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Sailor 1911 Profit, Fine Nib, Ivory Body I realize there are several reviews of the Sailor 1911 Profit, but I don't seem to see many pictures of the ivory body. I decided to put in my two cents and also have some reference pictures available for anyone else who wants to check out the pen before buying. The pictures I have seen prior to receiving this pen made it difficult to determine whether or not the pen was a bright white or a true ivory. I can happily say that it's a lovely off white colour and that I am very pleased with it. What follows is my picture heavy mini review. I would highly recommend the pen, and it is honestly my favourite pen overall (I had a burgundy one that I have sadly misplaced). The pen came with a standard Sailor box, that seems price appropriate, a converter, two cartridges, and an instruction manual. The pen was a birthday present from my girlfriend, and I appreciate it a lot. She's far too kind to me and indulges my hobby. The Review: Appearance and Design: 8 The classic cigar shape of the pen is fitting, though admittedly uninspired. I very much like the ivory colour and I think it's a step up from white. It looks like a nice warm pen, and the gold trim only adds to the appeal. The clip is also classic and uninspired, but far from ugly. It fits with the pen and all in all it looks very classy. In my book, it does get bonus points for being ivory coloured. If you don't care for the colour as much as I do, I would say the design is a 7, since it's unoriginal but well executed. The Pen DSCF6769 by makey95, on Flickr The Trim DSCF6774 by makey95, on Flickr Construction and Quality: 9 The pen feels very well made, and is very sturdy. The threads where the cap screws on are smooth and rounded, and they never interfere with the grip. There's not a single loose part in the pen, and it seems sturdy enough to take drops while capped. The resin body feels durable, and nothing about the pen seems cheap. The nib and feed are friction fit, and they can easily be pulled out, but they're not loose at all and are a snug fit. Nib and Feed DSCF6777 by makey95, on Flickr Weight and Dimensions: 10 The pen feels like it's made to be posted, and once posted feels perfectly balanced. Unposted, it is a tad too short for my hands, and feels rather light. Capped the pen measures around 5.25" and uncapped it is about 4.625" unposted. Posted, the pen is about 6" long. The diameter of the grip seems to be around .375". It is a medium-light pen, but I can write with it for hours at a time without my hand tiring. Nib and Performance: 10 Honestly this is my favourite modern nib/favourite non-flex nib. I've tried a few flex nibs that come close to being the joy that this one is, but even they pale in comparison. It is honestly one of the most enjoyable writing experiences that I have experienced. For such a fine nib, it is extraordinarily smooth and has almost no feedback, but still enough to let you feel the paper enough to enjoy the ride. The feed does a superb job of keeping up and it never has any hard starts or skips. The nib wrote immediately, even after being left out to take the photographs. The Nib DSCF6783 by makey95, on Flickr The Feed DSCF6775 by makey95, on Flickr Filling System and Maintenance: 7 The pen uses a cartridge converter system, and despite that has great ink flow. The converter does not hold all that much, but it's certainly enough to last several days of note taking. Having a cartridge converter system makes maintenance easy enough, but the friction fit nib and feed makes cleaning out the pen a breeze. Just take it apart, wash it, dry it, and it's quick and easy to move from a black ink to say a light yellow-orange. Normally I would give cartridge converter pens a 5, utterly average, neither good nor bad, but the ease of maintenance warrants a higher grade. Cost and Value: 10 This tends to be highly subjective, but for a pen that I consider to be the best writing experience, with a marvelous fine nib, easy maintenance, and perfect balance, I would say that the $100 that my girlfriend paid for it was reasonable. I would be personally willing to pay the full U.S. price for this pen (with tax, around 180 dollars). Conclusion: Highly recommended, if you couldn't tell. A word of warning, every once in a while I do see a Sailor 1911/Pro Gear or two out of the box (I've worked with a few over the years) with misaligned tines, but that's usually a quick fix. I have never seen a Sailor 1911 Standard that, once aligned, does not write smoothly. The majority of Sailors that I have seen write perfectly out of the box. Writing Sample/First impression review (Muji Notebook) DSCF6787 by makey95, on Flickr Final Words: Thanks for reading, feel free to mention your own thoughts on the pen, the colour, or my pictures. I tried my best to accurately pick up the colour of the body. I cannot thank my girlfriend enough for the gift, and I know it will see a lot of use. The only thing that I'm worried about is staining the ivory body. I've been looking into leather pen slips/holders for this pen, and I would appreciate any cheap but durable recommendations. I would like around 10 dollars, 15 maximum for the holder. I hope the review was informative.

