Review: Sailor 14K H-M Pro Gear Slim Vs 14K H-M 1911 Standard Series

[TheDutchGuy]

I've always used fountain pens, but until relatively recently not as a hobby. Three years ago I bought a Kaweco AL Sport Stonewashed Blue with F nib and almost immediately I got the bug. That little Kaweco is my all-day, every-day pocket pen. From that starting point I gradually began to expand, but always with the intention to write (not to collect). At this point I have 10 pens and since I have now discovered what works for me and what doesn't, I will sell a couple of pens off and enjoy the rest.

For a while now I have wanted to venture into the "Japanese experience", based on glowing reports on FPN about how well Pilot, Sailor and Platinum pens write and how nib-making is still an art form in Japan. But it's not so easy to get those pens in Holland. Then last week I discovered a few Sailor pens in a pen shop in Utrecht. I tried them all and bought a 14k H-M Professional Gear Slim in chrome trimming. To summarize the review that you can read below: I am floored by this pen. Then, when visiting Appelboom's pen shop in my hometown to buy some Rhodia, I noticed exactly one lonely Sailor in the back of a display case. I'd never noticed it before. Appelboom doesn't carry Sailor. The price was irresistible. I got myself a 1911 Standard Series 14k H-M for less than half the normal price.

Sailor Professional Gear Slim 14k H-M
Sailor 1911 Standard Series 14k H-M

Ink used: Sailor Jentle Blue cartridges in both pens

RATING:

Initial impression/packaging:
Pro Gear: 3 / 5 stars
1911: 3 / 5 stars

Both pens come in the standard blue Sailor box and both are basically black cigars. Nothing fancy. I know people who will avoid pens like this at any cost, but to be honest I like a classic-looking pen. The nibs are beautifully engraved. The pens look similar but there are subtle differences, especially the end of the barrel. I love their looks, both in equal measure. They mean business, aren't flashy in the least but are elegant in a way that a lot of Art Deco inspired items are. Timeless, I guess, but I am aware that many find such pens boring and outdated.

How well does it write?
Pro Gear: 5 / 5 stars
1911: 4.5 / 5 stars

I'm madly in love with Sailor because of the exquisite feedback of the nibs, their good flow and their ease of writing, all without being sterile. This is the art of writing, not just putting ink on paper with a minimum of friction. This is exactly what I personally look for in a fountain pen. The nibs on both pens should be identical, both being 585 14k H-M nibs, the only difference being their respective colour. But they're not identical. Not even close. Both have that exquisite feedback that seems to be the Sailor trademark, but the Pro Gear has more of it. Also the Pro Gear has the perfect wetness and the perfect flow: not too much, not too little. The 1911 writes more like a European Medium, whereas the Pro Gear writes somewhat finer (as in: narrower) than a European F. The 1911 is very wet. It doesn't show- or bleed through commonly used fountain-pen friendly paper or cause other problems, but obviously the drying time is long. The 1911 is quite literally twice as wet as the Pro Gear. Strange. It's just a bit too wet for me, so a quick visit to a nibmaster is its the foreseeable future. A lot of people who love wet European pens with M nibs will disagree with me - they will probably favour the 1911 precisely because of its smoothness, wetness and its wider line on the page. But not me - I prefer the Pro Gear!

The 1911 is longer than the Pro Gear Slim and can be used unposted, whereas the Pro Gear Slim will be too short for most people to be used unposted. This is not a criticism, the Slim was designed that way. When posted, both pens feel perfect for me. Not top-heavy, not bottom-heavy, just exactly right. Unposted, the 1911 obviously wins out.

How well is the pen built?
Pro Gear: 3.5 / 5 stars
1911: 3.5 / 5 stars

These pens do not seem to be as sturdy as some of my other pens. For example, there are no metal threads inside the barrel. The plastic is good-quality, but doesn't feel as high-end as (for example) my Visconti van Gogh. The nibs offer an exquisite writing experience but they seem fragile, so I treat them gingerly. No pressure at all is needed to write, the nimble weight of the pens suffices for a steady line. The nibs are somewhat bouncy. I would never use these pens in a moving train, plane or bus. They're not rough-and-tumble pocket pens. And no, I will not torture these nibs to see if they will flex, thank you very much . Capping the pens will eventually lead to micro-scratches on the barrel, but both pens cap very well. Only some feather-light pressure is needed to secure the cap on the barrel.

The pen can be filled either with Sailor cartridges or a Sailor converter, which comes with the pen. Other brands will not fit. The cartridges hold a ton of ink and last a looooong time, especially in the Pro Gear Slim. The converter holds considerably less ink. The opening in the cartridge and the converter where the ink flows through is a lot wider than in other systems. If you remove a non-empty cartridge or converter, ink might leak out. I feel no need to experiment with different inks, because the Sailor Jentle Blue ink was as much a revelation to me as the pens themselves.

How nice is the material the pen is made out of?
Pro Gear: 4 / 5 stars
1911: 4 / 5 stars

There is some overlap between this criterium and the previous criteria, so here I will not focus on sturdiness or aesthetics but purely on ergonomics. The material of the pen feels very pleasant in the hand, much more so than my other pens (a lot of which have metal sections or are all-metal). The section isn't slippery, offers good grip, and its width is exactly right for me.

Final scores and concluding remarks
Pro Gear: 4.5 / 5 stars
1911: 4 / 5 stars

I paid 160 euros for the Pro Gear Slim and 99 euros for the 1911, both pens essentially being new old stock pens that had been in the store for a while. I find that to be extremely good value for money.

