Sailor Professional Gear or Mont Blanc 146 ?

[kavanagh]

Dear Colleagues,

 

I was about to shell out on a Mont Blanc 146 Le Grande Fountain Pen, but.....my attention has been seriously diverted to the Sailor 'Professional Gear' Gold and Sailor 'Sapporo' in black and gold trim and The full size Sailor 1911 Mosaic 21K Nib Fountain Pen.

 

The nib on the MB does look special ( handcrafted ), but the Sailor two tone 21K nibs look very special. Their are quite a few on Ebay.

 

I wanted your opinions on which pen make I should get and why ( eg. overall build quality, durability and performance ).

 

I am looking for an attractive pen which I can use all the time and not worry about knocks or scratches.

 

Thanks.

 

Kavanagh

[blak000]

I don't own a Sailor. I own a Cartier pen made by Montblanc (Diabolo), though. The pen is very smooth, and, if that's any indication of the performance of other Montblanc pens, then you will get a great pen if you go MB. However, it seems to be widely accepted on this forum that Sailor makes some of the best (some would say THE best) nibs in the fountain pen industry.

 

In my opinion, I'd recommend that you go Sailor. MB is good, but I feel the Sailor might be marginally better, in terms of smoothness and durability.

Edited October 23, 2007 by blak000

[TULIP]

You should know I've neither owned a Sailor nor a 146, but I have owned a 144 and two 149s, so take my post with a grain of salt.

 

I absolutely hated the 144. Awful nib (although it did look nice and would have cleaned up nicely by a nibmeister), and a drop on the floor cracked the barrel. I can't remember the quote I received on how much a replacement barrel was, but I recall the sticker shock. I sold it on eBay as a parts pen years ago.

 

The 149 I owned and the one I own now were made in the mid to late 1980s, and I like(d) them both. The first one I bought new, and it wrote very well. About five years ago I sold it to fund something else and grew to regret selling it, so I recently bought a used one of the same vintage. It writes so-so, but the pen is now in the hands of Richard Binder, and I fully anticipate it will write like a dream when it comes back.

 

I recently read on Mottishaw's site that Sailor is now making some of the best nibs in the world. John has done work for me in the past, and I respect his opinion. Moreover, the folks on this site rave about Sailor pens. I have a hunch that the Japanese are making some very good pens these days, and if it were my money, I'd go with the Sailor.

[Lloyd]

I am looking for an attractive pen which I can use all the time and not worry about knocks or scratches.

I've used both and for durability, Sailor. I love my MB149 but I'm well aware of its brittleness. The Sailor is made of a lovely yet durable plastic. Also, you can buy a 1911M with the leftover money.

[LouisA]

Get a Sailor Full Size 1911 with the Togi Medium Fine nib and you'll be a happy person. The MB can't stand up to the Sailor (IMHO) in areas of durability and nib smoothness. Of course if you want to purchase a "lifestyle" then get on a plane to Charleston and find the MB dealer there (the sales girls look like Brazillian fashion models in business suits with short skits) and purchase a 146.

 

And I have both a Pro Gear and a 146.

[greencobra]

I own 2 146's. Both are from the late 80's, early 90's. Don't know for sure of age but both wrote fantastic. One is out at the moment getting a skipping issue taken care of. It took 15 or so years to require help. Can't say enough good things about the 146. My precious resin is holding up fine. Piston filler is flawless, and your right, it is a nice looking pen

 

I owned a Sailor. You might have seen my post last week but I must have been the only person on the planet to get a piece of (bleep) Sailor out of the box. Wouldn't write to save my life. Hard to start, skipped and wouldn't continue writing once it got going. Had to send it to Richard Binder and it was only a few weeks old. Once it came back, another flawless performer.

 

I'm telling you this because you'll get a ton of MB sucks posts and Sailor is wonderful. Truthfully, you've narrowed your choice to two good pens.

 

The moral of my story is...if you can try before you buy, do yourself a favor and do it. Decide for yourself. If that's not possible, find a good online retailer and talk to them on the phone, ask questions...return policy, etc. Good luck with your purchase.

[mdblue]

Dear Colleagues,

 

I was about to shell out on a Mont Blanc 146 Le Grande Fountain Pen, but.....my attention has been seriously diverted to the Sailor 'Professional Gear' Gold and Sailor 'Sapporo' in black and gold trim and The full size Sailor 1911 Mosaic 21K Nib Fountain Pen.