Hi all! I'm looking for a black ink with a fast drying time for use on regular inkjet/office paper. My previous focus on inks has primarily been towards permanency and flow but now I need to find something that will dry fast and not feather on cheaper paper. Anyone got any good ideas, preferably for something I can source quickly in the UK. With these qualities in mind I hear good things on this site about J.Herbin Perle Noire, Waterman Black but if there are any others please let me know. Thanks, Badger

Hi all, I am hoping you can help me out. I am looking for a fine point (0.5mm) point blue gel/rollerball refill that will fit in a Parker Jotter. So far, I can only find black Parker fine point and they generally have poor reviews (short lasting). Any suggestions? It would be nice if it didn't cost as much as a whole new Jotter pen... Thanks.

After watching how excited I was when I took delivery of my two CS pens over the last few months, my partner also decided to take the plunge and finally go for her grail pen. Her pen collection is quite varied and over a great many years has collected many makes and models. These include a Mont Blanc Boheme, TWSBI ROC special edition, baby TSWBI, Pelikan M400 Tortoise Shell, a couple of inexpensive Parkers, a Jinhao (can't remember the actual model but it is covered in dragon markings, a Parsons Essentials Italix and a Lamy Safari in Lime Green. I think there is a Waterman and a Shaeffer in the pen box as well! After handling my Conway Stewarts and having had a play with them on various papers and inks, followed by days poring over the Conway Stewart catalogue, a reasonably quick conclusion was made. It HAD to be the Elegance Blue Laurel, with a fine nib. We found one available at "Andy's Pens" based in Kent, who checked stock with Conway Stewart for us after a quick email enquiry. I say quick, I sent the email and got a reply measured in minutes! Delivery was just as quick, we had the pen in our hands within 48 hours of placing the order. Now, as this is definitely NOT my pen, I really have to hold off on doing a proper review, but I think I can get away with sharing our first impressions. Unboxing: Typical CS, box within a box within a box. There is NO WAY a Conway Stewart will get damaged in transit. Imagine peeling the layers off an onion, you get the idea, but each layer has a surprise! Just check the pictures. LOL. Final Box Opened: Wow. Thats the word. WOW. The pictures DO NOT do the finish justice. It is not a pen, it is a work of art. The depth of the blue with the abundance of silver is just mind blowing. The attention to detail is just so apparent and that is just first impressions. In the hand: Heavy. VERY heavy. The pen is crafted from a rid of solid silver and as such is heavy. The pen is quite small, similar to the Belliver or a TWSBI, but the weight is a shocker. It subconsciously makes the pen feel much bigger than it's physical size. If this is dropped nib first, the weight of the pen behind it will trash the nib first time I am sure. If it is me that drops the pen, I had better get my passport and a one way ticket in the direction of "away".... :-) Prepping: Following reading the forums here, and reading advice given to another CS owner by Mary Burke, I took no chances. I flushed the pen with a very mild ammonia/water solution, followed by a further flush with copious amounts of fresh water. I used a rubber bulb to force the liquids thru the nib/feed to be double sure. All gentle and sensible. Inked: I cracked open a bottle of Iroshizuku tsuki-yo which I bought just for this pen and loaded it up. The pen has a captive converter fitted (all that means is that the converter screws in securely). Good to go. My partner then offered it up to a fresh sheet of Rhodia 80gm and...... First touch, first character, perfect line. First whole paragraph, not a single problem, no skipping, flooding, or burping. Spot on. All the problems I have previously read about, issues with the converters etc, none of them. I am sure this is down to the pre-use flushing given. I was then passed the pen for me to have a go myself. I wrote a single line then passed the pen back. It is a fine nib, on Rhodia it is fine to extra fine. It is really smooth (for a fine) and has a nice amount of feedback. I do suspect that the ink plays a part in this, I will try it in one of my pens and see what happens. The pictures: We took the snaps in a bit of a hurry so we could get to the fun part so I do apologise for the blurring on the pictures. We think we have caught the colours, but believe me, they really do not do the pen justice. Final thoughts: A grail pen. My Partner chose carefully and has declared this is her last pen. We shall see. There is a thread somewhere about a potential doctor who pen. Well, the colour of the pen here is almost tardis blue and the pattern is quite doctor-who-ish, or baystate-blue-ish? All the same, its awesome. Did I say it is heavy? Anyhow, we hope you like the unboxing/Pics/mini review. Phew! D.

