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I just noticed these on Sailor's website today (but I haven't been looking at it for a few weeks), and they look like Sailor's answer to the Platinum Preppy Wa limited edition pens: As is typical of Sailor pen models that use that type of nib, there is no other nib option on offer outside of Medium-Fine. Who's keen? At an MSRP of ¥3,500+tax, I'm not sure that I'm sold. (As a point of reference for comparison, the Sailor Profit Jr. toh mei kan clear demonstrator is ¥2,200+tax.) To be fair, though, the price includes a bottle of Ink Studio ink and a colour-matched converter. I dread to see what authorised retailers in ‘the West’ (including Australia), who source their merchandise through the official distribution channel, will ask for these packages in their regional markets.

This pen was ordered for me by a friend as a gift. It took almost 3 months to get to me as La Couronne du Comte (Dutch retailer) lists a lot of products on their site without actually having it in stock. But that aside as this is not a store review. I already had a Sailor Pro Gear Slim (the blue/green nebula) with a 14kt fine nib, this nib writes lovely and has the famous pencil like feedback. But alas this pen is way too small and finicky for my hands and writing style. So, I was curious how the bigger brother of the Pro Gear Slim would write, and I was lucky enough to be able to select this pen as a gift. So, the facts: Manufacturer: Sailor Model: 1911 Large Rhodium trim Material: Black acrylic (injection molded) Nib: Sailor 21kt Gold (H-MF) Filling system: Cartridge/converter Capped: 141 mm Uncapped: 123 mm Posted: 153 mm Section: 10 - 11 mm ______________________________________________________________________ Appearance & Design - Classic cigar-shaped design The pen has the same classic cigar-shaped design as so many others. I went for the rhodium trims as this fits a black pen better, in my opinion. The engraving on the cap band is crisp and unintrusive (unlike the engraving of e.g., the Platinum #3776). The clip has a nice 3 stepped design, and this gives it quite a classical look. The clip is quite springy and effortlessly slides in a shirt pocket. The nib has beautiful scrollwork and is a bit on the small site for this pen (more on this in the nib section). A good, understated design for in a business environment. Construction & Quality – Well build but has improving opportunities The threading on this pen (cap as well as barrel) is smooth. The glossy injection molded acrylic is a real fingerprint magnet and is surprisingly easily scratched. The pen posts very securely and is not back weighted. Writing with this pen posted for me it’s more balanced than unposted. The cap comes off with just over 2 full turns, which is not that great for quick note taking. Weight & Dimensions – Lightweight and on the smaller side. This pen is on the smaller side of things and unposted it’s almost too small for my hands. It’s ok to take a view quick notes with it unposted, but for longer writing I really need to post the pen. As I said before the pen has a very good balance when posted. The section could do with a bit more girth for my taste, but is not uncomfortably small (like e.g. a Pro Gear Slim). Although it has quite a view metal parts it’s still relatively light. Nib & Performance – Lovely and precise The 21kt gold hard medium-fine (H-MF) nib writes lovely and has the (in)famous pencil like feedback. It performs well, never had a hard start or any skipping. It is fitted with a plastic feed but still lays down a good amount of ink. The nib is not flexible but has enough bounce to it. The nib is decorated with lovely scrollwork and the Sailor anker logo. The nib is smaller than a standard #6 nib from let’s say Jowo or Bock. But still in proportion to the rest of the pen. But for my personal preferences it could be a bit bigger. Filling System & Maintenance – Cartridge/convertor?? This pen is fitted with a proprietary convertor (or cartridges if you want), the convertor is quite small and only holds a measly 0,45 ml of ink (if you fill it to the brim). That makes that I need to fill this pen quite often and it’s not ideal if I have a lot of meetings in a day. I can’t understand that a pen in this price class does not have a piston filling system of at least a convertor with a higher capacity. The nib lays down a decent amount of ink and this drains the pen quite quickly in my case. Maintaining this pen is as easy and quick as any other convertor fitted pen, the nib is friction fitted so you can disassemble the pen easily (even the convertor if you want). Here is the convertor compared to that of a Leonardo Momento Zero: Cost & Value – Well, it’s not cheap This pen retails for around € 295,- in the Netherlands and considering the size of the pen and the capacity of the convertor this is not a bang for your buck pen in my book. But then there is the quality of the nib that writes precise, reliable and with a smooth pencil like feeling. So yeah, there’s that. Would I replace this pen if it would break? Well, that is a mindboggling question but as I feel now I probably would not. Conclusion – Still one of my favourites The small size and measly ink capacity of this pen aside I really love how this pen writes. Especially on Tomoe River paper this nib really shines for me. Somehow that makes me overlook the “small” problems (pun intended) with this pen and focus on the joy of writing a long letter to a dear friend. And let’s be honest, that is what a writing instrument is for 😉

