Pilot Custom 845 Or Sailor Kop?

[ICantEvenDecideAMajor]

Hi all,

I signed up for this forum specifically wanting to hear your opinions on these two pens, Pilot Custom 845 and Sailor KoP (Resin version). I'm trying to decide between these two as a gift for myself for my 20th birthday (yeah I know, really sad, getting old turns out to mean buying my own bday gifts)

 

Here are some of my thoughts thus far;

Pro-Pilot:

1. I've had bad experiences with sailors before, not enough to dissuade me from giving it another shot

2. All the pilots I've used write like a dream.

3. Pilot F is my preferred size, while KoP is a M which is pushing it for me.

4. Urushi on ebonite on the 845, vs the plain resin on the KoP

5. I already have a Sailor 1911 Realo that looks the exact same as KoP

6. Con-70 vs what ever is wrong with sailor for not inventing a better converter

7. Iroshizuku are my favourite inks and I am slightly OCD about same brand ink as pen

8. Probably a better size for me

 

Pro-Sailor:

1. The nib is enormous and much prettier than Pilot's.

2. Large pen (fulfills my OCD) about matching my Delta DV oversize (it sits by itself in a two pen case righ now... UGH THE PAIN)

3. Same price as the Pilot on Canadian Amazon, and the pen is usually quite a bit more expensive

4. I want to like Sailor so much I'm going to put an unsubstantiated place holder reason here.

 

Any comments welcome!

[FOUR X FOUR]

Are you curious as to why you haven't gotten any comments?

[ICantEvenDecideAMajor]

Are you curious as to why you haven't gotten any comments?

From the slightly acidic tone I'm guessing I did something terrible? Are we not allowed to compare pens or?

[ICantEvenDecideAMajor]

Are you curious as to why you haven't gotten any comments?

And I mean it is the middle of the night in North America so... But please let me know if there's any problem?

[FOUR X FOUR]

No, you didn't do anything terrible.

[ICantEvenDecideAMajor]

No, you didn't do anything terrible.

Um okay that's good to know, but it's not like I can pull people into this thread and make them share experiences with these pens or just thoughts LOL. It's all good.

[Cryptos]

I'm curious! I mean I am curious about this comparison (I'm also a curious fellow, but that's another story entirely ).

[ICantEvenDecideAMajor]

I'm curious! I mean I am curious about this comparison (I'm also a curious fellow, but that's another story entirely ).

I haven't seen a Custom 845 in person but I managed to try a KoP at my local stationery and god the nib is huge. I had my DV oversize with me that day for repairs and it looks noticeably bigger, most because it's wider.

[shuuemura]

Jumping in with some random thoughts while I take a break from writing my PhD thesis:

 

Sailor KOP resin:

Pros: the balance and feel in the hand is perfect for me. Huge and beautiful nib!

 

Cons: it looks too much like a MB 149. Also, the gold-plating on the clip tends to wear out/tarnish after a while (especially underneath the bend of the clip as it enters the cap), based on the two Sailor pens I own. Sailor should really improve their gold-plating! Lousy ink capacity.

 

Pilot 845:

Pros: amazing QC, great writing quality, bullet-proof gold-plating. Best converter on the market. It's narrower than the KOP but its length makes it great to handle.

 

Cons: Just another black pen, even if it's urushi on ebonite. But Tokyo Quill sells a store-exclusive red urushi version with special nibs too!

 

I think you'll end up getting both eventually.

[ICantEvenDecideAMajor]

Jumping in with some random thoughts while I take a break from writing my PhD thesis:

 

Sailor KOP resin:

Pros: the balance and feel in the hand is perfect for me. Huge and beautiful nib!

 

Cons: it looks too much like a MB 149. Also, the gold-plating on the clip tends to wear out/tarnish after a while (especially underneath the bend of the clip as it enters the cap), based on the two Sailor pens I own. Sailor should really improve their gold-plating! Lousy ink capacity.

