A Little Surprise From A Sailor Profit Jr. Demonstrator

[Eric2018]

Intend to get the M805 Stresemann, yet after considering the idea from buddies here, I choose to wait for the M1005 Stresemann. Facing my wallet to the Sailor Pro Gear, I got this Profit Junior demonstrator together with the PG.

Package - Neat and tidy

Plastic box, 2 cartridges, user manual.

And the converter is bought separately.

Outlook - clean, minimalism

Small cigar type, as usual Japanese pen, decent production. From box to the pen, no complaint. Minimalism. And no matter what, the transparent feed and section is attractive. I suggest using light colorful ink as the feed and section will demonstrate the color nicely. After difficult situation on choosing inks, I give the Monteverde Turquoise a try, I love this aqua-style blue. And also I like the chrome details in a clear demonstrator.

Center band reading: SAILOR - MADE IN JAPAN

Together with the CH92

Writing - no skip, no variation, stiff nib, fine lines, good for speed writing.

Treat it as a European EF. The MF is medium to fine in Japanese standard. (Seems only MF is available) For the ink I chosen, the feeling is not super smooth (but surely not scratchy) on normal paper, it provides good feedback. When writing on Maruman or Clairefontaine, the feeling is much better, neat, tidy and even faster. The nib is on the stiff side and not wet, but could keep up with speed writing, no skipping problem (not even dashing extreme fast lines, and that really surprises me), so it is a good instrument for general note taking or for huge volume writing. I try to press the nib for some line variations, uum… nope, I feel scratchy when pressing hard, so don’t expect any. The overall weight for unposted is a bit light and short, but the balance and feeling is comfortable when posted (I have a relatively big hand).

Price - lovely

This demonstrator is about USD 15 together with the converter (bought separately). I think it would be difficult to beat for pens in this price range.

I order Japanese pens from Japan directly, always. Two reasons: lower price, and better quality (The quality of Japanese made products sold in Japan domestic market is traditionally better than those shipped out to foreign countries, I don’t know if it is true to FP or not, anyway, a peace in mind)

Cons - no nib options

Really hard to find two I may say for a demonstrator with these qualities and price tag.

And it’s the nib option. That’d be wonderful if other nib options, like stub, soft medium, or Italic, are available….

Overall - Simply I like it. Very good for carrying around in the office for meeting, etc... ^_^

Thanks!

[senzen]

Great review, the photos are particularly nice; I've been interested in this model but wasn't sure about the quality; they've also been coming out in new colours. On ebay they started cheap but steadily rose in price, who did you buy it from?

[Eric2018]

Tks pseudo88.

 

I directly ordered from Japan. Rakuten.

The name of the shop is “you STYLE”

[sciumbasci]

A personal favourite, and a very underrated pen, along with the High Ace Neo.

 

The price increase might be due to the fact that lately Sailor has come up with a limited edition of the Jr, same colour scheme as the STORiA inks.

I have always seen it at 20EUR shipped from Japan. And the professor.

 

It is worth to eyedropper it, for it holds a lot of ink!

Edited October 2, 2018 by sciumbasci

[senzen]

Tks pseudo88.

 

I directly ordered from Japan. Rakuten.

The name of the shop is “you STYLE”

 

Thanks!

[minddance]

Very nice review, thank you.

 

You are spot on about the nib: Sailor nibs are not super smooth and this extends to the 21k range. Anyone reporting Sailor nibs as super smooth or the smoothest nib must be lying.

[senzen]

Very nice review, thank you.

 

You are spot on about the nib: Sailor nibs are not super smooth and this extends to the 21k range. Anyone reporting Sailor nibs as super smooth or the smoothest nib must be lying.

 

That's a little strong? I have an H-M Pro Gear and it is super smooth: it feels like it's floating on a micro cushion of ink. Easily on par or better than my Pelikan m600. Some have mentioned that the sweet spot needs to be found, although that hasn't been an issue for me either. I did press a little on the tines and flow improved.

[A Smug Dill]

Anyone reporting Sailor nibs as super smooth or the smoothest nib must be lying.

 

 

It depends on whether one defines 'super smooth' as being almost completely devoid of feedback.

