Decided To Try Out Sailor

[Driften]

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.

[ManofKent]

I'' be interested to read your findings in comparison to the Pilots.

[jar]

Likely the first thing you will notice is the size. It will be considerable smaller than your 74, 91 or 92.

 

From Left: 742, 74, 1911L, 1911s, 912, 91, Pro Gear, Pro Gear Slim

http://www.fototime.com/EC47F74AE4DC550/medium800.jpg

Just the cigar shape:

http://www.fototime.com/43B511B369B98B5/medium800.jpg

[Driften]

From running the numbers, its going to be 10mm shorter in the barrel then the 92, but with the same diameter barrel and section. It's actually will be just slightly shorter then my Pelikan M215 but the barrel will be 2.54mm thicker then the Pelikan.

 

I compared the 1911 to the 92 not the 74 since I know in use the 74 being ~3mm longer then the 91/92 is not noticeable to me. The question for me will the 1911 being 5mm shorter in body then the Pelikan M215 be noticeable in a usability way. I expect the thicker body will make up for it. If I have to post it I can live with that. I normally don't post my pens.

 

I think the 1911L will be a nicer pen, but I don't have the money for that right now. If I like Sailor nibs maybe the next one will be the next size up. It was just hard to pass up getting the Sailor for $69 plus $12 shipping. I just got the tracking number today. I am really looking forward to getting it.

[escribo]

Looking at Sailors now.

 

May I ask what the ZOOM nib is?

[Driften]

  On 4/19/2017 at 5:52 PM, escribo said:

Looking at Sailors now.

 

May I ask what the ZOOM nib is?

 

 

The zoom nib changes the width of the line depending on the angle you hold the pen.

[escribo]

Interesting, thanks.

[Driften]

  On 4/19/2017 at 6:34 PM, escribo said:

Interesting, thanks.

 

 

This is what nibs.com has to say about it

The Zoom nib is something like a standard extra-broad tip, but that is where the comparison ends. The Zoom has a triangular-shaped writing surface with the point of the triangle at the tip. The angle at which the pen is held determines the line width, making this a versatile writing instrument in the hands of a practiced user. Held at a high angle, the point is a fairly dry medium-fine. At a low angle, it produces a wetter double-broad footprint. Flipped upside-down, the mark is good for marginalia, very dry and fine.

 

Hope that helps...

[escribo]

Yeah, it does, thanks. Doesn't sound like anything for me, as I never use a broad nib. Except the Pilot B or BB nibs, which are stubs.

[Driften]

  On 4/19/2017 at 9:38 PM, escribo said:

Yeah, it does, thanks. Doesn't sound like anything for me, as I never use a broad nib. Except the Pilot B or BB nibs, which are stubs.

 

 

I agree, I don't care for something that broad and it would take a lot of practice to keep shifting your angle to the paper to vary the line width. I expect for someone used to brush style work it would be great. Many of the high end sailor nibs are built around Japanese brush strokes. So if that is the need they cover things better then anybody else.

[Kevan]

Hmmm....you said "I decided to try Sailor" and you went through with actually buying one. I congratulate you. I've been saying that for going on 3 years now, and I always end up in another brand.

 

This latest time, I said "I'm finally going to get a Sailor, and I've finally decided it will be a 1911L with an FM nib. Definitely. Really."

 

....And I ended up in Platinum territory. "President? Izumo? Modern Maki-E? Hmmm.... Oh wait, I thought I told myself I was buying Sailor?"

[Driften]

  On 4/19/2017 at 11:09 PM, Kevan said:

Hmmm....you said "I decided to try Sailor" and you went through with actually buying one. I congratulate you. I've been saying that for going on 3 years now, and I always end up in another brand.

 

This latest time, I said "I'm finally going to get a Sailor, and I've finally decided it will be a 1911L with an FM nib. Definitely. Really."

 

....And I ended up in Platinum territory. "President? Izumo? Modern Maki-E? Hmmm.... Oh wait, I thought I told myself I was buying Sailor?"

 

I had thought about a Platinum 3776 Century but when in a close up picture I noticed the little ridge that runs around the nib end of the section I decided to get the 1911. I hold close to the end of the section and some bother my middle finger wrapped under it. The Sailor section looks more comfortable to me and when I saw a low auction price I bid on it. I ended up paying less for the Sailor then I would have for the 3776.

 

Platinum makes some nice pens and some do look comfortable to me like the Modern Maki-E. So I might try one of those later.

 

Good Luck!

