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Sailor Or Pilot Or Platinum?


max dog

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I'd go with converter.

I use converters in my Sailors. Usually have 3-5 pens inked at a time, carry 2-3 pens, and refill pens weekly. My Sailors are a pleasure, love that pencilly feedback. And modern Sailors fill from the breather hole so no wipedown needed.
But... Sailor converter holds about .7 ml. The Sailor Realo piston filler holds about 1ml of ink, similar to the 1.2ml Sailor cartridge.
Get the Sailor Realo if you like an ink window and want a 1ml piston filler.

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Just to echo the comments about the great information on this thread....I too am considering adding a Japanese EDC, and was looking at a Sailor Pro Gear Regular size initially. I use my pen at work to take fast notes, and usually go for a European fine nib, and size wise MB146 or Pelikan M800 unposted...

 

So I assume either a medium nib or medium fine would be best, and is it worth forking out for the Realo....I do love a piston filler but not sure if it adds huge value

 

Thanks

Personally I don't think paying much more for the piston filler is worth it, but I am not particularly hung up over self fillers and prefer the c/c system over others anyway. Second to that comes for me piston fillers, like Pelikan or Sailor with the handy ink window. I'd only fork out money for a pretty LE/ SE Sailor Realo, like the pale blue/ pink version.

 

When it comes to pen size I can't quite tell you whether you'll like it or how it compares to other models, I suggest you google images typing e.g. "sailor realo vs pelikan m800 vs montblanc 146".

 

In terms of nib size, I think MF or M are good for your requirements. Considering how broad and wet Pelikan nibs are, a Sailor M might be a good match. The MF has less of a sweet spot though and depending on your writing style might be smoother for you. The one Sailor B nib I tried wrote a finer line than the Pelikan M I had at the time....

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Personally I don't think paying much more for the piston filler is worth it, but I am not particularly hung up over self fillers and prefer the c/c system over others anyway.

 

 

 

The MF has less of a sweet spot though and depending on your writing style might be smoother for you. The one Sailor B nib I tried wrote a finer line than the Pelikan M I had at the time....

 

I too like the freedom of the C/C system. I'm wondering how Sailor MF compares to a Montblanc F now - I never thought the MB had a sweet spot. The cheap Pilots and Platinums don't either that I can tell, even in F....

 

Festina lente

Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence

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I too like the freedom of the C/C system. I'm wondering how Sailor MF compares to a Montblanc F now - I never thought the MB had a sweet spot. The cheap Pilots and Platinums don't either that I can tell, even in F....

 

 

Sweet spots are most common with Sailors and the Lamy 2000 I think. And even then, larger tipping sizes (eg M or B ) have generally a sweet spot, whereas finer nibs don't, less tipping material = less space to make a specific grind (like Sailor's famous "foot", which is really only on the M, B and Zoom nibs, the MF also has a foot, but it seems to be smoothed differently, as MF is overall smoother and less toothy than M and is more forgiving to writing angle; btw: the M and B write like a Zoom nib! They just have finer lines than the Zoom).

 

Pilots are crazy smooth and more akin to, say, Pelikan or Sheaffer in terms of smoothness, so no "foot", "tooth" or sweet spot. They are very "butter on glass".

 

Platinums don't have a sweet spot (at least none of mine), but they definitely have tooth.

 

Sailor's tooth appears when you don't hold the pen at the "right" angle, at the right angle it is very smooth with a hint of tooth.

 

I don't have an MB, but I suspect that MBs are similar smooth like Pelikans, so no sweet spot or tooth. I can't say how the nib widths compare.. But, I suspect that Sailor's MF (maybe even M!) is similar to MB's F.

 

I also find my Sailor F smoother than my Platinum F.

Edited by Olya
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  • 4 weeks later...

Thank you all for your wonderful information! I am glad that I read this thread.

 

I have several Pilot VPs, and a bunch of cheap Pilots (Metropolitan, Petit, etc.) While I love my Pilot VPs, they have always been finicky. The cheap Pilots are design to be, well, like the Tin Man ("If I only had a brain!).

 

I am off on another Asian trip next week and may be able to stop by my favorite pen store in Taipei. I have been seriously considering a Sailor for some time. My husband has a Platinum 3776 fine, and it is way too fine for me and a tad too much feedback for me taste.

 

You have given me much to consider regarding the Sailor "acquired taste".

 

I am curious about the Sailor Zoom nib. I can't really find a good description of it. It appears to be a stub nib. Is that true? My experience is limited to mainly Western stub, cursive italic and obliques. How would a zoom nib compare with a western medium cursive italic? How is the writing experience? Whatever you can contribute would be helpful.

"Today will be gone in less than 24 hours. When it is gone, it is gone. Be wise, but enjoy! - anonymous today

 

 

 

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Go big or go home. My King of Pen - Broad - has a sweet spot that takes some getting used to to find. But once there, I'm in heaven.

