Scratchy Sailor 1911!

[gobi]

Hi guys, this is my first post. I signed up because I'm facing a terrible problem with my Sailor 1911 and was hoping some of you would have faced (and with any luck, solved) a similar problem!

 

I purchased the pen yesterday after reading so many rave reviews of its smoothness on these forums. It is small, yellow colored, and has a 14k extra fine nib. I filled it up with a blue-black sailor cartridge, and began to write. Unfortunately, regardless of what paper I tried it on, it seemed rather scratchy. The flow was fine, but it just was not a pleasant writing experience. When I say scratchy, I do not mean to say that it was absolutely intolerable - it was just that I could feel a little bit of resistance, and could hear a scratching noise. I own a fine Waterman Expert 2, a Pelikano, a fine Lamy Safari, a XF Lamy 2000, and a Fine Cross ATX, and all of them are smoother (but admittedly, broader) than the Sailor.

 

I have since tried many solutions to this. I washed everything out with soapy water and converter-filled it with my Private Reserve Midnight Blues ink. Still no luck. I tried rotating the nib and smoothening it out on a piece of slightly rougher paper, which did make it somewhat smoother, but still nowhere near the quality I had expected. I tried flushing the entire mechanism with the converter and water, but to little effect.

 

The question I have, then, is: Is this normal? I know that this is one of the thinnest nibs around, and perhaps I have been spoilt by my Lamy 2000, which literally writes like glass dipped in butter. Nonetheless, I expected more from Sailor, especially since they are supposed to be so good for their nibs! Worse yet, I tried writing with this nib and an extra fine Sapporo nib at the store, and the other one was even scratchier!

 

What should I do?

 

Thanks!

Kevin

 

[adair]

This was my experience with my first Sailor 1911. I had to send mine to John Mottishaw to be smoothed out. That did the trick. But out of the box, it was awful. Try John's site, nibs.com. (No affiliation, just a satisfied customer.)

[Lloyd]

Like all production nibs, there is variability. I've tried Sailor M, MF,F and XF nibs (one of each) and thought the XF was the smoothest/quietest. This only shows that Sailor can make a glassy-smooth XF not how often they hit this mark. My F and the MF were smooth but not hype-worthy. The M and the XF were amazing.

[John Cullen]

Just curious. Do you hold your pen at a high angle? j

[davidmigl]

Look at the tines - are they aligned properly? Is one larger than the other? I have a 1911 that is out for repair of this issue.

[coco]

I had the same experience with my Sailor 1911. I sent it to Richard Binder to smooth the nib, and it's been a dream writer ever since.

[Glenn-SC]

Why should a new pen have to be sent to a repair expert to make it work correctly?

Why shouldn't the pen be returned to Sailor for repair or replacement?

[Phthalo]

Your prior nib experiences will be nothing remotely close to what the Sailor XF experience is...

 

People don't understand what a Japanese EF nib is supposed to be... most the time these will be unusable by a great majority of people, because you need to write with a very light hand. Sailor also makes the broadest EF - Platinum and Pilot EFs are like Needlepoints.

 

Please read this article: http://www.nibs.com/newsletter/newsletter1.2/LighenUp.html, and pay particular attention to the last writing sample and comment.

 

If you write with moderate or heavy pressure, no EF nib will ever work nicely for you. I use XXXF nibs daily and write with an extremely light hand - but when I used my first XXXF it was scratchy and horrible and I thought it was a dud - for a week - until I had persevered and I understood the nib and how little pressure it actually required.

 

Bottom line: EF nibs are not for everyone. Sending pens off to have nibs smoothed because you are convinced something is wrong is more often than not a sign that the nib is not for you, and your EF nib is then essentially smoothed to be almost like a Japanese Fine.

 

I would bet money that I could pick up these scratchy EFs that people complain about and write beautifully with them.

 

I have three Sailor EF nibs which are flawless - I can only say that they are not fine enough.

 

Sorry to rant a bit, but EF nibs are very misunderstood things!

Edited November 6, 2007 by Phthalo

[Lloyd]

While EFs require a slight adjustment in technique for some users, not all Sailor nibs are flawless. The problem may be your technique but may also be a minor nib flaw.

[gobi]

Just curious. Do you hold your pen at a high angle? j

 

Nope, I hold it at a moderately low angle. I can't stand holding the pen at my knuckle for very long.

[gobi]

Look at the tines - are they aligned properly? Is one larger than the other? I have a 1911 that is out for repair of this issue.

 

I've tried looking at the times with a standard magnifying glass, but I HONESTLY cannot tell! They are incredibly small...