Edited April 19, 2017 by Driften

[Kevan]

  On 4/19/2017 at 11:22 PM, Driften said:

 

I had thought about a Platinum 3776 Century but when in a close up picture I noticed the little ridge that runs around the nib end of the section I decided to get the 1911. I hold close to the end of the section and some bother my middle finger wrapped under it. The Sailor section looks more comfortable to me and when I saw a low auction price I bid on it. I ended up paying less for the Sailor then I would have for the 3776.

 

Platinum makes some nice pens and some do look comfortable to me like the Modern Maki-E. So I might try one of those later.

 

Good Luck!

 

Well the 3776 is a good pen. The nibs are surprisingly springy/bouncy, so they're a joy to write with, and a Platinum "M" is very much a Western Fine (moreso than Pilot). There's no line variation but the bounce of the nib is something that really surprised me the first time I used it, and the "pencil like" feel. You definitely feel the paper when you write, in a good way. I've heard people say that Sailor nibs are like this too.

 

It's a smallish pen, but posts well. The only real downsides to it I guess would be the plastic feels a bit cheap (but it comes in several materials other than plastic, so...) and the step-down from barrel to section is a little sharp. It doesn't present a problem to me with how I hold my pens, but I guess it would bother some. I did try to run my finger over that ridge close to the nib that you mentioned, and it doesn't bother me. I wish all pens had sections as long and comfy to hold as Aurora does, though.

 

Platinum 18k nibs are reported to be quite soft, approaching semi-flex territory, so that's what has me interested in the PTL-10000 and Modern Maki-E models.

 

In any case, I will get that Sailor one day. It's the one glaring hole in my pen stable.

[jar]

  On 4/20/2017 at 12:38 AM, Kevan said:

 

Platinum 18k nibs are reported to be quite soft, approaching semi-flex territory, so that's what has me interested in the PTL-10000 and Modern Maki-E models.

 

In any case, I will get that Sailor one day. It's the one glaring hole in my pen stable.

 

Some Platinum 18 K nibs are soft but definitely not even semi-flex regardless of what you have heard. The Modern nibs are slightly soft but the President nibs are stiff.

[atomic_doug]

  On 4/20/2017 at 12:38 AM, Kevan said:

 

...the 3776 is a good pen...It's a smallish pen, but posts well. The only real downsides to it I guess would be the plastic feels a bit cheap...Platinum 18k nibs are reported to be quite soft, approaching semi-flex territory...

In any case, I will get that Sailor one day. It's the one glaring hole in my pen stable.

 

I like the 3776 a lot. Great nibs, great feeds, very easy to tune. (There's a reason Nakaya uses them.)

The Soft-Fine and Soft-Medium nibs, in particular, are marvelous.

 

They're also quite consistent, in my experience. Extra-fine to broad, all 3776 nibs I've ever tried have worked the same. (which is to say, they've worked very, very well.)

 

The Sailor plastic does feel a little more substantial but the nibs, in my experience, have been finicky.

 

Sailor is probably the most YMMV nib out there, pen-to-pen, not even person to person. Of the dozen or so Sailors I've tried, two of them were utterly brilliant, the rest have been meh, annoying or un-useable. Funny enough, the very nibs I've liked, my wife has hated, while she loved some of the nibs I couldn't tolerate.

 

Once you find one, it's like it was made for you, personally.

 

The one Sailor I kept is a medium nib King of Pen that writes like a fine and is totally smooth with just a hint of drag and that sharp-Nr.3-pencil-feel.

[Pensei]

You got your pen for a good price, and I can't imagine that you won't like it. I love my Sailors.

[Driften]

  On 4/23/2017 at 5:34 AM, Pensei said:

You got your pen for a good price, and I can't imagine that you won't like it. I love my Sailors.

 

I should know soon. It made to from Japan to LA now it just needs to go up the coast to Washington. Normally that is 2-3 days.

[JunkyardSam]

Hello Driften!!!

 

I'm glad your purchase worked out! ("AsianTreasureHunt" on eBay is Engeika for anyone who doesn't know.)

 

Your new pen day will be exciting. Others have already described the pen for you - but I'll add my opinions. The pen feels small at first, but that's OK if you're expecting it. (I wasn't.) The cap posts very well, though, so it's quite a usable pen. I only have one Sailor (1911s EF) but I would say its nib is as good as a Pilot EF which is a compliment. My first purchase was plagued with the gold plating issues that have been posted here previously and I had to return it... so be sure to check your pen thoroughly before unsealing it. In my case the issue was rather severe discoloration on the cap band plating. The second one sent to me was good though.

 

The pen feels well made, with a construction quality similar to Pilot. It feels more like a Pilot Custom pen, overall, than a Platinum 3776 -- including the nib feel. Mine does, anyway.

