Sailor Sapporo Zoom Nib -- a 3x5 review

[katfisch]

I got this pen from PenGallery in Malasia during their New Years sale a few weeks ago -- about $93 plus $15 shipping. It puts down a wide wet line rightside up, with some variability in line width depending on the angle of the nib to the paper (which is the "zoom" feature). It has a beautiful stiff 14k nib and writes well upside down with a much finer line. I'll be using this pen when I'm feeling the need for penmanship machismo.

[andrewboy]

I got this pen from PenGallery in Malasia during their New Years sale a few weeks ago -- about $93 plus $15 shipping. It puts down a wide wet line rightside up, with some variability in line width depending on the angle of the nib to the paper (which is the "zoom" feature). It has a beautiful stiff 14k nib and writes well upside down with a much finer line. I'll be using this pen when I'm feeling the need for penmanship machismo.

Thanks for this review. I have been fascinated with this nib since I first saw one advertised. Do you find it difficult to maintain consistency in writing with it? I tend to move my pen about quite a bit, so I may struggle!

[RevAaron]

What are the differences between teh low, medium, and high angles? I tried a Naginata Togi with a similar feature- low angles made for a thicker line- but in my normal range of holds it made no differences. To get the wider line I had to hold the pen down very low, in a way that was impossible to control. I'm guessing the Zoom gets the same line variation without having to position the pen so severely?

[lightweaver]

Nice little review. I've also been wondering about the Zoom nib, but been hesitant to give it a try. Nice to actually see how the nib writes.

 

Is it as fun as it looks?

[katfisch]

What are the differences between teh low, medium, and high angles? I tried a Naginata Togi with a similar feature- low angles made for a thicker line- but in my normal range of holds it made no differences. To get the wider line I had to hold the pen down very low, in a way that was impossible to control. I'm guessing the Zoom gets the same line variation without having to position the pen so severely?

Here's another 3x5 card with more samples of the Zoom line variability. As the photos of the nib show, there's a flat writing surface ground onto the top of the nib which makes write like a fine nib, when inverted.