Good [time of day], fellow nibblings.
I was quite surprised to not see a single review for Sailor pens contained in the review section and thought I would take a moment to give this wonderful Japanese company some love. I'm starting off pretty standard with the full-size 1911 but will follow up at some point with the Pro Gear Slim and King of Pens, assuming anyone is interested enough to read about them.
My first fountain pen of any merit was a Sailor Pro Gear Slim with a zoom nib so they've got a special place in my inky-red heart so please excuse me while I gush over them.
The Form Factor
In my opinion Sailor's standard pens are not beautiful, showboaty, or anything of note. They're functional writers with very little in the way of trying to look pretty. The model I have happens to be a solid black with what I believe to be steel trim. Cap is adorned with a ring at the bottom inscribed with "Sailor Japan Founded 1911" and a small steel ring above. At the top the otherwise understated clip is affixed with a ring at the top. As this is a "gen-1" 1911 I do not have the new and improved clip with anchor detailing.
This is not a large pen nor a thing of substantial weight. Its balance, posted or not, has always been attractive to me and works well with my writing style. Of all the pens I own I enjoy posting my Sailors most.
It is a screw on cap with threading above the section, separated by a pretty little steel ring in between which subdivides the nib section from the barrel. Twisting off the lower half reveals the lovely Sailor converters (if you like converters... I don't).
I find these pens to be indestructible. To be fair, I assume they're plastic bodies and I'm completely fine with that since I use mine as writing instruments, not for pleasure. I've committed to putting functionality to the nib varieties I have by Sailor and each now has its individualized purpose in my daily routine.
The Size
If you like and own Sailor pens then this comparison might make sense to you. I've opened the 1911 up and placed alongside a Sailor Pro Gear Slim (closed). It's effectively the same pen with an extended and rounded top and bottom so, functionally, they work the same for me. Is it a large pen? Not really, as I just held it up to a Lamy Safari and, when closed, is effectively the exact same length and only millimeters longer than my Homo Sapiens (midi size).
Width-wise it is not a substantial pen either. I am able to comfortably write with it for extended periods of time without cramping which is one of the reasons I was inclined to share this baby.
The Nib
I'm cheating a bit here. The 1911 I own is affixed with a music nib which, IMO, is not standard. Thankfully I own a couple other Sailor pens so I took their hats off to show off a small but beautiful range of Sailor nibs. Left to right we see the EF, M, MS, and Z. Notice the MS is larger than the others as those three are contained in the Pro Gear Slims. So be it.
Sailor, being Japanese, writes very fine which works wonderfully for me. I journal in fat, wet Italian nibs with a lot of character, but I do business in very strict, confined, and predictable strokes.
EF is a true Japanese EF insomuch as I would call it needlepoint by American standards but still a little fat for my needs. I'm looking desperately for a sabi-togi so if anyone has any leads... My EF is the pen I use for my agenda.
Medium nib is equivalent to a western fine. I feel it's still finer than my Visconti fine but with enough character to make writing interesting. I often take notes with the M.
The music nib is the one I like to write letters with. The line variation is welcome and natural, I don't have to learn to write flex, and it has enough character to give interesting ink some character on the page.
The zoom nib, while special to my heart, is my least favourite nib of any pen I've ever purchased. It's a fat writer with a goofy grind that allows serious line variation without flex. I don't use this pen as I can't stand bold writers and find the angle that allows slim lines to be awkward.
Sailor nibs, if my opinion has any weight, are the most consistent purchases I have ever made and I wouldn't trade the writing experience for any other.
Writing Sample (Music Nib)
My handwriting is not nice and the angle at which I held my music nib at was at such an angle that I got a few skips and bad starts. That said, I enjoy writing with it regardless the trouble it gives me. I do not have these issues with my "normal" Sailors.
The pen does not write wet but this particular nib offers the most line variation of any of the Sailor pens I own. Not scratchy, not smooth, I know when I'm writing on paper and enjoy it most on the Rodia grid I've shown above. I prefer the normal grinds on smoother paper like Apica Premium or Tomoe River.
Conclusion
At a reasonable price, a standard 1911 is a fantastic investment to those who are looking for an every day writing instrument. Very little character to the writing itself, nib dependent of course, but for some it's enough to have a beautiful ink flow from a normal pen. I happen to be of that variety on a day-to-day basis.
I really enjoy my Sailor 1911 alongside my other Sailor pens. As I don't have large hands the 1911 shown above is a comfortable and enjoyable pen to use for extended periods. I recommend everyone try writing with Sailor pens at their local shops at some point along their FP adventure. It opens up a world of interesting nibs that no other pen maker offers (mine are pedestrian to what's out there) and always results in a satisfying writing experience.
