Why are Sailor nibs so special?

[DrDebG]

I am a bit of a late starter with some things.  This is the case with Sailor pens.  I've not be a huge fan of the Pilot or Platinum pens I have used over the years, so I wasn't really inspired to give Sailor a try. I generally prefer wider nibs that are glassy smooth, so the European brands appealed to me more. 

 

Yet, I love Sailor inks, though.  I kept thinking that if they make pens as good as they do ink, then maybe I need to try one.  

 

The inevitable happened.  An excellent ebay seller that I purchase many pens from had a new Sailor 1911S with a zoom nib for a very reasonable price.  I purchased it and it arrived about a week ago. 

 

Wow!  I was not expecting what I received!  This is one of the smoothest nibs I have ever written with.  And nicely wet - not overly so.  I do write at a lesser angle than most so the line is more of a BB, and at a steeper angle it becomes more of a B and at a 90 degree it is about an M-B.  While the pen itself is almost too small, the writing experience is excellent!  

 

So, now I have fallen down the Sailor rabbit hole and purchased a 1911L with a M nib - which I expect will be more of a fine, pencil like experience.  We shall see. . . 

[Harold]

24 minutes ago, DrDebG said:

I've not be a huge fan of the Pilot or Platinum pens I have used over the years, so I wasn't really inspired to give Sailor a try. I generally prefer wider nibs that are glassy smooth, so the European brands appealed to me more. 

Have you tried Platinum and Pilot's coarse nibs? A zoom nib is essentially just a big old standard coarse nib which then has the two side faces of the tipping ball cut away at an angle in order to create a tapering triangular contact surface that wraps around the front of the tipping. The bottom portion of a zoom nib is just a regular old unmodified coarse nib, so you would probably enjoy them if you enjoy the zoom nib at a low writing angle.

[Paul_LZ]

46 minutes ago, DrDebG said:

I am a bit of a late starter with some things.  This is the case with Sailor pens.  I've not be a huge fan of the Pilot or Platinum pens I have used over the years, so I wasn't really inspired to give Sailor a try. I generally prefer wider nibs that are glassy smooth, so the European brands appealed to me more. 

 

Yet, I love Sailor inks, though.  I kept thinking that if they make pens as good as they do ink, then maybe I need to try one.  

 

The inevitable happened.  An excellent ebay seller that I purchase many pens from had a new Sailor 1911S with a zoom nib for a very reasonable price.  I purchased it and it arrived about a week ago. 

 

Wow!  I was not expecting what I received!  This is one of the smoothest nibs I have ever written with.  And nicely wet - not overly so.  I do write at a lesser angle than most so the line is more of a BB, and at a steeper angle it becomes more of a B and at a 90 degree it is about an M-B.  While the pen itself is almost too small, the writing experience is excellent!  

 

So, now I have fallen down the Sailor rabbit hole and purchased a 1911L with a M nib - which I expect will be more of a fine, pencil like experience.  We shall see. . . 

Good luck and let us know how your experience is with the 1911L

[Paul_LZ]

48 minutes ago, DrDebG said:

I am a bit of a late starter with some things.  This is the case with Sailor pens.  I've not be a huge fan of the Pilot or Platinum pens I have used over the years, so I wasn't really inspired to give Sailor a try. I generally prefer wider nibs that are glassy smooth, so the European brands appealed to me more. 

 

Yet, I love Sailor inks, though.  I kept thinking that if they make pens as good as they do ink, then maybe I need to try one.  

 

The inevitable happened.  An excellent ebay seller that I purchase many pens from had a new Sailor 1911S with a zoom nib for a very reasonable price.  I purchased it and it arrived about a week ago. 

 

Wow!  I was not expecting what I received!  This is one of the smoothest nibs I have ever written with.  And nicely wet - not overly so.  I do write at a lesser angle than most so the line is more of a BB, and at a steeper angle it becomes more of a B and at a 90 degree it is about an M-B.  While the pen itself is almost too small, the writing experience is excellent!  

 

So, now I have fallen down the Sailor rabbit hole and purchased a 1911L with a M nib - which I expect will be more of a fine, pencil like experience.  We shall see. . . 

Would you mind sharing the name of your ebay seller?

[Josey]

Can anyone tell me if Sailor nibs lean more wet or more dry? Particularly the fine nibs.

[langere]

They tend to be dryer and on the thinner side, as good Japanese pens that they are.  A Sailor "Fine" would be an "Extra Fine" for a European/U.S. manufacturer.

 

Erick

[Josey]

25 minutes ago, langere said:

They tend to be dryer and on the thinner side, as good Japanese pens that they are.  A Sailor "Fine" would be an "Extra Fine" for a European/U.S. manufacturer.

 

Erick

Thank you!

[TgeekB]

Purchased my first Sailor recently, a Pro Gear Blue Train from 2022. I had heard people talk about a nib with a pencil feel but had never experienced it, until now. It is unique. Took a bit to get used to but now I love it.