Wowzas. This bright combo from Sailor sure is hard to miss! This 1911S is fitted with a 14kt gold Music nib so you can use it like a broad-tipped highlighter.
Limited to 50 pieces brought into the United States. At the time of this writing, we only have 6 sets available in our store. SHOP NOW.
The ink bottles are available separately, so if you already have a music or stub nib, you can purchase the bottle of Jentle Bright Yellow Highlighter ink for $24 and convert your favorite fountain pen into a fantastic, refillable highlighter.
As you can imagine, Santa had quite a few letters to read. He was quite taken by the number of handwritten letters that came in this year. It was a welcome sight for his old eyes.
Thank you to everyone who sent us a letter to forward to Santa. The jolly old elf was overjoyed at reading your notes.
Santa said it was difficult to choose just one letter as the winner of the giveaway. So many of you wrote such lovely letters! After much contemplation, he gave us the one letter that was picked as the winner.
We also picked our 5 runner ups that will receive a Goldspot Prize Pack, which includes the one prize pack we set aside for the Rafflecopter giveaway we were running on social media. The winners are :
Karen J.
Susan J.
Ken A.
Alec P.
Jeff L. (our Rafflecopter winner)
These winners will be receiving the items pictured below :
If you're curious to know what all the good little boys and girls asked for as their top Christmas wish pen, here are some observations :
Most boys and girls wished for a Visconti pen over all other brands. The #1 most wished-for pen was a Visconti Homo Sapiens fountain pen.
Pelikan came in a close second, OMAS third & fourth place shared by Pilot & Sailor.
Other notable pens that were asked for :
OMAS Arco Brown Celluloid - in the Ogiva & Arte Italiana styles
Pelikan M1000
Visconti Divina Elegance
Pilot Vanishing Point Raden
Pelikan M805 Stresemann
Namiki Yukari Moonlight
Thank you again to everyone who wrote in. This was quite an enjoyable giveaway that we most likely will be running next year as well.
We hope everyone will be enjoying family & friends this holiday season. Our office will be closed early on Christmas Eve, December 24th. We will be closed on Friday, Christmas Day, and will resume business on Monday, December 28th. We will also be closed on Friday, January 1st.
Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa & Happy New Year! Best of health, happiness and fortune to you all!
Sailor Pen of Japan hand-crafts a wide array of specialty fountain pen nibs. Only a small set, including standard writing points like fine, medium and broad, are distributed to the USA. Part of this core nib offering is the Zoom nib. Whereas the other writing nibs could be matched with a Western counterpart, the Zoom has no familiar analog.
Think of the Zoom nib like the zoom tool, it can either thicken or thin the line width by the angle that the nib meets the paper. For a double-broad, wet line, keep the nib at an acute angle to the paper. For a medium thickness, change the pen angle to about 45 degrees to the writing surface. To get a dry, thin line, flip the nib upside down.
In our short video demonstration, we show how the Zoom nib works simply by changing the way you hold the pen. It's like having 3 different point sizes with one pen!
The Sailor Zoom nib is offered in both the 14kt or 21kt style, depending on the model of Sailor pen you choose. The pen in the demonstration is the 21kt Sailor 1911 Large nib. The regular Pro Gear model also has the 21kt gold nib while both the 1911 Standard and Pro Gear Slim sport the 14kt gold.
If you have any questions regarding this nib, or with Sailor pens in general, please feel free to leave us a comment below.
Need your help in putting together a nominations list for Pen of the Year 2015.
Every year, we (Goldspot Pens) run a "reader's choice" vote for Pen of the Year. We set up a poll online of all the nominees during the first week in November, coinciding the the US Election Day.
Last year, Edison Pen Co completed a 4-peat with their 2014 Pen of the Year, the Glenmont limited edition.
What qualifies as a Pen of the Year 2015 candidate, you say? Any pen that was released during this year, including new colors and styles of established pen models (like the Pilot Vanishing Point Twilight, for example).
Here is a list of what I've got so far :
Edison Collier LE Black Rose Acrylic Ltd Ed
Pilot VP 2015 Twilight Ltd Ed
Pelikan M205 Amethyst
Pelikan M800 Stresemann
Pelikan M200 Cafe Creme
OMAS Ogiva Cocktail Ltd Ed.