Sailor Nagasawa Proske and Sailor Profit Standard (also known in the West as 1911 Standard) are essentially the same pen model. But there are some differences including price so I thought I will make a quick comparison. The one difference is clear plastic on Nagasawa. It feels cheaper compared to Black plastic on Standard Sailor or clear plastic on King Pro Gear. It may be my judgement is clouded by receiving my Nagasawa Proske with grip section already cracked. I think someone in the factory over tighten the pen. Expensive pens that look cheap or understated are my preference so if it wouldnt be for a crack that would be just fine. Converter in Nagasawa Proske is Rhutenium plated which is great but it is of lesser quality than original Sailor converter. The only other differences are in the nib inscription Kobe and Nagasawa Pen Style Den on the cap band. My Sailor 1911 Standard (or Profit Standard whatever you prefer) costed me £70. Nagasawa Proske £120 (£150 after I was hit with customs charge) so you pay twice the money for lesser quality pen. But it is rarer and I guess in the fountain pen world that matters. I got myself an expensive pen that feels and looks cheap so Im happy with that. I wish I would go for medium fine nib on Nagasawa as fine is a bit too fine for me but I had Sailor In broad, medium, medium fine and Naginata Togi Medium so I wanted to see how fine writes. I would say consider Nagasawa Proske but if you prefer better pen at lower price stick to Standard Profit or 1911 Standard.

Eight Eleven units of the Sailor Profit Black Luster fountain pen with ruthenium-plated 21K gold Medium nibs (model 11-3048-420), and one unit with Fine nib (model 11-3048-220), are available on Amazon.co.jp – sold and fulfilled by Amazon.co.jp – at the moment for ¥19,755 each. That works out to approximately A$251, or US$179, by the current exchange rates. That's a drop of 10% since I placed my order for one with a Fine nib not even 24 hours ago, and it was a pain in the butt trying to cancel it (since Amazon.co.jp advised it was unable to intercept the dispatch) and re-buy at this price. I had to call the parcel courier service in Japan, as well as speak to Amazon.co.jp, to make it happen. Camelcamelcamel indicates that this is significantly lower than the lowest third-party prices seen on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.jp for these products, and is also (approximately) the lowest price† sold by Amazon.co.jp in almost three years. Obviously, there is the issue of how you're going to order one and get it 'home' or sent to you, if you're not in Japan. I don't know if Amazon.co.jp would ship it directly to you if you're in North America, but it won't ship to Australia. I'm using a reshipper to receive the goods on my behalf and then forward them to me at not-insignificant additional expense, but the total cost of acquisition is still a darn sight cheaper than, say, ordering it from a Japan-based seller via eBay.com.au or buying on Rakuten Ichiba (and/or Rakuten Global Market) today. Just thought I'd share the find with anyone who may be keen to get one, but don't want to pay the street price of US$400 or so. Update 1: I see the single unit with the Fine nib is now gone. That didn't take long! Update 2: It seems more stock with the Medium nib has been added. It'd be so much better if Amazon.co.jp added three units with Fine nibs instead. †I'm only able to be look at it in graphical form, without being able to review the specific numbers by data point, so the granularity is limited and my conclusion could be off by ¥50 or so.

Hi guys. I've been enjoying this hobby for just more than a year. Since I've really got into this hobby, I planned that I'm gonna try all the high-end production line pens of major brands. Up to now, I've tried Montblanc 146, Aurora 88, a lot of Viscontis, Pilot 823, Pelikan M800, etc. I prefer broader nibs, so I didn't care for the Japanese pens. But Pilot 823 which is my most recent purchase completely changed my mind: It was too good to skip. So I'm now eager to try Japanese pens with broad nib as much as I can. My next try will be Sailor. Because I love soft gold nibs, 1911 large and KOP (any of them) are on my list. But you know, KOP is too expensive to just try. So I want you to kindly share your experiences on the Sailor nibs; 1911 Large size and K.O.P. size. I've heard some folks that KOP nib is very soft, bouncy, and smooth, but the other Sailors are not. Is that true? And how about the Naginata-Togi nibs? In some Youtube videos, I see that the Naginata Medium is quite broader than normal western medium at normal writing angle (~45 degree). Can I get a similar experience with smooth wet western broad nib experience by using Sailor's Naginata-Togi broad nibs?

Somehow my 1911 has pulled ink inside of the section while sitting in my pen case, and is quite obvious as it's a demonstrator. So far I have had no luck getting the ink out. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated http://i.imgur.com/UAXIY29.jpg

I have several pilots (74-M, 91-F, 92-FM) along with other brands (Pelikan, TWSBI, Bexley), but have been thinking about a Platinum or Sailor. I decided to try out the Sailor 1911 Profit with the 14k MF nib. I like my Pilot FM better then F or M so I hope the MF will be a good choice in this case. I normally go for F in german made nibs. The 1911 looked like I has a more comfortable section for how I hold a pen, then the Platinum. I got it off eBay from Asian Treasure Hunt with converter for $69 plus shipping. I guess I will know how I like it in a week or so when it gets here from Japan. I will add pictures them, not that everybody in this group has not seem a 1911.

