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The King is here! I planned to purchase my second grail in June but opportunity presented itself, so here he is. My KOP has an M nib which seems a bit thinner than the M of my Pilot Custom 823 (my 1st grail). It has the 'Sailor feedback' but does not compromise smoothness. My Pilot Custom 823 seems to be slightly smoother but I prefer having some feedback whilst still maintaining smoothness. The nib of the king is bouncier than my Sailor 1911S without feeling bouncy 😱. It can make a slight line thickness variation but not a flex level of course. Though this is a big pen, it feels more comfortable in my hand compared to my 823 and 1911S. I felt the same with my Jinhao 9019 and JD Metal Big Pen. I am so elated with this purchase. Cheers

Have the opportunity to get this pen SH... Nearly unused. I have some smaller sailors pro gear and other similar pens pilot VP, 74, 912 etc, lamy 2000 SS. I love the sailor nibs but the question is about Urushi Lacquer on this pen and how hardy it is regarding wear etc. Pens normally in case or inside book I'm using ... It's a big purchase so want to make sure and be warned of any issues. Thanks

To those who own a sailor k0p do you feel that the nib makes a louder pencil like sound while writing; compared to the sailor profit Large? Could it be my own nib or is it due to the larger nib size

This is sailor's 5-th release in less than a month! equipped with a black KOP nib . I wish they bring some exotic nibs to the KOP instead of colors! what are your thoughts ?

Hello everyone! I'm new to Fountain Pen Network, and what has drawn me here is the expertise of the members who frequent the forums here. I would like to participate more in the future, but I do have an immediate question of the community. Please tell me if I've included anything in this post that are against the rules. I recently acquired this Sailor 1911 King of Pen from England. The seller informed me that her father (its previous owner) died recently and that he was an avid pen collector. She is slowly selling the collection apparently because none of the family is that interested in the pens. The only thing she could tell me was that she thinks the body + cap are ebonite due to the smell, which she described as burning tires. My primary concern is to determine if the pen is real, and to know more about its history. I would appreciate any information you might have. I've asked around a little, and the best guess from a trusted source is that it could be a very early King of Pen model, possibly 2005. I've compared this pen to the other 5 Sailor pens I have (all very modern models). There are three things about the pen that cause me to question its authenticity: 1) The underside of the clip, the bump, is folded differently than the clips on my other Sailor pens. This could be because the pen is an older model. 2) The nib is missing the gold hallmark '875' below the '21K' that's present in every other Sailor nib I have 3) The body + cap material appears to be ebonite, but I'm unsure. I haven't been able to find any information on a 1911 KoP made of ebonite, just the large bespoke KoP that does not look like a 1911. Video showing the material characteristics: Sailor 1911 KoP w/ Sound Here are the pictures I've taken; I captured what I thought were all the relevant details. Please let me know if I should upload more of specific areas. Showing the cap engraving of 'KING' and 'SAILOR': Trying to show the material of the cap and barrel: Nib close-ups: misaligned tines (since corrected): Section assembly: Back of clip (notice the back of the bump):

Hi I am a new KOP demonstrator owner. I have just inked it up with the SAILOR Bird Nipponia Nippon Red ink ordered from Japan which arrived today. It writes excellently. However, what I see after inking it are some small blobs of ink between the clear plastic on the steel ring above the black grip on one side Is this normal? Should I go back to the seller? (see better photo after edit) Warm regards/gary

I own a Pelikan M1000 and am thinking of purchasing a Sailor King of Pen. Does anyone have experience with both these pens? Any preferences?

Today I was trying to swap converters between my 1911L EF and Zoom onto the King of Pen Lo and behold! It does not fit no matter how hard I push When I line up the openings of the converters, the KOP converter appears ever so slightly wider than the 1911L Has this happened to anyone before? I guess Sailor is trying have customers buy more KOPs!