 

The nib on the MB does look special ( handcrafted ), but the Sailor two tone 21K nibs look very special. Their are quite a few on Ebay.

 

I wanted your opinions on which pen make I should get and why ( eg. overall build quality, durability and performance ).

 

I am looking for an attractive pen which I can use all the time and not worry about knocks or scratches.

 

Thanks.

 

Kavanagh

Having owned both(and 149s too), here's my 0.02c-

-the Sailor is a C/C which can be a good or a bad thing e.g. I don't use Noodlers in my MBs because of the cleaning hassles, but C/C pens like a Sailor takes it fine. OTOH the refilling the tiny converter can be inconvenient in some settings..however you can also use the cartridges

-Sailor 1911 is way cheaper than the 146 and if you buy from Pam, I am sure you'll get a very good price

-If you like XF/XXF nibs, you can't beat a Sailor for it's flawless, wet fine/Xf nib. You can get a Togi too, however they cost more.

I guess, if you are OK w/ a C/C filler and don't mind refilling every day, Sailor will be a very good choice.

Hope this helps

[PenTieRun]

Kavanagh,

 

I'd buy the pen you can afford now, and add the other in the future. I adore my MB 146, but we've only been together a short while. I had the money a short time ago to purchase the MB, so I did. I'm definitely looking for a Sailor in the future (gorgeous nibs are my weakness) mostly as a result of all the fine praise it receives here.

 

The EF nib on my 146 writes quite smoothly, and taking care not to drop the pen (as most folks will warn you about) does not require much extra effort. As noted on a previous thread, however, MB is raising prices at the start of November, so rush out and grab the MB if that's your choice. Some were saying every pen is going up $65. Low American dollar seems the reason.

 

Best of luck, and let us know about the new Sailor or MB that you choose.

[Bennington1967]

Dear Colleagues,

 

I was about to shell out on a Mont Blanc 146 Le Grande Fountain Pen, but.....my attention has been seriously diverted to the Sailor 'Professional Gear' Gold and Sailor 'Sapporo' in black and gold trim and The full size Sailor 1911 Mosaic 21K Nib Fountain Pen.

 

The nib on the MB does look special ( handcrafted ), but the Sailor two tone 21K nibs look very special. Their are quite a few on Ebay.

 

I wanted your opinions on which pen make I should get and why ( eg. overall build quality, durability and performance ).

 

I am looking for an attractive pen which I can use all the time and not worry about knocks or scratches.

 

Thanks.

 

Kavanagh

 

 

I don't think this is a fair comparison - the Professional Gear is more on a par with the Montblanc 144. The 146 is closer to the 1911 in style, but it's a piston filler, and the build quality is substantially better. Sailor nibs are renowned for their ultra smooth performance, but the pens are rather low quality plastic. My opinion: go for the 146.

[Tamerlane]

I bought the Sailor Professional only yesterday, and I have to say, it is already proving to be a very reliable pen. I have the fine nib because my handwriting tends to be small verging on miniature. The design of the pen is very understated, especially in the black/silver version. You wouldn't think to look at it that this is a 300 Euro pen, but as I use it as my daily pen, at least I won't have to worry quite so much about someone 'misplacing' it... It really is a very good writer, laying down a nice narrow line with no skipping. My only real issue is that for longer periods of writing you'll need to have it capped, because otherwise your hand might feel cramped. Another downside when compared with, say, a Pelikan, is the cartridge/converter, which holds significantly less ink. With J. Herbin ink I can get about 8-10 A4 pages, which comapres well to my previous Cross Townsend Medium pen. As I said, this pen doesn't really draw attention to itself, unlike some of the other pens that I looked at (MB Kafka, Montegrappa, Caran d'Ache), and this continues in the handling. The weight and size are there to keep out of your way, and that is as it should be. I think it is safe to say that I would really recommend this pen to anyone who is serious about writing, and doesn's prioritise the shape or design over the functionality.

[Bill]

... ( eg. overall build quality, durability and performance ).

 

I own both, plus two of the more comparable 1911.

 

Build quality: It's hard to tell the difference even when handling both together; they are that close.

 

Durability: I have yet to do a drop test with either MB or Sailor pens so I cannot answer re blunt trauma. But both brands have held up well in the resistance to nicks and scuffs department.

