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Sailor 1911


Apollo

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Picked up yet another pen to add to my weekly rotation. This time it's a Sailor 1911.

 

The Sailor "1911" fountain pen is named as such because 1911 was the year that the pen company was founded by Kyugoro Sakata. The 1911 features a 21 karat gold nib available in an array of nib choices (EF, F, F/M, M, B, Music and Zoom nibs) and come in 4 colors: navy blue, black, burgundy and forest green. These full sized pens measure at 5 3/8" in length with the cap on and are nicely packaged along with 2 ink cartridges and a converter. Now, for some pics.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/CosmicSuperchunk/Sailor048.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/CosmicSuperchunk/Sailor042.jpg

 

The one I opted for was a burgundy model with a medium nib. As is typical with most pens of Japanese manufacture, the nibs run narrower than European and American nibs, so my medium 1911 writes more like a fine (compared to brands like Pelikan, Lamy, Parker, Sheaffer & Waterman). Here's a closer picture of the nib and the cap showing the Sailor's anchor logo.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/CosmicSuperchunk/Sailor039.jpg

 

In the pictures above, The pen's color appears darker than it actually is, but these two pics show what the color looks like under indoor light and outdoor light.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/CosmicSuperchunk/Sailor016.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/CosmicSuperchunk/Sailor033.jpg

 

And finally, a size comparison: Waterman Charleston, Pelikan M215, Sailor 1911 and a Pilot Knight.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/CosmicSuperchunk/Sailor023.jpg

 

The cap, clip and barrel are very well crafted and even though the burgundy color and overall design doesn't have the razzle dazzle look of some Italian pens currently on the market, the Sailor 1911 has an elegant and timeless "classic" look which I find very appealing. Despite being a "full sized" pen, the 1911 isn't heavy. If you're used to writing with slimmer or "small sized" pens like the Pelikan M400, you'll find the standard 1911 a bit on the wider side and perhaps the Sailor M1911 would be a better option. Nevertheless, the pen is a sweet writer. The nib on this thing is exquisitely smooth. If I could describe how smooth it lays down a line, I'd say it was like butter. The medium nib on my Sailor writes more like a fine, but it sure is a pleasure to write with. I can already tell this pen will be seeing alot of use. :)

Edited by Apollo
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p202/Apollo3000/es-canary-islands-flag1s.gif Bendita mi tierra guanche.
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Apollo, thanks for the look. I particularly appreciate the pic with the others for size comparison. I had been wondering about it and this clears it up very well. Nicely done, sir. :D

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8, NKJV)
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an important question for me:

how do you compare the writing and smoothness ot the Pilot Knight compared to your Sailor 1911 - official name is Sailor Profit 21 in Japan.

?

thanks

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an important question for me:

how do you compare the writing and smoothness ot the Pilot Knight compared to your Sailor 1911 - official name is Sailor Profit 21 in Japan.

?

thanks

Sailor 1911 compared to a Pilot Knight? We're talking about 2 different classes of fountain pens here, but if you're just wondering which writes smoother, then without question it's the Sailor 1911.

 

That's not to say that the Pilot Knight is inferior, it's just in a different class. For starters, the Knight has a stiff steel nib and can be bought for under $40 dollars in the US compared to the just under $200 mark for the Sailor 1911. I will say that if there was a "best buy of the year" award for pens under $50, the Pilot Knight would get my vote.

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So the nib is a solid gold nib, can you tell any difference in the solid 21 karat between that and an 18 k or a 14 k ect....

Tim: The Music Pen Guy

http://www.fountainpenhospital.com/images/pelikan_images/concerto.jpg

http://www.penmuseum.co.uk/images/pelog4.jpghttp://www.penmuseum.co.uk/images/pelog1.jpg

Pelikan Nest

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So the nib is a solid gold nib, can you tell any difference in the solid 21 karat between that and an 18 k or a 14 k ect....

The Sailor's 21K nib does feels a bit springier than the 18K nib on my Waterman Charleston and the 14K nibs on my Pelikan M250 and Pilot Vanishing Point.

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Hi Apollo,

 

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the 1911. I had one for a short period of time, a black one. Very nice, quality pen, just not for me, unfortunately. The nib, as you stated, butter.

 

Warm regards, Wim

the Mad Dutchman
laugh a little, love a little, live a lot; laugh a lot, love a lot, live forever

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Thanks for the review Apollo, and all the pictures. Keep 'em coming!

 

It's nice to see how a particular pen compares to others in size, as southpaw mentioned, so thanks for posting the 'comparison' shot. I have heard nothing but good things about the Sailor 1911/M1911 series so it's good to know how they compare to each other in terms of size; thanks for mentioning that in your review as well.

