Sailor Professional Gear Gold 21k Fountain Pen, Black, 11-2036-220 Fine Point

I haven’t used this pen in a few days but when I removed the cap and began writing, the Noodlers 54th Massachusetts began flowing. I can’t say it’s my favorite, because I don’t have one favorite, but it is certainly a nice looking pen that writes very nicely.

Bought this a year ago and was skeptical at first because of its size and the exceedingly glowing critiques of the Sailor nib. As time passed, however, the pen's brilliant design has become increasingly obvious. Though rather short when compared to the Sailor 1911 and many other pens, it's almost perfectly balanced when the cap is posted (palced on the bottom of the pen). Quite simply it's as large as it needs to be for most individuals. And, surprisingly, it writes well without the cap.The body is made from Plexiglass and the trim sparkles, conveying the mark of distinction requisite for public displays of professionalism. But its greatness is signified in its name - Gear. It's a highly dependable, smooth and flawless writer. As it turns out the hooplah about the nib is well deserved. In the hundreds of hours I've used it, it has started writing immediately with very few exceptions and rarely if ever skips. I've written with Mont Blanc, Aurora, Pilot, Lamy, Cross, and this has been the most reliable, and thus the least annoying, of them all. To be fair the Aurora Talentum, which is a larger but well balanced pen, is almost as reliable. The reason for this, stated simply, is that it's a wet writer, yet without overloading the nib. Need to take a pause to construct the next sentence? No problem; the pen continues to write without priming.Though the fine nib is steady it provides minimal flexibility. Consequently, producing flourishes requires more effort than with a Pilot or some Mont Blanc models. If showmanship is a requirement, either get a larger sized nib like Music or try another brand. On the other hand, if you are merely writing notes or pages of unadorned text, this may be ideal for you.The screw cap is easy to use. The cartridges and the Sailor ink are fine. The converter, however, is a bit small and if you're putting the pedal to the metal you may find filling up repeatedly a bit annoying. It's one of the odd faults in an otherwise nearly perfect product. How, after figuring out all the difficult challenges, did the Sailor designers forget the simple practicalities? To remedy the problem, I fill up an empty cartridge with a syringe.Sailor ink works well, but so too does the affordable Quink.Fountain pen owners can be a quirky lot, extolling the virtues of their instruments in poetically laudatory, and sometimes metaphysical, prose. They're pens. What's the big deal? In this case, it may be said, the simple elegance of an entire culture, the delicacy and the power have been intricately crafted into a wondrous tool well suited for the ancient ritual of handwritten communication. Sorry Radical Empiricists, that ineffable fact is inspiring. And if that's not enough to inspire you, consider the fact the Sailor pen co. made its first pen headquarted in Hiroshima in 1911, survived the great bombing, and like the Phoenix rose again -- a testament to enduring excellence.

I have owned and used fountain pens for several years. Up until now I have owned less expensive models like the TWSBI 580 or Lamy Safari. Both are very nice pens. This is nicer yet and I am enjoying it a lot. As many will tell you the F nib in a Japanese pen like this Sailor is a lot finer than an F nib from somewhere other than Japan. I like it a lot, but many people will be surprised. The pen itself is outstanding. It writes well every time, which is the all important thing to me about a pen. Very precise, very nice.

Awesome pen! Everyone should have at least a dozen! Excellent writing experience...

By no meanings I am an expert, I just want a fine nib fountain pen that I could write in the long run. I used to write with Pilot MR and really enjoyed it for daily writing, but maybe cuz my lack of knowing how to maintain the nib, usually after a year the nib gets stuck and I replace it with a new MR.But I have always wanted a fancier fountain pen for long term. I am not a big fan of this fountain pen size but I guess it is a Japanese thing that they like to make things cute and small. And the material is not metal but resin so I am a bit afraid if I accidentally step on it. I am not sure how strong resin is.I don’t find the pen to be quite fancy looking except the nib. The body is light and short made of resin and some light metalNow move on to the good stuff, this pen seems write really well right out of the box. I don’t find it scratchy at all. But I do understand ppl may feel differently. If you turn the nib around then it is quite fine. With the pilot MR even with new cartridges, I need to dip the nib in ink so that it will write again. And it definitely flows a bit smoother than MR. will update on the longevity of the pen after a while.

Just received the pen today with a fine point nib. Compared to my PELIKAN M200, it's a little bigger in size (length and girth) and the detailing is beautiful (lush black finish, gold banding on the barrel and cap, gold anchor logo on the top of the cap, and a very impressive gold nib). I love my PELIKAN but for a fine-point nib it's more towards a strong medium and the ink flows very freely. (BTW I bought the PELIKAN Souveran M1000 green/black with a fine-point nib--had to return it because it laid the ink down very thick and, was again, closer to a medium plus nib.). So ... I LOVE THIS SAILOR FOUNTAIN PEN so far. It's truly a fine point nib and lays down a beautiful line of ink with a hint of shading--very classic. When I started writing with it I couldn't stop -- I just loved the feel of the nib against the paper, the classic look of the fine ink line, and the overall look and feel of the pen. The cap screws on (which I like) and posts very securely on the barrel when you write. The SAILOR PROFESSIONAL GEAR GOLD 24K FOUNTAIN PEN is worth the price when I compare it to other fountain pens I own (A.T. Cross, Waterman, Pelikan, etc.).PROS: The style and size of the pen--very classic.The fine point nib--it is truly a fine point, but has a hint of shading when you write.Price point is good when compared to PELIKANCONS: I don't know why they don't include a converter--not a dealbreaker because they are pretty inexpensive.

I think this is a steal at the price. I find the nib to be close to perfect - smooth with just the right amount of feedback (am using Iroshizuku Tsuki-Yo ink). I chose fine because it minimizes bleedthrough on ordinary paper. The one surprise was the size - it's a bit smaller than I thought - but if you use it posted (which I do) it feels fine.

beautiful writing pen, an understated professional looking grail pen at an affordable price, what is not to like.