Hi I'm currently deciding on whether I should get a sailor 1911S or a 1911L. I've heard people commenting that the 1911L has a smoother nib. Does anyone know if it's worth it to spend the money to get the 1911L or should I just stick to the 1911S? If there are any better options from other brands, please do tell me. Thanks in advance!

Hi friends, I am hoping for some help identifying this Sailor pen that I got as a graduation gift last year. It seems to be made from resin and has the 1911 14k nib. I'm not familiar with Sailor pens at all. This was bought in Japan (if it makes a difference). I currently don't have a converter in this pen, and I'm wondering which Sailor converter to use with this pen as it's quite short in length. Thanks in advance!

Hi, I'm interesting to buy a Sailor with Naginata Togi nib, but I wonder that does the Naginata Togi nib in Sailor 1911 large/full size difference to the Naginata Togi nib in the King of Pen? The price is much difference, but both has ones that include Naginata Togi nib. Does it the same or are there any difference? Thank you for the answer in advance, Sahatat

Hello everyone, I am currently investigating before getting a Sailor 1911 and since I do not have access at the moment to some pen shop that has Sailor pens for testing, I kindly ask fellow fountain pen enthusiasts here to help me decide and perhaps someone kind enough to provide some writing samples as described below: Same paper, same ink, same phrase written in turn with a Salior 21K Medium nib, Sailor 14K Medium nib, and if possible to better help me gauge their relative width, follow these by either a Sailor 14K Fine or a Pilot Vanishing Point Fine. And of course any additional "subjective" observations of how they differ would be extremely welcome. I am expressing my gratitude in advance Now... the long boring, background story ( feel free to skip if it gets boring ) : I have three Sailor Sapporo 14K rhodium plated H-F fountain pens and they indeed are wonderful pens. The nib although is not butter smooth, it is smooth and responsive at the same time; the Sailor feedback which many people appreciate, like writing with a pencil. Someone called it "paperiness". Since I discovered the Sailor Kiwa Guro and Sei Boku inks, they are exclusively the only inks I ever use. (well, maybe not. I also love Noodler's, Rohrer & Klingner (iron galls), J. Herbin, Iroshizuku, Parker Quink, Pelikan 4001s). The Kiwa Guro has no feathering and no bleedthrough even on the worst Moleskine paper out there and has a very black and well behaved line. Sei Boku follows close but does have some minor bleeding on cheaper papers. And I usually write on Moleskine. I used iron-gall inks before as they also have absolutely no bleeding, however I had issues with them (not clogging, but other things) so I gave up. Now, the Sapporo H-F that I have has a very constant line, with no line variation, and is indeed a very hard nail-like nib. Exactly what I needed (I bought it from nibs.com so I believe Mr. Mottishaw took a look at the nib before shipping it as to ensure it is properly adjusted). However the nib is too fine for my everyday writing. It appears even a tad finer than my Pilot Vanishing Point F. It's great for small writing and more technical stuff, such as Mathematics or when you want to write in a pocket journal. But given that Kiwa Guro is a dry ink (relatively speaking), it writes even finer with it, like a Japanese EF. Now THAT is tiny. Like a needle, especially on high gloss paper such as Rhodia. I also have a Pilot Metropolitan M which writes at exactly the perfect line width I want and also a Pelikan M400 EF which is almost identical to the Pilot Metropolitan M except all M400 EF nibs I bought for it had issues. I fancy buying the 1911 full size with a 21K nib because I heard it's smoother than the 14K and also adds a bit more "variation" to the writing, although it's not a soft nib. It may well still have the typical Sailor feedback and slight tooth, but less so. Maybe it is a bit more springy than the 14K. Maybe because the nib is larger? Who knows. I don't. However as I vaguely remember testing a Sailor with 14K Fine against a Pro Gear with 21K Extra Fine (Paris a few years ago at a very nice pen shop), the nibs had totally different line widths and behavior. They wrote about the same thickness (notice it's an EF vs an F here) and yet the 21K had much more variation with slight pressure, making the writing beautiful and artistic.

I recently purchased a Sailor 1911 that has a damaged feed, I was unaware that both the feed and nib were damaged when I purchased the pen. The nib writes ok but thicker than it should but it is usable, it also looks like someone has burnt the tip of the feed for some reason although it works I think a new one would help the pen and support the nib a bit better. I was wondering if anyone knows if it's possible to buy replacement feeds for Sailor pens?

The new Sailor 1911s Highlighter Fountain Pen is now available for sale at Pen Chalet: https://www.penchalet.com/fine_pens/fountain_pens/sailor_1911S_highlighter_fountain_pen.html The Sailor 1911 Highlighter is made with a yellowish-green demonstrator cap and barrel to match the ink. The pen comes complete with a bottle of Sailor Jentle yellow highlighter ink and a Sailor converter in a nice gift box. The pen is equipped with a Sailor 14k gold Zoom nib that lays down a nice thick line.