Battle of the Big Reds http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5480/11931434345_5ea0b7cbff_b.jpg From top to bottom: Sailor King of Pen in Crimson Urushi, Namiki Emperor in Vermilion Urushi, Namiki Yukari Royale in Vermilion Urushi. They are resting on a Nakaya three-pen pillow in Kuro-Tamenuri Urushi. Introduction In his excellent comparative review of four black urushi pens, rhk had shared with us his opinion of the Namiki Yukari Royale versus the Sailor King of Pen. In yet another great review, rubyeyespenlover had waxed lyrical about the beauty of the Namiki Emperor. Yours truly has reviewed the Sailor King of Pen here. Other great reviews of the King of Pen and the Yukari Royale can be found on FPN as well. But since these three pens have never been considered together in a single review, I thought it would be fun to write this comparative review (as well as give myself an excuse to snap more pictures of these gorgeous pens). Some history behind these three pens, paraphrased from Fountain Pens of Japan by Andreas Lambrou and Masamichi Sunami (2012) - the reference text for fans of Japanese fountain pens:- The Namiki Emperor (also known as Pilot #50 FFK fountain pen or Pilot #50 Jumbo) was first introduced in the 1930s but later discontinued. When Pilot decided to reintroduce its Namiki #50 Jumbo model in 1985, it commissioned the famed Japanese pen craftsman Eisuke Sakai (also known as "Ban-Ei", meaning "Eisuke the sawman") to make a prototype with the balance, shape and size of its vintage jumbo pen, and the result was outstanding. A variation of this jumbo pen design exists ("vest-type #50 fountain pen") and was first introduced in 2005 in the form of the celebrated Dunhill-Namiki Sakura-Rose pen (and you can see pictures of it here and here and read a short discussion on FPN about the pen here). I was fortunate enough to handle another vest-type Dunhill-Namiki pen, the Turtle pen, and it is truly a magnificent work of art. Current Emperor models using the vest-type pen design include the Goldfish and the Crane, as well as Chinkin models and other limited edition pens. The Yukari Royale design derives from a Balance model first used for the principal pen series (out of four) made to commemorate Pilot's 80th anniversary in 1998. It was smaller than the Namiki Emperor but larger than the Yukari, and you can see a review of the original Pilot 80th anniversary pen by RLD here. Perusing old Pilot catalogues from the 1930s gives the impression that the Yukari Royale design ultimately derives from vintage balanced-form maki-e pens that Pilot used to produce. The Sailor King of Pen [sic] (often abbreviated as KOP) has the shortest history of these three pens, having only been introduced in 2003. It was Sailor's first truly oversized pen targeted at the export market. In the first year, the KOP was made of lacquered black hard rubber with gold trimming and wide cap lip band a la Montblanc 149. In subsequent years, the pen was produced in PMMA resin, as well as a variety of materials and finishes including mosaic acrylic, plain and mottled wood grain ebonite, as well as urushi-lacquered ebonite and maki-e models. A rare piston-filler version of the KOP ("Realo") was produced to commemorate Sailor's 95th anniversary, and you can read Rokurinpapa's review of the KOP Realo here. Notable is the lack of trim on all KOP models (when capped) except for the PMMA versions. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7363/11931711953_5d75962d4a_b.jpg The pens uncapped. Pen construction, urushi finish and ownership experience Namiki Emperor The Namiki Emperor is huge by any standard. It dwarves all other pens placed next to it, except maybe the Danitrio Yokuzuna, Genkai or Mikado models. Capped, this pen is about 46 g and 30 g uncapped (all measurements taken with the pen uninked). Dimensions of this pen: 173 mm capped, with a barrel diameter of 17 mm and cap diameter of 20 mm. Section diameter is about 14 mm. Despite its enormous size, it is comparatively light and well-balanced because of its all-ebonite body. Personally I find it quite comfortable to use, although at times I feel that I am painting rather than writing words on paper with this pen. Because very few pen cases can accommodate this size of fountain pen, I bought a custom pen case from Maison Takuya for this pen. In case you were wondering about a pen chest with slots wide enough to fit this pen, I have found that the 24-pen chest from Vox Luxury works. Quality of construction on this pen is very high - it looks machine-made. The urushi lacquer is flawless and very durable. I have had no problems with the lacquer finish throughout these five years of ownership. Its enormous size does not lend itself to portability, and hence this pen remains as a desk pen to be used at home. As may not be apparent from my photos, this pen is an eyedropper, specifically a Japanese eyedropper. Ron