In this video I do a bit of a 2026 retrospective on the Jinhao X450—one of my very first proper EDC fountain pens from nearly a decade ago. Back when I was getting back into fountain pens, I was nervous about taking my nicer pens out of the house, so I went hunting for something affordable, sturdy-ish, and reliable. I landed on the X450, and at one point I was so obsessed I owned about 25 of them in every colour, swapping nibs, trying Goulet-style #6 nibs, even grinding… and still coming back to the plain medium that came stock. I run through the basics: it’s a lacquered brass pen, heavy (44g), snap cap, cartridge/converter (and yes, it comes with a converter—something I’ll never stop calling out other brands for). After years of use my main complaint is the cap getting a bit loose and rattly, but it’s still airtight enough to write every time. I show a quick writing sample with Jinhao Blue Black and talk about why this pen has always been a wet, reliable writer—great for showing off shading/sheen and even handling shimmer inks. Finally, I put it in context against other budget EDC options (from the Safari/Metro tier down to newer cheap Chinese favourites) and answer the big question: is the X450 still worth it in 2026? I genuinely think it is—especially as a low-risk EDC and a great platform for nib tuning practice.