Sailor Chalana

[thw]

This is my first FP review!

 

First Impression :

I add a Sapporo to my collection recently and am extremely happy with its performance. In the process, i have decided to purchase another Sailor, a red 1911M with EF nib. While waiting for its delivery from Japan, i spotted this pen on ebay from the same seller and decided to purchase it outright. There was no extra postage incurred with delivery.

The package was delivered to my work place in five days after the seller emailed the tracking number with EMS. I could not help but opened it at work. Luckily that was towards the end of my shift. The Chalana was brand new, in its original box, with a converter and two extra cartridges.

 

Appearance and finish:

The Chalana is ultra slim, perhaps even slimmer than a ballpoint pen. The most eye-catching part of the pen is the red Urushi Lacquer finish with chrome trim. As this is the first pen in my collection with Urushi Lacquer finish, it really stands up among the other pens in my collection.

 

Design/Size/Weight:

The ultra slim body measures approximately 7mm in maximal diameter. The clip is gold plated. When standing next to the Sailor Sapporo, this pen is 5mm shorter capped or posted. Its height is 122mm when capped. It makes the Sapporo looks like 'Arnold S' of pens. The Chalana is light to carry but surprisingly heavy for its size probably because of the metal body.

 

Nib Design and Performance:

The manufacturing date for this pen is possibly in the 1970's. It comes with a 14K EF nib. Modern Chalana comes with 18K EF nib. The physical dimension of the nib is roughly equivalent to one-third the size of a 14K Sailor Sapporo nib or Size 5 Pilot nib. I filled the pen with Diamine Monaco Red and road tested it. The nib is smooth as butter and writes a true EF line with medium flow. It is just as smooth as the two other Sailor 14K EF nibs in my collection.

 

Filling System:

The filling system is a converter. It functions more like a 'plunger' and draws ink as the piston is withdrawn. It holds less ink comparing to a standard Sailor converter.

 

Cost/Value:

I am not sure of the MRSP for this pen or the price for modern version of the Chalana. I paid approximately the same price for it as my new Sailor 1911M, US80.00.

 

Overall opinion/Conclusion:

This pen is not for everyone. It has been advertised as a pen for ladies on ebay. As a bloke wearing size 8 gloves, i have to use this pen posted. I am not troubled by its slim size at all, as i believe it is not that much slimmer than a baller, which i have been using for the last thirty years. In fact, i can write faster with this pen than with any other pen in my collection. Another beauty of the pen is, i can now fit an extra pen along with my Sapporo in my shirt pocket without causing undue stress to it.

 

Enjoy!

Edited May 21, 2007 by thw

[georges zaslavsky]

That is a very unusual 1911 and very nice color. If I had to buy a sailor it will be a King of Pen.

[kaisede]

That is a very unusual 1911 and very nice color. If I had to buy a sailor it will be a King of Pen.

 

got used to use a "Big" pens huh? Right now I cannot use anything smaller than my M600. And growing very confortable with my MB149 size.

 

Congrad THW on your purchase. I have three Sailor pens, PG, 1911 and Maki-e Plum. Sailor makes one of the best nibs in the market and it is really a pleasure to write with them.

 

 

 

[thw]

That is a very unusual 1911 and very nice color. If I had to buy a sailor it will be a King of Pen.

 

My pen collection started with Pelikan, Montblanc, Omas and Stipula. I was reluctant to purchase a Sailor because it used cartridge converters.... Until the day an expert of the forum, Laura suggested a Sailor, I finally purchased a Sailor Sapporo and down the slope i went...

This is my third Sailor with EF nib in a month and a king of pen is on my wishlist, perhaps after getting a Sailor with Saiba Togi nib or 1911 with XXF nib.

[thw]

 

I have three Sailor pens, PG, 1911 and Maki-e Plum. Sailor makes one of the best nibs in the market and it is really a pleasure to write with them.

 

Thank you kaisede! All those sailor pens are on my wishlist. The PG with Saiba Togi, 1911 with XXF and hopefully i can find a Sailor Makie with EF nib.

 

I love the smooth feel of my Sailor nib... Better than any other pens in my collection..... But i am open to suggestions...

[shahrincamille]

This is my first FP review!

 

First Impression :

I add a Sapporo to my collection recently and am extremely happy with its performance. In the process, i have decided to purchase another Sailor, a red 1911M with EF nib. While waiting for its delivery from Japan, i spotted this pen on ebay from the same seller and decided to purchase it outright. There was no extra postage incurred with delivery.

The package was delivered to my work place in five days after the seller emailed the tracking number with EMS. I could not help but opened it at work. Luckily that was towards the end of my shift. The Chalana was brand new, in its original box, with a converter and two extra cartridges.

 

Appearance and finish:

The Chalana is ultra slim, perhaps even slimmer than a ballpoint pen. The most eye-catching part of the pen is the red Urushi Lacquer finish with chrome trim. As this is the first pen in my collection with Urushi Lacquer finish, it really stands up among the other pens in my collection.