Dutcher wrote an authoritative article about Japanese eyedropper pens a while ago. Briefly, a Japanese eyedropper includes a plunger rod linked to a blind cap at the end of the barrel, and the whole point of the plunger is to plug the section so that no ink can leak out of the barrel once the blind cap is screwed all the way in. To use the pen, one simply unscrews the blind cap a couple of turns (roughly 1/4") to allow ink from the barrel to flow through the section to the nib. The Pilot Custom 823 pen also uses this plunger system to seal the pen against leaks, except that it's a plunger-filler rather than an eyedropper. The eyedropper system works well in use, but requires periodic maintenance. Vintage Japanese eyedroppers usually have stiff plunger rods as well as leaky seals at the barrel end that require repair. In fact, the blind cap on my own Emperor actually came off the plunger rod while I was washing it out one day, necessitating two lengthy trips to Pilot USA to get the pen repaired. Ink capacity of the pen is ginormous - I routinely fill it with 4 to 5 ml of my favourite ink blend (~1:1 ratio of Iroshizuku Kon-Peki to Yama-Budo). Needless to say, I have never run out of ink during a writing session. As far as I know, the Emperor nib (size #50) has been produced in three variations. From kmpn's blog, the oldest is the 14K version with text, followed by an 18K version with text (also pictured below). The current variation is the "Mount Fuji" nib, similar to but larger than the one in the Yukari Royale pictured below. On maki-e Emperor pens, the "Mount Fuji" motif is rhodium-plated to give the nib a two-tone finish. Currently, three nib sizes are offered, FM, M and B. My Emperor pen first came to me with a "Mount Fuji" nib in medium size. This nib never wrote well (skipping and hard-starting), however, so early last year I sent it to Pilot USA for a nib exchange to broad size. The pen came back with an 18K text version nib, which to me is the most desirable version of the Emperor nib. This broad nib writes well and is a little springy. Namiki Yukari Royale I own two versions of this pen, one in Black urushi and the other in Vermilion urushi. Also see my review where I compared the Yukari Royale to the Pilot Custom 845 for detailed photos and impressions of the Yukari Royale. When completely filled, this pen weighs 46 g capped/29 g uncapped. Dimensions of the pen are 150 mm capped/ 134 mm uncapped/ 179 mm posted, with a cap diameter of about 15 mm and a barrel diameter of approximately 14 mm. This pen is made of brass and has very good balance in the hand. Most people would probably find it a comfortable pen to use. As would be expected from Namiki, the urushi lacquer is shiny and perfect. The pen uses the CON-70 converter which has a capacity of about 1.9 ml - sufficient for most people. Regular Pilot ink tends to stain the urushi section but can be cleaned off with some rubbing. Iroshizuku ink, on the other hand, does not cause any staining. The Yukari Royale uses the Namiki #20 size nib. My Black urushi version of this pen is perfect with its medium nib. This nib is extremely wet, springy and responsive, and is my favourite pen out of my thirty-odd pen collection. In fact, I liked this pen so much that I decided to get another Yukari Royale in Vermilion urushi with a broad nib last year. In comparison to the medium nib, I find that the broad nib is rigid and not as responsive. My Vermilion Yukari Royale came with several problems as well. First, it wrote very dryly with Pilot Iroshizuku but did much better with regular Pilot ink. In addition, the pen tended to stop writing in the middle of sentences, sometimes even stopping just after being uncapped. These interruptions in ink flow were rare, but extremely frustrating when they occurred. A hard-starting issue has lessened after I had the nib professionally adjusted. Finally, one of the starts for the internal (female) thread inside the cap does not engage perfectly with the external (male) thread on the barrel, causing occasional thread seizure when I try to cap the pen. Over time this might cause premature wear of the urushi on the threads. For the price and pedigree of this pen, I feel that these problems are unacceptable. Currently, I am in contact with Pilot to try to get my pen replaced with a fine-nibbed version. Sailor King of Pen This pen has an ebonite base covered with twelve layers of the most exquisite crimson urushi lacquer. Hard-rubber KOPs are hand-lathed and then polished, or sent to Ms. Kato Seishou, a famous maki-e artist in Japan, for hand-application of urushi lacquer. Nine different colours of urushi lacquer are offered on the KOP: black, ivory, crimson red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple and lilac. Maki-e models are occasionally offered as well. A non-exhaustive listing of KOP models can be seen here. The urushi finish and unusual shape of this