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Help: Looking For Affordable Sailor Ef Pen


Kuhataparunks

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I tried out an EF Sailor fountain pen today for the first time, and it was remarkably smoother than any pilot EF I've ever used.

 

However, the pen was $200, which is a little out of my budget.

 

I use a Pilot Penmanship nib ($9) in a Prera ($35) for a Japanese EF; this is only $44 for a very good everyday-use pen, as opposed to $200+.

 

Are there any Sailor EF's out there for a sub-$200 price tag? Or any other recommendations? Thanks

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I got my Sailor Pro Gear Slim for less than $200. I think I got it for around $175ish (but I bought it from a brick and mortar shop, so I'm sure you'll probably be able to find it cheaper online), but I'm sure if you bought it straight from Japan through someone like Engeika (no affiliation) or similar, you could get it cheaper than that (probably around $100).

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We have a major Sailor representative in India. I have tried out their EF nibs and some are indeed wonderful. But like real life, there is a nib to nib variation, so it is possible that the EF that you receive is not as good for you as the one you had tried, so better to go to a shop, test the actual nib and buy. HTH.

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The ProColor 500 appears to be available only with an F nib. (However, Taizo (engeika) had a few special order black Pro Color pens with steel EF nibs earlier this year.) Similarly, the Promenade appears to be available only with F, MF or M nibs.

 

I believe the least expensive production Sailor pen with an EF nib is the Somiko (aka Young Profit), which has a steel TIGP nib. (part number 11-0501-120)

 

At the $200 price point you mention, I'd guess you were evaluating a 1911 Large or Professional Gear pen. These have 21K nibs, and an EF nib would be marked "H-EF", hard extra-fine. I do not know how the Somiko nib compares to the H-EF nib you were (probably) evaluating. They appear to be marked "EF". I do not know whether this implies that they are not "hard". Perhaps others can comment.

 

To get an H-EF marked nib, the least expensive options would be the 1911 Profit Standard which is available with an 14K EF nib in either Rhodium plated (silver) finish (part number 11-1029-120) or gold plated finish (part number 11-1219-120), or the Sapporo (aka Professional Gear Slim) which is also available with a 14K EF nib in a gold plated finish (part number 11-1221-120).

 

The nibs on the Sapporo and 1911 Profit Standard are smaller than the nib you were (probably) evaluating. Similar to a #6 nib versus a #5 nib. But since the nibs are rigid, the feel and the line width are similar. (The difference in the size of the pens changes the feel of the pens more significantly than the size of this nib.) Similarly, common perception seems to be that 14K versus 21K does not make a difference.

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I found the difference between EF and F on the Sailor pens to be pretty small. F on Sailor is still .3 and whisper thin. Thinner, by far, than most other Fs in other brands. Puts down the same line as the .3 Pilot Hi-Tec C and thinner that the .28 uniball. The EF was so thin that it barely put out enough ink for black ink to look black.

 

I love a fine pen, but be careful what you ask for.

 

I think at that thin (.23) it had better be a VERY wet writer or, if i need that thin a line I think a gel pen puts out a better line at that small an ink volume.

 

YMMV

Looking for a cap for a Sheaffer Touchdown Sentinel Deluxe Fat version

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  • 3 weeks later...

I just got a new Sailor Pro Gear Slim, with a H-EF nib, for $90, including postage on EBay. It was third one I had watched over at most a two week period. It is too dry and scratchy out of the box. I sent it to Pendleton Brown today for adjustment. When it returns, it will be as good as a Sailor EF can be. Purchase price plus cost of adjustment will be far less than $200.

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I just got a new Sailor Pro Gear Slim, with a H-EF nib, for $90, including postage on EBay. It was third one I had watched over at most a two week period. It is too dry and scratchy out of the box. I sent it to Pendleton Brown today for adjustment. When it returns, it will be as good as a Sailor EF can be. Purchase price plus cost of adjustment will be far less than $200.

Huge coincidence, I just ordered a Sailor 1911L today and was going to come here to report that.

It is a used 21K H-F for $140 with some adjustment from John Sarokawa, but I will likely end up sending it to Mike Masuyama(I met him in person, wonderful man), who worked for Sailor, to get it grinded down a bit. It'll be around $175 if everything works out. I really hope it'll please as much as I want it to

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I tried out an EF Sailor fountain pen today for the first time, and it was remarkably smoother than any pilot EF I've ever used.

However, the pen was $200, which is a little out of my budget.

I use a Pilot Penmanship nib ($9) in a Prera ($35) for a Japanese EF; this is only $44 for a very good everyday-use pen, as opposed to $200+.

Are there any Sailor EF's out there for a sub-$200 price tag? Or any other recommendations? Thanks

A smaller model like a Sapporo or 1911-M runs about $160. My EF Sapporo from nibs-dot-com is amazingly smooth for a hairline writer.

My latest ebook.   And not just for Halloween!
 

My other pen is a Montblanc.

 

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