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Sailor Converter

scogre

By scogre
in Japan - Asia

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scogre Rare

scogre

Posted
Posted

I was looking through a bunch of old fountain pens I had received from a friend a couple of years ago. There is what looks to be a 60's era Sailor with a really fine gold nib. I opened it up and it has an empty cartridge in it. It was really a tight fit for the cartridge! I did a little Google search for a converter, and came up with Pendemonium. I ordered the converter and a couple of bottle of ink I had on my list. When it came in I tried to install the converter in this pen, and while it would install in the nib section, the barrel would not fit down over it. Not too long - too big around. Yet this is not one of those super-slim Sailors I have seen.

 

Were there at one time thinner converters for some of the slimmer Sailor pens? Pendemonium is sending me a free Sailor cartridge to try, and they said they'd credit me with the cost of the converter, which is nice. But I really would prefer to use my bottled ink if I could. Any help? Sorry I can't show a picture - I misplaced my digital camera.

 

Scott.

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Dillo Donor Pen

Dillo

Posted
Posted

Hi,

 

Send it here with the converter and I will modify the converter so that it will fit correctly. I keep a lot of slim pens and the converter sometimes needs modifications to fit.

 

Dillon

Stolen: Aurora Optima Demonstrator Red ends Medium nib. Serial number 1216 and Aurora 98 Cartridge/Converter Black bark finish (Archivi Storici) with gold cap. Reward if found. Please contact me if you have seen these pens.

Please send vial orders and other messages to fpninkvials funny-round-mark-thing gmail strange-mark-thing com. My shop is open once again if you need help with your pen.

Will someone with the name of "Jay" who emailed me through the email system provide me an email address? There was no email address provided, so I can't write back.

Dillon

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scogre Rare

scogre

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Posted

Hi Dillon!

 

Thanks for the offer! I want to try the cartridge when it comes in and see if I like the pen before I dump too much money into it. In the meantime I'll try to get a picture taken (probably next week) and post it up here so you can see the pen and converter. I just tried the converter again, and it is pretty definitely too big. Let me get some pictures taken to show what I mean. Thanks again!

 

Scott.

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stan Collectors Item

stan

Posted
Posted

Hi.

 

As best I know Sailor made only one cartridge size but, more than one size converter. Currently available is the large converter. If you have one that needs a small squeeze type converter you are either out of luck or need to do some modifying of a cartridge. What model pen do you have? You might be surprsied to learn that some large Sailors only use the small converters and, yet, in the following or earlier year could use the bigger twist converter.

 

Please send me an email and I'll help you out.

 

I'm the in-house Japanese pen guy, if you are wondering.

 

Stan

stan

Formerly Ryojusen Pens
The oldest and largest buyer and seller of vintage Japanese pens in America.


Member: Pen Collectors of America & Fuente, THE Japanese Pen Collectors Club

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Dillo Donor Pen

Dillo

Posted
Posted

Hi,

 

There was the tiny slide converter for the slim or short pens, the slender slide converter for the Chalana, and the screw converter for most other pens.

 

I have all of these (Except for the slender slide converter), but unfortunately, I am keeping what I have.

 

I know someone who could help you with the screw converter--really nice prices.

 

Dillon

Stolen: Aurora Optima Demonstrator Red ends Medium nib. Serial number 1216 and Aurora 98 Cartridge/Converter Black bark finish (Archivi Storici) with gold cap. Reward if found. Please contact me if you have seen these pens.

Please send vial orders and other messages to fpninkvials funny-round-mark-thing gmail strange-mark-thing com. My shop is open once again if you need help with your pen.

Will someone with the name of "Jay" who emailed me through the email system provide me an email address? There was no email address provided, so I can't write back.

Dillon

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elena Rare

elena

Posted
Posted

Hi, I have a Sailor Somata and Rose Bloom. They take 2 different sized convertors, but both use same size cartridge. The small convertor holds so little ink, I am using the cartridge and intend to refill the cartridge with bottled ink. Hope your sailor works out for you. They are great, smooth write.

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scogre Rare

scogre

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thanks Everybody!

 

I will be sending a few E-Mails soon. I wish I had my digital camera with me! The pen looks and feels 60's - long straight barrels with flat ends in black. The clip is flat and squarish with a wide black stripe, and chrome on the edges. The pen is chrome with a strong pattern of black cross-hatching. The nib is marked "Gold from the Swiss Bank" as best I can make it out, then "14K" then the "Sailor" mark, then some mark and maybe "103" below that. I don't have a magnifying glass, and it is small for old eyes.

 

I would be glad to get this working again. I am saving the old cartridge in case I have to use an eyedropper to fill it from a bottle.

 

Thanks again!

 

Scott.

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scogre Rare

scogre

Posted
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Just a follow-up. I got the free sample cartridge from Pendemonium today, and immediately had to try it in this pen. Boy, it sure does write nice! Just in case I can't get a converter to work, I ordered up some more Sailor cartridges. This is going to be a sweet pen!

 

Scott.

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  • 8 years later...
chhjr NOS (New Old Stock)

chhjr

Posted
Posted

I have everyone telling me there are only two converters for Sailor pens.

