Anybody Having Problems With Sailor Jentle Ink?

[tinta]

 

If you buy the pen from a dealer who is also a nibmeister it will not cost you to have it adjusted, not only to correct any QC issues but to match the ay YOU write.

A good point.

 

All my sailors but two were purchased from Classic Fountain Pens (nibs.com)

.

I needed to get my nibs modified anyway, so I went with Mr Mottishaws's set-up & italic customization.

The writing pressure, ink flow, the nib's (pen's) angle to the paper & my own grip style were all considered as John worked on each of my Sailor nibs.

 

Because I've been unable write with the usual ball-tipped nib of any grade (I skate around on the paper as with ballpoints) I factored in some nib customization into the price of every instrument. For me "edged nibs" work well.

Really, the nib's the thing!

 

Therefore, I chose the basic Sailor 1911 Standard or the Pro Gear Slim (with small size 14K nibs) pens costing about 160.00 USD for my every day working pens. The customizations were done before the pens left the shop.

I have a couple of fancy, special issue 1911 Profit Mozaiques ( at 400.00+ CAD) that actually use customized Pro Gear Slim nibs & sections.

 

Unfortunately I also purchased a couple of Sailor 1911-Ms from reputable B&M stores.

The stock nibs on these pens, "right out of the box", had issues with ink flow & were not set up to write smoothly.

None of these businesses offered any nib/pen optimization programme as part of their sale.

I had to find an expert elsewhere to deal with each nib.

 

These poor Sailors (actually only their nib/sets) were sent to Mr Masuyama, who ground a couple really of innovative nibs that I cherish.

Sure it cost a little extra, but it was all worth it.

Now all my Sailors write the way I like them. All are a kind of italic: stubs & CIs They're all keepers.

 

(No affiliation to the technicians noted above, except a deep appreciation for their work & my continued support of their services)

Edited April 24, 2015 by tinta

[mhosea]

I have heard so many good things about Sailor nibs that I wanted to experience it myself. Having to smooth the nib due to factory QC problems means altering that authentic Sailor writing experience, which defeats the purpose of my purchasing the pen in the first place.

 

I didn't pay $250 only to experience the result of my own nib-adjustment handiwork or that of a nibmeister.

OK, I see where you're coming from. I get it. I heard the same hype. Not sure it's entirely a matter of QC, though. I did receive a couple of perfect Sailors, and I didn't actually like the fully "authentic" Sailor writing experience very much, and furthermore, the medium and broad standard tips are shaped in a way that is ill-suited to people who "finger write" (as opposed to using the wrist and arm to control the pen). Unfortunately, that's me. They "clean up" nicely, IME, but as you say, they aren't "authentic" then.

Edited April 24, 2015 by mhosea

[saskia_madding]

Out of the 50+ inks I’ve tried, which span the entire color spectrum, 4 were difficult to clean (and I am convinced that these 4 are 2 very similar iterations of the same ink), 2 required a little extra effort to clean, and about 6 gave me startup issues/drying in the nib in certain pens (and 2 of these inks prone to drying are inks that I counted above in the 4 that I found difficult to clean, so I will not double count them).

 

Most of these 10 inks are some kind of iteration of a highly saturated, high sheening blue or variant of blue. I think this is important to note this because I have not yet come across a high sheening, equally saturated blue in any brand that I would call low maintenance. Additionally, I would consider these 10 Sailors to have been less difficult to maintain in my pens than their equivalents from other brands.

 

The remaining 40+ inks have been perfectly behaved (with no start up issues even when leaving the pen uncapped for extended periods of time during note-taking in class, consistently excellent flow, easy cleaning...)

 

Considering how saturated, vibrant and complex Sailor inks are, and most with some kind of sheen, I think the fact that about 80+% have been incredibly low maintenance speaks volumes about the quality of the brand.

 

 

 

As you may or may not know, I've tried a lot of Sailor inks. I totally agree with bestinnyc on this issue. The problem children in the Sailor line seem to be high sheening, super saturated blues, and yes, they can be pretty annoying sometimes.

 

Sankodo Ozone Blue took literally MONTHS of soaking and rinsing and soap to get out of my Omas Moma. Kobe #2 required an overnight soak in soapy water to remove the tinge of blue on my TWSBI barrel. Yama-dori, STILL my favourite ink of all time, if left in a pen unwritten with for three days does give a bit of trouble starting up for a stroke or two, and after that, when the time comes to clean it, can take a bit of work to get off the feed.

