Sailor New Precious Wood Series - Tagayasan

[Bigeddie]

I was looking for a pen which was a little different from the classic black resin finish, for use in my Journal (review here by BiffyBeans, very highly recommended), the ruling of which is about 4mm, so it needed to be fine, the likes of which Sailor and Pilot are famous for.

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8438/8013487822_9ef988967b.jpg

Pen on journal 2 by Bigeddie100, on Flickr

 

The Sailor Tagayasan (Model # 10-2006-220/420) is made from ‘Ironwood’ and is one of three finishes in the ‘New precious wood series’ range of wooden pens which seem to be based on the Sapporo design (linked on Sailor webpage here, more than halfway down). The other two are made from Cedar (Chizusugi - # 10-7231-220/420) and Ebony (Kokutan - # 10-2506-220 / 420). Price varies between the different models with the cedar being about £110 and the others £140 ish.

 

I purchased the pen through the seller pisuke2005 on ebay. I have bought through engeika in the past too, but he didn’t stock these at the time of my purchase. I am very happy with the service from both sellers.

The pen came packaged in a nicely made balsa wood box, this was different to the standard blue sailor box that I was expecting.

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8037/8013484613_787bf02a13.jpg

Box by Bigeddie100, on Flickr

 

The package included more paper than I was expecting too, most of it in Japanese, including a tag showing a price with tax of 21,000 Yen (£165 / $269 / 207eur at the time of writing), a warranty booklet, standard sailor converter and a polishing cloth.

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8172/8013484329_7ba6697a76.jpg

Box with papers by Bigeddie100, on Flickr

 

The design is quite similar to the progear series, with a flat top and bottom, but no anchor logo at the top of the cap. The screw cap is a clip cap for this model, I prefer a screw but I have to say that this cap makes the most satisfying ‘click’ when it is put on.

 

The finish is the reason for buying this pen, and I have to say it doesn’t disappoint. I’m not entirely sure what type of wood it is (ironwood is a bit more ambiguous than the cedar model!) but it is very solid and a very dark brown, it doesn’t strike me as a finish that needs to be overly protected, certainly less than resin or other glossy materials. It smells woody, noticeably so when you first get it out the box, after a week or so of use it’s not obvious but it’s initially quite striking.

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8436/8013484929_9e15eebc6f.jpg

Finish on journal by Bigeddie100, on Flickr

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8462/8013485353_2940b6dd3b.jpg

Cap meeting by Bigeddie100, on Flickr

 

The cap and body of the pen are very well made, I’m not sure how much of them are metal but it seems to extend some way into the cap and body. The threads on the body are well machined and everything fits together nicely.

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8447/8013483411_694f88c126.jpg

Body metal by Bigeddie100, on Flickr

 

I was surprised about the feel of the section when I first got the pen, in contrast to the other two pieces it feels lightweight and cheap. By the time you have a converter in and the pen is assembled it isn’t really noticeable.

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8301/8013483261_fb8cb57e2a.jpg

Section by Bigeddie100, on Flickr

 

The size of the pen is about the same as a 1911m, I would imagine that it will be the same as a Sapporo. Pictured here with some comparisons.

 

Pelikan M200, 1911m, Tagayasan, 1911, Lamy Vista, Lamy 2000

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8442/8013483083_79c2a04388.jpg

Comparison Capped by Bigeddie100, on Flickr]

 

(order change not intended )

Pelikan M200, Tagayasan, 1911m, 1911, Lamy Vista, Lamy 2000

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8448/8013486556_ce0b71de9f.jpg

Comparison Posted by Bigeddie100, on Flickr

 

The nib seems to be a slightly different shape to that of the 1911m / Sapporo.

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8036/8013482437_47381159fb.jpg

Comparison Nibs by Bigeddie100, on Flickr

Pelikan M200, 1911m, Tagayasan, 1911

 

I’m still in the process of adjusting the nib, a little at a time. Out of the box it was very dry, it’s now writing smoothly and consistently on Rhodia, but still on the dry side of my taste. It’s smooth, firm (although there is some room for line variation, not comfortably) and very fine. The nib is 14 carat gold with a rhodium plate, available in fine and medium according to Sailor, but I’ve only ever seen fine) A big difference between the Tagayasan and the 1911m is the diameter of the section, it’s a lot smaller and I think it would bother me if I was using it for long writing sessions (It’s my journal pen for the moment, so it’s not a problem), smaller hand’s MMV.

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8304/8013536121_cb110abdb0.jpg

Writing sample by Bigeddie100, on Flickr

 

Conclusion:

I picked mine up for about £145 shipped, and I am happy. I like the pen for it’s obvious selling point – the materials, which look, feel and smell high quality. The nib is a smooth fine, but no different than a 1911m or Sapporo which can be had for about half the price through the same retailers, the wood is the selling point. I wanted a personal pen for daily use with my journal, and I think that’s exactly what I got. I would recommend this pen if you’re looking for something a little different.