[David Miles]

Hi guys, this is my first post. I signed up because I'm facing a terrible problem with my Sailor 1911 and was hoping some of you would have faced (and with any luck, solved) a similar problem!

 

I purchased the pen yesterday after reading so many rave reviews of its smoothness on these forums. It is small, yellow colored, and has a 14k extra fine nib. I filled it up with a blue-black sailor cartridge, and began to write. Unfortunately, regardless of what paper I tried it on, it seemed rather scratchy. The flow was fine, but it just was not a pleasant writing experience. When I say scratchy, I do not mean to say that it was absolutely intolerable - it was just that I could feel a little bit of resistance, and could hear a scratching noise. I own a fine Waterman Expert 2, a Pelikano, a fine Lamy Safari, a XF Lamy 2000, and a Fine Cross ATX, and all of them are smoother (but admittedly, broader) than the Sailor.

 

I have since tried many solutions to this. I washed everything out with soapy water and converter-filled it with my Private Reserve Midnight Blues ink. Still no luck. I tried rotating the nib and smoothening it out on a piece of slightly rougher paper, which did make it somewhat smoother, but still nowhere near the quality I had expected. I tried flushing the entire mechanism with the converter and water, but to little effect.

 

The question I have, then, is: Is this normal? I know that this is one of the thinnest nibs around, and perhaps I have been spoilt by my Lamy 2000, which literally writes like glass dipped in butter. Nonetheless, I expected more from Sailor, especially since they are supposed to be so good for their nibs! Worse yet, I tried writing with this nib and an extra fine Sapporo nib at the store, and the other one was even scratchier!

 

What should I do?

 

Thanks!

Kevin

 

 

Scratchiness is hardly unusual with an XF nib. And Japanese XF nibs are even finer than standard XF nibs.

 

I suggest you move to an F nib. And the Sailor 1911 with the 21k nib offers a better writing experience.

 

[John Cullen]

Hi Gobi

 

The reason why I asked if you held the nib at a high angle is because I have tried three Sailor 1911s and ended up selling all of them. One was setup by John Mottishaw, one smoothed by Richard Binder. I just do not like the feel of the nibs and I find that if you do not have the point directly on the paper you will feel drag. I also think part of my issue is that I hold my pen at a rather high angle.

 

I just came to believe Sailor FPs are not for me.

 

I do think the comments on the XF nib needing a light hand are true, but I also think Sailor nibs are not as tolerant of the angle of attack as are some other pens.

 

Richard Binder has an interesting little essay on this topic on his site. The name of it evades me right now, but check it out and look over his articles on nibs and you will find it.

 

Hope you work this out for you. Maybe an exchange for a wider nib will help out. J

[tamburlaine]

Well, I own a Sailor Sapporo XF (cousin to the small 1911m) - they have 14ct nibs. From all I've read on Sailor FPs the general consensus is that Sailor's 14ct nibs on their smaller pens are more tolerant and smoother than the 21ct ones on the larger 1911 which appareently has a smaller sweet spot, requiring a certain angle to use effectively.

 

Though Sailor nibs should not be scratchy, no matter which type...

Edited November 6, 2007 by patrick1314

[Lloyd]

Though Sailor nibs should not be scratchy, no matter which type...

Actually, no brand's nibs should be scratchy but it no manufacturer I know of is at 100%. The F nib Sailor I had that felt scratchy to me, James P felt was smooth. However, Richard B felt it needed a slight smoothening on an inner tine. On the other hand, the XF nib I tried (and regret not buying) was smooth and silent.

 

Regarding using a light hand, I recommend holding a piece of paper in mid air and writing on it a few inches from where you are gripping it. This will help see if the nib is adequately wet and teach you where the "sweet spot" of the nib is.

[gobi]

 

Scratchiness is hardly unusual with an XF nib. And Japanese XF nibs are even finer than standard XF nibs.

 

I suggest you move to an F nib. And the Sailor 1911 with the 21k nib offers a better writing experience.

 

The F nib is a bit too thick for my taste, as I want a nib that is substantially different from my Lamy.

 

I would love to get the 21k, but you'd have to send me a cheque it's far too expensive for me...

[gobi]

Well, I own a Sailor Sapporo XF (cousin to the small 1911m) - they have 14ct nibs. From all I've read on Sailor FPs the general consensus is that Sailor's 14ct nibs on their smaller pens are more tolerant and smoother than the 21ct ones on the larger 1911 which appareently has a smaller sweet spot, requiring a certain angle to use effectively.

 

Though Sailor nibs should not be scratchy, no matter which type...

 

 

my small 1911 has a 14kt too!

