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Sailor 1911 Realo Maroon 21K Ef


Tom Kellie

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Sailor 1911 Realo Maroon 21K EF




~ In the area where I work and live, the leading stationery retailer is Eslite Spectrum, located in the Hi-Tech Park district, at the MixC World shopping mall.


A bookstore based in Taiwan, their local outlet has a Writer’s Boutique where a wide variety of fountain pens and inks are displayed.


Several Japanese fountain pens purchased there have been excellent writers. Their selection of inks offers the variety I’d previously lacked.


Among other brands they stock Sailor products which are attractively presented for the consideration of potential buyers.


For over half a year within the Sailor display I admired a sleek pen with an ink window.




As it happened, the staff was fairly unfamiliar with that particular model. Low-key investigation revealed that it was a 1911 Realo with a 21K F nib.


I asked if there was any possibility of ordering the same model with an EF nib, as in 2020 I’m adding EF nibs for detailed sketching, note-taking and writing.


The manager indicated that EF nibs were not among those which might be ordered. Despite that information, my interest in the pen persisted.


When I mentioned my interest in a Sailor 1911 Realo 21K EF nib to an overseas friend, I learned that one such pen was available in his area.


The surprise was that the pen itself was maroon, rather than the black which I had been admiring in Eslite Spectrum.




It was an easy decision. The pen was ordered with careful arrangements made to safely ship it to me.


After a number of weeks it arrived undamaged, thanks to the sturdy packaging.


The pen wrote well from first inking with Herbin Rouge Grenat, an ink I had on hand but had never used.


The 21K Extra Fine nib is less stiff than I’d expected. It’s highly responsive to subtle changes in finger motion.


I tend to write with a fairly light touch, so the nib is well-suited to my needs.




A set of images follows which shows the unboxing and details of the pen.


In this case a few comparison images are included showing a Montblanc 146 Special Edition Petit Prince and Planet EF pen.


As the two models share certain characteristics, it seemed appropriate to photograph them together.



Tom K.




fpn_1592452230__as_delivered.jpg


As Delivered



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Grey Wrapping



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Sturdy Box



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North America Limited Warranty



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1911 Realo MN EF



fpn_1592452747__newly_arrived_and_opened


Newly Arrived and Opened



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Dark Tones



fpn_1592453427__first_opened.jpg


Fully Opened



fpn_1592453547__pen_revealed.jpg


Pen Revealed



fpn_1592453659__prior_to_handling.jpg


Prior to Handling



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Soft Grey



fpn_1592453783__maroon_1911_realo.jpg


Maroon 1911 Realo



fpn_1592453891__1911_realo_maroon_ef_unc


1911 Realo Maroon EF Uncapped



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H-EF



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Side-by-Side



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Two EF Nibs



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Both Uncapped



fpn_1592454379__nib_engraving.jpg


Nib Engraving



fpn_1592454436__herbin_rouge_grenat.jpg



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  • Tom Kellie

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Thank you for sharing the pictures and write-up. The maroon Realo looks fantastic and I hope you're able to make great use of it.

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Thanks for posting these , Tom. You must have trouble choosing which to use, enjoying them as much as you do.

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Thank you for sharing the pictures and write-up. The maroon Realo looks fantastic and I hope you're able to make great use of it.

 

~ mr_mbp:

 

That's very nice of you to write that.

It's indeed a fantastic pen for daily work use.

It's especially valuably for writing in languages where inticate strokes are required.

Tom K.

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Thanks for posting these , Tom. You must have trouble choosing which to use, enjoying them as much as you do.

 

~ Herrjaeger:

 

I'm so pleased that you enjoyed the post.

You're absolutely right.

With such a wealth of choices, which one to use is often a pleasurable quandary.

Thank you!

Tom K.

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Thank you Tom, in response to your post regarding this pen (on the Montblanc site) I purchased one and am very pleased with it. I already had a Black Realo with a Cross Concord Emperor nib (probably the ugliest nib ever made). Aside from the rather small ink capacity I can find nothing to fault with these pens.

