Sailor 1911 Large Review

[Pencilcaseblog]

-This review is an adapted version of the one that can be found on my personal blog (www.pencilcaseblog.com). Visit my blog for more pictures, a copy of the written review and of course many other pen, pencil, paper and ink reviews. Enjoy the review! (Sailor 1911 Large review: http://www.pencilcaseblog.com/2014/02/sailor-1911-large-fountain-pen.html)-

I don't own a Sailor myself (yet!), but my dad does, and I must say that after using it for a while, I have become a tad bit jealous! The 1911 Large from Sailor truly is a magnificent pen!

The looks of this pen are quite straightforward, both simple and elegant at the same time. The cigar shape of the pen is nothing new, as it is seen on a variety of classic pens, like the montblanc meisterstuck 149. But it doesn't want to be refreshing or new, it just wants to look good, and it sure does! This one is the Rhodium trim version, which looks a bit more modern than the original gold trimmed model. I love the way the shiny silver colour contrast with the deep black resin, no doubt it is a gorgeous pen to look at!

Sailor succeeds at making incredibly detailed pens, the fit and finish is top-notch (which should be expected for a pen of this price), the clip has a subtle, but striking design, and the center band is engraved gorgeously, though it doesn't ruin the elegant and simple form factor of the pen!

It's a nicely balanced pen, that's very comfortable to hold. At 5.5 Inches (14cm), it's surprisingly long. Though because it's made of resin, it remains reasonably light (about 23-24 grams). Normally I'm not a huge fan of writing posted, but with this one, I have to make an exception! It's so perfectly balanced when posted, it just feels right!

The large 21k nib is the main attribute of this pen, as great as the pen already is on the outside, it's the nib that distinguishes itself from the rest! Not only is this nib beautiful to look at, with it's amazingly detailed chasing. It also performs great! The almost solid gold nib (24k is solid gold, so 21k is 90% pure gold) does it's job perfectly, the Japanese Medium size is quite fine for European standards, but it is still buttery smooth! It has a great, balanced flow, which makes skipping impossible. Another thing I like about this nib, is the fact that the high concentration of gold (Gold is a soft metal) makes it a tiny bit springy, which makes it incredibly pleasant to use, and it is possible to achieve a slight bit of line width variation (don't overdo it though! It's still not a flex nib!)

It retails for 300 USDollars/ 250 Euros, but if you plan on buying one, make sure to check some Japanese retailers, as they can be found much cheaper in the land of the rising sun!

Dries

ThePencilCaseBlog

http://www.pencilcaseblog.com

[visvamitra]

Nice review. Thank you.

[Pencilcaseblog]

Nice review. Thank you.

Thanks!

[Penman222]

Thanks for a nice review. I wish my experience with the identical model Sailor 1911 Large had been as positive as yours. My nib was not up to my high standards (it was “loud” and not all that smooth), and I had to return it. I am currently using a Pilot Custom Heritage 91 instead which is also an excellent Japanese pen.

 

Honestly, my Pilot Metropolitan writes much better than my 1911 Large did for about $230 less.

[Pencilcaseblog]

Thanks for a nice review. I wish my experience with the identical model Sailor 1911 Large had been as positive as yours. My nib was not up to my high standards (it was “loud” and not all that smooth), and I had to return it. I am currently using a Pilot Custom Heritage 91 instead which is also an excellent Japanese pen.

 

Honestly, my Pilot Metropolitan writes much better than my 1911 Large did for about $230 less.

Thanks! And sorry to hear your experience left a lot to desire! Did you send it back to sailor for replacement or did you just get rid of it? Anyway, the Pilot is a great replacement, I have a Custom 92 (F nib) and I love it! Haven't tried the metropolitan, should get one of those!

[brownargus]

Nice review. I have the gold trim version of this pen. I am very pleased with it and agree with your comments though I prefer to use mine unposted. I managed to get mine off ebay for about £108 which I thought was a real bargain particularly in view of the quality of the pen. It is certainly one of my favourite pens and has been in regular use ever since I acquired it 2 years ago.

Edited October 12, 2014 by brownargus

[traduma]

Nice review and photos. Love it.

[Sakura FP Gallery]

Well done this review. I'm very fond of Sailor myself. I'm not sure you can get a bargain in the land of the raising sun when you

order from Europe. Bank transactions to Japan are the most expensive of the world, import duties en VAT taxes are to be paid when you receive the pen. In the end you pay about 25% extra ...

[Pencilcaseblog]

Well done this review. I'm very fond of Sailor myself. I'm not sure you can get a bargain in the land of the raising sun when you

order from Europe. Bank transactions to Japan are the most expensive of the world, import duties en VAT taxes are to be paid when you receive the pen. In the end you pay about 25% extra ...