I recently acquired two demonstrators, one made by Sailor and one by Platinum. They are very similar visually and they both sport a B nib. I am going to provide a comparative review. The two demonstrator pens are: 1) A Sailor 1911 Profit in large size (14cm) 2) A Platinum 3776 Century special edition Censke for Nagasawa Pen Style Den (a major stationery trader with its main branches located in Kobe). The pen is already sold out, but there are plenty of other 3776 Century demonstrators that I would assume behave in a similar fashion). 1. Appearance (Platinum left, Sailor right) At first glance, the two pens are almost identical... The differences are in small details: 1) The 1911 is a tad longer, maybe 2 mm (this is consistent with official measurements). 2) The 3776 shows more... the section is exposed while it is not visible in the 1911. Also, you can see a spring mechanism in the cap. This is the famous Slip & Seal mechanism that helps closing the nib in a hermetic space and preserve the ink for a long time. 3) Both pens sport a B nib, but it is 21k on the 1911 and 14k on the 3776. 4) The 3776 has a number of customized engravings: it reads Kobe and 1882 with the logo in the shape of a (bleep). On the main ring it reads NAGASAWA Pen Style Den. 5) As expected, each pen accommodates its own proprietary converter or cartridges. See the pic below showing the pens loaded. 6) Finishes are gold plated. The central ring on the 1911 is a bit larger. 3. Filling (Platinum bottom, Sailor top) The two pens are easy to fill with their converters. The capillarity of the feed works just fantastic and they start writing right away as soon as you plug in the cartridge or the converter (I unconventionally filled the converter without the nib on). For this test they were filled with the same red Kobe ink. 3. Test drive I tested the pens both on cheap and premium paper, like the Rhodia pad pictured above. They are both great writers, but with some interesting difference: 1. The 1911 is hard as a nail, when you write you can hear the noise of the nib on the paper (it is not scratching, but you got the idea). The flow is very generous and wetter than the 3776. This is hardly surprising since the nib is marked H-B (Hard Broad). It works great with the Kobe ink permitting a good deal of shading. 2. On the other side, the 3776 B nib is very soft and writes smoothly, almost not touching the paper. The ink flow is a bit drier. Both nibs are marked B, but, as it is usual for Japanese nibs, their line is much thinner than the one left by an American or European broad nib. In this case I would say that the line is between F and Medium when compared to American and European nibs. I also have a 1911 Profit with a Naginata Togi medium nib and it performs much better (more smooth) and its line is similar to the line left by the 1911 demonstrator in terms of width (even if the Naginata treatment gives some line variation absent in regular hard nibs). 4. Conclusion The two demonstrators are two very nice pens (for those liking demonstrators of course). The nibs are very different. I wish the Platinum nib was wetter, that would have made it perfect. I personally do not dislike the hardness of the Sailor nib, but I understand that it could be too scratchy for someone. It should also be noted that the pens uncapped fall into the "small" range and could be uncomfortable depending on the pen size you need. They both post securely though.