Edited by Matlock

Peter

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Congrats! Truly a lovely pen, Tom.

I have been looking at the same coloured, flat-top version of the Realo, the Pro-Gear. I have tiny hands, that find the Sailor 1911L models to be oversized, even when un-posted.

Nearly all my Sailors are the 1911S pens, two of them in Maroon, probably my most favourite colour in Sailor & MB pens.

 

The Pro Gear version would fit my hands a lot better. I wish though, that the Pro-Gear version would have the same "all yellow gold" nib as what you have on your new 1911 Realo. I've never cared for two-tone nibs, on any brand.

Enjoy!

Edited by tinta

*Sailor 1911S, Black/gold, 14k. 0.8 mm. stub(JM) *1911S blue "Colours", 14k. H-B "M" BLS (PB)

*2 Sailor 1911S Burgundy/gold: 14k. 0.6 mm. "round-nosed" CI (MM) & 14k. 1.1 mm. CI (JM)

*Sailor Pro-Gear Slim Spec. Ed. "Fire",14k. (factory) "H-B"

*Kaweco SPECIAL FP: 14k. "B",-0.6 mm BLS & 14k."M" 0.4 mm. BLS (PB)

*Kaweco Stainless Steel Lilliput, 14k. "M" -0.7 mm.BLS, (PB)

 

 

 

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very nice pen, Tom

I've always wanted a Realo in Maroon but never got round to getting one...

your post has just revived my desire... :)

just a question, since you have it at hand, how do you judge the threads? are they sharp under your fingers, or smooth?

thanks

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Thank you Tom, in response to your post regarding this pen (on the Montblanc site) I purchased one and am very pleased with it. I already had a Black Realo with a Cross Concord Emperor nib (probably the ugliest nib ever made). Aside from the rather small ink capacity I can find nothing to fault with these pens.

 

~ Matlock:

 

It's great news to know that you were inspired to add a maroon 1911 Realo 21K to your writing desk.

Thank you for sharing this positive news.

Like you, I've been entirely satisfied with the pen as a daily note-taker.

Tom K.

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Congrats! Truly a lovely pen, Tom.

I have been looking at the same coloured, flat-top version of the Realo, the Pro-Gear. I have tiny hands, that find the Sailor 1911L models to be oversized, even when un-posted.

Nearly all my Sailors are the 1911S pens, two of them in Maroon, probably my most favourite colour in Sailor & MB pens.

 

The Pro Gear version would fit my hands a lot better. I wish though, that the Pro-Gear version would have the same "all yellow gold" nib as what you have on your new 1911 Realo. I've never cared for two-tone nibs, on any brand.

Enjoy!

 

~ tinta:

 

While my right hand isn't small, the diminutive maroon 1911 Realo fits comfortably in my fingertips.

The maroon color tone is soothing on the eyes. It's subtle enough for public use in a variety of settings.

Although it doesn't have a flattened cap, it's a graceful design which fits well with my other pens.

The Sailor EF nib is a joy to use for note-taking and sketching.

Thank you for your interesting comments.

Tom K.

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very nice pen, Tom

I've always wanted a Realo in Maroon but never got round to getting one...

your post has just revived my desire... :)

just a question, since you have it at hand, how do you judge the threads? are they sharp under your fingers, or smooth?

thanks

 

~ sansenri:

 

A maroon 1911 Realo is such a genial pen to have at hand.

It's already the highlight of the first half of 2020.

The threads are relatively smooth. I've handled them this morning, thinking of your question.

While they look sharp, in holding the pen, there's no sensation of unpleasant tapering.

If one ever becomes available, it would be a superb addition to your writing desk.

Thank you for your kind comment.

Tom K.

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thank you for the test :)... I'm always wary of how threads feel as I tend to hold pens rather far from the nib

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Tom, you must be in Shenzhen. That was one of the malls that we had a hand in helping with the development. Hopefully you like it?

