Sailor Pen Names

[lightningbug_54]

Hey guys,

 

I'm researching my next fountain pen and think I'd like to get a Sailor based on all the great things I hear about their nibs. I'm a little confused about what pen is what though. I see all kinds of names like 1911, 1911 Standard, 1911 Large, 1911m, Profit, Profit Young etc. It seems like some of these names refer to the same pens, but I can't figure out what corresponds to what. Please help me make sense out of all these names.

 

I can use what's listed on nibs.com as a reference, so please make comparisons to those pens.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Sailor Kenshin]

I have a 1911-M and it is smallish, but fits my hand well. I also have what I believe is a large which STILL fits my hand. Both are well-balanced.

 

The Sapporo is similar in size to the 1911-M. the Sapporo Mini is teeny and must be posted. The nice thing is the caps threads onto the barrel for posting.

[kpyeoman]

The 1911m, 1911 mid-size, 1911s, 1911 standard and Profit are all the same pen. It's the smaller version of the 1911 large/1911 full-size (still a good sized pen and a great writer -- I really like mine!). The Pro Gear is a separate model with flat ends, and the Sapporo is a smaller, thinner version of the Pro Gear,

 

Hope that helps!

Edited July 13, 2013 by kpyeoman

[NedC]

And the Young Profit, AKA Somiko, is a completely different pen form the 1911 Profit, in standard, large and King of Pen sizes or the Profesiional Gear in slim(Sapporo), standard and King of Pen sizes. Profit seems to mean rounded ends and Professional Gear flat ends - the bodies seem to be the same. And, the bodies can be made of a range of materials including ebonite, Micarta and various woods in the large size and King of Pen sizes. However, the Young Profit is snap capped long, slim pen with flat ends and comes equipped with a range of very nice steel nibs. It looks like a Sailor pen from the 60s or 70s more than the 14K or 21K gold nibbed Profit and Professional Gear ranges of fountain pens which seem to be revivals of a 50s and earlier design aesthetic. And then there are a host of others at both ends of the price spectrum which don't fit into any of those categories.

[Bigeddie]

There are some nice charts around, one here at the bottom of the Nibs.com page.

 

And some nice photos here and a review of the pro gear series.