I am considering getting into the fountain pen hobby, and I am wondering how long bottled ink lasts. Specifically, to be used for primarily school notes and homework, with a fine or extra fine lamy nib (if that makes a difference). How many milliliters of ink do you guys usually go though with schoolwork? I realize that there are a lot of variables at play here, but a rough estimate would be very helpful to me. Thanks

Hi all, I'm new to fountain pens and new here... I started with a Safari F nib, then quickly bought another, then an Al-Star. I've been doing some BulletJournal stuff in a moleskine and quickly found out how bad that paper is for FPs. Being honest, I spend a lot of my time with substandard paper, so I decided to get a Lamy Vista with an EF nib. First the set-up, then the questions: The Al-Star is a F nib, loaded with Noodler's Liberty Elysium, and writes fatter than all the others by a noticeable amount The 2 Safari Fines are pretty close to the Vista EF The Vista EF line is just a shade less than the fines, but just puts down less ink, although is a shade more scratchy. 1) I've heard that the Lamy EF and F can often be the same or even swapped due to consistency. Part of me wants to buy new nibs and make all my pens EF, but that consistency scares me that it might be a waste of money - thoughts? 2) How much effect can the ink have on the line/amount of ink? Is that what they mean by "wet" ink"? This Liberty Elysium is WET, evidently... 3) I do like the feel of the F nibs a bit more. Are there notebooks that are similar to moleskines that are more friendly so it just won't be an issue? I could maybe then use my EF when I'm around bad paper and use the other 3 F in my journals, too. I'm guessing a lot of you will say Rhodia Webnotebooks... are they THAT much better? I read about them all the time but DAGGONE $25 each is STEEP. Thanks for any help you can offer! Brody

Hi everyone, My name is Pierre. I'm from France and I rediscovered penmanship through my 9yo daughter who has had a calligraphy course in school. My everyday handwriting is terrible, however, if I want to write nicely, I can turn nice letters and I discovered that I had an old Pelikan pen with a gold nib that would flex if applying huge pressure. The result was quite nice (to me) so I decided to go hunt for a real flex nib fountain pen (or even better, a wet noodle) and recently bought a couple of pens on *bay. I am still receiving some and the result is quite nice. I will sell back those that I am unhappy with (what is nice with vintage pens is that you don't lose much by buying and selling them because their market price does not vary that much: the most I could lose is shipping price to and fro). Meanwhile, I offered my daughter a dip pen and will present her with a nice non-flex fountain pen for her 10th birthday (pilot vanishing point) that she will be able to use during her studies (the first nice fountain pens I got were after I really needed them, so I thought that it would be better to offer my daughter a good fountain pen when she will need it most). Then, if she really appreciates penmanship (through her dip pen & different nibs), I will offer her a nice flexible fountain pen for her to enjoy quality writing. Pierre

