Blogged here: http://biffybeans.blogspot.com/2008/09/i-l...-better-if.html

Good blog.
Your sentiments echo that of many of us here that like PFs--greater ink capacity and a see-through window. Though
I'm still waiting on my 1st Sapporo(should be here later this week or next week),I expect that the nib will be all it's
said to be. I agree with you on the C/C filler;they're not big enough to hold a lot of ink. As to the piston-filler unit,
they've already put them on one of their LE models,the Realo(pronounced in japanese rhee-ah-rho),which they made
in 2006 and all are already sold.

BTW,it's good that you didn't get a Sapporo mini;they can only accommodate cartridges.

John

I was looking at the mini - cartridges only would have driven me crazy. I'd still like to try a 1911 some day, but I just don't want to have to buy one to try...

Good observations, Steph. I am one of those people that actually likes CC as well as piston fillers - I actually don't mind running out of ink and changing it frequently. My Sapporo is an F nib, so the ink lasts a bit longer. And I'm fiddly, so I don't mind opening the pen up to see how much ink is left. I can see how others would not like it, though. I don't have the problem you mentioned about ink not flowing from the converter to the feed - that does happen with my Monteverde, but neither of the Sailors. I don't know why this would be.

I love your pictures! They turned out fabulously!

i was wondering how easily the sapporo body could be sealed and the whole pen filled with ink (aka eye dropper fill). it has worked with the platinum preppy pens with a bit of silicon grease, and i wonder how water tight the body of the sapporo is. food for thought.

water-tightness isn't the issue. The pen has metal parts within the barrel and these parts would likely corrode if bathed in ink on a constant basis. In general, we don't "ED" a pen with metal bits inside.

even with neutral pH ink like noodler's? i was under the impression that the acidity of most of the inks was the problem, and that a pH neutral ink would alleviate this...

I agree with most of your comments in the blog. I also prefer piston fillers with an ink window, but I have to ask.. didn't you understand this pen is a CC filler without an ink window prior to the purchase? I mean, it is what it is and always was. Maybe I read the review incorrectly, but it seemed you spent much of the focus on your disappointment that it's a CC filler.

The cartridge should not have that ink flow problematic behavior. Some have suggested a dab of silicone grease inside the converter can cure it. I haven't tried this approach personally as I have not encountered this problem, but it would be a very simple cure if it does work.

I'm waiting for the Pro Gear Ebonite Piston filler.. :-) I can dream!

Dave

I like the music of your band

Interesting article, Stephanie (fabulous photo!).

I have a Sailor... I guess it's a 1911, bought it on a visit to Tokyo so I had a variety of fine and extra-fine nibs from which to choose. (I got a really fine nib -- smooth and consistent. Really great pen.)

At first, reading your article, I thought that not being able to see the ink didn't bother me. I can barely gauge the ink level in my Pelikan M215 as it is (black ink, black body... well, I've got a dark blue in it now (takes pen out, looks at it, looks more closely, holds pen up to light source...) -- nope, can't tell. Must be full.), but I do remember the very slight sigh at having to unscrew the barrel to check the ink level. Yeah. You're right. An ink window would be better.

Most of my pens don't have ink windows. I tend to notice when I'm writing and the ink runs out....

Yes, I knew it was a C/C filler. All my Safari's are C/C's I wanted the Sapporo because it was known as a super smooth writer. (Which it is.)

My disappointment is that it's a smooth writer/very well built pen that needs to be filled quite often. I have a M nib that writes wet in my Moleskine. I write for 10 pages and then the ink gets thin which makes me have to open the pen and turn the converter to get the ink flowing again. Maybe there was a bit of wishful thinking that the converter system would be better than in the Lamy's. Guess I was wrong. I'm going to try the carts for a while... see if they at least flow better. (Seem to so far...)

Or maybe someone might want to trade me for a F nib.....

Is the ink finished when this happens, or are you just flooding the feed to get things moving again? This is sounding like a feed issue to me: my MB149 just had this very problem, and is with the pen doctor as I write.

If it's the same issue, try flushing it with a weak ammonia solution to get rid of any manufacturing oils in the feed. It's a new pen, so that could well be enough. If it doesn't work, you may need to give it back to Sailor for a few weeks, and get them to fix the problem.

you might try rinsing the converter out. I've been able to get a full fill of the pen.

