Sailor Chalana- The Cutest Little Pen!

[thiagojp]

Sailor Chalana- the cutest little pen!

 

 

Hello folks, I got this tiny pen a while back, and as I couldn´t find many review of it I decided to make one.

 

So, bit of history first ( mine, not the pen´s ): The first time I saw one of these was at Fountain Pen Hospital, in NYC. I thought it was really cute, but such was the amount of pen porn around I barely gave it a second glance. Months later, I saw it online again and found myself gazing longingly at it. After a long period of indecisiveness, I ended up buying it from Nibs.com. Customs took their usual month+ to release it, and it was finally in my hands!!.

Packing:

Small cardboard box, with “Chalana” written on. Meh. But inside was a nice pen pouch, in what appears to be real leather! Nice… Also containing a booklet, and some minuscule cartdriges.

 

 

And the pen.

 

 

Appearance and design: 5/5

First thing I noticed! It´s TINY!! Then I looked at the nice barleycorn finish, the clip, and the engravings on the cap band : “Sailor Japan Founded 1911”. Very precise, lovely texture. Funny, reminds me a lot of a Sheaffer Targa I once saw with the same finish. So, I pop up the cap and THAT´S SUCH A CUTIE LITTLE NIB!!! Arram. Yep, the nib is minuscule, and soooo cute. But the proportions are quite interesting, actually. On the nib has some engravings… I think… wait, lemme get my loupe. Ah, it says “Sailor-18k-1-750” I suppose the one stands for the size of the nib, and the 750…damned if I know. Here´s the Chalana and a Pelikan M200. Look at the Pelikan nib, it looks like Godzilla besides the Chalana nib!!

 

 

Filling system: 4/5

The tiniest converter or the minuscule cartridge. Made especially for this pen. Don´t know how much ink they hold, but has gotta be less than 0,5 ml.

 

 

Nib: 5/5

I can´t really say how it feels out of the box because I had Mr Mottishaw adjust it for me for extra smoothnes, moderate flow. And that precisely what I got, nearly buttersmooth, a bit of feedback, great flow. The guy is a ninja. But not quite X-F, more like a Japanese F. The reverse side is a XXF, a bit scratchy but quite usable.

 

 

Writing experience: 3/5

Well, there´s the rub. Although the pen is really cute, and the nib is very smooth, it´s just too small and thin to write with. Feels like I am writing with a needle. It just disappears in my hand.

 

Closing comments: 17/20

The Sailor Chalana retails for 170-180 dollars, almost the same as a 1911. For that value you get a lovely, cute pen; that writes very well, but it´s not an everyday writer. I have the impression it was never meant for that, can´t help but think it derived from a drunken bet of the top brass of Sailor: “Ogey, Nagahara-san, if I drink this whooole pint of sake while standing on one leg, you´ll make the tiniest pen in history!!!”

 

 

Hope you enjoyed it!!

Please, any comments or critics are welcome!!

Best regards;

 

TJP

[lionheartlee]

an interesting review to say the least. The pen is very attractive, and if the price was in my pen budget I would consider putting it on my future purchase list. with that being said i feel that I would leave it at my desk to do choice writing with it.

[Algester]

well at least I'm glad they didnt reattempt to pull off a 23.9kt gold nib

[benbot517]

This is amazing. Looks very uncomfortable, but amazing. I've seen pens at the other end of the spectrum, like the Japanese jumbo pens, but I've never seen one so thin. Ya' learn something new every day!

[Ink Blotto]

The 750 should refer to the gold content, 75% or 18k.

 

Thanks for the nice review. The picture of the nib next to your finger was very educational.

 

IB

[FPIndian]

Have seen the pen here several times and thought it looked unusual but way to small for me. I like my pens big and chunky!

 

“Ogey, Nagahara-san, if I drink this whooole pint of sake while standing on one leg, you´ll make the tiniest pen in history!!!”

 

Haha! . That conjures up a nice picture

Edited May 18, 2015 by Stranger in town

[Blackandwhite]

A lovely pen. I wonder how it works at writing it, but this tiny little thing has "something" special and interesting.

[Anirban4u]

Finally an informative Chalana review. Thanks a bunch !

 

Can we have a picture of you writing with the pen ? (just the hand will do )

Edited June 24, 2015 by Anirban4u

[thiagojp]

Like this?? I can't even see the nib...

[thiagojp]

?? What?? Why is it upside down?? Damn iphone...

[Parjanya]

Good lord! a pen that can double as a dart : o ). Seems that there is so little grip that it might be difficult to control the pen...

[rwilsonedn]

Hmm ... If I could write mystery novels, a Chalana with an EF nib would make a completely unidentifiable weapon. No one would ever associate the wound with a pen. Except or course a medical examiner who owned a Chalana ...

ron

[J85909266]

It's a beautiful pen, but I have large man hands, and they almost cramped looking that that picture. lol

[thiagojp]

Hahahaaha, that's true, it does look like a dart or something. It would be pretty hard to murder someone with one of these, though, the wound would be minuscule. Actually my hands are quite large too, and I don't feel any cramps when writing with it, only it seems I am not holding anything...

[akustyk]

Hahahaaha, that's true, it does look like a dart or something. It would be pretty hard to murder someone with one of these, though, the wound would be minuscule. Actually my hands are quite large too, and I don't feel any cramps when writing with it, only it seems I am not holding anything...

 

Most vintage pens were very small compared to the giants of today. I quite enjoy small pens.

[gordonhooker]

Nice looking but I don't think I would buy it as it is to small for me....

 

It looks a little like a toothpick with a nib...

[nicollette]

I love antique silver dip pens. When I came across the Sailor Chalana I knew that it would probably be the perfect mix of slim dip pen style with the ease of the fountain pen. This is definitely on my list of "to get next".

 

How do you like the case? Its it too big for the pen or does it fit well? It seems almost big and bulky for the pen...

 

Thank you for your review!

[thiagojp]

The leather case is nice, a bit big for the pen, though. I haven't really used this pen much, since it's so tiny. Can't really recommend it as a user pen, more like an oddity.

[senzen]

Great review, interesting find... But it does look very uncomfortable; maybe they should sell a barrel that would go over it, and serve as a carrying case...

[Sabin]

Looks like a medical instrument...

I'll pass..