I spoke with my pen supplier and he spoke with Sailor Distributor regarding my question.

First for those who dont know I love piston fillers.
So for a while I have been eyeing the Sailor KOP and waiting to arrive with a piston filler according to the rumors I read here.
I phoned my pen supplier who sells Sailor pens and asked him about the piston filled KOP.
He left the phone open and from another line he spoke with Sailor distributor and he told me 2 things.

1.As for now there is no solid news Sailor is making the KOP with piston but the distrobutor said he will not be surprised if they will.
2.Next year Sailor is coming out with the 1911 with piston filler.

So I guess I will wait for a bit longer for the KOP but I defenetly see a piston filled 1911 in the near future

What I want from Sailor is some improvement and development of the Pro-Gear/ Sapporo Model:
- an additional, larger size
- a piston filler
- nicer materials for the body, such as a better quality (thicker) resin, as well as an ebonite option
- sterling silver trim

In my opinion, turning the 1911 into a piston filler is just one step further toward an already too-close-for-comfort MB Meisterstueck imitation.

The Pro-Gear/Sapporo line, on the other hand, is a design that is uniquely Sailor's. For that reason, I believe that it should shape the company's identity. Just imagine that inlaid anchor logo on top of the cap in sterling silver, on a cream resin background...

Very intersting insight.

Hmmm you got a point there
But there is one things that is the main thing that devides betwenn MB and Sailor and thats the nib.
I do love MB nibs and owning a Sailor nib should be a whole different experience even though the cigar shaped body looks closly the same.

Just as a theoretical question would you feel more confortable with a different kind of a filling method ?

Lever filler,ED...etc ?

You are right of course: The Sailor nib is unique and quite famous -- which I think is another reason why it is a shame that they downplay the company's uniqueness by concentrating on the model that is visually imitative rather on the model that is original in design. The Pro-Gear/Sapporo has the same nib as the 1911. What a powerful combination the original beauty of this model's shape and the Sailor nib would make!...

Filling systems... It is funny, because it took me a while to gravitate towards this point of view, but I now prefer piston and lever fillers to CC. If you look at my earlier reviews, they say that I like CC, but this has changed. I've discovered that I develop interesting emotional attachments to the pens with internal filling systems, which does not happen with CC filling pens.

Out of internal filling systems, I like both the piston and the lever filler, probably equally, but for different reasons. Also crescent, but that is really just a version of the lever. I do not like the eyedropper system, because it is very impractical for me at this time.

I would love to see a lever or piston fill Pro-Gear model; that would be incredibly exciting.

Sailor already offers a response to a couple of those points. The PG Mosaics are larger pens than the standard PG, though most of the additional size is in the cap and end caps. Also, Sailor is offering an ebonite PG was well. Red/brown ebonite. I don't know if the pen is the same size as the Mosaic or just the regular PG though...

I don't like the colours/patterns : ) I guess I should have specified "... and catering to my narrow, capricious tastes in patterns and colour schemes"


Also, I guess I want these to be "normalised" as opposed to some crazy $500+ LE

Oh yes, the King of Pen Professional Gear piston-filler in black with platinum trim would qualify as a grail pen.

A piston filler 911 sounds like their limited edition Realo.

Make that red-black ebonite and I'd agree with you.

Especially if it's solid platinum trim and not just plated.

I'm pretty sure the limited edition Realo was a King of Pen sized pen, with a piston filler. But it was, of course, limited in number.

I actually love the quality of my PG's resin. I have the black and the ivory, both with rhodium trim. The sheen, weight and durability are just perfect for me. The size matches my Aurora Optima and is perfect for the pocket. I think a piston filler in the mosaic/ebonite PG size would be ideal, but I fear Sailor will tack an astronomical price on it. My bet would be a retail north of $500 . . .

The Realo is King of Pens size. Sailors own words: "We use the original acrylic "King of Pens" as the basis of the product, and this is the first use of the piston filling system in our history." ( taken from http://www.sailor.co.jp/EXPORT/REALO/index.html ). I agree that an ebonite KoP made as a piston filler would be very nice indeed.

The Ebonite Pro Gear is now out, looks very cool

OOOOoooooooh!!!!! Picture anyone?

From nibs.com:


I believe Pear Tree Pens also has 'em.

The main reason that Sailor needs to put out a piston filler is ink capacity. I've tried many of the custom nibs, and they can lay down a lot of ink. A converter might hold enough ink for a couple of signatures using one of the really wet nibs. A piston filler or a plunger filler that uses the entire barrel to hold ink is going to be better able to hold a useful ink supply for the Sailor nibs. There's also something to be said for an eyedropper model if you're going for one of the really big nibs. That would have the largest ink capacity of all of them.

Could be quite similar to the Aurora Optima perhaps.

SSSHHH! The monkey on my back is stirring . I saw this when James posted the Pro Gear Colors line in the marketplace. Sigh.