Sailor Pro Gear Galaxy Starburst Ltd Ed
Retro 51 Tornado Popper "Liftoff" Ltd Ed
Cross Townsend Star Wars Darth Vader
Lamy Al-Star Copper Orange
Kaweco Brass Sport
Please COMMENT BELOW any others that you feel should be on this list.
Ink of the Year 2015
For the first time, we're also going to have a simultaneous vote for the Ink of the Year, 2015. This will be run in a similar fashion with an online poll that we will run here on our blog. Inks have become such an integral part of the fountain pen experience that some "blockbuster" inks truly deserve recognition.
Here are the nominees I came up with :
Diamine Shimmertastic Inks
J. Herbin 1670 Anniversary Emerald of Chivor
Pelikan Edelstein Amethyst
Sailor Storia Pigmented Inks
Mont Blanc Blue Hour Blue-Black
Again, please COMMENT BELOW any other inks that you feel should be on the list of nominees.
The voting page will be up on Tuesday here on the blog. So, check back here or sign up for our newsletter so you can get the update directly in your e-mail inbox.
An out of this world fountain pen paired with an ink that is as equally brilliant. Prepare to be starstruck by the glittering brilliance of the elegant Sailor Professional Gear (Sapporo) Slim Starburst Galaxy Fountain Pen. A non-numbered, limited edition from Japanese manufacturer Sailor, the Starburst Galaxy is a simple twist on a black with silver colorway. Reflective particles are strewn throughout a rich, lustrous black resin to create the feeling of looking up at the stars in the night sky.
The Pen Profile
The model is based off of the Professional Gear (Sapporo) Slim, which is a good fit for an average man or woman's hand. Here are the dimensions of the Starburst Galaxy fountain pen :
It's comparable to a Pelikan Tradition M200 or a Parker Vacumatic Major, as you can see in the diagram below :
With a pen of this size, it is often more comfortable for the writer to use it posted. The lightweight feel of the acrylic resin is a pleasure to hold for longer writing sessions. The front section has a slight flare at the edge of the grip to prevent fingers from slipping down into the nib.
Sailor Pro Gear Starburst Galaxy in a Galaxy Far, Far Away
The Pen Design
The Starburst pattern, created by small particles of reflective material, is evenly distributed throughout the rich, black resin. The particles seem to be floating at various depths in the resin at varying intensities of color, ranging from silver to blue. One of the small details that I love about this pen is the fact that the Starburst resin is used in every place that there is resin, including the finial top and the section. The continuity of the material is outstanding and accurately nails the theme Sailor was going for.
Turning the pen in the light catches the glint the reflective particles. It can be mesmerizing to look at, with focus shifting from the bright silver specks to the deep blue ones that seem so distant. The striking silver of the rhodium trim, clip and cap band feels as if we were taking a voyage on a space ship through a sea of stars. Sailor's iconic anchor symbol is struck upon the finial top of the cap.
As with all Sailor Pro Gear Slim pens, the Starburst Galaxy is a cartridge / converter filling fountain pen. It is supplied with a Sailor type converter and a package of two Sailor ink cartridges. The nib is a 14kt gold with rhodium plating to match the silver trims and clip. Sailor offers their Pro Gear nib in the set core options within the United States, which are the extra-fine, fine, medium-fine, medium, broad, zoom and music sizes.
The Writing Experience
For this review, I focused on the two-tined music nib, which is more equivalent to a western stub nib. I couldn't help but match a shimmering pen with a shimmering ink and tried the pen out loaded with J. Herbin's Emerald of Chivor. Boy, was I ever impressed.
The Sailor "Music" nib wrote buttery smooth without any hesitation. The 1670 anniversary inks, with their sparkly particles and deep saturation, can be a bit of a hindrance to certain fountain pen feeds that are stingy on flow. Such is not the case with the Sailor nib. As you can see in the handwriting samples of the video, the ink flows beautifully and you can get a good amount of sparkle on the page, along with that reddish sheen in certain strokes.
Sailor Starburst Galaxy w/ Emerald of Chivor on Rhodia 80gsm blank paper
The music nib offers stellar line variation between the horizontal strokes and vertical ones. On the downstroke, the thickness of the line can be the equivalent of a juicy 1.3mm tip while the horizontal lines are between a medium and broad line thickness. Be prepared to change inks often, as the ink capacity of the cartridge / converter is meager and this nib lays down a lot of ink.