Kurt

As others have noted, the highlighted section is a bit concerning. You should not have to turn the converter to get the ink flowing. It should flow evenly from full to empty without problems. It seems to me that perhaps air is not getting back into the converter to replace the ink that is coming out. I would be looking to give your pen a good soak (overnight, perhaps) in 10% household ammonia in water, followed by many, many rinses in clean water.

As for the converter not holding enough ink... I have a Jinhao pen that is so wet that I can only get 3 - 4 pages out of a converter. If I used it a lot, then I would definitely be converting that pen to an eyedropper filler.

You know its curious to me why Sailor, or other brands for that matter, would not consider putting in a clear or colored piece as part of the barrel so one could simply look into the convertor to gauge ink supply. The closest I've seen is the Visconti Van Gogh with its translucent barrels that allow you to look into them, and even Pelikan's ancient P450 and Lamy's more recent Safari (with a cut out window) have this kind of feature. How hard can it be? Does one have to be a rocket scientist to consider the great benefit to mankind? Oh, the humanity.

The Pelikan M800 also has translucent body material but it comes down to style and aesthetics of the overall pen. There are lots of pens out there with windows and lots without. You just have to choose your preferences.

Kurt

Interesting - because that's happened to me with most every one of my converter pens. In fact, I was just using the Sailor yesterday when it started to run thin again. I unscrew the pan to find about a quarter of an inch of ink at the top of the converter. A flick of the finger and I'm back in business. Pens are stored nib up.

I do try to carefully flush & soak my pens. (And converters)

...[/quote]
As others have noted, the highlighted section is a bit concerning. You should not have to turn the converter to get the ink flowing. It should flow evenly from full to empty without problems. It seems to me that perhaps air is not getting back into the converter to replace the ink that is coming out. I would be looking to give your pen a good soak (overnight, perhaps) in 10% household ammonia in water, followed by many, many rinses in clean water.

As for the converter not holding enough ink... I have a Jinhao pen that is so wet that I can only get 3 - 4 pages out of a converter. If I used it a lot, then I would definitely be converting that pen to an eyedropper filler.
[/quote]

Kurt - already tried that.....


[/quote]

you might try rinsing the converter out. I've been able to get a full fill of the pen.

Kurt
[/quote]

Have you tried using cartridge? I've heard modern Japanese pens are designed to be used with cartridges as default. I don't know how much truth to it, but the lines or ridges inside the cartridges make difference in ink flow

P.S. I would love to see your beautiful photo and nice review posted here directly

I refill carts. Which is more annoying - refilling a cart now and then or having to open the pen up and prime the *#(&*#&$ converter constantly?

Besides, the carts generally hold more ink. Most carts aren't much less volume than an M200's tank. (not the small internationals obviously.)

I just installed my first cartridge in that pen. Seems to be working nicely. I like the blue-black, and would not have problems buying more.

I have no more room here in my account to post any more photos, and the blog post is filled with links. I'd have to re-write it to be posted here. For future reviews, I'll consider posting the review before I add the links, but won't be able to add the pics. I have them hosted on flickr and if you post an image to an outside site, (like here) you have to link back to the image page, and the FPN doesn't allow that code.

The full review & image are on my blog - (listed below.)

I've had no problems with photobucket, Stephanie. FPN doesn't seem to mind that code.

Thanks for the tip KCat. I prefer to stick with FLickr and not use a secondary hosting service.

Sorry you're having trouble with the converter! I'm glad the cartridge is working out better for you. It's puzzling to me, though. I have a number of converter pens and the only one that gives me the trouble like you're describing is the Monteverde converter. Both Sailor converters work fine - I've never had to push ink into the feed. I'd certainly feel differently about the pen if I did have to.

I sympathize about having to write reviews twice. But if you're ever inclined - there is a way to post pictures at FPN from Flickr and making the images clickable so that they link back to the site, which I believe still complies with Flickr's terms of use - the image leads back to the photo page. The code works fine with at FPN that way. Maybe I'll start a new thread for any other Flickr people who might want to do this.

Finally - I *love* Sailor blue black. I'm this close to ordering a bottle!