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8317/8013487426_c31a8700ca.jpg

Pen with journal by Bigeddie100, on Flickr

Edited September 22, 2012 by Bigeddie

[Kyouju]

Lovely pen, and thank you for the review and useful photos. I have been thinking of getting a Chizusugi version myself, but I have yet to find out if they offer music nibs or any of the other more exciting Sailor nibs with it. I am also a touch worried about non-threaded caps' "locks" wearing out over time. How secure do you find the cap?

[Bigeddie]

The cap is very secure, of the range of pens I own this has to be the most securely fitting (as opposed to just tight or stiff). I've been using it almost daily for about a month, so I can't vouch for it's performance medium to long term.

 

As for the nibs, the Sailor website only shows them as available in F or M. I had hoped the sections were going to be interchangeable with those from 1911m or Sapporo pens, but sadly not

[rudyhou]

-

Edited October 5, 2012 by rudyhou

[rudyhou]

congrats on your new Sailor i have the exact same one. the wooden finishing got me all weak, though the shop attendant informed me that it is meant for female hands. i didn't care. i love all things wooden. they informed me that it doesn't come in M nib and so i got mine in MF nib. but even if it is a MF, it still feels like writing with a F nib. i wished that it is a tad larger in size to fit my hand perfectly, but it is STILL a very nice pen. it fits in any pocket, perfect for traveling.

[de_pen_dent]

That's a really nice-looking pen. I almost ordered it for myself last week, but in the end, decided it was a little too small for me, and went with a Yosegi instead. But every time I look at your photos, I am tempted to get one!

 

Thanks for sharing details about such a gorgeous pen.

[Montblanc owner and lover]

very nice pen...may be going to buy it thanks to you!

[hari317]

Thanks for the review. I had a chance to see the cedar wood version of this pen in the hands of a senior colleague at work. He had been using it for over an year. the snap cap had become quite loose and was spinning around even when closed. Can you comment on the cap tightness at the moment? Does it rotate?

 

Thanks!

Hari

[breaker]

nice review and pics!

thanks!

[Bigeddie]

Thanks for the review. I had a chance to see the cedar wood version of this pen in the hands of a senior colleague at work. He had been using it for over an year. the snap cap had become quite loose and was spinning around even when closed. Can you comment on the cap tightness at the moment? Does it rotate?

 

Thanks!

Hari

 

 

So far, so good on the cap tightness front. It has been used pretty much daily since my first post, any change and I will report back.

 

As for the enabling, what can I say... FPN is a dangerous place to look around. :roflmho:

[Bigeddie]

That's a really nice-looking pen. I almost ordered it for myself last week, but in the end, decided it was a little too small for me, and went with a Yosegi instead. But every time I look at your photos, I am tempted to get one!

 

Thanks for sharing details about such a gorgeous pen.

A brief update and some thoughts:

 

I have just ordered a Yosegi (and can't wait, de_pen_dent and his review is partly to blame), and in my searching for Sailor wood pens I find that this model has been discontinued, it has been replaced with a new line with a metal band where the wooden body meets the section. Some reviews on FPN show this new pen, I'm not sure if the added metal ring addresses the potential cap loosening problem. I have yet to experience any loosening of the cap's grip on the body.

 

After a year of on and off use I still enjoy the Tagayasan, it is no longer my journaling pen since I picked up a binder CI nib for my pelikan M400, but it's regularly put to use for editing and mark ups with red or orange ink, where I wouldn't risk staining some of my other pens with ink windows or demonstrators. I enjoy it.

[de_pen_dent]

A brief update and some thoughts:

 

I have just ordered a Yosegi (and can't wait, de_pen_dent and his review is partly to blame), and in my searching for Sailor wood pens I find that this model has been discontinued, it has been replaced with a new line with a metal band where the wooden body meets the section. Some reviews on FPN show this new pen, I'm not sure if the added metal ring addresses the potential cap loosening problem. I have yet to experience any loosening of the cap's grip on the body.

 

After a year of on and off use I still enjoy the Tagayasan, it is no longer my journaling pen since I picked up a binder CI nib for my pelikan M400, but it's regularly put to use for editing and mark ups with red or orange ink, where I wouldn't risk staining some of my other pens with ink windows or demonstrators. I enjoy it.

 

And quite ironically, I got the Tagyasan a month or so after saying I wasnt going to get it - I kept coming back to this review.

 

While I generally prefer larger, beefier pens, there are times when a smaller pen with a fine nib is preferable. And I am very glad I did.

 

Well, that was a pleasurable mutual enabling session, Big E. Thanks!