Sailor 1911 Realo Or P51?

[mitto]

Yes, Anthony. It is a real beauty. Hope you enjoy writing with it.

[jchch1950]

Parker 51. .My personal opinion based on my experience with both pens.

[A Smug Dill]

but between a Sailor 1911 (Realo) and a P51,... if you were asked to choose between these two... which one would you take (and why)?

I'd take the Sailor 1911 Realo over the Parker 51 any day, even though:

• I find the cigar shape so common in Japanese fountain pens to be boring, and doubly so if it's in a plain colour such as black (but colourless/transparent does not make it better either);
• I prefer cartridge/converter as the filling mechanism in a fountain pen above all other options, and I don't think piston-fill makes a pen any more useful, valuable, 'high-end', 'professional' or pleasing; and
• I've never used or even seen a Parker 51 physically.

Why, then? Well, call it 'the devil you know'. In any case, there are many words associated with some fountain pens that I personally find to be a turn-off, and they include: vintage, Parker, hooded nib. I'll trust a ‘big three’ Japanese pen over a European pen to faithfully deliver a narrow line that befits a Fine nib grade any day, and all the Parker pens (both expensive ones and cheap ones) I've used were apt to dry out quickly even when capped properly.

 

I do have a Sailor Professional Gear Realo, still sitting factory-sealed in a retail box. It sounded like a good idea at the time when I ordered it on eBay, but at the end of the day I really don't like piston-fill pens all that much, and have no use for an expensive one that I don't want to clog up with a shimmer ink.

[surprise123]

Was that the one that was listed up on Etsy? I considered buying it but held off.

[Honeybadgers]

I'd take the Sailor 1911 Realo over the Parker 51 any day, even though:

• I find the cigar shape so common in Japanese fountain pens to be boring, and doubly so if it's in a plain colour such as black (but colourless/transparent does not make it better either);
• I prefer cartridge/converter as the filling mechanism in a fountain pen above all other options, and I don't think piston-fill makes a pen any more useful, valuable, 'high-end', 'professional' or pleasing; and
• I've never used or even seen a Parker 51 physically.

Why, then? Well, call it 'the devil you know'. In any case, there are many words associated with some fountain pens that I personally find to be a turn-off, and they include: vintage, Parker, hooded nib. I'll trust a ‘big three’ Japanese pen over a European pen to faithfully deliver a narrow line that befits a Fine nib grade any day, and all the Parker pens (both expensive ones and cheap ones) I've used were apt to dry out quickly even when capped properly.

 

I do have a Sailor Professional Gear Realo, still sitting factory-sealed in a retail box. It sounded like a good idea at the time when I ordered it on eBay, but at the end of the day I really don't like piston-fill pens all that much, and have no use for an expensive one that I don't want to clog up with a shimmer ink.

 

If you haven't tried a parker 51, but are curious about the feel in the hand, the wing sung 601 is a perfect clone of the weight and balance and size of a P51 vacumatic.

[surprise123]

^ +1

 

A cheap and good way to enter the realm of hooded nibs. Wing Sung nibs may need a little work sometimes, but they are usually fantastic thin writers. Plus, the demonstrator looks freaking COOL.

 

The Wing Sung 601 is to blame for my mother stealing my favorite Parker 51... and not telling me for a week as I tore my hair out trying to find it.