A Few Choice Words
Summary :
Writing Quality : Stellar. Buttery smooth nib that is hand-inspected by Sailor's expert nib craftsmen. Just remember that the nib grades of Japanese nibs run thinner than their western counterparts. (grade A+)
Aesthetic Quality : Stunningly simple concept that is well executed with the theme of this edition. The sparkles are just noticeable enough without being too "blingy". (grade A+)
Utility : The size of the Pro Gear Slim (Sapporo) is a perfect fit for boys & girls. With the cap posted, the pen's light weight is well balanced and comfortable to hold for long periods of time. Fans of oversized pens (like the 1911 Large or King of Pens) would not like this size. (grade A)
Price : $250 Retail. Considering the price of a Pelikan M200 with a steel nib or a Lamy 2000, this limited edition, 14kt gold nib fountain pen ranks right up there with other high-quality, value fountain pens. This is an easy purchase for many who purchase pens of this caliber. (grade A+)
Final Grade : A+
My only remorse about this review is that the edition was already sold out by the time I can click "publish." We only had these pens in-stock for about a week! If we have any more, then you would be able to find them on our Sailor Professional Gear Slim pens page of our website. If the page does not show any resulting item listings, then it's gone, sorry!
]
Sailor (Japan) is known by many as the manufacturer of high quality, gold nib fountain pens, hand-tuned and inspected by masters of their craft. It is not a common fact that Sailor also has an entire division dedicated to brewing specialty fountain pen inks. Building upon the popularity of their Jentle line of fountain pen inks available in the US, Sailor has introduced the pigmented Storia line of 8 new colors just last month.
The Concept of Storia
Sailor Storia inks are inspired by the bright and cheery colors of the circus. Each color has a circus-themed name. Presented in frosted glass ink bottles with a 30mL capacity. The effect is reminiscent of little paint bottles. The built-in reservoir common to all Sailor inks allow the user to easily fill their fountain pen and extract every last drop of colorful ink into their pen.
What is this Pigmented Ink You're Trying to Feed My Pen?
Pigmented ink is crafted with tiny particles of pigment instead of dye to color the ink formula. In the case of the Sailor Storia inks, the benefit is a quick dry time, water resistance and lightfastness. Pigment particles sit on top of the paper instead of being absorbed into the paper fibers like dye ink. Use the ink with a acid-free paper and you've got a combination that can be preserved for 200-300 years. Imagine writing about the 2015 VMA's and trying to explain Miley Cyrus to the human race of the 24th Century. They way things are going, they will probably have someone that will make Miley look like a Puritan spinster.
The drawback of pigmented ink is the cleaning aspect, which needs to be approached with more frequency and care. Give Sailor some faith in creating an ink that is safe for fountain pens, considering how much care they put into crafting a quality writing instrument. That being said, I would still err on the side of caution when using these inks in your pens.
Follow these tips to properly use pigmented inks in your fountain pen :
Up your cleaning schedule to less than 5 days after initially filling the pen with pigmented ink.
To create a more frequent cleaning schedule, only fill the pen to partial capacity so it will deplete quicker.
Soak the nib with a bit of windex cleaner (containing ammonia) to help with any stubborn ink that won't clean out.
Sampling the Storia Inks
Being that there are only 8 inks in this collection, I decided to write dangerously and fill 8 pens, one with each color. The pens vary in nib size, manufacturer and year produced.
Performance-wise, a majority of the inks had great flow, with exception to the Fire Red that was in my TWSBI with the 1.5mm stub nib, but I've had similar flow issues with different inks in that pen, including Rouge Hematite. There's a beautiful shading on the Lion and the Clown colors. Fire Red really falls short of what I would consider "Fire" and is very close to the hue of the Dancer Pink.
I tested the set of inks on Rhodia 80gsm plain notepad paper and applied water droplets to each of the swatches. After letting the water drops sit on the page for a minute, I wiped off the water while trying to smear the page as much as possible to see if the ink gets lifted from the page.