 

Performance: In my experience only, the Sailor FAR outperforms the MB. I usually have both brands inked, but reach for a Sailor when I actually want to write something. I will probably carry the MB 146 for two upcoming holiday tuxedo-wearing events in case I have a snob moment, but will have my black Omas Paragon as backup.

 

Bill

[AndyHayes]

Definitely the Sailor, if only to avoid the common High St pen!

 

I have written with both and I have to say that the Sailor was better.

[Rufus]

I second that, but then I'm an MB-hater from away back. The only issue I have with Sailor is their styling lacks imagination other than the Naginata, which is styled after the Waterman 100 year pen; I lust for this pen, but struggle with the price.

[Jlgreer]

Sailor, Sailor, Sailor

 

I have both and find the Sailor to be smoother, better built and an overall work-horse. My MB has been back for repairs several times for cracks, nib issues etc. I really think that MB has been too focused on "flash/status" as of late.

[David Miles]

The truth is that both pens are good, though the Sailor is better value for money. Ideally, I would suggest you buy both, but if you have a tight budget go for the Prof Gear.

[Chris C]

I have a Sailor 1911M and it is very smooth and reliable. One thing you have to consider is that the Pro Gear is a cartridge pen and the MB 146 is a piston filler (from a bottle). That will be an important factor in deciding. Personally I cannot stand converters and the Sailor converter is on the small side. If you go with the Pro Gear you will need to use Sailor's proprietary cartridges, which is fine with me since Sailor makes great ink.

[Mescof1]

I have both pens. I got the MB 146 in 1993, and a Sailor Full Sized 1911 in May of this year. I only used the MB for a year, but used it every day. I then retired it as I purchased a Pelican 800. The MB had a wet fine nib and wrote more like a medium, was smooth, held a good deal of ink, and never gave me any problems at all.

 

Both pens feel good in the hand to me.

 

The Sailor has a medium nib and is very smooth but not as wet as the MB. I bought it from Mottishaw. The only complaint I have with the Sailor is the small amount of ink it holds. Other than that it's a great pen. And, the next pen I get will probably be another with a broad nib. I also like the Sailor Ink, both Blue and Black.

 

If it were me, I'd go for the Sailor -- solid quality at a reasonable price.

 

Mescoff

[John Cullen]

Between a montblanc 146 medium nib and a Sailor 1911 medium or Bold, I would go with the MB.

 

I have owned both. I have owned and used three 1911's with M and B nibs, and I have owned and used four mb 146s, all with medium nibs except one Fine nib that was a bit sharp.

 

But more important, there are differences between the two nibs you should consider. The MB will be more tolerant of the angle at which it is held than the Sailor will be, so if you tend to turn your wrist in or out the MB might be a better choice. The Sailor line seems more crisp whereas the MB line is wetter and so less defined.

 

My samples have been limited, YMMV. j

[AlecG]

I was writing with MB way back, a small mozart and a large 146. When the tide came and MB got bigger and bigger, i started to dislike them more for their image, but the pens are technically nice. Then I got to use the VP from pilot because the new model apeared and I got several really cheap.

They wrote just as well, only didn't hold much ink.

Today I'm writing with Lamy's in though/demanding environments, a Sailor 1911 naginata when in the office/at home or a Visconti Wall Street when I want a nice looking pen with a fantastic filling system.

 

I don't know how important the image of MB is for you, I can miss it like a toothache. For my writing the Sailor is a bit better than the MB.

So try to get some ink on paper with both pens, decide if the image is important and otherwise go with the Sailor if you like it.

Don't forget to try the Naginata pen, it is extraordinary.

 

And if you can really wait a bit, try to wait until 2008, the rumors are that a non-limited piston filler will make its appearance!

I can hardly wait!

[slimnib]

... ( eg. overall build quality, durability and performance ).

 

I own both, plus two of the more comparable 1911.

 

Build quality: It's hard to tell the difference even when handling both together; they are that close.

 

Durability: I have yet to do a drop test with either MB or Sailor pens so I cannot answer re blunt trauma. But both brands have held up well in the resistance to nicks and scuffs department.

 

Performance: In my experience only, the Sailor FAR outperforms the MB. I usually have both brands inked, but reach for a Sailor when I actually want to write something. I will probably carry the MB 146 for two upcoming holiday tuxedo-wearing events in case I have a snob moment, but will have my black Omas Paragon as backup.

 

Bill

 

 

 

An Omas as a back up to an MB. Give me a break. I think that you have it backwards.

 

 

Harv