 

Having said all this, not ALL super saturated blues from Sailor are like this. KN Jay for example was really well behaved, but is also didn't have a ton of sheen, so I'm kind of thinking the sheen+saturation combo is the culprit.

 

At the end of the day though, bestinnyc is right - I haven't met a blue ink by another vendor that is super saturated, has a lot of sheen, and is also less high maintenance than the Sailor counterparts. (Diamine Majestic Blue and DR Supershow Blue spring to mind, with their super long dry times, constant smudging, drying out in the nib, and the pain they are to get out of a pen when cleaning. And they aren't even as sheeny as the Sailor inks!).

 

I think maybe the overall lesson here is - if you want a low maintenance ink, stay away from super saturated, super high sheen blues from all makers.

[by78]

 

OK, I see where you're coming from. I get it. I heard the same hype. Not sure it's entirely a matter of QC, though. I did receive a couple of perfect Sailors, and I didn't actually like the fully "authentic" Sailor writing experience very much, and furthermore, the medium and broad standard tips are shaped in a way that is ill-suited to people who "finger write" (as opposed to using the wrist and arm to control the pen). Unfortunately, that's me. They "clean up" nicely, IME, but as you say, they aren't "authentic" then.

 

I think there is another thread somewhere lamenting the fact that Sailor's QC has been utter shite for over ten years.

 

I guess if I were to experience the legendary sailor nibs so many people croon about, I'd have to look for a used one from before 2000.

[mhosea]

I don't go back that far with my Sailor pens, but I've had a few things to say over the last few years. For example here and here, and here. You will particularly enjoy the first one of the three, precipitated by the distributor Itoya dropping the Goulet Pen Company.

 

I'm fairly certain that not all of the crooners are crooning about pens that old, however. I have sometimes wondered if they are mainly EF users rather than M and B. A Japanese EF nib is awfully fine. It could well be that they do different things with these, perhaps both a more rounded tipping shape and extra QC.

Edited April 24, 2015 by mhosea

[by78]

I don't go back that far with my Sailor pens, but I've had a few things to say over the last few years. For example here and here, and here. You will particularly enjoy the first one of the three, precipitated by the distributor Itoya dropping the Goulet Pen Company.

 

I'm fairly certain that not all of the crooners are crooning about pens that old, however. I have sometimes wondered if they are mainly EF users rather than M and B. A Japanese EF nib is awfully fine. It could well be that they do different things with these, perhaps both a more rounded tipping shape and extra QC.

 

Thanks for the good read... Yeeesh...

 

I don't have a lot of money to burn, so when I do have a few hundred bucks saved up for a nice pen, I will be avoiding Sailor like the plague. I just can't risk my money that way.

Edited April 24, 2015 by by78

[migo984]

I have had quite a few pens over the years, both modern & vintage. All kinds of makes and models. Some have had poor nibs, including a few that had been worked on by so-called "nibmeisters". Yikes, one or two of those were rubbish. My Naginata-Togi is a joy. Absolutely no complaints. Nibs are such a personal thing. Sometimes a nib that is a dog to one person is loved by another. C'est la vie.

[Algester]

Hi all,

Since I’ve had a positive experience with Sailor inks, I wanted to share my findings to offer an alternate perspective I discovered the wonderful world of Sailor thanks to Saskia_Madding’s reviews, and, over the last 10 months or so, I’ve become a full on Sailor convert.

So far I’ve tried pretty much a quarter of the 200 inks that Algester has been so helpful in finding and outlining in the huge Sailor thread! I’ve used all of the inks (including those that are a little more high maintenance) in everything from vintage celluloid pens to modern limited editions.

Out of the 50+ inks I’ve tried, which span the entire color spectrum, 4 were difficult to clean (and I am convinced that these 4 are 2 very similar iterations of the same ink), 2 required a little extra effort to clean, and about 6 gave me startup issues/drying in the nib in certain pens (and 2 of these inks prone to drying are inks that I counted above in the 4 that I found difficult to clean, so I will not double count them). Most of these 10 inks are some kind of iteration of a highly saturated, high sheening blue or variant of blue. I think this is important to note this because I have not yet come across a high sheening, equally saturated blue in any brand that I would call low maintenance. Additionally, I would consider these 10 Sailors to have been less difficult to maintain in my pens than their equivalents from other brands.

The remaining 40+ inks have been perfectly behaved (with no start up issues even when leaving the pen uncapped for extended periods of time during note-taking in class, consistently excellent flow, easy cleaning...)

Considering how saturated, vibrant and complex Sailor inks are, and most with some kind of sheen, I think the fact that about 80+% have been incredibly low maintenance speaks volumes about the quality of the brand.