 

You keep going on and on and on about (contemporary) Sailor and Platinum nibs being scratchy and unrefined, and I don't presume to invalidate your personal experience with such. Not only do I have my personal experience with such on which to base my opinion, but also looking at so many others reporting their satisfaction with how such nibs perform for them, I wouldn't call you lying but just in the minority and possibly very unlucky. On the other hand, if you somehow believe your view is representative of fountain pen users who have tried Sailor and Platinum nibs of late, then I must say you're also misinformed.

[ENewton]

I don't think it would occur to most people to lie about their experiences with pens.

 

If someone reports a different experience from mine, I remind myself that nibs can differ from one to the next, even within a brand, and that how one writes, for example with a heavier hand or a lighter one, affects the writing experience.

 

I would not characterize either of my Sailors as super smooth, although my broad is wet enough (at least with Shigure) that I don't feel feedback on some papers.

[minddance]

 

 

It depends on whether one defines 'super smooth' as being almost completely devoid of feedback.

 

You keep going on and on and on about (contemporary) Sailor and Platinum nibs being scratchy and unrefined, and I don't presume to invalidate your personal experience with such. Not only do I have my personal experience with such on which to base my opinion, but also looking at so many others reporting their satisfaction with how such nibs perform for them, I wouldn't call you lying but just in the minority and possibly very unlucky. On the other hand, if you somehow believe your view is representative of fountain pen users who have tried Sailor and Platinum nibs of late, then I must say you're also misinformed.

Then it must be poor quality control.

 

Platinums are not smooth, they are rough.

 

Sailor Medium and Broad are rough when the pen is rolled, which is quite inevitable for some people. The sweet spot belly is fenced up by a very unique nib grind which is rather angular, not rounded.

 

Satisfaction is one thing. One can be satisfied with a toothy nib, or an extremely rough nib, for feedback and control.

 

But the nib grind is objective.

[A Smug Dill]

Then it must be poor quality control.

One cannot speak to the effectiveness of a manufacturer's Quality Control processes when one isn't privy to its product specifications (including the nominal mean values for particular metrics, and the corresponding specification limits, in Statistical Process Control terms) and engineering tolerances. I personally am not privy to such. Are you?

 

Unilaterally formed user/customer expectations are not a valid basis for assessing QC. Nor is the presumption that there is no discernible variation in a given objective metrics between different units of a product.

 

Platinums are not smooth, they are rough.

Not rough in my view or my first-hand experience, and you can see from the clip I prepared and posted specifically in reply to you in another thread that I have a few of those nibs and some experience with them.

 

Satisfaction is one thing. One can be satisfied with a toothy nib, or an extremely rough nib, for feedback and control.

 

But the nib grind is objective.

Metrics are objective. Descriptions such as "super smooth" or "rough" aren't, and especially when people are talking about their writing experience with the nibs, not the friction coefficient on a particular plain as determined during nib testing, or measured variances from an idealised shape (as represented by a mathematical equation) of a nib that counts as "smooth".

 

I strongly suggest you refrain from (preemptively or otherwise) accusing others of lying, even if they have a completely different experience and/or opinion of something from your own, because neither theirs and (certainly!) not yours are authoritative or definitive.

[minddance]

well then, anyone is free to say anything they like then. It is not going to be authoritative or definitive.

 

And there won't be a need for defense or rebuttal. Since neither is definitive and authoritative.

 

So why is my experience a misinformed one? how can you be absolutely sure of that?

 

Please refrain from using the word 'misinformed'.

Edited October 4, 2018 by minddance

[A Smug Dill]

@minddance

 

Just to clarify, I specifically said, “if you somehow believe your view is representative of fountain pen users who have tried Sailor and Platinum nibs of late, then I must say you're also misinformed”, because I don't think you have any basis of knowing what is representative of 100 or 10,000 other users. Yours is one view, and in all likelihood (as with any other individual's, including mine) a minority view among the user base.

 

Whether you are misinformed or not has nothing to do with your personal experience with the nibs, and everything to do with how you frame it – such as, anyone who professes a different view or experience "must be lying."

