Hello,

I have been looking at Sailor pens for a while, as I want to try a japanese pen. My preferences now are Sailor 1911 and Sailor Professional Gear, rhodium trim (I don't like gold trims).

I like my nibs to be between F and M. I mean, a Pelikan F is perfect for me, but a Lamy M is too broad. I know japanese nibs run narrower than european, so, What nib size should I look for?

What is the quality of Platinum pens? I have seen some maki-e pens not very expensive and I might give them a try.

about Pilot, as they use special cartridge size I would prefer to stay away from them, unless you tell me that they are something special

Cheers

If you like a Pelikan fine, the Sailor medium should be perfect (though I think it would depend on which Pelikan model you have). I have the Sailor Professional Gear and it is a very nice pen (though a little small for me, but I have big hands), 1911 looks a bit too close to a Mont Blanc for comfort for me. Sailor should be producing a new piston filled model some time next year (fingers crossed) which you might want to consider holding off for.

You can´t go wrong with a Sailor 1911 or Professional Gear with medium nib! They are easily found on ebay from the regular sellers.

Beware of the Sailor Music Nib or the Naginata Togi Medium, as you´ll probably find them too broad and blunt!

The cheaper Platinum maki-e are too slim for my taste, but I´ve not any complaint over the nibs.

Lennart

The Sailor M is like the Western F. I have a 1911 Demonstrator which I bought a Music Nib and had it tuned to a Cursive Italic. Done by Michael Masuyama, who used to be with Sailor. It writes perfectly smooth.

I think the cartridges of each of the major Japanese brands, Pilot, Sailor, and Platinum, are sized specially to that particular brand. I.e. none of them uses a size that will fit any other brand, Japanese or any other. They are all actually well engineered though, so you're not stuck with anything second-rate. But it does mean that getting cartridges can be a fuss - mail order for most places in the USA.

I have a couple Platinum pens, a stainless steel Armor and a celluloid 3776. These are top quality pens!

Thank you for your answers!

I have finally ordered a Pro Gear with M nib from Pam Braun (as usual, not affiliated, but a happy customer).

Great! Please let us know how that you like it. I have never used a Sailor with a standard nib out of the box. Another Sailor is definitely on my list...

Norman
How did you get Michael Masuyama to do this? I have a Sailor Music nib i would love tohave turned into a cursive italic
Barry Cownay

http://www.mikeitwork.com/

As this is your first Japanese fountain pen, Pilot could be the perfect choice. Their ultra-fine nibs write straight from being inked, and leave a beautiful consistent smooth line, without requiring any further adjustment. From my limited personal experience with Sailor Fountain Pens I have found their writing instruments write smoothly with nominal resistance, but when the Hard-Fine and Extra Fine nibs are reversed they suffer from unpleasant toothiness. Also their pens occasionally have a tendency to write slightly on the wet side, meaning they leave a line equivalent to their westernized counterparts.

Pilot, Sailor and Platinum all use their own propriety designed cartridges and convertors, so unless sourcing refills for your fountain pen is difficult then maybe you could reconsider other Japaese manufacturers.

mikeitwork.com He will be happy to help you. He will give you instructions as to how to take pictures so that he can have your pen perfect for you.

New to how to reply to one person. Acolythe. You can e-mail Michael and he will instruct you how you can help him grind your nib so that it is perfect for you!! His web site is mikeitwork.com. There you can find his phone and e-mail information.

I received my Pro Gear a couple of days ago and....wow, it is lovely, the finish is stunning (it reminds me of the luxurious Mont Blancs). The feel of the material is perfect, solid, durable. It is an M nib (equivalent to a western F) and it is just the right size for my current taste (which swithches with the years), comparable to a Pelikan F. I must say it is smoother than my Pel M605 F, I just popped a cartridge and...well, it glides on the paper.

I would prefer this pen a little longer, not much, but this is explained because I don't usually post my pens. I guess this pen is designed to be posted, and when I do it the weight, balance and writing experience is perfect. Do you think posting will damage the finish in the long run?

Soooo, this is my first japanese pen. If the writing quality is the same with all of them (sailor, pilot) I think I will buy another one, and I will visit this section of the forum more frequently.

I have just started using fountain pens, I post mine, but do not know the long term affects on the pen. I would think they would be fine, since they are probably made to be posted, but I will leave the final call to others of more experience.

re: posting

one answer is, it depends on how "hard" you post it.

my own answer is: it's a pen. I'll use it. Eventually it will pick up some signs of being used and loved. I won't throw it out then --------

Hi All: F.Y.I.
All Sailor standard pens (except Maki-e and some limited edition with rare materials) are designed to be used with the cap posted. (Michael the Former Sailorman )