The regular one that everyone sells for the 1911 and then the one for the slim pen they sell I believe it is

called the Chalana. Do they make one for the Professional and the mid size.???

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cadfael_tex Extremely Rare

cadfael_tex

Posted
Posted

I have everyone telling me there are only two converters for Sailor pens.

The regular one that everyone sells for the 1911 and then the one for the slim pen they sell I believe it is

called the Chalana. Do they make one for the Professional and the mid size.???

The one for the 1911 should fit all but the Chalana AFAIK.

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stan Collectors Item

stan

Posted
Posted

Two converters?

Can ignorance be blissful.

 

Sailor made several size converters. With the advent of short pens in the late 1960s Sailor made small converters. Production was for a very short time and limited. Best guess is there was a Japanese preference for cartridges. Some of the larger pens from the 1970s use uniquely tapered converters that, as best I know, came with the pens. I've never seen one by itself.

 

The converters are out there and it will take serious effort to find one. I bought the remnants of a older pen shop that specialized in Sailor pens and they had none. They ones I have were acquired by going through hundreds of Sailor pens purchased over a period of fifteen years..

stan

Formerly Ryojusen Pens
The oldest and largest buyer and seller of vintage Japanese pens in America.


Member: Pen Collectors of America & Fuente, THE Japanese Pen Collectors Club

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Algester Donor Pen

Algester

Posted
Posted (edited)

I believe with a little fiddling around the CON-20 will fit but since the mouth is a bit "wide" you need to cut the end of a Sailor cartridge and glue that to the mouth of the CON-20...

but check first to see if the CON-20 will fit into the barrel as I believe all the aerometric converters that time share a similar design except the CON-LAS which is a bit stout

or you can fiddle around with the default sailor piston converter

 

and stan I believe the long short form pens from Platinum and Sailor didnt "sell" well and was subsequently discontinued.. at least thats what I believe since the Elite was touted as the more popular long-short pen of the 70s

Edited by Algester
Store Exclusive Sailor Inks click here this has been my "personal obligation/service"
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stan Collectors Item

stan

Posted
Posted

I believe with a little fiddling around the CON-20 will fit but since the mouth is a bit "wide" you need to cut the end of a Sailor cartridge and glue that to the mouth of the CON-20...

but check first to see if the CON-20 will fit into the barrel as I believe all the aerometric converters that time share a similar design except the CON-LAS which is a bit stout

or you can fiddle around with the default sailor piston converter

 

and stan I believe the long short form pens from Platinum and Sailor didnt "sell" well and was subsequently discontinued.. at least thats what I believe since the Elite was touted as the more popular long-short pen of the 70s

 

Judging from the volume of short pens available in the market, pens from Pilot, Platinum, and Sailor did not do as well as expected. Pilot made other models than the Elite. Manufacture and sale of pens by all three makers continued unabated. No maker unilaterally discontinued production. They all went quietly to bed about the same time.

stan

Formerly Ryojusen Pens
The oldest and largest buyer and seller of vintage Japanese pens in America.


Member: Pen Collectors of America & Fuente, THE Japanese Pen Collectors Club

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Algester Donor Pen

Algester

Posted
Posted

Judging from the volume of short pens available in the market, pens from Pilot, Platinum, and Sailor did not do as well as expected. Pilot made other models than the Elite. Manufacture and sale of pens by all three makers continued unabated. No maker unilaterally discontinued production. They all went quietly to bed about the same time.

hmm interesting fact but no one still know who made the first long short pen in Japan... unless you do?
Store Exclusive Sailor Inks click here this has been my "personal obligation/service"
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chhjr NOS (New Old Stock)

chhjr

Posted
Posted

thanks for the info, I think I got a bad regular converter because I got a new one that I had ordered and it fit fine.

I also have the Chalana and it is amazing piece of work.

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  • 2 years later...
lbendezu Near Mint

lbendezu

Posted
Posted

Sorry I know this is an old thread but I just came across an old Sailor 21 pocket pen. Any info in where to get a converter that might work? Thanks!

Hi,

Send it here with the converter and I will modify the converter so that it will fit correctly. I keep a lot of slim pens and the converter sometimes needs modifications to fit.

Dillon

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freakman Rare

freakman

Posted
Posted

Sorry I know this is an old thread but I just came across an old Sailor 21 pocket pen. Any info in where to get a converter that might work? Thanks!

You could only use a catridge.

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JasonF2 Near Mint

JasonF2

Posted
Posted

Without sailor's aerometric converters you can only use a cartridge

 

I have a few 1911 style pens from I think the 80's which the modern Sailor converter seems to "fit", but it's extremely loose. Just daily carry of the pen will cause it to come free. I'm thinking just wrapping teflon tape around the end of the converter might work. I also have an older Sailor that came with a converter that seems to be the same size as the modern one, but the end of the converter is sort of "fluted" which gives it more grip in the section nipple. Just wondering if you have more info on these. It seems there is a lot of variation in which ones may or may not fit in the 70's - '90's Sailors.

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