The first gold pen I bought was a Sailor 1911S. Because I am interested in matching pen and pencil sets, I went looking for a 1911 pencil. I found one, but for some reason its design was never updated, so it matches the old-style 1911 pen, not the new one. For those who may not know, Sailor at some point-- I’m not sure when—redesigned its popular 1911 line. The 1911 used to have a simpler nib engraving, a gold-plated ring at the bottom of the section instead of the top of the section as the current pens, and only one cap band as opposed to the two of current pens. Also, the color of the gold fittings was paler before the redesign; afterwards, the gold became yellower. I was quite surprised to find that the pencil matched the old pen, with one cap band and pale gold fittings. The ballpoint, which I also bought, was in the same way. Of course, then I had to go hunt down the correct vintage 1911 fountain pen. If my resume says I’m “detail oriented,” you know now it’s true. Anyway, these old pens are not often found in the United States, but I eventually found an old-style 1911L offered by a Japanese seller on a famous auction site, and with a few well-timed clicks my set was complete. I also bought a Sailor three-pen case because, at this point, why not? There are plenty of Sailor 1911 reviews on this Forum, but I don’t think any are for the old-style pen, or the matching pencil and ballpoint. So, here we go. Please excuse my utilitarian photography; I only have a simple point-and-shoot camera (and wouldn’t know how to use a DSLR if one descended from heaven into my lap anyway). Here we see the closed pen case. It’s called the Sailor Imperial Black case or something macho like that, but it strikes me as rather feminine: despite its nylon and leather (?) construction and black metal fittings, it sort of looks like a makeup case. 1 Case Closed by Jacob Marks, on Flickr The case actually closes with magnetic buttons, as you can see. The buckles are purely decorative. 2 Case Open by Jacob Marks, on Flickr 3 Case Open Flap Open by Jacob Marks, on Flickr 4 Decorative Buckles by Jacob Marks, on Flickr The case is mostly of nylon, with piping and details in leather or a leather-like material. For the price, I hope it’s leather. 5 Lining by Jacob Marks, on Flickr 6 Logo detail by Jacob Marks, on Flickr There is a little slot for holding spare cartridges. I use bottled ink, but have some cartridges stowed there for an emergency—though it would be an odd emergency indeed that required them. 7 Cart Storage Detail by Jacob Marks, on Flickr Here is our redoubtable trio of writing instruments. I call them Athos, Porthos, and Steve. 8 Pens Overview by Jacob Marks, on Flickr First, the fountain pen. Capped, it has a classic appearance. Its resemblance to Montblanc’s 146 is often noted. 9 Fountain Pen Capped by Jacob Marks, on Flickr It seems the pen is intended to be posted. It posts securely although the lines are not as clean as I would like. 10 Fountain Pen Posted by Jacob Marks, on Flickr The end of the barrel has a false blind cap. The ring, like the buckles on the case, is purely decorative. 10-2 False Blind Cap by Jacob Marks, on Flickr On to the business end. The nib has a simple design which I much prefer to the current one. The new nibs are quite busy and owe too much to that aforementioned German manufacturer. Unlike the current 1911L nibs, which to my knowledge are all 21k, this is a 14k nib. Some people consider 14k to be the best alloy for nibs because of its elasticity, with higher-karat nibs being too soft. That sort of thing is beyond my expertise. I’m more of liberal arts kind of guy. On the other hand, the redesign eliminates the ring at the bottom of the section, which is said to be a magnet for corrosion. This one seems to be in fine shape, though. 11 Nib Front 1 by Jacob Marks, on Flickr This nib is marked H-M. My guess is that stands for hard medium. The nib is not flexible or semi-flexible or even hemi-demi-semi-flexible, but neither is it rigid. It has some give. I would call it firm. To the disappointment of the spammers who fill my email inbox, I’m perfectly satisfied by how firm my pen is. 12 side nib by Jacob Marks, on Flickr The feed is a typical finned black plastic affair. 13 Feed by Jacob Marks, on Flickr The writing tip is smooth enough, and certainly a medium. Not interesting, but not bad. 14 Writing Surface by Jacob Marks, on Flickr As you can see, the cap only has one band. It screws on with the pleasant soft stop peculiar to Sailor. The clip is attached to the cap below the ring, which keeps it from spinning around but looks weird to me. I prefer Montblanc clips: the clip is attached to the ring, and a tab on the inside keeps it from spinning. Nonetheless, this is an effective clip, not too tight and not too loose. 15 Cap overview by Jacob Marks, on Flickr The cap band says “Sailor Japan Founded 1911,” just like current pens. There seems to be some dried adhesive oozing out from behind the band. 16 Cap Band Detail by Jacob Marks, on Flickr The pen fills with a Sailor cartridge/converter system. Though the ink capacity is modest, the pen writes fairly dry and so does not exhaust its supply too quickly. 18 Filling by Jacob Marks, on Flickr Now for the ballpoint. It’s twist action, and looks a lot like the Montblanc 164 Classique ballpoint. The Sailor is smaller, lighter, and compares unfavorably to the 164 in every way except price. However, since the Montblanc is something like eight or nine times the cost of the Sailor, this is to be expected. It takes, of course, a proprietary Sailor refill, which is not readily available at stores in the States. I prefer the Fine black Sailor refill to the Fine black Parker Quinkflow refill that lives in my Jotter Flighter. Sailor’s is smoother and starts up better. 19 Ballpoint Overview by Jacob Marks, on Flickr 20 Ballpoint nib closeup cropped by Jacob Marks, on Flickr The end cap is not perfectly flush with the rest of the cap. It’s slightly smaller in diameter. Weird. The pencil does not share this defect. 21 Ballpoint ridge by Jacob Marks, on Flickr Speaking of the pencil, here it is. The lead advances when you push the top. It’s the same size and weight as the ballpoint. 22 Pencil Overview by Jacob Marks, on Flickr The top screws off to reveal the eraser. 23 Pencil Open by Jacob Marks, on Flickr It writes, of course, like any mechanical pencil should. 24 Pencil Tip Closeup by Jacob Marks, on Flickr Finally, here’s the goal of the venture, a writing sample of the fountain pen. The pencil and ballpoint are, well, a pencil and a ballpoint. 25 Sailor 1911L Writing Sample by Jacob Marks, on Flickr Final thoughts: I really wanted to love this set because I went to some trouble to assemble it, and because I love actually sailing. Unfortunately, when I handle these writing instruments, the words that come into my mind are not “awesome” and “amazing” but rather “acceptable” and “okay.” They are well-made and hard-working, but I want to be wowed, and these just don’t do that. The firm medium nib is useable not exciting, and I can’t use the pen in public without someone asking “Is that a Montblanc?” Answering “Actually it’s a Sailor, a Japanese pen that just happens to look suspiciously like a Montblanc” gets a bit tiresome quickly. Maybe one day I will get one of Sailor’s crazy specialty nibs and change my mind—although the old nib pattern is one of the coolest things about the pen. I hope this review was helpful to anyone considering a vintage Sailor 1911. Your questions and comments are welcome.

