I’ve come to expect in their fountain pens. 

The unthreaded cap just snaps off and fastens securely when capped. It does post securely as well, but makes the pen far too heavy and unbalanced in this configuration for extended use. Thankfully when unposted the 8802 is long enough to be held comfortably and is nicely balanced.

Though the listing called for a Medium nib, mine came with a Fine #5 nib, but it writes very nicely with no scratchiness and some feedback. The nib offers very little line variation. I will say this nib wasn’t as butter-smooth as my other Jinhaos, but a brief session with the micro-mesh would likely clear that up nicely.

The 8802 lays down a nice amount of ink and keeps up with even the fastest writing, but it’s not overly wet. With Pilot Iroshizuku Murasaki-Shikibu ink on a Rhodia #80 DOT pad, it laid down a good patch but still dried quickly enough to be usable in most everyday situations.

In all, this is a very nice pen with an amazing finish that’s a joy to write with.
Highly recommended, 5 Stars.

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