Note that the final scores are not just averages of the other scores. I allowed myself some degree of emotion here. I love these pens, they're exactly right for me. So much so, in fact, that I've begun selling off some of my other pens. I've discovered what ticks my boxes, and this is it. If you look for glassy smooth performance with no feedback, seek elsewhere. If you appreciate a wet, smooth pen with an exquisite nib and a hint of pleasant feedback, try a 1911. If you seek the ultimate writing experience, try a Pro Gear Slim. It's a little bit more effort, but o so worth it.

[ENewton]

Thank you for sharing your joyful experience.

 

I recently acquired a Sailor Pro Gear Slim and, having small hands, do not post it. I understand what you mean about the fragile feel.

[TheDutchGuy]

Thank you for sharing your joyful experience.

You're welcome! That's exactly what it is, a joyful experience.

[Tseg]

Nice review. Even though the flat top version of the cigar shape pen has been around a long time it looks so much more modern to me. The Black & Rhodium Pro Gear is the ultimate combination. I love that anchor on the finial. I just got my Pro Gear King of Pen this weekend and now I don't know what I'll do with all my other pens? I have 6 others in my collection inked up... do I just go ahead and drain their ink? I will be really struggling to use another pen for while.

[TheDutchGuy]

The Black & Rhodium Pro Gear is the ultimate combination. I love that anchor on the finial.

So do I!

 

I just got my Pro Gear King of Pen this weekend and now I don't know what I'll do with all my other pens? I have 6 others in my collection inked up... do I just go ahead and drain their ink? I will be really struggling to use another pen for while.

Same here! Those Sailors just scream "pick me up!" I'm not a collector, nor a hoarder. I've bought some pens to discover what I like, because you can't really tell just by dipping a pen into an ink bottle in a store. You'll find out a month after buying it if a pen is meant for you. These two Sailors will carry most of the burden now. The Pro Gear Slim will be used primarily for daily journaling and desk use, because it already is so special to me that I don't want to subject it too much to the rigours of the road. The 1911 will be my main work pen, together with a Visconti van Gogh. The little Kaweco AL Sport will continue to be my pocket pen and I have a cheap little Kaweco Classic Sport inked up with red ink for annotation and the like. That's it - five pens, all in use. The rest will be sold off, with the exception of a very old, vintage pen that needs serious repair work before it becomes a pen again.

[Uncial]

What is the 1911's size? I ask because the slim Pro Gear looks quite big beside it

Anyway nice pens. I feel the Pro Gear is the best Sailor model for me (although I've never handled a KOP) and really like them. They have a tendency to multiply.

[Tseg]

They have a tendency to multiply.

 

No reproducing flock here, it is all about building the Navy!

[senzen]

Good review, my experience is very similar with a 21k Pro Gear. My new m205 is my most beautiful pen, holds a lot of ink, my Le man 100 is one stately pen... But that Sailor makes Tsuyu Kusa shine, and is a pleasure to use. It was dry when I got it, but by gently spreading the tines it became wet.

[TheDutchGuy]

What is the 1911's size?

Can't measure it at the moment, but the 1911 seems approximately 1.2 cm longer than the Slim.

[Uncial]

Sorry, what I meant was is it the 'Standard' model?

[BlueJ]

It must be the Standard model; the Large has a 21K nib. Also the nibs and sections of these two pens in the second-last photo have identical dimensions; since the Pro Gear is the Slim model, the 1911 must be the Standard (also sometimes called Medium) size.

 

I suspect the differences in writing characteristics between these two pens are due to sample-to-sample variation, not to any systematic difference between the models.

[TheDutchGuy]

It must be the Standard model; the Large has a 21K nib. Also the nibs and sections of these two pens in the second-last photo have identical dimensions; since the Pro Gear is the Slim model, the 1911 must be the Standard (also sometimes called Medium) size.

 

I suspect the differences in writing characteristics between these two pens are due to sample-to-sample variation, not to any systematic difference between the models.

 

 

It is the Standard model.

 

The writing characteristics are slowly converging in the sense that the 1911 is getting less wet. It wasn't visible in any way, but I guess the feed got saturated when I put in a cartridge for the first time. This is a NOS pen, it had been lying around for quite a few years and to get it going I squeezed the cartridge a little bit. The Slim does have more feedback - very special pen (to me).

[mitto]

Thanks for sharing your experience using these great pens.

[Honeybadgers]

I'm a sailor lover to the core, but I'm going to stick with the 1911. I'm all about cigar shape versus flat tops.

[Tseg]

I'm a sailor lover to the core, but I'm going to stick with the 1911. I'm all about cigar shape versus flat tops.

 

Pictures don't do the anchor medallion finial justice. It is very well done.

[TheDutchGuy]

Quick update: the 1911 has been tuned by Jan in his shop in Nijmegen (https://penshop-nijmegen.nl). It is now a bit less wet, just perfect: wet enough for fluent writing and allowing the colours of the ink to come through, but not so wet that it sheens or takes a long time to dry. It's a great pair of pens, I love them.

Edited April 28, 2018 by TheDutchGuy

[thiagojp]

Great review, and a very lucky find!! Sailor makes my favorite nibs of all times, I am with you on that!! You should try a Naginata togi nib, it is on a whole different level!! I think youll love it!

[TheDutchGuy]

You should try a Naginata togi nib, it is on a whole different level!! I think youll love it!

I've got a pen show coming up this weekend and that's actually on my list. Fingers crossed.

[Erik Dalton]

Nice review. Even though the flat top version of the cigar shape pen has been around a long time it looks so much more modern to me. The Black & Rhodium Pro Gear is the ultimate combination. I love that anchor on the finial. I just got my Pro Gear King of Pen this weekend and now I don't know what I'll do with all my other pens? I have 6 others in my collection inked up... do I just go ahead and drain their ink? I will be really struggling to use another pen for while.

Been there as well. Those King of Pen are hard to put down.