pen were the two main reasons why I purchased this pen in the first place. In fact, the shape of this pen has inspired homages, most notably the Herald and Herald Grande models from the Edison Pen Company. The KOP is large but very comfortable in the hand. It is 153 mm capped/ 134 mm uncapped and has a cap diameter of 17 mm and a section diameter of 12 mm. My pen weighs 35 g capped and 22 g uncapped. Unlike the ebonite barrel and cap, the pen section is made of urushi-lacquered PMMA resin with a enormous brass converter/cartridge holder, which helps direct the pen weight toward the nib. Hence I find that this pen is more comfortable to use than, say, the Montblanc 149 and Pelikan M800 pens which are weighted more towards the end of the pen barrel. As can be seen from the pictures below, the nib on this pen is big and beautiful. My pen originally came with a medium nib, which wrote lusciously with Aurora Black after being adjusted. Last year I managed to get the medium nib exchanged to a Crosspoint nib, one of the specialty Nagahara nibs that Sailor is known for. Most people here probably know how these Nagahara nibs work: the line they put down gets broader the more acute the angle is against paper. The versatility of the Crosspoint nib in making different line widths has made this one of the best writing pens in my collection. I have occasionally toyed with the idea of getting another KOP in Black urushi, but my experience above with the Yukari Royale suggests that perfection might be hard to beat. For my detailed review and more photos of the KOP, go here. Some thoughts and concluding remarks All three pens reviewed here are definitely "grail" pens for most people. I have owned these pens long enough (four to five years) so that any post-purchase rationalization has long been overcome, hence this comparative review tends to be more logical rather than emotional. In terms of practicality, I find that the Yukari Royale and KOP pens are always inked and in my pen holder. The Emperor, however, has not been inked for a while and will likely remain that way for the near future. The final verdict? Expensive pens are not always better, but do offer one a greater chance of obtaining the ultimate writing experience. My Yukari Royale in Black urushi will remain my favourite pen until the next "grail" comes along. Hakase, anyone??? Anyway, I hope you had fun reading this review! http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2861/11932284706_41976b55b3_b.jpg The nibs exposed. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7352/11931712733_b9990d28d1_b.jpg Side-profiles of the nibs. http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3727/11931887804_28f55fdbbb_b.jpg Comparison of the feeds and nib tippings. I believe the Emperor's feed is made of urushi-lacquered ebonite while the Yukari Royale's and KOP's feeds are made of plastic.

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?

Sailor King of Pen in Crimson Urushi http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2835/9594362537_0c4578f4c5_b.jpg Sailor King of Pen resting on a Nakaya three-pen pillow in Kuro-Tamenuri. Lacquered tamenuri ink bottle rest is from Nagasawa Pen Style Den in Kobe, Japan. Writing pad is from Midori. Having owned this particular pen for four years already, I thought it was high time that I reviewed it. Since many great reviews of the Sailor KOP have already been written, I'll just focus on the aspects of this pen that make it special for me. Introduction Back in 2009, like many fellow FPN-ers I was swept up by the great Nakaya wave, especially after the inaugural Nakaya fountain pen clinic in the Aesthetic Bay shop of Singapore. I bought way too many tamenuri-lacquered Nakaya pens and became enamoured of urushi in general. Then I saw the Sailor KOP in Aesthetic Bay. It was love at first sight - the size, shape and balance of the pen was just perfect. And the crimson urushi was simply sumptuous...! But the price was quite untenable. After dreaming of the pen for a few weeks, I managed to purchase the pen off Tay's Pensinasia.com website for a much better price. My pen originally came with a medium nib. It did not write well out of the box (skipping, hard-starting etc.), so I sent it to John Mottishaw for adjustment. He did his usual nib wizardry and it came back writing much better. Now I could enjoy the pen! Writing Experience (Medium nib) After testing a few inks in this pen, I quickly found Aurora Black to be my favourite ink with the medium nib. With this ink, I would describe the writing experience as being bouncy and forgiving, similar to riding in a Mercedes-Benz rather than in a sports car with very rigid suspension. On certain types of paper (Kokuyo, Rhodia, Clairefontaine), the nib is close to glassy-smooth for me. Although the pen is large by any standard, it is so well-proportioned that it never feels uncomfortable to hold, even for