^^
I was quite surprised to not see a single review for Sailor pens contained in the review section and thought I would take a moment to give this wonderful Japanese company some love. I'm starting off pretty standard with the full-size 1911 but will follow up at some point with the Pro Gear Slim and King of Pens, assuming anyone is interested enough to read about them.
My first fountain pen of any merit was a Sailor Pro Gear Slim with a zoom nib so they've got a special place in my inky-red heart so please excuse me while I gush over them.
The Form Factor
In my opinion Sailor's standard pens are not beautiful, showboaty, or anything of note. They're functional writers with very little in the way of trying to look pretty. The model I have happens to be a solid black with what I believe to be steel trim. Cap is adorned with a ring at the bottom inscribed with "Sailor Japan Founded 1911" and a small steel ring above. At the top the otherwise understated clip is affixed with a ring at the top. As this is a "gen-1" 1911 I do not have the new and improved clip with anchor detailing.
This is not a large pen nor a thing of substantial weight. Its balance, posted or not, has always been attractive to me and works well with my writing style. Of all the pens I own I enjoy posting my Sailors most.
It is a screw on cap with threading above the section, separated by a pretty little steel ring in between which subdivides the nib section from the barrel. Twisting off the lower half reveals the lovely Sailor converters (if you like converters... I don't).
I find these pens to be indestructible. To be fair, I assume they're plastic bodies and I'm completely fine with that since I use mine as writing instruments, not for pleasure. I've committed to putting functionality to the nib varieties I have by Sailor and each now has its individualized purpose in my daily routine.
The Size
If you like and own Sailor pens then this comparison might make sense to you. I've opened the 1911 up and placed alongside a Sailor Pro Gear Slim (closed). It's effectively the same pen with an extended and rounded top and bottom so, functionally, they work the same for me. Is it a large pen? Not really, as I just held it up to a Lamy Safari and, when closed, is effectively the exact same length and only millimeters longer than my Homo Sapiens (midi size).
Width-wise it is not a substantial pen either. I am able to comfortably write with it for extended periods of time without cramping which is one of the reasons I was inclined to share this baby.
The Nib
I'm cheating a bit here. The 1911 I own is affixed with a music nib which, IMO, is not standard. Thankfully I own a couple other Sailor pens so I took their hats off to show off a small but beautiful range of Sailor nibs. Left to right we see the EF, M, MS, and Z. Notice the MS is larger than the others as those three are contained in the Pro Gear Slims. So be it.
Sailor, being Japanese, writes very fine which works wonderfully for me. I journal in fat, wet Italian nibs with a lot of character, but I do business in very strict, confined, and predictable strokes.
EF is a true Japanese EF insomuch as I would call it needlepoint by American standards but still a little fat for my needs. I'm looking desperately for a sabi-togi so if anyone has any leads... My EF is the pen I use for my agenda.
Medium nib is equivalent to a western fine. I feel it's still finer than my Visconti fine but with enough character to make writing interesting. I often take notes with the M.
The music nib is the one I like to write letters with. The line variation is welcome and natural, I don't have to learn to write flex, and it has enough character to give interesting ink some character on the page.
The zoom nib, while special to my heart, is my least favourite nib of any pen I've ever purchased. It's a fat writer with a goofy grind that allows serious line variation without flex. I don't use this pen as I can't stand bold writers and find the angle that allows slim lines to be awkward.
Sailor nibs, if my opinion has any weight, are the most consistent purchases I have ever made and I wouldn't trade the writing experience for any other.
Writing Sample (Music Nib)
My handwriting is not nice and the angle at which I held my music nib at was at such an angle that I got a few skips and bad starts. That said, I enjoy writing with it regardless the trouble it gives me. I do not have these issues with my "normal" Sailors.
The pen does not write wet but this particular nib offers the most line variation of any of the Sailor pens I own. Not scratchy, not smooth, I know when I'm writing on paper and enjoy it most on the Rodia grid I've shown above. I prefer the normal grinds on smoother paper like Apica Premium or Tomoe River.
Conclusion
At a reasonable price, a standard 1911 is a fantastic investment to those who are looking for an every day writing instrument. Very little character to the writing itself, nib dependent of course, but for some it's enough to have a beautiful ink flow from a normal pen. I happen to be of that variety on a day-to-day basis.
I really enjoy my Sailor 1911 alongside my other Sailor pens. As I don't have large hands the 1911 shown above is a comfortable and enjoyable pen to use for extended periods. I recommend everyone try writing with Sailor pens at their local shops at some point along their FP adventure. It opens up a world of interesting nibs that no other pen maker offers (mine are pedestrian to what's out there) and always results in a satisfying writing experience.
^^