Sailor Storia Water droplet test results
Don't get the shading confused with the water resistance, this ink does a great job holding up against a spill. The Dancer Pink seemed to be most effected by the water, lifting up some of the color saturation. Balloon Green and Lion also seemed to be lift a bit from the page, but ever-so-slightly. The other colors look as though there was no change. Smearing can be seen on Fire Red and Night Blue, but only a touch. All in all, these are a solid set of water resistant inks.
The Spotlight Yellow is completely unreadable on white paper. Now, why in the world would anyone want an ink like that? Well, that brings me to my next topic where we mix things up!
Mixing Sailor Storia Inks
Besides being colorful right out of the bottle, these Storia inks can also be mixed with each other to create new color combinations. It is strongly advised that these inks are not to be diluted or mixed with any other inks outside of the Storia line. I haven't had the chance to mix up a few colors, but the Spotlight Yellow seems like a good candidate to add to another color to achieve a golden halo in the new creation.
Writing Samples
Each pen and ink combination was recorded using an InkJournal notebook to provide a comparison of the writing samples between inks. It has to be noted that the Lion Light Brown was slightly tinted green to start with due to the last ink that was in the pen I used. Same deal with the Spotlight Yellow. I tried my darnedest to clean out all the Emerald of Chivor from my Nemosine pen before filling it with Spotlight, but the slightest bit of any other saturated color will contaminate this pure yellow ink.
Sailor Storia Pink Dancer w/ Parker Vacumatic
Sailor Storia Red Fire w/ TWSBI Diamond 530 1.5mm Stub
Sailor Storia Lion Light Brown w/ Waterman 352 Stalwart Flex Nib
Sailor Storia Spotlight Yellow with Nemosine 0.6mm Stub
Sailor Storia Clown Yellow-Green w/ Visconti Van Gogh (F)
Sailor Storia Balloon Green w/ Edison Herald (F)
Sailor Storia Blue Night w/ Kaweco AL-Sport (EF)
Sailor Storia Magic Purple w/ OMAS New Bologna (M)
We'd love to read your thoughts on the new Sailor Storia line. Have you tried any of these inks already? Any issues with keeping your pens clean after using these inks? Any mix recipes that you care to share?
For two pens that essentially look identical, there's a lot to say in regards to Sailor's most popular line of fountain pens. Made in Japan, the 1911 is named after the founding year of this globally recognized manufacturer of luxury writing instruments.
The 1911 model is available in two different variations - the 1911S and the 1911L. As described in our video comparison, the 1911S isn't "small," as one may assume. The "S" is short for "Standard," which is an apt description of its dimensions, which you may see below :
The size is comparable to the Pelikan Souveran M600, which is considered to be a middle-of-the-road, unisex size that is comfortable for a large number of writers. The 1911S has a more approachable price point at under $200 retail ($155.95 our price) and is fitted with a 14kt solid gold nib in a variety of sizes available in the US, including Extra-Fine, Fine, Medium-Fine, Medium, Broad, Zoom and Music nibs.
The Sailor 1911L has the same shape, profile and style as it's "Standard" sibling, with the key difference being that it uses a 21kt solid gold nib. The 21kt gold content is the highest amount of pure gold that is practical for a fountain pen nib. The slightly larger size of the 1911L may be a more attractive option for larger hands and those who prefer a larger size pen to hold.
Filling Mechanism : Cartridge / Converter - Piston-Fill Realo Version also available
The 21kt gold nib is going to provide a noticeable difference in writing quality for those who have extensive experience in writing with gold nibs. Although Sailor nibs are known for being a bit stiff, the 21kt gold nib does have a bit more give and responsiveness when writing. Nib sizes are available in the same sizes as the Standard. A piston-fill, Realo version is also available in the 1911L design.
With greater gold comes greater price. The 1911L retails for a little over $300 ($247.95 our price). The piston-fill 1911L Realo version is even higher at a $410 retail ($327.95 our price).
Color and trim options also vary from the 1911S to 1911L. The 1911S has a larger variety of resin colors, including blue, red, maroon and a demonstrator. The 1911L is a bit more limited, with only a black with gold trim or black with silver trim.
So, who you takin'? 1911S or 1911L?