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Great review, a word of advise for the comparision it would be nice if the bottoms of the pens lined up so there would be an easier reference for size, but an outstanding review.

Tim: The Music Pen Guy

http://www.fountainpenhospital.com/images/pelikan_images/concerto.jpg

http://www.penmuseum.co.uk/images/pelog4.jpghttp://www.penmuseum.co.uk/images/pelog1.jpg

Pelikan Nest

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Thanks Maja. I must say, this Sailor 1911 has instantly become one of my top favorite fountain pens.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p202/Apollo3000/es-canary-islands-flag1s.gif Bendita mi tierra guanche.
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Great review, a word of advise for the comparision it would be nice if the bottoms of the pens lined up so there would be an easier reference for size, but an outstanding review.

I hear ya. I'll redo the comparison pic and post it tomorrow. :)

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p202/Apollo3000/es-canary-islands-flag1s.gif Bendita mi tierra guanche.
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Okay thanks

Tim: The Music Pen Guy

http://www.fountainpenhospital.com/images/pelikan_images/concerto.jpg

http://www.penmuseum.co.uk/images/pelog4.jpghttp://www.penmuseum.co.uk/images/pelog1.jpg

Pelikan Nest

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Here's another size comparison, this time with the bottoms lined up.

 

Pilot Vanishing Point, Lamy 2000, Sailor 1911, Pelikan M215, Waterman Charleston

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v280/CosmicSuperchunk/SizeComparison056.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p202/Apollo3000/es-canary-islands-flag1s.gif Bendita mi tierra guanche.
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Great pic, nice addition of the ruler too

Tim: The Music Pen Guy

http://www.fountainpenhospital.com/images/pelikan_images/concerto.jpg

http://www.penmuseum.co.uk/images/pelog4.jpghttp://www.penmuseum.co.uk/images/pelog1.jpg

Pelikan Nest

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Thanks. I hope it was helpful.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p202/Apollo3000/es-canary-islands-flag1s.gif Bendita mi tierra guanche.
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Apollo,

 

Great review again. I was debating getting this pen, but I got the Lamy 2000. I am glad you like it. Maybe I will get a Sailor later this year. How does the nib compare to the Lamy 2000? How is the ink capacity of the converter?

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Hi Rak, the nib on the Sailor 1911 is different than that of the Lamy 2000. Both my samples have medium nibs, but the 1911's nib writes a little smoother than the Lamy and as is typical with most Japanese FP's, it writes more like a fine than a medium. The converter holds as much ink as most others, but no where near what the Lamy 2000 holds.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p202/Apollo3000/es-canary-islands-flag1s.gif Bendita mi tierra guanche.
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  • 4 weeks later...

In the last week I got a black 1911 from World Lux in Seattle. Not the cheapeast, but I'm supporting my local economy, and their service is terrific. As other's have said, this nib ranks high amongst my several pens in smoothness. There is no tooth whatsoever, and the nib glides along the paper. I even have a G Lalo notebook with what I consider really super textured paper that has dried out many a nib, but this Sailor keeps on trucking. I have made two observations which have, unfortunately, hampered my potential long-term use of this instrument:

 

1) The section is wide, and has an even taper. The width would likely simply take a little getting used to, but I'm not sure yet about the taper. I seem to think that most pens I use regularly sort of turn outwards at the bottom of the section where the nib is attached. This swell helps me maintain a consistent grip on the pen. I never really noticed it until it wasn't there.

 

2) I absolutely despise cartridge/converter fillers. The capacity is unsatisfactorily low. I would have to refill this pen about every third day, and for me that's more often than I would like. I know, why did I buy this pen knowing it was CC fill? I don't know, but that nib is soooo smooth. I guess I lost control for a brief moment of reckless desire.

 

Anyways, I noticed that the section has an o-ring at its base where the barrel screws on, in addition to a good number of threads holding barrel and section together. This got me to thinking that perhaps a Sailor 1911 would make a good eyedropper. I figure after my converter runs dry again, I'll give this a shot. I searched the forums and didn't see any obvious threads indicating that someone has tried this with a 1911 yet. Now if I can just get over the broad and evenly tapered section, I might be doing well. :)9

Edited by inkyfingers

-Mike

So much ink, so little said...

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Congrats on your 1911. I have to say that out of all the pens I own, the nib on my Sailor 1911 is the smoothest. I wish it had a built in piston filler or at least a pump converter like the one in the Namiki Bamboo, but otherwise it ranks # 1 in my top 5 fountain pens because of it's immaculate nib.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p202/Apollo3000/es-canary-islands-flag1s.gif Bendita mi tierra guanche.
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Does anyone have a 1911 and a 146 to compare? They look alike from photos.

I know the latter is a piston filler, but are they similar in regards to feel and writing performance?

 

Regards,

Jeen

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