My Fountain Pen Education: The Pilot Metal Falcon

As was the case with many of my friend Thomas' pens that he sent me, I didn't know what to make of the Pilot Metal Falcon when I first inked it up. I had heard raves about its flexible nib but never having used one before, I was tentative. It didn't take long for me to get the hang of it and I discovered quickly why it is so well regarded.

It is hard to explain the feeling of a flex nib to someone who has never used one before. In a nutshell, the nib is reasonably firm and produces a fine line while using light writing pressure. When pressure is added, the tines spread and the lines become wider, giving the output on the page a little more flair.

My written review actually does a poor job of showing off the line width variation. Part of that is due to this being an SEF nib, or Soft Extra Fine. The other part is me not wanting to really lean into someone else's pen and spring the nib. If you need more variation, the Falcon nib is available up to Broad.

There were two things I did not like about this pen. One, the metal barrel felt awkward in the hand. I'm not sure if it was the added weight or that it was cool to the touch at start, but I never got used to it. Two, at nearly $250 from most US retailers it seemed expensive for what it is. I didn't find that much novelty or uniqueness to justify the price.

All was not lost though, as Thomas later pointed out to me that there is a Japanese model in black resin with rhodium trim for about $100 cheaper, which we both subsequently ordered. And you guys think I have a problem?

Look for more on my very own Falcon in the near future.

Platinum Balance Fountain Pen Review

I was a little concerned after opening my package from JetPens and taking my first glance at the Platinum Balance Fountain Pen. Do I like the design? How durable is it? And most of all, is it worth the price?

At $50, this is not a toss in the cart add-on. Some thought is required to commit to a pen like this. Like I mentioned in the podcast this week, I don't want another "one and done". Fortunately, once I inked this pen up and started using it, all of my concerns flew out of the window.

The nib on the Platinum Balance is the primary selling point. For a Japanese steel F nib it is nothing short of fantastic. I inked this pen up with a Platinum Blue Black ink cartridge and was amazed at how fine, clean, and consistent the lines were. From a writing standpoint alone, it ranks as good as or better than any other pen in its price range.

Since the nib is so great, the real decision is whether you like the design or not. I am a fan of demonstrator pens and branched out with the Crystal Blue instead of the Shine Crystal (I didn't consider Crystal Rose). It is a good weight - not too light - and comfortable while writing. The only visual issue I have is that I don't care for the white insert inside the cap. I assume it is there to hide any stray ink that may fly off the nib when jostling around.

Color me surprised with this one. I thought it was just going to be another average fountain pen but as well as it writes I think I will be getting regular use out of it.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

My Fountain Pen Education: The Sailor Professional Gear and Sapporo

There were two things I knew heading into the Atlanta Pen Show: 1. A Sailor was at the top of my wish list, and 2. The likelihood of me coming home with one was almost nil.

The reason for number one was thanks to my good friend Thomas. You see, he didn't just send me one Sailor to try out. That wouldn't be his style at all. Instead, he sent me three: A Sailor Professional Gear 21K EF nib, a Sailor Sapporo 14K EF nib, and a Sailor Sapporo Mini 14K F nib. All are black barrels with Rhodium trim - my perfect setup.

From the outside, you might think this is just another standard, high-quality Japanese pen, and you would be right. The barrel construction and fit and finish of the pen are top-notch. What makes this pen a standout though is the nib. I have never used anything like it before, or since.

Sailor's nibs are considered some of the best, if not the best, in the world. I can't say why without actually visiting their factory and discovering their secrets, but I do know from my short time with them these nibs are elite. The extra fine nib is so smooth it has to be used to be believed. I was enamored with them, which is why the Sailor brand sits at the top of my wish list.

The Sailor Professional Gear is the largest and heaviest of the models I tested, and was my favorite. The size is perfect without being too large or intimidating, and the 21K gold nib is just wow. I don't know what else to say besides how impressed I was with this pen.

The Sailor Sapporo checks in slightly smaller and lighter than the Pro Gear (similar to the Pilot 91 compared to the 912), but is excellent in its own right. In fact, it might be the first one I purchase. The 14K nib makes it more reasonably priced compared to its bigger brother and there was no noticeable difference in writing performance.

The Sailor Sapporo Mini is the smallest of the group, but packs the same punch as the standard Sapporo in design and performance. It is one of the nicer mini fountain pens I have used, but unfortunately it was recently discontinued.

As great as all of these pens are, I should be able to purchase one pretty easily, right? That brings me to point number two from the start: They are not easy to come by. I would have loved to run across a vendor selling the Japanese Sailor line at the Atlanta Pen Show but was out of luck. They are readily available on eBay, but all ship from Hong Kong or other Far Eastern outposts. You can also find a few Asian-based sites that that have good prices and ship to the US if you want to go that route.

If you want to keep it close to home, in my case the US, I know of one well-respected vendor that stocks the full Sailor line (among other hard to find Japanese pens) and that is Nibs.com. Warning: If you browse around their site please hide your wallet before doing so. Don't say I didn't warn you. If you know of other US-based sites with the full Sailor line please let me know in the comments section.

I am anxiously awaiting the day when I pick up my first Sailor. I imagine it will be in the very near future.