Sailor 21K, Gold-Plated Plastic Ring?

[gerigo]

OMG Thanks SO MUCH for this. I was going crazy trying to understand why my latest Sailors were tarnishing. I thought my pen cases had heavy tanning chemicals in them.

 

How recent is the pen? Is it scratch off or turned in color? There was a recent notification on Sailor's homepage about plating problems on a recent batch of pens (http://www.sailor.co.jp/pdf/notice/20160823_discoloration-of-capring.pdf). Tt was about the rings changing color to a rainbow look due to the layer of plating beneath the top gold plated layer changing from nickel to silver. It would have affected pens from July 2015 - July 2016.

 

Otherwise I haven't had that degree of plating loss my Sailors, could be a manufacturing defect?

[Lam1]

As fountain pen enthusiasts we are buying unnecessarily expensive pens made of unnecessarily expensive materials... I'm pretty sure most of us would prefer price increases over quality cuts.

Totally agree. But, apparently, with Sailor we are only assuming that the materials are expensive.

 

In my opinion, Sailor is by far the most overpriced brand out there, far surpassing Montblanc, when one factors in what their pens offer.

 

To think that I was considering to add a KoP to my collection next year... not anymore! My money will go elsewhere.

[Bluey]

In my opinion, Sailor is by far the most overpriced brand out there, far surpassing Montblanc, when one factors in what their pens offer.

 

 

Woah! Steady on old bean, that's going a bit too far. I think Sailor have a great deal of catching up with MB and another German brand for being overpriced. At least their nibs are decent, which is the main thing.

Edited October 14, 2016 by Bluey

[Algester]

welp I'm still waiting for the Shiki-Oriori to come to my country which doesnt seem to be the case... to me well yeah I know Sailor is the most expensive of the bunch, Pilot is the cheapest still for me at least how our distributor is actually getting those prices :3 come on a Custom 74 for 90$ yes... thats our SRP :3

[Calabria]

OMG Thanks SO MUCH for this. I was going crazy trying to understand why my latest Sailors were tarnishing. I thought my pen cases had heavy tanning chemicals in them.

 

I had the same thought.

[Lam1]

Woah! Steady on old bean, ...

I must say that I had a good laugh at the expression!

[Algester]

hmmm but sailor 21kt gold nib... aint it just a 1911 mid size with a 21kt gold nib? with much of the cost resting on that nib?

[Erik Dalton]

Someone once said: The tiny dents, scratches and scuffs on a cherished fountain pen are but "Smile Lines".....From years of happy, faithful service.

[Leftytoo]

What is so special about Sailor feeds?

 

Well, I like the way that feeds on the dry side allow inks to show their subtle tonalities. Sailor feeds carefully meter ink flow - unlike wet noodles. Its my go-to pen with custom mixed blue-blacks. I also find that Sailors write quite well on even cheap paper where other pens are prone to bleed or skip.

[Erik Dalton]

This is my take on Sailor Pens:

I agree that the sailor pen body itself is somewhat lightweight to a casual observer, only average compared to more heavily built pens. Definitely not Montblanc construction. But, it does the job.

The exceptional combination of the nib, Sailor Inks, with a light weight body, used as a system, elevates these pens to a much higher quality system.

In my mind, these are designed as "delicate Pens" (except KOP). Maybe writing in Japanese lends itself to writing with a light weight pen that has a high quality nib with healthy ink flow, and superior ink.

 

Sailor is, in the main, a Japanese company that caters primarily to a domestic market. I don't get the sense they really care about foreign users. We're just an added benefit. Try to get service from these guys. Overseas service network is pretty lean.

But if you live in Japan nearly every decent size town has a Pen shop that will clean, and tune your pen for you while you watch. That's the environment these pens are designed for.

The sailor line is made to work as a system. It's tough to compare with other pen brands.

Their nibs are stiffer than other Asian nibs. Ever wonder why the short squat ink bottles? Impossible to fill a MB 149. But you see, sailor pens fill from the breather hole on the nib. They don't require deep immersion. They make their ink bottles to suit their own pens.

I've also noticed that used pens from Japan on whole, show far less wear than from anywhere else in the world. They seem to take better care. Maybe they don't need anything as robust as a Montblanc.

Sailor is not Montblanc true. But. Different doesn't make something bad.

[Pactagon]

What is so special about Sailor feeds?

 

I love the fact that they're the tip-dip type. It really helps with keeping ink out small gaps, like the one between the grip and nib collar, and filling from short bottles.

[Tinjapan]

More good reason to go with vintage.

 

Wow! Yes, I agree, vintage is the way to go.

[Tinjapan]

Another point, in an earlier discussion the fact that FPs by the big three have not seen much increase in price in recent years was pointed out. Perhaps, we have learned how they have avoided the price increases that just about everything else for sale in Japan has experienced.

 

IF they are now using gold plated plastic over the cap rings, etc, it is just on the ornamentation, the nibs are still where the ink hits the paper. Still, I does greatly change my opinion of the brand and has me reconsidering any future Sailor pen purchases, and I have many contemporary Sailor pens.

[Jezza]

I have a couple newish Sailors, but I'm not willing to scratch the trim rings in order to find out whether inexpensive plastic or inexpensive scrap metal lies beneath: what's the difference? The ring is decorative. The Sailor cap is thick, and it doesn't require support regardless. I suppose I would prefer metal, not that metal trim rings helped any of my Visconti Homo Sapiens write well out of the box--it took a trip to Dan Smith to do that! I'm not sure the change--if any--is about saving money. Is the amount of metal used in the pen indicative of its quality? Compare the metal section of a Sailor 1911 to Pilot or Platinum; the Sailor is much more substantive and well machined. Actually, I think quite a few of us would prefer--maybe even pay more--if companies left off the cap trim ring altogether. A Sailor 1911 with no trim rings, or a Platinum 3776, would be gorgeous.

[rafapa]

I have a couple newish Sailors, but I'm not willing to scratch the trim rings in order to find out whether inexpensive plastic or inexpensive scrap metal lies beneath: what's the difference? The ring is decorative. The Sailor cap is thick, and it doesn't require support regardless. I suppose I would prefer metal, not that metal trim rings helped any of my Visconti Homo Sapiens write well out of the box--it took a trip to Dan Smith to do that! I'm not sure the change--if any--is about saving money. Is the amount of metal used in the pen indicative of its quality? Compare the metal section of a Sailor 1911 to Pilot or Platinum; the Sailor is much more substantive and well machined. Actually, I think quite a few of us would prefer--maybe even pay more--if companies left off the cap trim ring altogether. A Sailor 1911 with no trim rings, or a Platinum 3776, would be gorgeous.

Sailor has the following 1911

http://morastylos.com/stylos/neufs/sailor/plume.html

[Jezza]

Thanks--I just saw that after I posted! And I think it looks even better without the cap trim ring. It would be even more attractive if they'd removed the trim ring on the tail and hidden the washer clip ring.

[Calabria]

Sailor has the following 1911

http://morastylos.com/stylos/neufs/sailor/plume.html

Sigh. That's really elegant. It helps to read the description about how this pen distinguishes itself from a world of banal writing ... in French.

[rutherfordr]

I like how the Chrome browser translates a "Fine" nib (from the French) into "End".