Hello, Over the past few months I've been desperately trying to find a suitable blue(ish) ink for my Cedar Blue "51" Vacumatic with a fine nib...The thing is that I don't particularly like/use fine nibs (it's my only fine nib besides the Konrad flex nib), but this one writes more towards a medium than an extra-fine, is pleasantly wet, and was my college graduation gift (couldn't part with it in a million years)... so I use it for cursive writing (I usually write in print). I've tried a large variety of blue inks (oh yes, forgot to mention...blue isn't really my favorite ink color), starting with Waterman Florida Blue (too pale), Pelikan Blue-Black (too grey when it comes out of a fine nib), Pelikan Turquoise (pale and had some bleedthrough), Pelikan Edelstein Topaz (beautiful color but takes quite some time to rinse it out of a "51" Vacumatic), even Noodler's Bad Belted Kingfisher for a very short while (I like the color and saturation in the fine nib...but I can't keep it for too long in a vintage pen). So now, after trying some blue inks, some turquoise inks, I want to try a Blue-Black/dark blue ink. I've listed 3 particular inks in the poll and now I would like to know your personal opinion on the matter...what kind of blue(ish) ink could surprise a person that doesn't like blue inks As a side note, you may wonder why I don't just abandon my quest for THE blue ink and go for the greens, the browns, the purples...since I don't particularly like blue. Well...let's say I want to give blue a second chance before I give up completely. Cheers!

Pilot Elite Pocket Pen (18k Gold Nib, Fine, Vintage) Review Ink: Diamine Monaco Red Paper: Rhodia No. 16 5x5 Grid I picked out this pen on ebay because I thought it looked very interesting. It was a used pen, and did not come with a box or converter, but it was in fairly good condition (it only had micro scratches). I fell in love with the design the moment I saw it, but to my horror I found that the pen did NOT write well. Thankfully, after a quick check with a loupe, I found that the tines did not have any space between them. I quickly fixed it and used it for a full day with several different inks. The following is my handwritten review of the pen: http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2868/11992561946_de01404a8b.jpg For those who can't read my handwriting, I took the liberty of typing up the review as well: 1. Appearance and Design: 10/10To me, the design is one of the most appealing aspsects of the pen. It looks sleek, modern and very classy both capped and posted. The integrated feed really drives the appearance home. It is a nice glossy black with elegant gold trim. http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3770/11992137344_6736e58fcb.jpg 2. Construction and Quality: 10/10 There is nothing that I can justify deducting points for. The pen is very solid, and the capping/posting mechanism process is wonderfully smooth but with just enough resistance. The pen does not feel cheap in the hand. It feels solid enough that I would not be afraid if I dropped it. http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5517/11992568796_29ebc49b8d.jpg 3. Weight and Dimensions: 8/10 The pen is a bit on the light side but not quite light. The section may be too thin for some but I find it to be close to ideal. It is about 4.5 inches capped and about 6 inches posted. The pocket pens are made to be posted. 4. Nib and Performance: 8/10 The nib is smooth with just the right amount of feedback. It is made of plain 18k gold, and is a nial, more or less. It's a great Japanese fine, and has average flow. http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7335/11992571766_b10391bd7c.jpg 5. Filling System and Maintenance: 5/10A standard cartridge/converter. Not much to say. Takes the con20. 6. Cost and Value: 7/10I got it on ebay for very cheap for a wonderful smooth gold nib. I don't see them very often, but I feel as though $90 was a fair price. 7. Conclusion: Recommended! A very pleasing vintage pen that I found to be functional and handy I would definitely recommend this pen. Addendum:I only rated the nib so low because I had problems initially and for a while I also had some problems with the occasional hard start. That has since been worked on and it is seemingly fixed. After that it has been a very pleasant experience and it is one of my favourite pens for everyday use. I would only rate my Sailor 1911 higher, and my flex nib Eversharp ties with it.

thought i share about my experience comparing the 2 pens Correction: like the way the stainless steel shines. http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5525/12047066095_c2c280f39b_c.jpg

Hi Experts, This is a picture of my old pilot fountain pen. It writes butter-smooth with waterman florida blue ink. However, it has a little dryness associated with sailor inks. It has a F-nib and H983 is written on the nib. The nib, clip & trim are golden in color, they might be gold plated, I have no idea. I could not identify the pen. It was gifted to me by my dad in 2002. Can anyone please help me recognize this model ? http://feb.imghost.us/FeHp.jpg Thanks, Sonik