I noticed the following disclaimer in the box of my Sailor 1911 Black Luster (sic) pen and would like comments, please. Are they just covering themselves, like Montblanc? I don't think that 'standard' inks like Diamine; Pelikan 4001; Waterman; Quink and Sheaffer Skrip would do any harm whatsoever, so just wanted the opinion of you lot out there. I can see their point but one might avoid certain inks in some pens anyway. No need to mention names!

Good morning, I am considering purshasing a Sailor Pro Gear REALO piston filler. I haven't found anywhere instructions for the disassembly of the piston mechanism, nor how easy it is to clean the reservoir. Any help, video, link or testimony would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

Ok, so I'm pretty new here. I recently purchased a Sailor pen from a small shop in Sasebo Japan and I really love this pen. HOWEVER, the shop I bought the pen in some how lost or did not include the cartridge converter, ink and instructions that usually come with a Sailor pen. Well, I know a thing or two about the Japanese culture so I jumped on over to the Sailor web site ( http://www.sailorpen.com ) and found the contact info for customer service. VERY RESPONSIVE!!! And very polite. I only asked for the instructions but they included the cartridge converter and a couple of ink cartridges and mailed it all to my house. I have to say that they have secured a customer for life! Now I'm going to have to buy another one just because I have had such a great experience with them!

I see that there are two sizes - medium/'standard' and large/full-size, ignoring the "realo" piston filler model. I am not familiar with these sizes, but am familiar with the Sapporo standard (or Pro-Gear slim, distinct from Sapporo mini) and Pro-Gear standard sizes. My question is what is roughly the size of the 1911 medium/standard model when compared the Pro-Gear standard? Are these two similarly sized pens? Thanks, and I apologise if this has been answered in the past.

I originally posted the full version of this review on my blog; this is an abridged version with fewer pictures and different formatting. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XeITJ5CH_8E/U64LhmAlUlI/AAAAAAAAAUs/RC2sRcyg9R8/s1600/DSC_0326.JPG Specifications: Brand: Sailor Model: 1911 Mid-Size (Also known as the 1911 S or 1911 Standard) Body Material: Resin (Plastic)Colour: Blue with gold trim and black accents (Also available in black, burgundy/ maroon, red, yellow, ivory, and demonstrator with gold trim; black and burgundy also available with Rhodium trim and 21k nibs for $238) Trim: Gold Length (capped): 133.35 mm (5 1/4 in) Length (uncapped nib-end): 117.35 mm (4.62 in) Length (posted): 144.48 mm (5.688 in)Barrel Diameter: ~12.37 mm (.487 in) Section Diameter: 9.65 mm (.38 in)Nib Sizes: Available in 14k EF, F, MF, M, B, Music, and Zoom nibs or 21k Naginata-Togi MF, M, and B nibs Nib material: 14k yellow gold Overall Weight: 20 grams Cap Weight: 7 grams Body Weight: 13 grams Section and Converter Weight: 8 grams Barrel Weight: 5 gramsBarrel design: Round Fill type: Proprietary Cartridge/Converter System; A converter is included.Clip: Not spring-loaded. Initially it was too tight to use but softened after a few weeks.Ink Capacity: .61mlMSRP: $195Actual Price: $156 Price I paid: I paid $117 for mine from Levenger while it was 25% off and received a free $50 gift card which I then spent on aPoint of View Pen Case during another sale.Where to buy: I bought mine from Levenger, but they're only available in blue or red. You can also buy them at Nibs.com in every color except ivory, every size nib, and with the 21k Naginata-Togi nibs. Fountain Pen Hospital sells them with the 14k nibs. Andy's Pens in the UK sells them in the ivory color in addition to the other colors. La Courrone du Comte has all the colors except maroon but also sells a black version with silver plated accents.* I am in no way affiliated with Levenger; this price was simply the best I could find at the time in the U.S. Packaginghttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a2b5ASpdfJo/U64LOq2b9sI/AAAAAAAAAUc/z0K27jehA6I/s1600/DSC_0323.JPG The pen arrives in a small white box. Upon opening this box, you'll find a nicer blue box with gold trim which contains the pen, two cartridges, and a Sailor proprietary converter. The packaging is nice but not functional like the Pelikan M200's. Design Sailor designed the 1911 S very classically with a blue barrel and gold trim; as a result, it looks similar to many other pens. My father's first reaction was, "It looks like a Montblanc." I have my Meisterstuck 146 on my desk for comparison, and there are only three main differences while capped (excluding size and weight): The 146 has the trademark snowflake on the finial; The Sailor does not have a gold ring under the cap band; and the 146's clip widens as it moves down the barrel, whereas the Sailor's is the opposite. Even to those who use fountain pens, this could easily be confused with a Platinum 3776 Century which looks even more similar. I don't hate this classic design; I simply believe that companies should do more to differentiate themselves from the others as Montblanc has. Fewer would mistake the 1911S for a 3776 Century or Montblanc if there were a Sailor anchor on the finial or clip. Where the Sailor 1911 S finally begins to stand out from the crowd is the nib. It's a beautiful 14k yellow gold nib with copious ornamentation. In its price range, only Visconti's nibs can truly compare in beauty. Not only does it look great, but it also writes just as well. Size and Weight Weighing in at only 20 grams, this is a light pen but not excessively light. I have no problem with the weight and doubt that many others will. One of the most commonly asked questions about this pen is whether it's mid-size in comparison to most pens or Sailor's 1911 line. I find the pen to be mid-size in comparison to Sailor's 1911 pens but also slightly too small for me to use unposted. When posted, the pen is a great size and well-balanced. Filling System The pen fills using the Sailor proprietary cartridge/converter system. Many people, notably Matt from the Pen Habit, strongly dislike these proprietary systems, but I don't mind them at all for two reasons: I don't use cartridges, and the pen comes with a converter. I do, however, dislike the minuscule capacity of the converter- only .61 mL. Even with an extra-fine nib, I still have to fill the pen every other day. The one advantage to the cartridge/converter system is that it's very simple to clean. You just remove the converter and flush both it and the section with water. For more intensive cleaning, the nib and feed unit is friction-fit and can easily be removed. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OikOTJKrYFk/U64KTCYud7I/AAAAAAAAATc/C9wItBk5pnc/s1600/DSC_0315.JPGhttp://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s9FSLuqrfg4/U64K8nCjKTI/AAAAAAAAAUI/lAlfGEI8vLg/s1600/DSC_0320.JPG The Writing Experience The 1911S has a smooth nib, but it offers some feedback. If you're unfamiliar with feedback, it allows you to feel that the nib is touching the paper, but it doesn't make a nib scratchy or rough as many cheap Chinese pens are. I now like this feeling, but it took a while for me to acquire a "taste" for feedback. One downside to many extra-fine nibs is that inks appear washed-out and dull in them. This problem does exist with the 1911 Mid-Size, so I prefer to use highly saturated inks with this pen. At the moment, my favorite ink in this pen is Levenger Cobalt Blue. It appears vibrant and matches the color of the pen as a bonus. Even though the nib is 14kt gold, it offers very minimal line variation. Writing Sample Ink: Levenger Cobalt Blue Paper: Black n' Red notebookhttp://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fcO0Cs_czxc/U64NMbc28DI/AAAAAAAAAWk/qwUViYWjwkw/s1600/SCAN0021.JPG http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0NIaGuSJWA4/U64NPZXSUVI/AAAAAAAAAWw/Jjx3-3zGhHA/s1600/SCAN0022.JPG Pros 14kt or 21kt gold nib at an affordable priceLine widths are true to size (Extra-fine is actually extremely fine)Great for people with small handwritingThe nib's design is stunningWet, but performs well on low-quality paper because of the nib sizeThe nib and feed unit can be removed for intensive cleaningGreat balance when used posted or not Cons Cartridge/Converter with minuscule capacity (.61mL)The design does little to set itself apartFingerprints cover the pen after a while Please visit my blog for the unabridged review and more like it.