This is not to contradict your experience but to offer a different experience for someone who might be curious about dipping their toes in the brand and who is looking for multiple perspectives before taking the plunge.

All the best!

 

Saturated blues huh I guess the reason why seiran is actually getting start up issues on my lamy 2000 after some days of none use would be it is because its highly saturated? If so would diluting it with a little water could help?

[bstnnyc]

Saturated blues huh I guess the reason why seiran is actually getting start up issues on my lamy 2000 after some days of none use would be it is because its highly saturated? If so would diluting it with a little water could help?

Hi Algester, Sei Ran is one of the saturated blues that doesn't give me any start up or cleaning issues. I think it's because the ink is so wet and has a different kind of sheen than the red or pink sheen which is the type I've found to be more prone to dryout in my pens (when a high concentration of it is present in an ink). I suppose diluting the ink could help, but the ink is so wet that you might get away with just priming the feed by engaging the piston mechanism ever so slightly if you leave the pen unused for a couple of days.

[Algester]

Hi Algester, Sei Ran is one of the saturated blues that doesn't give me any start up or cleaning issues. I think it's because the ink is so wet and has a different kind of sheen than the red or pink sheen which is the type I've found to be more prone to dryout in my pens (when a high concentration of it is present in an ink). I suppose diluting the ink could help, but the ink is so wet that you might get away with just priming the feed by engaging the piston mechanism ever so slightly if you leave the pen unused for a couple of days.

I suppose so I guess thats good to hear

[RobbW]

 

Out of the 50+ inks I’ve tried, which span the entire color spectrum, 4 were difficult to clean (and I am convinced that these 4 are 2 very similar iterations of the same ink), 2 required a little extra effort to clean, and about 6 gave me startup issues/drying in the nib in certain pens (and 2 of these inks prone to drying are inks that I counted above in the 4 that I found difficult to clean, so I will not double count them). Most of these 10 inks are some kind of iteration of a highly saturated, high sheening blue or variant of blue. I think this is important to note this because I have not yet come across a high sheening, equally saturated blue in any brand that I would call low maintenance. Additionally, I would consider these 10 Sailors to have been less difficult to maintain in my pens than their equivalents from other brands.

 

Thanks for the great report about the vast majority of your Sailor inks! Would you mind sharing which inks caused you problems? This will help us as we consider new inks to add to our rotations.

[StrawberryJam]

Following up on this, here is what I have noticed:

 

- Sailor Yama Dori -- tends to dry out in pens after a day or so of no use; have had starting problems in two different Montegrappa pens with ebonite feeds -- one was a B stub, the other is an EF. HOWEVER, my husband says he never had starting issues when Yama Dori was loaded in a Visconti 14k M (that has a plastic feed, and is known to be a more wet writer), so maybe I just need to try this on a wet plastic feed pen.

 

- Sailor Oku-yama -- some startup issues in my MB Starwalker EF if left unused over the weekend, athough this pen has a feed cover and I don't know if that has any impact on the pen drying out or not.

 

- Sailor Souten -- no issues so far. Oddly enough, had no starting problems whatsoever in an identical Montegrappa pen, even though Yama Dori dried up really fast and wouldn't start. Will next test using the identical nib that gave Yama Dori issues and report back.

 

- Sailor L'Amant - no issues so far in my MB GB Shaw M, but only went one fill.

 

- Sailor Tears of a Clown - no issues observed, but only went one fill in my (other other) Montegrappa.

 

Next up: Sailor Doyou in MB Cervantes F; Sailor Miruai in a Visconti. Not sure which one yet.

Edited May 21, 2015 by StrawberryJam

[KellyMcJ]

Although most people find Sailor inks to be wet, I find them to be pretty middle of the road (exception: Sei Boku which has be wet and perfect in almost every pen and circumstance.) Iroshuzuku inks are WET and I prefer them in pens that aren't soakers.

 

I have had hard starts with a few Sailor inks but nothing as severe as you describe.

[iruciperi]

So it's not just me... I like some of their "limited" color inks they put out (especially yamadori) but I don't think I'll be buying Sailor inks.

 

 

Sailor's nano black is a pigment ink which needs more careful maintenance than other normal inks. So it might be not related to your case.

[chromantic]

Yes, with a few of colors, some worse than others. It also depends on the pens - it's worse in my JIFs, where the caps don't seal very tightly, and not really a problem with screw cap Pelikans. But it does vary with the inks - I loaded two identical JIFs with the new van Gogh Dark Blue and Dark Green, the green writes immediately, even after sitting overnight but the blue needs a wet paper towel or swiped under running water; Kana-cho is the same.