 

Pilot 845:

Pros: amazing QC, great writing quality, bullet-proof gold-plating. Best converter on the market. It's narrower than the KOP but its length makes it great to handle.

 

Cons: Just another black pen, even if it's urushi on ebonite. But Tokyo Quill sells a store-exclusive red urushi version with special nibs too!

 

I think you'll end up getting both eventually.

Thanks for the input! I saw the red one before and it's amazing looking but beyond my budget I plan on getting the pen from Amazon ca and they have 845 for $CAD500 and the KOP for $CAD550. Good luck on your PhD thesis! (what major/field are you in, if you don't mind? Just curious

Edited March 11, 2016 by ICantEvenDecideAMajor

[da vinci]

I think I would go for the pilot as the urushi finish wins it for me. Should say I have never owned either pen!

[da vinci]

From the slightly acidic tone I'm guessing I did something terrible? Are we not allowed to compare pens or?

 

Certainly nothing wrong with your post that I can see..

[Lam1]

I was in your shoes about a month ago and went for the pilot, for all the reasons you list above, and I'm very happy with it. The pen is gorgeous (and, in general, I don't like black pens), and it is a fantastic writer.

But I must say that I'm biased against sailor because of that ridiculous converter.

Edited March 11, 2016 by Lam1

[T4TEXAS]

Accounting? No? Then how about history? No? Then how about Home Economics? No? Then how sbout electrical engineering? No?

[katanankes]

845 anytime. KOP only in urushi or ebonite.

[Tinjapan]

You seem to have answered your own question. Your pros for the Pilot outnumber those you have for the Sailor and you have had bad experiences with Sailor. KOP is not an inexpensive pen, I doubt I would spend that much on a pen by the same maker as pens I have had trouble with.

 

On the other hand, I have several pens from both makers and love them all. While there are differences between pens made by each, I would be hard pressed to have to choose which I like better. I have three 845s but do not have a KOP. Earlier this week I had the pleasure of writing with Koofle's KOP and it is now on my to get list. But again, I have had no issues with any of their pens.

 

However, if I had been having problems with Sailor pens, I would NOT be spending the money a KOP costs with out having built up some good experiences with the brand and trying out the actual pen I plan to buy.

[Tinjapan]

If you haven't had the chance to see black Urushi it may be hard to appreciate that it is not just black, like black plastic. It is looking into a pool of perfect black. Beautiful. Most of the glossy Urushi I've seen has this quality.

[ICantEvenDecideAMajor]

If you haven't had the chance to see black Urushi it may be hard to appreciate that it is not just black, like black plastic. It is looking into a pool of perfect black. Beautiful. Most of the glossy Urushi I've seen has this quality.

Do you know if the 845 can be posted without damaging the Urushi?

[shuuemura]

Do you know if the 845 can be posted without damaging the Urushi?

 

There's a ring of felt just inside the cap lip to minimize damage when the cap is posted. I don't post my 845 because it's plenty long unposted.

[ICantEvenDecideAMajor]

You seem to have answered your own question. Your pros for the Pilot outnumber those you have for the Sailor and you have had bad experiences with Sailor. KOP is not an inexpensive pen, I doubt I would spend that much on a pen by the same maker as pens I have had trouble with.

 

On the other hand, I have several pens from both makers and love them all. While there are differences between pens made by each, I would be hard pressed to have to choose which I like better. I have three 845s but do not have a KOP. Earlier this week I had the pleasure of writing with Koofle's KOP and it is now on my to get list. But again, I have had no issues with any of their pens.

 

However, if I had been having problems with Sailor pens, I would NOT be spending the money a KOP costs with out having built up some good experiences with the brand and trying out the actual pen I plan to buy.

These are good points; I think I'm leaning towards the 845 now. Or at least a Pilot... Have been tantalized by the Pilot Cherry Fall Blossom Urushi with the size 10 nib; that one looks gorgeous