Sailor 1911 Profit, Fine Nib, Ivory Body I realize there are several reviews of the Sailor 1911 Profit, but I don't seem to see many pictures of the ivory body. I decided to put in my two cents and also have some reference pictures available for anyone else who wants to check out the pen before buying. The pictures I have seen prior to receiving this pen made it difficult to determine whether or not the pen was a bright white or a true ivory. I can happily say that it's a lovely off white colour and that I am very pleased with it. What follows is my picture heavy mini review. I would highly recommend the pen, and it is honestly my favourite pen overall (I had a burgundy one that I have sadly misplaced). The pen came with a standard Sailor box, that seems price appropriate, a converter, two cartridges, and an instruction manual. The pen was a birthday present from my girlfriend, and I appreciate it a lot. She's far too kind to me and indulges my hobby. The Review: Appearance and Design: 8 The classic cigar shape of the pen is fitting, though admittedly uninspired. I very much like the ivory colour and I think it's a step up from white. It looks like a nice warm pen, and the gold trim only adds to the appeal. The clip is also classic and uninspired, but far from ugly. It fits with the pen and all in all it looks very classy. In my book, it does get bonus points for being ivory coloured. If you don't care for the colour as much as I do, I would say the design is a 7, since it's unoriginal but well executed. The Pen DSCF6769 by makey95, on Flickr The Trim DSCF6774 by makey95, on Flickr Construction and Quality: 9 The pen feels very well made, and is very sturdy. The threads where the cap screws on are smooth and rounded, and they never interfere with the grip. There's not a single loose part in the pen, and it seems sturdy enough to take drops while capped. The resin body feels durable, and nothing about the pen seems cheap. The nib and feed are friction fit, and they can easily be pulled out, but they're not loose at all and are a snug fit. Nib and Feed DSCF6777 by makey95, on Flickr Weight and Dimensions: 10 The pen feels like it's made to be posted, and once posted feels perfectly balanced. Unposted, it is a tad too short for my hands, and feels rather light. Capped the pen measures around 5.25" and uncapped it is about 4.625" unposted. Posted, the pen is about 6" long. The diameter of the grip seems to be around .375". It is a medium-light pen, but I can write with it for hours at a time without my hand tiring. Nib and Performance: 10 Honestly this is my favourite modern nib/favourite non-flex nib. I've tried a few flex nibs that come close to being the joy that this one is, but even they pale in comparison. It is honestly one of the most enjoyable writing experiences that I have experienced. For such a fine nib, it is extraordinarily smooth and has almost no feedback, but still enough to let you feel the paper enough to enjoy the ride. The feed does a superb job of keeping up and it never has any hard starts or skips. The nib wrote immediately, even after being left out to take the photographs. The Nib DSCF6783 by makey95, on Flickr The Feed DSCF6775 by makey95, on Flickr Filling System and Maintenance: 7 The pen uses a cartridge converter system, and despite that has great ink flow. The converter does not hold all that much, but it's certainly enough to last several days of note taking. Having a cartridge converter system makes maintenance easy enough, but the friction fit nib and feed makes cleaning out the pen a breeze. Just take it apart, wash it, dry it, and it's quick and easy to move from a black ink to say a light yellow-orange. Normally I would give cartridge converter pens a 5, utterly average, neither good nor bad, but the ease of maintenance warrants a higher grade. Cost and Value: 10 This tends to be highly subjective, but for a pen that I consider to be the best writing experience, with a marvelous fine nib, easy maintenance, and perfect balance, I would say that the $100 that my girlfriend paid for it was reasonable. I would be personally willing to pay the full U.S. price for this pen (with tax, around 180 dollars). Conclusion: Highly recommended, if you couldn't tell. A word of warning, every once in a while I do see a Sailor 1911/Pro Gear or two out of the box (I've worked with a few over the years) with misaligned tines, but that's usually a quick fix. I have never seen a Sailor 1911 Standard that, once aligned, does not write smoothly. The majority of Sailors that I have seen write perfectly out of the box. Writing Sample/First impression review (Muji Notebook) DSCF6787 by makey95, on Flickr Final Words: Thanks for reading, feel free to mention your own thoughts on the pen, the colour, or my pictures. I tried my best to accurately pick up the colour of the body. I cannot thank my girlfriend enough for the gift, and I know it will see a lot of use. The only thing that I'm worried about is staining the ivory body. I've been looking into leather pen slips/holders for this pen, and I would appreciate any cheap but durable recommendations. I would like around 10 dollars, 15 maximum for the holder. I hope the review was informative.