Hey Catherine,

 

Indeed, I did once pay 100 euro import costs on a 200 euro order from japan! I wrote this article keeping in mind that most of my readers are american based, and I've been told it's a lot easier there to import products from Japan without the extra costs!

[redisburning]

my only advice on these pens is to buy them in rhodium.

 

I hate the way the gold looks on them.

[Pencilcaseblog]

my only advice on these pens is to buy them in rhodium.

 

I hate the way the gold looks on them.

I'm not too big of a fan of gold trims either!

[IndigoBOB]

How many turns does it take to unscrew the cap of the Sailor 1911 Large?

[BlueJ]

Exactly two full revolutions on my Realo. I expect the c/c 1911 Large is the same.

[Honeybadgers]

the realo and 1911 large are identical, save for the filling system.

 

Honestly, the realo's filler is not very nice to use, nor does it hold a lot of ink. I'm not overly in love with either of my realo's. I really am not in love with the medium.

[IndigoBOB]

I was considering the 1911 Standard, but I felt it would just make me want a 1911 Large so I'm going to go straight to the 1911 Large.

 

The Realo does look interesting, though. According to nibs.com the Realo (Pro Gear and 1911) holds 0.9 mL of ink, which is kind of low for a piston filler, but it's not bad, especially considering the size of the pens. Plus, that's the same amount of ink a con70 holds (0.9 mL according to nibs.com), which I feel is still a "solid" amount of ink.

 

I like how the Realo Pro Gear is a little longer than a Pro Gear. A 0.9 mL ink reservior in a pen that compact isn't bad at all.

 

And I also like how the Realo's are lighter than their counterparts. For example: According to Nibs.com the Sailor 1911L weighs 23.7g and the 1911 Realo weighs 20.7.

[IndigoBOB]

the realo and 1911 large are identical, save for the filling system.

 

Honestly, the realo's filler is not very nice to use, nor does it hold a lot of ink. I'm not overly in love with either of my realo's. I really am not in love with the medium.

 

 

Is the piston functionality the reason why you don't like the Realo?

[A Smug Dill]

And I also like how the Realo's are lighter than their counterparts. For example: According to Nibs.com the Sailor 1911L weighs 23.7g and the 1911 Realo weighs 20.7.

Maybe you should go straight to the authoritative source for product specifications: Sailor Profit21 versus Sailor Profit Realo

[IndigoBOB]

Maybe you should go straight to the authoritative source for product specifications: Sailor Profit21 versus Sailor Profit Realo

 

 

Definitely something worth getting a second opinion on due to discrepancies between the website and others' measurements.

 

Especially since I see such differences in weight between the Pro Gear and Pro Gear Realo.

 

I've even seen one person say that the Realo weighs more than the original version... so I've very curious about that.

 

______________________________________

 

But I also love these videos Scrively did on the Sailor 1911L, Pro Gear, and Pro Gear Realo.

 

It turns out the Sailor 1911L unscrews in 1 3/4 turns and the Realo, at least the Pro Gear Realo, unscrews in 2 1/4 turns (according to these videos).

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BhkZ4M-FfM

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91Bka0mAnW4

Edited May 17, 2019 by IndigoBOB

[A Smug Dill]

But if you happen to have a scale and the pens, feel free to share.

 

 

How much my Sailor Profit21 and Realo weigh is irrelevant. If you're going to buy from nibs.com, then feel free to use the figures on its product listing page as authoritative, since that is what you can expect the retailer to deliver, and seek recourse if there are any discrepancies from the unit you are sent. If you aren't buying from nibs.com, then the manufacturer's site is the best and most authoritative source of product specifications, irrespective of what anyone else has. These are objective measurements. We're not talking about subjective experiences here, which understandably we'd ask each other in the community about, precisely because we don't all share a common framework and criteria in evaluating experiences, and we're mostly blind to any viewpoints but our own if we don't ask others in discussion.

[IndigoBOB]

 

 

How much my Sailor Profit21 and Realo weigh is irrelevant. If you're going to buy from nibs.com, then feel free to use the figures on its product listing page as authoritative, since that is what you can expect the retailer to deliver, and seek recourse if there are any discrepancies from the unit you are sent. If you aren't buying from nibs.com, then the manufacturer's site is the best and most authoritative source of product specifications, irrespective of what anyone else has. These are objective measurements. We're not talking about subjective experiences here, which understandably we'd ask each other in the community about, precisely because we don't all share a common framework and criteria in evaluating experiences, and we're mostly blind to any viewpoints but our own if we don't ask others in discussion.

 

 

How much your Profit 21 and Realo weigh may actually be quite relevant to your input regarding the weight of the Profit 21 and Realo ; )

 

But no worries.

 

I hear what you're saying. It's valid. I appreciate the input.