extended writing sessions. The ink capacity provided by the Sailor converter is adequate for my usage. Writing Experience (Crosspoint nib) The medium nib provided a great writing experience, but after a few years I became slightly bored with the predictability of its performance and the fixed width of the line it put down. I thought about selling the pen, but then I had a brain wave! I contacted nibs.com and for a small fee and the cost of the nib John Mottishaw agreed to exchange my medium nib to a Crosspoint nib. Now I had the best of both worlds - the flagship of the Sailor pens, together with one of their legendary nibs! It took a while for me to get used to writing with this nib, but after the learning curve I fell in love with this pen again. Most people here probably know how the special Nagahara nibs work: the line they put down gets broader the more acute the angle is against the paper. At my normal writing angle, the nib writes a medium-to-broad line, just right for my needs. Should I need to highlight something or use my pen like a Sharpie marker, I just write with the nib at a lower angle. Flipping the nib upside-down yields an extra-fine line, perfect for marginalia in scientific papers or very fine corrections in the manuscripts I edit occasionally. After a while, positioning the nib to get a desired line width becomes second nature, much like shifting gears on a bicycle to get to the sweet spot between pedal cadence and effort. I have tested a few inks in this pen and now I prefer to use Sailor Blue-Black with the Crosspoint nib. Performance is no longer glassy-smooth with this ink but I actually prefer having more control over the nib on paper. Crimson urushi finish and pen construction The main reason why I bought this pen was because of the exquisite crimson urushi finish. Having owned several other lacquered/maki-e pens (Nakaya, Namiki, Danitrio, S.T. Dupont), I can confidently say that the urushi lacquer on this pen is of top-notch quality. The fact that Kato Seishou, a famous maki-e artist in Japan, hand-lacquers each pen with twelve layers of urushi lacquer probably adds to the quality of the finish as well. To be slightly more provocative, subjectively I feel that the Sailor urushi finish is slightly superior to that used for Namiki pens. I am by no means an expert on urushi lacquering, but I would describe the urushi finish on this pen as being thicker and more grippy, which gives it a very pleasant feeling in the hand. After four years of ownership the lacquer finish remains as flawless and perfect as the day I bought it, a testimony to the durability of urushi. Moving beyond the finish, overall construction of the pen is beyond reproach. The base material of the pen is ebonite, and the lathe work is excellent. Everything fits together perfectly. One thing I really appreciate about this pen is the inner sleeve within the pen cap. This inner sleeve rotates together with the nib section as the pen is capped in order to ensure an air-tight seal, minimising ink evaporation from the nib. Conclusions Since I bought this pen, it has remained inked and travels with me wherever I go in the world. The fact that I still own it after four years probably means that it will stay in my collection for a long time - much like a treasured companion which I can depend on everyday. It will be interesting to review this pen again after another few years to see how much of the above remains the same. Anyway, I hope you have enjoyed reading this review! http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3777/9597307152_fb05fcd0ff_b.jpg Unveiling the exquisite Crosspoint nib, contrasted against the beautiful depth of the crimson urushi lacquer finish. http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3669/9594516099_93e6544f36_b.jpg Closeup of the Crosspoint nib. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7454/9597307370_1c53fe3ec3_b.jpg Side profile of the Crosspoint nib. http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3735/9597154920_65b6ef42b2_b.jpg Upside-down view of the Crosspoint nib. Note the "hammered" indentations and rough finishing on the reverse side of the nib. I have speculated on the existence of these indentations and think that it might be to promote ink flow to the tip. Any thoughts? http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7388/9594362445_37fc23f2f2_b.jpg Superlative finish of the Crosspoint nib. I love the cross slit! http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2865/9594516197_8a48a6f142_b.jpg The obligatory writing sample from the Crosspoint nib. Ink is Sailor Blue-Black, paper is Kokuyo Campus. From left to right, the Chinese characters on the bottom read: extra-fine, medium, broad, extra-broad. http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3750/9619554104_43e6bd1a92_b.jpg The Sailor KOP in Crimson Urushi juxtaposed with the Namiki Yukari Royale in Black Urushi.

