Sailor and Montblanc, The Same One?

[penpen]

I am considering to buy a fountain pen, I noticed a Japanese fountianpen "Sailor" looks really like Montblanc, is it Copy or Clone?

which one writes better?

[Nimrud]

Sailors are not copies of Montblanc. Their styling is quite similar to MB, that is true, but they are very different pens. As to which writes better, that's hard to say, you will have to judge for yourself. I can say however, that Sailor makes some of the smoothest nibs in the business.

 

Sailor also makes specialty nibs which are not available from any other pen manufacturer, such as the zoom nib and the Nagahara Naginata-togi series. But these are not everybody's cup of tea.

[theking]

Sailors 1911 models in black color does look like MB meisterstuck.

 

I have pens from both brands and think sailor pens have better nibs, and they are cheaper.

 

Sailor pens are generally smooth and wet. MB pens are hit or miss. A couple of my 146 and 149 write great out of the box, while some other ones have major problems.

[penpen]

Thank you

 

:roflmho:

[marklavar]

I am considering to buy a fountain pen, I noticed a Japanese fountianpen "Sailor" looks really like Montblanc, is it Copy or Clone?

which one writes better?

Sailor pens are stylistically similar to Montblanc, but in all other respects are very different pens. The nibs are very smooth and a delight to use, but the pens themselves are rather boring looking, the exception being the 'King of Pen' model, which is the premium priced 'top of the range' model. All in all, these pens offer superb value for money.

[meanwhile]

Based on reputation, I'd buy the Sailor without a doubt. I believe the nibs run a size finer than usual, so that if you want an XF you should order an F, etc - but you should check this.

 

There are fake Sailors, I hear, but many fewer than fake Mont Blancs.

[marklavar]

Sailor nibs run much finer than Montblanc. The two pens are totally different, as Sailor uses the cartirdge/converter filling system while MB sticks to the old fashioned piston filler. The only MB I would recommend buying is the 149.

[SincerelySpicy]

The mark of fame for sailor pens in the fountain pen world is not the apperance of the pen like montblancs. That dosent mean that sailor pens themselves are bad quality; no, they are some of the best made pens that I've seen.

 

However, their true claim to fame are the nibs. Sailor nibs come in a awe inspiring variety as well as some really innovative designs.

 

They come in every basic nib size and style; Extra Fine, Fine, Fine-Medium, Medium and Broad. They have a Music nib, which is a juicy wide stub, and their Zoom nib with which you adjust line thickness by changing the angle of the pen.

 

Their most famous nibs are their specialty nibs. They have cross slit nibs which in addition to the regular slit in the nib has a crosscutting slit which is kind of like two separate nibs merged, one on top of another. They have a nib that is bent downwards so that it writes as a fine normally, and writes with an extremely broad line upside down.

 

And then my favorite. Their King Eagle nib is built with three layers on the nib creating a brushstroke like line.

 

These nibs are painstakingly hand made and are of possibly the best quality nibs you can find. However, the prices reflect this. The standard nibs are about $200, and the specialty nibs range from $300 to $1800 for the King Eagle nib. These are just the nibs! and if you want to buy a set, (and if you have the disposable income) you can buy a set of nibs with one body for 745,500 Yen in japan or $6400.

 

More information, photos and writing samples here:

Ujuku's website, Sailor Nib Set

Nibs.com, Sailor Nib Page

Edited July 17, 2006 by SJM1123

[kissing]

I have to admit, it is sometimes difficult to identify some pens at a glance, because some have very similar designs.

 

I had a glance at my school principal's pen, but I can't pinpoint what it was. It can either be a MontBlanc Meisterstuck or a Waterman Expert or even a Sailor

 

Can you distinguish the 3 from just these pictures?

 

http://img.epinions.com/images/opti/82/90/3078352ZMIS9401-resized200.jpg

 

http://www.blitzjewellery.co.uk/images/MB05.jpg

 

http://www.levimage.com/IMAGE/PRODUCTS/PEN_INK/PENS/AP0490E_1404.jpg

 

Of course, for would-be and true fountain pen experts, the differences will be found easily. But if you glance them briefly from a distance, the similarities are uncanny.

Edited July 17, 2006 by kissing

[Nimrud]

The King Eagle nib does produce a fantastic brush-like line, but my favourite is the Cross Emperor, having tried both. The Cross Emperor produces a line nearly as broad and just as brush-like as the King Eagle, but has the advantage of being able to keep up the ink flow even when you are laying down lots of broad lines quickly. Also, with four tines instead of six, the likelihood of misalignment is lower.

 

Nevertheless, I consider both of them incredible nibs.

[Nimrud]

1. Waterman

2. Montblanc

3. Sailor 1911