Sailor 1911 so many versions how do I choose ?

[Paul-H]

Hi all

I am thinking of adding a sailor 1911 to my collection but the more I look to more I get confused (Its easy to do I know)

I am normally limited to buying from eBay and there are two sellers that regularly have them for sale but there seem to be so many different versions with prices from £60 to 3 to 4 hundred pounds, but with very little in the way of description as to what model pen is actually been sold.

Is there an on-line guide anywhere that explains the difference between the many different versions, or other than the nib is there any difference between those sold as Pro-Gear, Profit, Mid or Large.

Is there a definitive must have 1911 or are they all much the same apart from the nib.

Thanks for any help with this.

Paul

[kaisnowbird]

While we are waiting for the experts to chime in, I'll just quickly share my limited experience with the Sailor gold nib pens - hopefully it's less confusing. :p

Assuming that you know what nib grade is best for you (eg. EF, F, M, B) and you are not looking for one of Sailor's specialty nibs (Naginata, Cross, Emperor, etc), you can divide the 1911, pro gear, standard, profit, sapporo etc into two camps first: (1) 14K nibs and (2) 21K nibs;

You can also divide them by style/shape into: (1) cigar shape - 1911, etc and (2) tapered flat top - pro gear, etc;

There are also two different filing systems: (1) piston fill - Realo and (2) cartridge/converter - every other Sailor.

I've tried models from each of the above groups and worked out what I like the most:
First, I much prefer the 21K nibs than the 14K ones, especially the M nibs.
Secondly, I like the flat top look better.
Thirdly, I don't mind CC fillers, so I didn't want to spend extra for the Realo.
It concludes that my preferred Sailor is a Professional Gear with a 21K M nib with platinum trim. I bought one and love it!

I would, however, like to have something slimmer and different. As the slimmer ones tend to come with a 14K nib and the finer 14k nibs can be a bit dry, I will go for a wider nib instead. So I have on my wish list a 1911 Profit Demonstrator with gold trim with a 14K Music nib.

I hope the above is of some use.

[The Good Captain]

I've a Realo with a 21k M nib: a Sapporo with 14k rhodium B nib; a 1911 Pro Gear 'slim' demonstrator with MF nib and a 1911 'ordinary', also with a MF nib. And I like them all!

[jde]

If you look near the bottom of the page here, (http://www.nibs.com/SailorPens.htm) you'll see how the different sizes compare. If you want to know the exact dimensions you can explore that site's "Pen & Nib specs" to compare models. (The current Sailor Realo, however, is listed at 1.5ml of ink capacity, but that's the original model. The current is 1ml capacity.)

And so size of the pen, and the type of nib will influence price differences.

Definitive? In the mind of the beholder, perhaps? Maybe the full-size 1911. A lot of us prefer the Pro Gear flat-top model. But that's personal aesthetics, not a good vs bad preference.

[Goldfish]

Sailor has official English pages, though I don't think they list everything. Go to "Collections" on the left and you can see different models.

http://www.sailorpen.com/index.html


I don't have Profit series but a full-size Pro Gear with 21K H-F, a Pro Gear Slim with 14K H-MF, and a couple Pro Gear Slim Mini both with 14K H-F. All of my H-F nibs are very smooth. My favorites are Slim Minis because my hands are small. Full-size Pro Gear is not very long, but fat :D

[drgoretex]

I also have a few Sailor pens: The Pro Gear in its 'Realo' (piston fill) version, the 1911 full size with Naginata togi nib, and a 1911 mid size with medium 14K nib. All three are awesome. But one word of caution - if you want to go with a ink-gushing nib like a broad, a music, or a Naginata or some such, the ink converter will not last for a day's writing - you will need to have ink to refill. One can get around this by using a cartridge (more ink), but if that isn't convenient, you may want to consider getting a Realo for better ink capacity. If you are using a fine or medium, you should be OK.

Ken

[Mags]

I will plus one the Realo suggestion!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk (http://tapatalk.com/m?id=1)

[snedwos]

Also want to chime in with my complete lack of experience, but I believe the 21k nibbed pens are bigger than the 14k nibbed pens.

[Roefisher]

Yet another vote here for the popular Realo :)

Smooth piston-filling action and a beautiful writer. Faultless finish. Mine has a medium nib.

http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/ad38/Roefisher/000_0365_zps62b00d42.jpg (http://s919.photobucket.com/user/Roefisher/media/000_0365_zps62b00d42.jpg.html)

http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/ad38/Roefisher/000_0367_zps450be893.jpg (http://s919.photobucket.com/user/Roefisher/media/000_0367_zps450be893.jpg.html)

http://i919.photobucket.com/albums/ad38/Roefisher/000_0369_zps066ba810.jpg (http://s919.photobucket.com/user/Roefisher/media/000_0369_zps066ba810.jpg.html)

Skol,

Mark

[welch]

Look at the Sailor 1911's on John Motishaw's site. John has several lined up for comparison; he also describes each pen and how it differs from the others. Oh, and he is probably the best place to shop for a Sailor, since he is probably the best of the best nib-specialists still taking in work. (That's to differentiate John M from Richard Binder, who repairing pens a year or two ago).

http://www.nibs.com/SailorPens.htm

(Usual disclaimers: I don't work for John Mottishaw, etc)

[Hewson]

Also want to chime in with my complete lack of experience, but I believe the 21k nibbed pens are bigger than the 14k nibbed pens.

Yes, however, the Standard 1911 also has a 21k version too.

[gwgtaylor]

The definitive 1911 to get would be the 1911 King of Pen. The resin would give you the most classic look but the ebonite is nice too. Cheaper than a 149 (half price) and many agree that it's nicer

[conib]

I much prefer the 21K nibs than the 14K ones, especially the M nibs.

Can you describe the difference(s) in behavior you've observed between the two karat grades of a Sailor "M" nib (everything else being the same)? I have also been looking at a 1911 Profit Gold Demonstrator, but with a 14K "M" nib, and it would be good to know the benefits of a 21K nib.

-- Constance

[Hewson]

I much prefer the 21K nibs than the 14K ones, especially the M nibs.

Can you describe the difference(s) in behavior you've observed between the two karat grades of a Sailor "M" nib (everything else being the same)? I have also been looking at a 1911 Profit Gold Demonstrator, but with a 14K "M" nib, and it would be good to know the benefits of a 21K nib.

-- Constance
In my own experience with a 21k EF and a 14k F (which I no longer have), the 21k feels springier due to both the longer tines (large nib on large version) and the higher gold content. John Mottishaw describes the 21k as a gimmick to up sell Sailor pens (for people who have, as he terms "carat envy"). One benefit is that the 21k nibs come in the Large versions of the Profressional Gear and 1911 which personally fit my hands better than the Standard (M) version does. The Standard does have a 21k version but I'd recommend you steer clear from that for your wallet's sake.