Edited October 4, 2018 by A Smug Dill

[Pensei]

Some of these remarks surprise me. I have no argument, and I defer to those who are more experienced and informed. Just saying I'm surprised. I have seven Sailors in several nib sizes, and they all write wonderfully. I do agree that they are definitely sensitive to selection of the right ink and the right paper. I usually use Bungubox inks to good result, but non-Sailor inks can be used if carefully selected. I mention this only because I know the novice buyer can freak out, if you will, when comments are made in the forum to the effect that a certain pen does not write well. I'd say if you are considering a Sailor, get it.

[minddance]

Some of these remarks surprise me. I have no argument, and I defer to those who are more experienced and informed. Just saying I'm surprised. I have seven Sailors in several nib sizes, and they all write wonderfully. I do agree that they are definitely sensitive to selection of the right ink and the right paper. I usually use Bungubox inks to good result, but non-Sailor inks can be used if carefully selected. I mention this only because I know the novice buyer can freak out, if you will, when comments are made in the forum to the effect that a certain pen does not write well. I'd say if you are considering a Sailor, get it.

I was freaked out and surprised when I get my Sailor medium and broad nibs, and not in a pleasant way.

 

Then after (much) research and magnification of the nib tipping, I found the nib grind significantly different than other nibs. Of course, if one argues, there's no norm in nib grinds.

 

There are facets and this accounts for feedback, or roughness. But at the same time, splendid control of making a line on paper.

 

I am not saying Sailor pens do not write well. I own many of them. And I enjoy them, that's why I keep them.

 

If given a choice, I would rather be freaked out by the comments here than freak out after I get a pen.

 

That said, I strongly suggest potential consumers purchase from vendors with good exchange/return policies so that they won't have to live with regrets if they ever find Sailors/Platinums, or any other pen for that matter, not to their liking.

Edited October 4, 2018 by minddance

[biancitwo]

I have three Sailors, a Pro Gear slim EF, Standard Music, and a 1911L, 21k H-B. The EF was not usable. The Music was a scratchy paint brush. The H-B was very scratchy. Pendleton Brown took them, and returned three beautiful writers, even the EF. And, the H-B, now an italic, is superb. For anyone else, this not a representative sample. For me, it is more than representative.

[Eric2018]

So sorry to hear some Sailor negative experience.

 

For that, today I took out the Professional Gear (not slim), 21k two-tone H-M.

Without a flush, I directly stuff it with the Iroshizuku Take-sumi (a nice grey black) out from the box.

 

OMG, as a newbie to FPs (own less than 20 pens), to me, the feeling is WOW. (I don't want to use the wording "Super Smooth"...) but on top go it, it is the word, WOW.

Can't agree for more that pseudo88 mentioned - "...like it's floating on a micro cushion of ink..."

 

Would it be the reason that I order it from Japan directly? All my Japanese pens are bought from Rakuten.

Edited October 4, 2018 by TeeTee

[minddance]

Would it be remotely possible that there might be different versions (?) As in domestic market and export version of the same pen?

[Aquaria]

Very nice review, thank you.

 

You are spot on about the nib: Sailor nibs are not super smooth and this extends to the 21k range. Anyone reporting Sailor nibs as super smooth or the smoothest nib must be lying.

 

Odd. I have this pen and the Sailor 1911 21K, and mine are both super smooth. The 1911 21K is an EF, and it is the ONLY Asian nib of that size I have that actually is smooth. Or it was, until I dropped it on the floor and bent it. I've had to send it to the pen hospital to get straightened out again. Dreading what will happen when I get it back. I was so happy with it, right out of the box and was delighted with how well it wrote kanji so much that I'm afraid it will never be like that again.

 

Note: I bought my pens from Japanese retailers. Not sure if that makes a difference or not in the quality of the pens.

Edited January 23, 2019 by Aquaria

[minddance]

 

Odd. I have this pen and the Sailor 1911 21K, and mine are both super smooth. The 1911 21K is an EF, and it is the ONLY Asian nib of that size I have that actually is smooth. Or it was, until I dropped it on the floor and bent it. I've had to send it to the pen hospital to get straightened out again. Dreading what will happen when I get it back. I was so happy with it, right out of the box and was delighted with how well it wrote kanji so much that I'm afraid it will never be like that again.

 

Note: I bought my pens from Japanese retailers. Not sure if that makes a difference or not in the quality of the pens.

Good that you found smoothness in Sailor.