Hello. I need your sage advice please. SOON if available please. I am not to familiar with Japanese-made pens, and have an opportunity to purchase a burgundy, M nib 21k from the late 20th century ( as described) by the seller on eBay. Good price 2 @ $51 USD. Can anyone elaborate here. I am familiar with the 1911 Anniv. Ed., but not this. Looked it up and cannot find any info on a 1910 series from Pilot, Period. Thanks for your help, LeRoy P.S. Is there a way to directly email < or > at FPN?

Earlier today I received a Sailor 1911 Profit with a steel music nib. These can be picked up very cheaply now - I paid £35 inclusive of shipping, which I think is great value. The music nib is something of a cursive stub, gives a good bit of line variation and writes with Sailor's usual level of smoothness. It's not the wettest pen I've come across, but this isn't something that can't be changed to suit with minimum fuss. The nib is gold plated steel, but still features the usual attractive (in my opinion) Sailor engraving. It writes with a bit of a dry, scratchy sound to it, but there is only the tiniest hint of any feedback and certainly glides across paper very easily. The barrel feels like plastic, which is what it is I imagine so no surprises there. It had some micro-scratches upon delivery despite being brand new. I think these could be polished out easily, and the pen will probably pick up a whole load more in regular use anyway. Filling is via the regular twist type cartridge converter... Which I didn't take a photo of, but it's nothing exciting. It's a relatively short pen at 118mm uncapped but an adequate 150mm when posted. I prefer it posted as the balance is very pleasing. Overall I think this is a lot of pen for the money and I imagine I'll use it very regularly - it looks like a much more expensive pen than it is in my eyes, but isn't in a price range where I would be worried about taking it to meetings or losing it.

Brand new to the FPN forums after purchasing a Visconti Homo Sapiens bronze maxi with medium nib. I purchased it with a bottle of Pilot iroshizuku tsukushi ink. The biggest selling point (beyond its uniqueness) was that it seems to readily cling to my fingertips more than any other eon, and I found it easier to hold. I was surprised to find that it seemed to skip when starting a vertical downstroke, but wondered if it might be the paper (I was writing in a Moleskine).... I tried again on a sheet of regular notebook paper and the pen did not skip at all. I haven't yet tried it in a Graphic Image journal I bought. Anyway, I'm already thinking about then next one and was looking for something quality, but perhaps smaller, less expensive, and different from the HS. Right now, the Sailor 1911M looks the most interesting (possibly the larger 1911, but I thought the smaller 1911 would fit better in my briefcase's pen slots, as the HS stuck pretty far out). As the HS is my first, I have not yet tried any cartridge pens, and wondered if they might be preferred for air travel. Open to any input and suggestions.