Hi All, I would like to share some of the things that I have created with my 3d printer specifically for my fountain pens. Here is a picture of some of the iterations of the things that I made. I will talk about them in more detail below. 1) The interlocking parts at the top are cross sections of a pen tray system that I designed. The idea is that you can print as many of them as you like and they will just sit one next to the other. The clip at the top of the ark is used to hold down a suede like fabric that is gentle on the pens. I did a few iterations until I arrived at something I liked... but decided that the trays were taking too long to print so gave it up. 2) The feeds at the bottom are my attempt at a zebra-g nib feed that pools the ink so that it does not get dry as I flex the nib. I did a few iterations of that too... the first 2 tries did not work so well, but I am really looking forward to testing the third one at some point. A pen with this kind of nib is not going to leave home (in my mind) so having a lot of pooling ink like this is not a huge deal. 3) The wrench-ish thing in the middle is a piston wrench for the 149... the piston on mine was very rough... so I did some handleless prints of the jaws and when it all fit... I print one with the handle... I used it to disassemble the pen and it is now greased and working so well 4) I wanted my KoP to hold more ink so I decided to create an eye dropper vessel (aka a cartridge) that would hold the maximum capacity that would fit in the barrel, so I measured the converter out and modelled it. After a couple of iterations and test fits, it turns out that the result was not water/ink proof. The solution was: cover it in super glue... wait for the glue to dry then sand off the excess... it works quite well and holds approximately 1.2ml of ink. And finally 5) This is the hex wrench for omas caps that use a hex screw to hold the inside of the cap and the clip to the cap... I have already posted the details of that one here https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/321667-omas-milord-loose-clip/ Hope this helps/amuses someone

Introduction During the early phases of my renewed fascination for all things fountain pens there was one model that reigned supreme amongst my list for grail pens and that was the Sailor King of Pens. Everything about it seemed to be just about perfect – the torpedo shape, the ebonite material and the large sized fabulous Sailor nibs. It was just a matter of time before I got one for myself. Two sailor pens and their less than perfect nibs later, my enthusiasm for the KOP started to wane a bit. I had realized that the tip shape and design of the stock sailor nibs (Naginata Togi or Nagahara special nibs excepted) was something that just didn’t suit my grip. The relatively small sweet spot meant that I quickly ended up in the scratchy zone and calling it feedback wasn’t about to change my opinion. I had also realised that the KOP actually wasn’t a full ebonite what with its plastic feed, plastic section and the section-barrel joint made of metal. When fellow FPNer Sudhir allowed me to write with his stock Broad nibbed Sailor KOP, I seized the opportunity to assess my purchase decision. I decided that while I may still go for a special nib KOP later, right now I would not enjoy a KOP with any stock nib. While that decision was made, I was not about to give up so easily on getting my grail pen even if that meant getting one made to my specs and sourcing everything myself. With unwavering focus, I started procuring everything to get the pen of my dreams – I scoured for the best possible ebonite material available for pen-making and zeroed down on some vintage Italian mottled reddish-brown ebonite from a source in the Europe. For some time I toyed with the idea of going with SEM Cumberland or Eboya, but this one just seemed better.I decided to go with a Jowo #8 nib in western medium with a hand cut ebonite feed from WIN. Rather than going for the stock motifs, I decided to source an absolute plain one so that I can have my own design engraved on it.I wanted a roller clip like on my Omas or Delta rather than the stock KOP clip design. Luckily my pen-maker arranged for gold plated roller clips.In order to make the pen I approached Mr. Manoj Deshmukh of Fosforpens. He had made a few pens for me before and was willing to take up the challenge. I decided to call the pen Rajendran which means King in Sanskrit as a homage to original KOP which inspired it. Design The KOP design is a classic and all of you are well aware of it. So instead of wasting any time typing about it, I will let the pictures do the talking. http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g346/prithwijitchakiPrithwijit/Fountain%20Pen%20Reviews/Fosfor%20Rajendran%20Review/IMGP2148_zpsv4kcczjn.jpg