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thank you for the test :)... I'm always wary of how threads feel as I tend to hold pens rather far from the nib

 

~ sansenri:

 

During the weeks the maroon 1911 Realo EF has been in daily use, I've never noticed the threads.

While they're adequately sharp for their structural function, there's nothing at all uncomfortable about them on the fingertips.

Tom K.

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Tom, you must be in Shenzhen. That was one of the malls that we had a hand in helping with the development. Hopefully you like it?

 

~ gerigo:

 

You're a mall developer/designer?

There are three MixC malls in Shenzhen.

Yesterday afternoon I visited the downtown MixC where the flagship Montblanc boutique is located.

There's another MixC mall at Houhai, which I haven't visited.

The MixC World mall is at High-Tech Park.

Eslite Spectrum has been there.

Unfortunately, yesterday the management announced (as shown above) that Eslite Spectrum will close on 1 December of this year.

As it was the go-to source of inks, paper and fine fountain pens, the closure will be keenly felt.

Tom K.

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Beautiful pen! Sailor's EF nibs are just so special. I love both the 21K and 14K versions--they are pretty different. 14K is much more rigid and feels like a precise instrument, able to withstand some pressure. 21K feels very soft and yielding. The taper of the nib is very long to the tipping and feels delicate; needs a light hand. I think without a light hand an EF and F 21K nibs will eventually write a broader, juicier line due to the tines coming apart over time at the tipping. My 21K Fine nib that I got second-hand is like that: juicy, and there's now a thin visible gap at the tipping, but it's ultra smooth and well-aligned otherwise. I am very careful with my other Fine and Extra Fine Sailors that I got brand new. For a beginner in such ultra-fine nibs, I would recommend the 14K nibs of Pro Gear Slim and smaller 1911 models.

 

I don't know how Sailor manages to make such consistently perfectly tuned Extra Fine nibs that are so smooth yet with perfect amount of fine feedback. All of my Sailor Fines and Extra Fines are also able to write well in reverse/upside down orientation for an even thinner line!

Edited by Intensity

“I admit it, I'm surprised that fountain pens are a hobby. ... it's a bit like stumbling into a fork convention - when you've used a fork all your life.” 

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Beautiful pen! Sailor's EF nibs are just so special. I love both the 21K and 14K versions--they are pretty different. 14K is much more rigid and feels like a precise instrument, able to withstand some pressure. 21K feels very soft and yielding. The taper of the nib is very long to the tipping and feels delicate; needs a light hand. I think without a light hand an EF and F 21K nibs will eventually write a broader, juicier line due to the tines coming apart over time at the tipping. My 21K Fine nib that I got second-hand is like that: juicy, and there's now a thin visible gap at the tipping, but it's ultra smooth and well-aligned otherwise. I am very careful with my other Fine and Extra Fine Sailors that I got brand new. For a beginner in such ultra-fine nibs, I would recommend the 14K nibs of Pro Gear Slim and smaller 1911 models.

 

I don't know how Sailor manages to make such consistently perfectly tuned Extra Fine nibs that are so smooth yet with perfect amount of fine feedback. All of my Sailor Fines and Extra Fines are also able to write well in reverse/upside down orientation for an even thinner line!

 

~ Intensity:

 

Thank you so much for your experienced comments about Sailor EF nibs.

All that you've eloquently described is especially pertinent for those fortunate enough to write with such nibs.

My own use of ultra-fine nibs stretches back a number of decades. A university research career in East Asia afforded ample opportunity for writing with the most delicate nibs.

The several Montblanc EEF nibs on my writing desk are exquisitely tuned for use with a light touch.

Despite my 191 cm. height and correspondingly large hands, my writing touch tends to be feather-light.

That may be a result of having regularly writing on specialized archival paper used to label field-collected specimens.

To the present, I've never experienced tines slipping apart on any pens. As with any premium instrument, careful handling results in high performance.

The Sailor 1911 Realo Maroon 21K EF shown in this thread continues to serve as a treasured daily writer.

May your pens continue to bring you as much pleasure as have mine.

Tom K.

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