Edited December 4, 2017 by chromantic

[KellyMcJ]

I don't go back that far with my Sailor pens, but I've had a few things to say over the last few years. For example here and here, and here. You will particularly enjoy the first one of the three, precipitated by the distributor Itoya dropping the Goulet Pen Company.

 

I'm fairly certain that not all of the crooners are crooning about pens that old, however. I have sometimes wondered if they are mainly EF users rather than M and B. A Japanese EF nib is awfully fine. It could well be that they do different things with these, perhaps both a more rounded tipping shape and extra QC.

 

I have three Sailor pens: Broad, F, and Zoom! (My Zoom is off having a cracked cap exchanged- but the crack is so hard to see that I can't fault Sailor, or the store, for letting it get through. It's unbelievable really, if I hadn't taken photos when it was easily visible I would have thought I had gone mad when it disappeared.)

 

Like many people's experience, the F is beautifully smooth, with a feedback that feels a bit like writing with a ball bearing. It's difficult to describe. It starts up reliably every single time, and has consistent flow on all papers that I've tried it on. It even writes reversed really, really well, although it's fine enough that I haven't had to do that "in the wild" yet. I've had the pen almost a month now and it's my daily driver at work where I have to deal with the worst of the worst in terms of paper. I was debating between the F and the EF, and I think I made a good choice although now I want an EF too (erm...I seem to have developed a little problem collecting Sailor pens.)

 

Also like many people's experience, the B has a distinctive triangular shape that a) creates a beautiful, more expressive than usual line or b ) is absolutely awful to write with. A lot of this depends on *how* you write. It works well for me, although I admit to having off days when I first got it and having a hard time staying in the sweet spot- I even wrote an entire letter one day that was a bit like nails on a chalkboard. HOWEVER this is more of a "user error" thing than a nib problem- they're just not made for western writing and it shows. My B nib is another daily writer which I use for journalling. It's currently inked with Iroshizuku Ajisai, my favorite blurple ink. (I had Sailor nioi sumire in the pen and though there weren't flow issues, there were hard starts and the characteristic Sailor feedback was...enhanced. In a very dry pen, nioi sumire has flow issues. That said, nioi sumire + sailor B nib turned out to be a great combination for terrible paper....so there's a potential trade off there should one choose it.)

 

The B nib is actually a lot like a smaller version of the Zoom! nib.

 

The Zoom nib is a lot of fun, creating a very expressive line. It's too broad for most writing, but so much fun for cards and signatures etc. I actually love it.

 

None of my nibs have been adjusted at all, so you could say they have the authentic Sailor experience. The pencil or chalk like feedback is definitely there. It's not a quality issue in my opinion, but I see why its controversial.

 

Everyone says that Sailor pens are wet writers and that Sailor inks are wet- with the exception of my Sailor F and Sei Boku combination, I don't find that to be the case. Compared to other pens that I have, the Sailors are on the dry side (probably a 6/10 wetness). If someone is used to pens that are super dry, a Sailor B will be wet. Compared to a Pelikan, definitely not. The same goes for the ink. My current standard for "this is what a wet ink looks like" is Iroshizuku and Sailor inks are definitely drier than that. Ironically, people find Sei Boku to be on the dry side, and I think it's the wettest of all the Sailor inks I've tried (currently up to 4).

Edited December 4, 2017 by KellyMcJ

[Bookman]

I have so thoroughly routinized and habituated my work-around for Sailor Jentle Blue's penchant for quick-drying in my uncapped nibs (i.e. doodling every 30 seconds or so while stopping to think) that I don't consider— and never have considered—it to be a "problem ink." All my Noodler's inks have been problem inks for at least one reason (nib-creep) and frequently two or three. DeAtramentis Indigo Blue has been a problem ink: it ate through the gold-plated collar on my Waterman Exclusive's section. Pelikan Blue-Black has been a problem: I can't get it. But I like Sailor Jentle Blue so much I don't mind coaxing it out of my nibs. Diamine Bilberry dries prematurely in my uncapped nibs too. And I feel the same way about it as I do Sailor Jentle Blue. No problem.

[KellyMcJ]

All my Noodler's inks have been problem inks for at least one reason (nib-creep) and frequently two or three.

Sei Boku certainly knows how to decorate a nib too. I actually find it beautiful and never thought of it as a flaw... But my Noodler's inks creep in a way that isn't attractive.