http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g346/prithwijitchakiPrithwijit/Fountain%20Pen%20Reviews/Fosfor%20Rajendran%20Review/IMGP2142_zpsem9s8tav.jpg Size and Balance At 155mm capped, the KOP/Rajendran is the leader of the oversized pens club. But the ebonite build and absence of metal anywhere other than in the nib and the clip means that the pen is delightfully light. It is nicely balanced and is very comfortable to write for extended periods. Writing with the pen makes you completely forget it’s considerable length and the customized section design adds considerably to the comfort quotient. I don’t write with the cap posted, but it can be done if so desired. But posting such a large pen does result in a slight rearward weight bias. Nib I had looked around for a nib that would be similar in size and stature to the large Sailor nibs used in KOP and finally decided on a #8 sized Jowo nib made of 18K gold material with medium tip. The complete nib unit is sold by WIN through their distributors (Fpnibs and Asapens) and comes with a nicely finned ebonite feed. Unlike most nibs which comes with pre-embossed or engraved motifs, I actively scouted around for a nib that would be absolutely plain with no design. This allowed me to engrave on the nib a small monogram of my own. The design is one that I made myself and it is essentially my initials enclosed inside a tiny shield akin to the coat of arms of yore. http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g346/prithwijitchakiPrithwijit/Fountain%20Pen%20Reviews/Fosfor%20Rajendran%20Review/PC20Logo200120JPG_zpsbayvjecq.jpg Image: Monogram design – Initials enclosed inside a shield Manoj doesn’t do engraving himself, but he actually looked around for people who do so and was able to replicate my exact design on the nib. Needless to say, I am elated that my dream has finally been realized and the gamble (of a plain nib) has paid off. http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g346/prithwijitchakiPrithwijit/Fountain%20Pen%20Reviews/Fosfor%20Rajendran%20Review/IMGP2138_zpse1q5xpao.jpg Image: Monogram design successfully replicated on the nib – the ultimate customization Filling Mechanism I love cartridge converter pens and that is one of the reasons I like the original KOP as well. The Rajendran beats the stock KOP in this regard by using the standard international system for cartridges and compatible convertors rather than proprietary ones. I like this system better than the original because of the wide compatibility, system life longevity, value and convenience. The ebonite feed of this pen is paired with a Schmidt K5 converter to use bottled inks and it can also accept cartridges from a host of brands. http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g346/prithwijitchakiPrithwijit/Fountain%20Pen%20Reviews/Fosfor%20Rajendran%20Review/IMGP2147_zpsiv2mfcoa.jpg Build Quality Manoj has built a reputation for himself as a craftsman with unparalleled focus on quality. He has demonstrated that in all my pens, but has somehow managed to simply surpass all his previous endeavours with this pen. The shape, the fit, the threading, buffing/polishing and the finish are impeccable for a handmade pen. The allowance to tolerances have been kept to a bare minimum and it is obvious that the pen has been made with considerable care to ensure a very high quality product. http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g346/prithwijitchakiPrithwijit/Fountain%20Pen%20Reviews/Fosfor%20Rajendran%20Review/IMGP2145_zpsdnklgzno.jpg Writing Experience This where the rubber hits the road. I have always been very happy with Jowo nibs and quite naturally the expectations from this nib was pretty high. I am happy to say that the nib has met its potential and then some. This is a tad wider than #6 Jowo medium nibs but still can comfortably be considered a medium nib. It is smooth, wet and lays down a nice wet line without any skips or false starts. The pen is a superb writer and a better performer than the stock Sailor nibs as far as my grip is concerned. I have been using this pen with Waterman serenity blue for about six weeks now and six fills later, I can safely recommend it to anyone who might be interested. The ebonite feed in this pen was a revelation. There is something about good ebonite feeds that just adds magic to your pens. This feed is very much like those of OMAS and is super wet without being a gusher. The extra lubrication afforded by it makes the writing experience that much more enjoyable. I particularly like the sheen that ebonite feeds seem to exhibit as ink droplets percolate into the fins. The only drawback is that the feed isn’t flight safe like the plastic Jowo feeds and there is some leakage on high altitude flights. Price and Value The Fosfor Rajendran is not a cheap pen. No expenses were spared in procuring the best