Can You Swap Out Sailor Nibs With Other Sailor Nibs?

[A Smug Dill]

10 minutes ago, Vermonter said:

A related question which I don't see in this thread — is there a significant difference in writing quality or feel between the 14K and 21K Sailor nibs? I haven't owned a 14K for a long time, and can't make a comparison.

 

Well, are we talking about comparing apples with apples? There are ‘medium-sized’, ’large-sized’, and ‘extra large-sized’ 21K gold Sailor nibs (to fit the Profit Standard, Profit 21, and King of Pen models respectively), but there are only ‘medium-sized’ 14K gold  Sailor nibs, as far as I'm aware. So, are you referring to (only) ‘medium-sized’ nibs, or a comparison between 14K gold nibs on the Profit Standard against 21K gold nibs on the Profit 21 (aka 1911 L) even though they are of different sizes physically?

[Vermonter]

Thanks for your reply. I own a few KOP, and the writing experience is significantly different than the other pens we are discussing. So let’s skip KOP nibs for now. 
 

I would love to know if the medium-sized 14k and 21k (which I don’t own) tend to feel and write significantly different from each other, and also from the large-size 21k on the 1911L and Pro Gear (which I do own in a few sizes). So I suppose what I’d really love is a subjective 3-way matchup!

 

I would especially like to know if one style nib is usually more soft/rigid, wetter, more reliable, or writes significantly different than any of the others in some other way?

 

I realize all individual nibs are unique, but my 21k Sailor large-size nibs perform almost identically, which is a pretty remarkable statement about Sailor QC.
 

Just wonder if there is a tendency of each type of medium/large nib to perform a certain way. 
 

Thanks!

 

 

 

[A Smug Dill]

The 14K gold nibs are the most rigid, on account of the tine length and secondarily the composition of the material. I have (hmmm, at least) three pens here with ‘medium-sized’ 21K gold nibs, but the only one I've used is actually my wife's; I found the ink flow to be drier with it (and recently I've seen someone else “asking” about it on Reddit because they also found their 21K gold nib on the same pen model to be dry), and so it puts down lines that are just as (or at least as) fine as the 14K gold nibs of the same width grade, but for different reasons.

 

‘Large-sized’ Sailor nibs write half a width grade or so broader than the ‘medium-sized’ 14K gold nibs of the same width grade, at least for EF and F nibs, I'd say.

[Vermonter]

Thank you for your reply. It is perfect and what I wanted to know. 

 

I think I'm just going to stick with the "Large" sized 21K nibs, and if I get a Taccia at some point only consider the larger pens with the 1911L sized nibs. The 21K versions are pretty much perfect for me, and I don't want extra rigidity. Also the F and M nib grades are just right and what I'm used to (the F is super-fine!).

 

Explains why I got rid of my 14K Sailors a few years ago, though I was just starting out with fountain pens then and teaching myself penmanship, so I don't always trust  my former opinions now that my writing has improved.

 

THANK YOU! Saved me a bunch of money experimenting around.

[A Smug Dill]

28 minutes ago, Vermonter said:

(the F is super-fine!).

 

Explains why I got rid of my 14K Sailors a few years ago,

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/368328-haiku-about-fountain-pens/?do=findComment&comment=4570316

 

[Vermonter]

That is amazing!

[mistercrisp42]

A good friend gave me a used Sailor Pro Gear fountain pen, with a 21k gold nib that he had worked on, but didn't like using any more.  Worked on to the point that almost half the nib material was ground off flat!  It was still usable, fortunately, but as my first Sailor, I wondered if I could get the nib replaced.  After an email to some broker or something in California, I was told that the only way to get the nib replaced, was to send it to California, and they would send it to Japan, and Sailor would look at it and they they would tell me what they found or thought, or would do.  So I decided not to bother.  But that is my understanding of how a Sailor pen is fixed.  Hope this information is useful.

[mistercrisp42]

On 8/24/2024 at 3:39 AM, A Smug Dill said:

A related question which I don't see in this thread — is there a significant difference in writing quality or feel between the 14K and 21K Sailor nibs? I haven't owned a 14K for a long time, and can't make a comparison.

Here is my experience with three Sailor pen nibs.  I mentioned on the post above, a friend gave me a Sailor Pro Gear pen and that had 21k nib (that was ground flat!)  There was something really nice the second I started writing with it - there was an ever so gentle flex to the nib as I put the pen to paper.  Subtle, but wow, was that softness nice!  As I mentioned in the post above, the pen nib material had been really ground down flat.  After a year or so, I was dying to have my own brand new Sailor pen with an untouched nib.  I have been using fountain pens for 35 years now, and never paid more than $125 for one and they were all wonderful pens.  So the idea of paying a bit more than $300 for a fountain freaked me out!  What if I dropped it  What if I lost it?  So I gathered up all my courage and bought a Sailor 1911L pen with a broad 21k nib.  I couldn't wait to try it when it arrived, terrified that maybe it wouldn't have that flex, but it did!  It is beautiful to write with.  The flex is there but subtle.  I am SO glad I went for the 21K nib.  I wanted to buy a less expensive pen and I would spend $100 less if I bought one of the other pens, I forget, which, with only a 14k nib.  I was just about to write "you will all think I am crazy, but..." until it occurred to me that we all have the same "disease" here...   🙂   So I saw a Sailor Pro Gear Slim called the Blue Quasar, in two tone blue, and it was stunning in it's color.  I just had to have one of those!  So I bought it, for $200, and it has a 14k Broad nib.  It writes nicely and I am really happy with it, but I am mindful that the 14k nib does not have that subtle flex of the 21k nibs in my other two Sailor pens.  So that is not a lot of experience - a sample of three Sailor pens, but I hope this is helpful to you.

[Vermonter]

This is helpful. Thank you!