[javachoco]

Your prior nib experiences will be nothing remotely close to what the Sailor XF experience is...

 

People don't understand what a Japanese EF nib is supposed to be... most the time these will be unusable by a great majority of people, because you need to write with a very light hand. Sailor also makes the broadest EF - Platinum and Pilot EFs are like Needlepoints.

 

Please read this article: http://www.nibs.com/newsletter/newsletter1.2/LighenUp.html, and pay particular attention to the last writing sample and comment.

 

If you write with moderate or heavy pressure, no EF nib will ever work nicely for you. I use XXXF nibs daily and write with an extremely light hand - but when I used my first XXXF it was scratchy and horrible and I thought it was a dud - for a week - until I had persevered and I understood the nib and how little pressure it actually required.

 

Bottom line: EF nibs are not for everyone. Sending pens off to have nibs smoothed because you are convinced something is wrong is more often than not a sign that the nib is not for you, and your EF nib is then essentially smoothed to be almost like a Japanese Fine.

 

I would bet money that I could pick up these scratchy EFs that people complain about and write beautifully with them.

 

I have three Sailor EF nibs which are flawless - I can only say that they are not fine enough.

 

Sorry to rant a bit, but EF nibs are very misunderstood things!

 

 

Thanks Phthalo for your post!

 

I just got the Sailor 1911 EF 14k. It felt scratchy because I put pressure on the pen like I do with other F-nib fountain pens. But when I tried writing with extreme light hand, it felt much less scratchy and the ink came out nicer.

[professionaldilettante]

Your prior nib experiences will be nothing remotely close to what the Sailor XF experience is...

 

People don't understand what a Japanese EF nib is supposed to be... most the time these will be unusable by a great majority of people, because you need to write with a very light hand. Sailor also makes the broadest EF - Platinum and Pilot EFs are like Needlepoints.

 

Please read this article: <a href="http://www.nibs.com/newsletter/newsletter1.2/LighenUp.html" target="_blank">http://www.nibs.com/newsletter/newsletter1.2/LighenUp.html</a>, and pay particular attention to the last writing sample and comment.

 

If you write with moderate or heavy pressure, no EF nib will ever work nicely for you. I use XXXF nibs daily and write with an <b>extremely</b> light hand - but when I used my first XXXF it was scratchy and horrible and I thought it was a dud - for a week - until I had persevered and I understood the nib and how little pressure it actually required.

 

Bottom line: EF nibs are not for everyone. Sending pens off to have nibs smoothed because you are convinced something is wrong is more often than not a sign that the nib is not for you, and your EF nib is then essentially smoothed to be almost like a Japanese Fine.

 

I would bet money that I could pick up these scratchy EFs that people complain about and write beautifully with them. <img src="https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

 

I have three Sailor EF nibs which are flawless - I can only say that they are not fine enough.

 

Sorry to rant a bit, but EF nibs are very misunderstood things! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />

I agree with this perfectly. It really makes sense, since being so fine, with any pressure, you're digging into the paper like a needle. Try applying the same pressure you use writing with your pen with a sewing needle. It will be scratchy...

[professionaldilettante]

Your prior nib experiences will be nothing remotely close to what the Sailor XF experience is...

 

People don't understand what a Japanese EF nib is supposed to be... most the time these will be unusable by a great majority of people, because you need to write with a very light hand. Sailor also makes the broadest EF - Platinum and Pilot EFs are like Needlepoints.

 

Please read this article: http://www.nibs.com/newsletter/newsletter1.2/LighenUp.html, and pay particular attention to the last writing sample and comment.

 

If you write with moderate or heavy pressure, no EF nib will ever work nicely for you. I use XXXF nibs daily and write with an extremely light hand - but when I used my first XXXF it was scratchy and horrible and I thought it was a dud - for a week - until I had persevered and I understood the nib and how little pressure it actually required.

 

Bottom line: EF nibs are not for everyone. Sending pens off to have nibs smoothed because you are convinced something is wrong is more often than not a sign that the nib is not for you, and your EF nib is then essentially smoothed to be almost like a Japanese Fine.

 

I would bet money that I could pick up these scratchy EFs that people complain about and write beautifully with them.

 

I have three Sailor EF nibs which are flawless - I can only say that they are not fine enough.

 

Sorry to rant a bit, but EF nibs are very misunderstood things!

 

 

Thanks Phthalo for your post!

 

I just got the Sailor 1911 EF 14k. It felt scratchy because I put pressure on the pen like I do with other F-nib fountain pens. But when I tried writing with extreme light hand, it felt much less scratchy and the ink came out nicer.

SEE?!