material, the best nib and the best workmanship and all of this adds to the pens price. I could have bought a few very nice and expensive branded pens for the price I paid for it. But none of them would have been able to offer me the satisfaction and the value that this pens offers. So it is only fair that I make a clear distinction between the value proposition of the pen as made by Fosfor versus the cost of materials that I have procured myself. As a standalone pen shaped like the classic KOP, it is incredibly VFM. I am aware of no other pen maker in India who offers this level of quality and individualization at this price point other than Manoj and Mr. L Subramaniam of ASA Pens. In this particular case, Manoj was simply outstanding in hearing me out, understanding my needs and wishes and what is likely to give me the sense of satisfaction and pleasure. He even went out of his way to procure taps and dies for my special nib. That must have cost him more than what I paid him for4 this pen. Such service and customer orientation remains imprinted in your mind long after the cost is forgotten. Specifications The measurements in this section have not been taken with any precision instrument or laboratory techniques but should suffice to give you a fair idea of the size of the instrument. Length (capped) – 152.5 mm Length (uncapped) – 131 mm Length (cap) – 73.5 mm Length (section) – 20 mm Maximum width – 17.5 mm Maximum section width – 13.7 mm Minimum section width – 12 mm Conclusion Not everyone can understand why I paid substantial amounts on getting a KOP made to my specs rather than getting a stock one. I guess to me the importance of the attributes of the pen far exceeded any brand name it carried. As I look back as to what I have gained over a stock pen by going the custom route, I can safely tabulate quite a few pros - True vintage Italian reddish-brown mottled ebonite rather than stock black or expensive Urushi coated models.A wonderfully wet and nicely finned ebonite feed rather than a plastic one (this may not very important in the overall scheme of things, but would certainly be useful if I ever have to do any heat setting).Complete ebonite body with no plastic or metal parts. This means the pen is very lightweight and supremely balanced despite being oversized.A section that has been designed and sculptured based on my preferences.A nice oversized and dependable (to me) western nib.The “PC Shield” that would not be possible in a normal nib.A nice and smooth roller clip.International standard cartridges and converters instead of proprietary ones.To summarize, I have certainly been able to fulfill my objectives with this pen. It is nice oversized but comfortable and well balanced torpedo shaped pen. The writing is super smooth thanks to the beautiful Jowo nib paired with the wonderful ebonite feed. The roller clip is a wonderful thing to have and Fosfor quality and finishing comes through. This is certainly the right pen for me. Whether it will be the pen for you will depend on what you value in a pen. If you would love a Sailor KOP as a brand then you should certainly go for that instead of this. But of you value your personalization and writing comfort (in such cases where it is applicable), then you can certainly evaluate this option. Useful Links Very good Woodgrain ebonite blanks can be sourced from www.theturnersworkshop.co.uk German nibs of your choice can be sourced from www.beaufortink.co.uk or www.asapens.in Pen made by www.fosforpens.com

I want to buy an 823 but I also want to buy a Nakaya or a KOP. For the Nakaya I would go with the Orange one. (From Nakaya website) Arai-Shu And for the KOP it would have to be the ebonite (no urushi because it is $1,500 more!) From Sailor website. The good thing about the KOP is that the nib is bigger and it can be a Naginta togi NMF. If I go the 823 route the others pens would have to wait for a year or two. So flashy/nice/stong color vs a good good nib, classical look pen. Don´t know where too ask, you friends of FPN could enlight me with your opinions. I had an XF Nakaya nib with the Mottishaw spencerian (needlepoint flex), but I want the new pen to be an everyday writing, note taking (any paper). So I would go with the M on the Nakaya and a MF on the Sailor. I want a super smooth nib, I have read the Naginta Togi could be very smooth but maybe the MF is too broad. Thanks. Lince

Just need some advice. I'm looking to add a KOP ebonite some time in the next month or so. I normally prefer broader nibs, and I have a Realo with a broad nib ground to CI. This nib, writes more like a medium as I expected. Now with the KOP, does the broad write broader than the 911 Realo or is it just as wide? What would you recommend as the best base to have ground to a broad CI; the equivalent of a European broad, a standard broad or a Naginata Togi B nib?