Hello! I was wondering if anyone of you has a Parker Duofold (or maybe another pen) with an Oblique Fine nib? I was looking everywhere for some writing/drawing OF samples ....in vain I would like to know if an oblique nib would help me create some more line variation while drawing or would it skip all the time while not holding to a certain angle? I always tend to turn the nib towards me when I write and draw... actually when I draw I twist the pen all the time in all directions and use all the sides of the nib. I did not realise that until I watched a video of my hands while I draw... And if I turn an oblique upside down, does it produce a thinner line like the rounded nibs? I have some dip pens with reverse oblique nibs. They are totally flat, sharp as hell and a bit too broad for detailed drawing so they don't really help me imagine how an OF would work. The thing is I finally ordered my new Duofold. It comes with an F nib...but I could exchange the nib within 4 weeks. I'm really interested in the OF but I'm not sure if I can test it anywhere in Berlin... In all the stores I've been to I've been told I will probably have to send my pen to Parker (in Hamburg I think) if I'm not happy with the F nib. Sorry for writing a novel Here is one of my sketches...I'm interested in a nib that would create long, organic lines and give me lots of line variation.... Thank you for any help! Ewa http://ewaludwi.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/smoke.jpg?w=500&h=836

How has your nib prefer eve changed over the years? I used to buy fine and extra fine nibs exclusively until about seven years ago, when I started getting into broad and upwards. Now, my standard nib is is almost always going to be a stub or cursive italic, and wouldn't bother with anything smaller. I think larger nibs can be more demanding to use, but also help in maintaining a clear hand. Any thoughts?

I finally have the funds to purchase the ever so lovely Edison beaumont. I have been wondering though how the extra fine nib is. If anyone can tell me their experience with the edison EF nibs (scratchiness, wetness, etc.) it would be very appreciated. Thanks, ~Phil

I recently found my grandpa's old sheaffer 550 F nib fountain pen sitting in his basement. I inked it up and tried it out and absolutely LOVED it. It wrote super fine and dry, but it was buttery smooth. Additionally, it appears to be a pretty springy, soft nib, as I can squeeze some fun line variation. However, it is my grandpa's pen and I intend to return it soon. I was wondering if anyone had tried a sheaffer 550 F nib and knew another pen that was similarly fine and dry, yet buttery smooth and has similar flex AND is hopefully cheaper than a normal sheaffer 550. I would like <$30 and prefer a metal body, but the metal body isn't as important.

Hi all! I was fortunate enough yesterday to be able to go to the penfriend store up in London. I've had my eye on either a M800 or M1000 for some time now, but needed to hold one in hand in order to see their build quality etc. Seeing some nice shiny photos on here doesn't quite do the job on deciding when there's £300/£400 at stake! Anyway, I tried out a bold nib on a m1000 and was surprised by its softness and wonderful smoothness. Unfortunately they didn't have an fine on a m1000 so couldn't compare. Does anyone have both nibs? if so what are your opinions on which line size is more soft. P.S. I'm aware that Pelikan don't intend on making a flex nibs per se, but their softness is an interesting feature.

Hello ! I have one Sailor wood maki-e that has a fine writing but, strangely, the nib is not marked fine or extra fine (I have seen another sailor wood maki-e where the nib is marked M..in other online fotos I have seen them marked but with the number 2. I would appreciate some help from more experienced collectors/users in identifying if this nib is fine or extra fine ? Or what is the meaning of the 2 ? Thanks in advance for your help Christian

My grandmother insisted I take my grandfather's pen. Even though, by the looks of it, it's not going to see much use at all. It's with me purely for sentimental reasons. And yet, I cannot keep hoping that some day I would be able to fix it and use. My mother has the exact same pen, but that one works wonderfully well. It's got a 14k gold nib which puts down a very fine line. I'm assuming that this model is from the 1970s. It's a Pilot of course. But I don't know which model. I was wondering if it would be possible to fix this. The nib is gone, the ink sac is all but gone, and the ink chamber comes off. But the real issue may just be the nib. I don't know the model, so can't Google the nib compatibilities. I live in New Delhi, India, so it won't be easy for me to send it abroad to a skilled nibmeister. And I don't know of any here. But it would be great if someone could tell me the model of this pen. Seeking spares would become infinitely easier. Thanks a ton! Photographs follow. Images can be disturbing. Viewer discretion recommended.