This Sailor fountain pen has an astonishing price and an amazing nib. For about US$12.00… I forget the exact price but it is remarkably low for a fountain pen that can write very fine to very broad lines, all with great smoothness and with no fuss, no muss, and no problem. Despite its exotic German name, this is a no frills fountain pen. Everything was plastic except for the clip, the cap edge, and the nib. You can put a cartridge in, as well as an ink converter, which I bought. The package is clearly intended for the mass market because it is how one would display a lemon peeler or magic marker.
However, this pen is anything but a mass market pen. The nib was bent backwards (probably by hand) in a very specific way. If you hold the pen 70-90 degree from the vertical, it write like a Sailor Series 1911 or Profit Fine or Medium 21K Gold fountain pen that costs $138 at discount... very smooth, very predictable, and very comfortable to note taking. If you reduce the angle of writing to 60 degrees or less, you start writing on the entire edge of the bent nib and it produces broad strokes that are 2 mm in width.
Of course, the pen does not have the 45 degree angle (SW>NE) of a properly held calligraphic nib but if you rotate the pen clockwise in your hand by about 45 degrees, the tip can generate reasonable italic script. If you hold the pen without rotating the barrel but with your hand at the standard 45 degree angle that you would normally use with a calligraphic pen, what you get is a thick down stroke, a thin NW>SE stroke, and a thick horizontal stroke.
It will take time and experimentation to learn how to write with this pen and to develop calligraphic styles for it but, in my opinion, it should generate novel and interesting cursive scripts. Because both the down and cross strokes are thick but the NW>SE stroke is thin, it should generate bold cursive script with prominent cross bars and delicate feet and skirts. In the meantime, of course, you can use the pen for taking notes.
| Manufacturer | PremiumJapan |
|---|---|
| Brand | セーラー万年筆 |
| Item Weight | 0.8 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 7.7 x 0.5 x 2.4 inches |
| Item model number | 10-0212-740 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Color | BLACK |
| Closure | Snap |
| Pencil Lead Degree (Hardness) | F |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Size | 1 Count (Pack of 1) |
| Point Type | broad,fine nib |
| Line Size | 0.5 Inches |
| Manufacturer Part Number | 10-0212-740 |