 

I think all 3 Japanese brands are about the same level of manufacturing quality but some rank higher in some ways than others. Platinum wins the cap game with the slip & seal mechanism. Pilot is hit or miss on sealed caps -- mostly hit.... My Sailor 1911 -- you can blow right through it. My nib has never dried out though so it seems OK.

 

Pilot Custom & Heritage pens have a solid cap band bumps (or balls.) I love this. Platinum has a small hole. My 1911 is just folded over unfilled metal.

 

Platinum 3776 offers the largest nib for the price and they are generous with the gold. They are big, thick nibs... Pilot's nibs are the springiest of the three --- but sometimes Pilot punches holes out of the top part of a nib to save gold! Sailor 14k is just a little firmer than Pilot, but there's no cost cutting hole punched out in Sailor or Platinum nibs.

 

I've had 5 Platinum 3776 pens - UEF, EF, F, SF, B. I'm surprised anyone would call them springy. The SF is a little springy (but offers almost no line variation - just a nib that bounces with pressure.) Most of them are what I would consider very firm.

 

I've had problems with all 3 brands in terms of arriving with tines that were overly tight, causing restricted ink flow. It's easy to fix, but it makes it hard for me to recommend them to people without warning.

 

All 3 brands have seams in the grip section but Pilot and Sailor buff them out very well to where they are hardly noticed... The 3776, though, has pronounced seams that you feel under your finger.

 

I love all 3 brands:

 

Pilot wins in terms of offering the most value, and I appreciate that their pens can take the CON-70 for a solid 1ml of ink.

 

Sailor wins in terms of style. They're always doing new special editions and interesting colors. It's the priciest brand though, given that the entry pens 1911s/pro-gear slim are small.

 

Platinum wins for having a unique nib feel. My Platinum pens have a certain feedback that I don't get in the Sailor & my Pilots... Sometimes it's a little offputting at first, but once I get used to it -- my Sailor and Pilot pens feel a little tame in comparison.

 

I feel like Sailor has the most dedicated fans for some reason... but I'm a Pilot guy. I'm thinking of buying a 1911 large and a Pro Gear Standard just to have larger versions... but I do enjoy the size of the 1911. It's cute. Oddly it's only 1/8th of an inch shorter than a 3776 Century unposted and 1/4 inch shorter posted. So it's not THAT much smaller, and yet in my head -- it is. Strange.

 

I love Japanese pens. =)

 

I look forward to your review of your Sailor!!

Edited April 25, 2017 by JunkyardSam

[Driften]

The pen showed up today!! I am really happy so far with the pen. I was really starting to despair as to when it would show up. I actually got to the point that I ordered a Platinum 3776 for same day delivery from Amazon to fill the need for new pen day and 30min later the status updated saying the 1911 was out for delivery. I was able to cancel the Amazon order in time. I think I will still get the 3776, but I want to experience this one for a few weeks first.

 

Here are my first impressions. It's not too small. It balances nice posted and not for me. I love the H-MF nib. It is a harder nib then what my Pilots have, but it is smooth and just the right amount of wetness wetness for me. My Pilot 91/92 with the F and FM nibs are not as wet as the 1911S. My Pilot 72 with M nib is very wet. This is the proper in-between.

 

The pen was ready to go out of the box. The tines were aligned and flow just how I like it. It has a little feedback but is not at all scratchy even on junk paper. It also writes nice on Rhodia paper with a clean fine line. I normally keep track of book ideas and progress in a Rhodia 3.5"x5.75" bound dotpad notebook and it writes very fine for 5mm dots.

 

I have not used it very long, but I think I am going to be really happy with this pen.

 

Sorry for the finger prints.. the black really shows them off and I was in a hurry to get some pictures

 

http://driften.dragonsightsoftware.com/images/Sailor1911S-1.jpg

 

http://driften.dragonsightsoftware.com/images/Sailor1911S-2.jpg

 

http://driften.dragonsightsoftware.com/images/Sailor1911S-3.jpg

 

http://driften.dragonsightsoftware.com/images/Sailor1911S-4.jpg

 

Here is the pen lined up with a Pilot Custom 92 and a Pelikan M215. You can see the 1911 is only 3mm shorter then the M215 and 5mm shorter then the Pilot 92.

 

http://driften.dragonsightsoftware.com/images/Sailor1911S-Group1.jpg

 

http://driften.dragonsightsoftware.com/images/Sailor1911S-Group2.jpg

[mauckcg]

Three of my sailors all have MF nibs. Love them all and it's hard to not use them all the time. Enjoy yours!