The entry level price point of the 1911S is extremely attractive, especially for fountain pen users who are taking a step up into this price level after getting their feet (or nibs) wet with pens in the sub-$100 category. For those with an expanded budget or have had experience with a few gold nibs already (like a Pilot VP or Lamy 2k) may opt for the larger 1911L with the sumptuous 21kt gold nib.
Either way, you're writing with an awesome fountain pen that is based on superior quality and attention to detail!
New pens from the Land of the Rising Sun includes one that contains an entire galaxy of stars. Also, if you thought extra-fine was enough fineness, prepare yourself for SUPER EXTRA FINE in only a way that the master nib craftsmen at Sailor can produce. Only Sailor is capable of fine-tuning a smooth-writing, super-extra-fine, solid gold nib with a 0.1mm tip. The Sailor Sai-bi Togi nib is ground using a microscope, a special projector system and a steady hand (of course).
The Sai-bi Togi is available in the professional gear "slim" model that has a 14kt solid gold nib and fills using cartridge or converter. Sailor used a rich, pearlescent red color matched with silver trims to accompany this once-bespoke creation.
A limited number of the Sai-bi Togi will be imported to the United States. We are expecting to be on the initial shipment in August when they arrive. Sign up for our newsletter mailing list to be notified when the come into stock and are available for ordering.
Sailor Pro Gear Slim Starburst Galaxy Limited Production
Due up in late October / Early November (think Christmas / Holiday Gifts), we have the heavenly Pro Gear Slim Starburst Galaxy. Limited to a production of 500 pieces worldwide, Sailor expects this pen to be sold out fairly quickly and have been taking pre-orders to anticipate the demand.
Flecks of starlight spill across the empty void of rich black resin. Matched with silver trim and a rhodium-coated 14kt gold nib.
This Professional Gear Slim Starburst model is fitted with a 14kt solid gold nib that is available in the US with the core nib sizes : extra-fine, fine, medium-fine, broad, zoom and music nib.
We will be stocking most of the nib sizes to start with. If you have a specific need for a particular nib to come in, we would suggest for you to call us directly (800-963-7367) to place your pre-order (reference item # 11-8164). We should be able to order the extra pens to meet the demand, but we need to be careful to act quickly, as they may be all spoken for by the time the initial shipment arrives.
We're proud to host the April 2013 edition of the Carnival of Pen, Pencil and Paper. These are posts freshly picked from the wild of the internet blog-o-sphere that stoke your love of the writing process and its materials. Check them out! Maybe you will find a new blog to follow, a new pen to lust after or just a plain ol' good read.
Thanks for reading this month's edition of the Carnival of Pen, Pencil and Paper. Stay tuned for the next issue coming May 7th over at the Rants of the Archer Blog. You can submit an article (requires log-in) if you have a post you would like to share.
If the snowflake matters most, then there's no replacing the need to buy a Mont Blanc.
However, if writing quality, style and value matter more, then we can certainly help you find a holiday pen gift that has a Mont Blanc "style" for hundreds of dollars less. Here are some suggestions :
The newest generation of Expert is here. Classic cigar-shape profile, weighted brass inner barrel and classic lacquering style make this line a perfect, affordable competitor to a Mont Blanc.
The Japanese-made Sailor pen is renown for high writing quality and superb gold nibs that make writing an absolute joy. Prices for the fountain pens are a bit up there ($310 Retail), but compare to a Meisterstuck large fountain pen that can cost hundreds of dollars more still, Sailor demonstrates a better value.
The Marquis Metro collection has been one of the best selections for corporate gifts to have engraved and buy in bulk. The pen is built from an inner metal barrel coated in polished lacquer and chrome trims. The accompanying gift box presents this pen extremely professionally, leaving the gift recipient wondering how much this pen must have cost. Both rollerball and ballpoint are under $50 separately at the time of this writing.
Classic, Italian-crafted design that pulls no punches when it comes to quality, Aurora has always been an excellent choice for pen-shoppers looking for Mont Blanc style for a much greater value (under $100 for a fountain pen in the ipsilon resin collection).
When it comes to imitating the luxury style of a Mont Blanc, Taiwanese pen manufacturer Laban does it the best with high quality materials like gold and sterling silver. This gold-plated edition looks gorgeous, writes just as well and is a faction of the cost to own a Mont Blanc.