 

Design/Size/Weight:

The ultra slim body measures approximately 7mm in maximal diameter. The clip is gold plated. When standing next to the Sailor Sapporo, this pen is 5mm shorter capped or posted. Its height is 122mm when capped. It makes the Sapporo looks like 'Arnold S' of pens. The Chalana is light to carry but surprisingly heavy for its size probably because of the metal body.

 

Nib Design and Performance:

The manufacturing date for this pen is possibly in the 1970's. It comes with a 14K EF nib. Modern Chalana comes with 18K EF nib. The physical dimension of the nib is roughly equivalent to one-third the size of a 14K Sailor Sapporo nib or Size 5 Pilot nib. I filled the pen with Diamine Monaco Red and road tested it. The nib is smooth as butter and writes a true EF line with medium flow. It is just as smooth as the two other Sailor 14K EF nibs in my collection.

 

Filling System:

The filling system is a converter. It functions more like a 'plunger' and draws ink as the piston is withdrawn. It holds less ink comparing to a standard Sailor converter.

 

Cost/Value:

I am not sure of the MRSP for this pen or the price for modern version of the Chalana. I paid approximately the same price for it as my new Sailor 1911M, US80.00.

 

Overall opinion/Conclusion:

This pen is not for everyone. It has been advertised as a pen for ladies on ebay. As a bloke wearing size 8 gloves, i have to use this pen posted. I am not troubled by its slim size at all, as i believe it is not that much slimmer than a baller, which i have been using for the last thirty years. In fact, i can write faster with this pen than with any other pen in my collection. Another beauty of the pen is, i can now fit an extra pen along with my Sapporo in my shirt pocket without causing undue stress to it.

 

Enjoy!

 

Nice review

 

I got mine new with the same 14K EF nib from eBay seller engeika last year for US55.00 including shipping

 

I'm quite surprised to hear that the price of the Chalana is now US80.00. A quick survey of recent Chalanas sold by the same eBay seller too revealed the closing prices to be about US80.00-88.00, not inclusive of shipping

 

 

Shahrin

[goldkiwi]

I got mine new with the same 14K EF nib from eBay seller engeika last year for US55.00 including shipping

 

I'm quite surprised to hear that the price of the Chalana is now US80.00. A quick survey of recent Chalanas sold by the same eBay seller too revealed the closing prices to be about US80.00-88.00, not inclusive of shipping

 

 

Shahrin

 

I also purchased the same pen from engeika last year, and while I don't recall the exact amount, it was more than 55 with shipping. I guess there are more people interested in it now, so the price gets driven up, than when you purchased yours...

 

[Phthalo]

Yeah, the Urushi has been more expensive of late... my Chalana is a stainless steel version... really cute.

 

The problem is, I have long nails, and I can't comfortably hold the grip-section on such slender pens for very long!

 

 

 

 

[coco]

A month or so back, I bid on the Chalana by mistake (I mistakenly thought it was another pen), so I was quite surprised when this extra-slim pen arrived! I happen to like small pens, so it was a lucky mistake. I wondered, though, what others thought about it, so I enjoyed your review. The red urushi lacquer is indeed beautiful, and the size of the pen is perfect for fitting into a daytimer/journal.

[cheshirebowman]

I purchased my first Chalana this week, it 's a stainles steel model and I got it in a parcel of 5 pens in a private sale - two Waterman sets from the 1970's and the Chalana for £30GBP around US$60

I was totally captivated by the little beauty and it writes well too!

All I have to do now is tell my wife...............

[thw]

Thank you all for your opinion!

 

Wow.. Shahrin, US$40.00-50.00 for this pen is a steal! I could have and would have bought two if knowing the quality i could get before hand.. a Sailor, superb nib..

 

Goldkiwi- I am not sure if any other seller has easy access to this pen other than engeika. My suggestion to those who are interested in this pen is to contact engeika directly by email about the price instead of bidding on ebay. There is a good chance it is still available at a price less than US80.00. My response from Ujuku Pen Shop last week priced the Chalana Silver Stripe/Body at US$150.00, not including shipping.

 

Hi, Laura, ... I hold this pen close to the top of the nib section and i find the slim body gives a subjective feeling the pen is easy to manouvre on paper, much more so than another pen with wider body. Perhaps that is due solely to the 'light weight' of the pen. The nib just glides with virtually no resistance. It makes it a real joy to use.

 

Coco- i find this Sailor EF nib smooth, even smoother than my Pilot Custom 74(Size 5) F nib. The flow is definitely wet comparing to the Pilot.

 

Cheshirebowman- How did your wife respond to the news?

Edited May 24, 2007 by thw

[playpen]

I just bought the Chalana in gold stipes with the burgundy stripe on the clip. This is truly an adorable pen and it writes very well but since it's the thinnest pen on the market, beware, it may not be for you! I certainly wouldn't use it to take lots of notes because the ink would have to be reloaded every ten minutes (tiny converter and cartridges) and it might be uncomfortable to use for a long period of time because of its lack of girth. It is just perfect for scribbling an appointment or some such other small bit of information.

 

If you are a Sailor devotee, you will be thrilled to own one of these little gems because they have the typical Sailor nib and if you recognize how superior the Sailors are, you'll want a Chalana in your collection!