 

27065428157_c744a72d01_k.jpg

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Saillor zoom nib and Naginata Togi nib are shaped nibs so they are wider when the pen is held at the normal writing angle and narrow as the pen is held more vertically to the page. They're intended to give the tail effect in writing kanji. But they're not shaped like a stub, they shaped more like a fude nib.

Zoom has a wide baser at the normal writing angle, so it would end up writing like a very broad nib but smoother. To me, the Zoom writes like a felt pen. A Zoom nib gives a wider base to have a stub or italic ground.

Naginata Togi has a narrower shape at the normal writing angle, so would end up writing wider at that angle but smoother. (It's a nice nib, but I prefer the slight spring and pencilly feedback of the regular nibs.)

Try both. You may like them. Also try the music nib. It's the most like a stub.

 

Here's a link to an engeika page on Sailor nibs. As you scroll down the page, there's a chart with nib tipping sizes. And below that a good description of a Naginata Togi nib. (The zoom nib is a similar design but wider at the base writing angle.) http://www.engeika.com/page/12



Platinum - try the SM soft medium (doesn't have the feedback), and the music nib.



Pilot - agree that the steel nibbed pens just work.
Try some non-vp gold nibs. Try a SM and try the music nib.

Edited by cattar
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Why do you believe the 21K nib on the Sailor KOP is best.

I have several Japanese pens, new and old (1930s! 1950s!), that, IMHO are far better, than anything made by Sailor today.

stan

Formerly Ryojusen Pens
The oldest and largest buyer and seller of vintage Japanese pens in America.


Member: Pen Collectors of America & Fuente, THE Japanese Pen Collectors Club

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Saillor zoom nib and Naginata Togi nib are shaped nibs so they are wider when the pen is held at the normal writing angle and narrow as the pen is held more vertically to the page. They're intended to give the tail effect in writing kanji. But they're not shaped like a stub, they shaped more like a fude nib.

Zoom has a wide baser at the normal writing angle, so it would end up writing like a very broad nib but smoother. To me, the Zoom writes like a felt pen. A Zoom nib gives a wider base to have a stub or italic ground.

 

Naginata Togi has a narrower shape at the normal writing angle, so would end up writing wider at that angle but smoother. (It's a nice nib, but I prefer the slight spring and pencilly feedback of the regular nibs.)

 

Try both. You may like them. Also try the music nib. It's the most like a stub.

 

Here's a link to an engeika page on Sailor nibs. As you scroll down the page, there's a chart with nib tipping sizes. And below that a good description of a Naginata Togi nib. (The zoom nib is a similar design but wider at the base writing angle.) http://www.engeika.com/page/12

 

 

 

Platinum - try the SM soft medium (doesn't have the feedback), and the music nib.

 

 

 

Pilot - agree that the steel nibbed pens just work.

Try some non-vp gold nibs. Try a SM and try the music nib.

 

Thank you so much for your helpful information! After making this post, I did a bit more research on the zoom and realized it is probably not what I am looking for. I think I will check out the Sailor and Pilot music nibs, as well as some of the other nib types. I am hoping that I will have some time to really check these out when I get to Taiwan. If not, I will have to wait for the SF Pen Show.

 

Thank you again.

"Today will be gone in less than 24 hours. When it is gone, it is gone. Be wise, but enjoy! - anonymous today

 

 

 

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Sailor today is vastly different from the Sailors from the past. The vintage Sailors are remarkably better.

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The older Sailor nibs are more rounded.

Try the Platinum music nib too. The pilot/platinum/sailor music nibs differ. Folks tend to like 1 or none of them.

Have fun traveling and trying pens!

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The thing about Sailor nibs is, that their brand can be the cheapest to try out new nibs. Just go for the Somiko/ Young Profit model, because the gold plated black model has all nib sizes Sailor offers EF, F, MF, M, B, MS, Z. You'll have to order from Japan and the pen should cost ca. $40 shipped. Sailors steel and gold nibs write pretty much the same, so you get a very accurate idea of whether it is worth it to spend more on other models.

Pilot & Platinum offer most "exotic" nib variants (e.g. Waverly or Music) on expensive gold nibbed pens only. Platinum has even the cheek to charge quite a bit more for rhodium trims. No other brand does that.

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The Sailor KOP is great, but in comparison, the Platinum flagship (the president) while not quite as big, still feels pretty hefty in the hand. I have a platinum 3776, a Nakaya (which essentially has a 3776 nib) and a president. Of the three, I like the president nib best - its got smooth and sublime feedback, like writing with a 0.9 mm pencil lead. Also the president costs less than a third of either the KOP or a Nakaya. People complain about the quality of the president's plastic, but to me this really is nit picking. If you want a top of the line japanese pen, that writes great and does not break the bank, the president is an excellent choice.

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  • 1 year later...

*bump*

 

Sailor today is vastly different from the Sailors from the past. The vintage Sailors are remarkably better.

Why? How?

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