Sailor Profit/1911L Black Luster (M Nib) For Us$179

[A Smug Dill]

Eight Eleven units of the Sailor Profit Black Luster fountain pen with ruthenium-plated 21K gold Medium nibs (model 11-3048-420), and one unit with Fine nib (model 11-3048-220), are available on Amazon.co.jp – sold and fulfilled by Amazon.co.jp – at the moment for ¥19,755 each. That works out to approximately A$251, or US$179, by the current exchange rates.

That's a drop of 10% since I placed my order for one with a Fine nib not even 24 hours ago, and it was a pain in the butt trying to cancel it (since Amazon.co.jp advised it was unable to intercept the dispatch) and re-buy at this price. I had to call the parcel courier service in Japan, as well as speak to Amazon.co.jp, to make it happen.

Camelcamelcamel indicates that this is significantly lower than the lowest third-party prices seen on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.jp for these products, and is also (approximately) the lowest price^† sold by Amazon.co.jp in almost three years.

Obviously, there is the issue of how you're going to order one and get it 'home' or sent to you, if you're not in Japan. I don't know if Amazon.co.jp would ship it directly to you if you're in North America, but it won't ship to Australia. I'm using a reshipper to receive the goods on my behalf and then forward them to me at not-insignificant additional expense, but the total cost of acquisition is still a darn sight cheaper than, say, ordering it from a Japan-based seller via eBay.com.au or buying on Rakuten Ichiba (and/or Rakuten Global Market) today.

Just thought I'd share the find with anyone who may be keen to get one, but don't want to pay the street price of US$400 or so.

Update 1: I see the single unit with the Fine nib is now gone. That didn't take long!

Update 2: It seems more stock with the Medium nib has been added. It'd be so much better if Amazon.co.jp added three units with Fine nibs instead.

^†I'm only able to be look at it in graphical form, without being able to review the specific numbers by data point, so the granularity is limited and my conclusion could be off by ¥50 or so.

Edited February 13, 2019 by A Smug Dill

[sansenri]

thanks, but I'm done with ruthenium coated nibs after this happened to me on my Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black

(still works perfectly though)

[A Smug Dill]

@ sansenri, yes, I remember seeing your photo of that nib in some other thread.

 

Luckily for me, the plating on my Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black's nib (purchased nearly five years ago) has held up, even though I've often left it inked but unused for significant lengths of time, and not restricted myself to using only Sailor inks. I'm therefore game to buy another pen with such a nib.

 

The tip of my black Pilot Capless F nib in my 'EDC' Vanishing Point pen has discoloured somewhat over a slightly shorter period of ownership, but not nearly to the extent shown in your photo above.

 

Edited February 13, 2019 by A Smug Dill

[A Smug Dill]

All gone now!

[sansenri]

@ sansenri, yes, I remember seeing your photo of that nib in some other thread.

 

Luckily for me, the plating on my Sailor Pro Gear Imperial Black's nib (purchased nearly five years ago) has held up, even though I've often left it inked but unused for significant lengths of time, and not restricted myself to using only Sailor inks. I'm therefore game to buy another pen with such a nib.

 

The tip of my black Pilot Capless F nib in my 'EDC' Vanishing Point pen has discoloured somewhat over a slightly shorter period of ownership, but not nearly to the extent shown in your photo above.

 

 

Thanks

it did stay a while with ink in it... I wonder what ink it was that did that (I can't recall, it was put away in a hurry - forgot to wash it... - just before summer holidays I think, and came out like that when I went back to it a few months later)... I don't use aggressive inks usually, worst possible might have been Diamine or Private Reserve...

[A Smug Dill]

In my case, it was actually Sailor kiwaguro pigment ink that caused the discolouration on the black Pilot Capless nib (since that was what I used in it from 2013 to 2018, and only changed to Sailor souboku recently, long after the damage was done and evident). It makes me wonder about the warning Sailor has apparently started inserting into the retail boxes for the Profit Black Luster shortly after the model hit the market, about only using Sailor inks in the pen lest warranty in voided, especially with regard to the ruthenium-plating on the nib. In the Sailor, (if I recall correctly) I mainly used Parker Penman Ebony and Pilot Iroshizuku take-sumi during that time, although for the last couple of months I've inked it with Diamine Deep Dark Blue.

[Honeybadgers]

I'm done buying any product with blacked out furniture or matte black finish on metal. It's neat, but I look at it and think "will I still love this in 5 years?" and just can't bring myself to justifying it.

[A Smug Dill]

@Honeybadgers, fair enough. I still love both my Pilot Capless Vanishing Point in matte black and my Sailor Professional Gear Imperial Black after five years, and that very much informed my decision to order an Aurora Talentum Full Black late last year, and a Sailor Profit Black Luster this week.

[A Smug Dill]

Four with Medium nibs are now back in stock (shipped and sold by Amazon.co.jp) for that price.

[A Smug Dill]

One unit with Fine nib and four units with Medium nibs just came into stock at that price in the course of this morning.

 

My Fine-nibbed one should be arriving this afternoon! Yay!

 

If I like it enough and an EF-nibbed unit comes up at less than ¥20,000, I may have to buy that too, as an alternative to a Sailor Professional Gear with rhodium trim and two-toned 21K gold EF nib for ¥13,620 (incl. ta, excl. international shipping). Not terribly fond of the halfway finish on the black resin that neither 'satin' like on the Imperial Black nor highly glossy 'piano' like on the Black Luster.

[A Smug Dill]

I just saw the new low price of ¥19.353 (inclusive of 8% Japanese domestic consumption tax) for three currently available units of this pen model with Fine nib, sold and shipped by Amazon.co.jp.

[1nkulus]

Great find, gone up to ¥25000.

Will be on the look out in future.

[Says]

What is the price in US for Black Luster?

That discount doesn't seem very significant compared to retail here in HK..

 

Maybe I can help?

[A Smug Dill]

What is the price in US for Black Luster?

 

 

Nibs.com: US$392

Nibsmith.com: US$392

PenBoutique.com: US$392

PenChalet.com: US$435.56

[Says]

Thats nuts.... I can get a whole bunch for you guys at 250usd inc shipping cost(estimated), and that is before negotiating a bulk purchase... i bought one before, so I know its brand new...

Edited April 2, 2019 by Says

[Says]

There should be room to be significantly cheaper, as i am guessing shipping will cost 30-40 usd

[1nkulus]

What is the landed cost using a drop shipper from Japan for US and AUS?

 

I having a feeling the cost will not be far off $250 even though item is only $175. If so, HK can be a viable option.

[Vpen]

The coating gives up if you floss the times with sand paper or something harder.

[1nkulus]

I am sure Sailor has a lot tighter QC, but still...

Is the finish as bad as a Monteverde Invincia Stealth? It flakes for fun.

Edited April 4, 2019 by 1nkulus