Sailor Compass 1911 Fountain Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

The sub-$100 price range can be difficult for a lot of pen manufacturers to succeed in. For some, this is where they excel at offering great value and excellent writing instruments for the price (ever heard of TWSBI?). On the other hand, being able to deliver high-end luxury writing instruments doesn't also make you an expert at delivering lower cost, affordable items that compete well with brands that operate exclusively in that space. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try, though! And that's exactly what Sailor is doing with the Compass 1911 fountain pen line.

The Compass 1911 borrows a familiar shape from the high-end 1911 fountain pen line, but uses more affordable materials in order to hit a much lower price bracket: $50 MSRP. On top of that, the Compass 1911 even comes with two black ink cartridges and (wait for it) a cartridge converter. I've definitely criticized Sailor in the past for not including a cheap converter with their $200+ fountain pens. At that price range, it seems petty to discount it from the hinged box that contains the pen. In the $50 price range, it's a fantastic bonus that I would never expect.

But the value gets better from there since no one really sells goods for the MSRP. As of now, you can find the Sailor Compass 1911 for just under $40 at Goldspot. For that price, is an excellent value for a beginning fountain pen kit. But, how does it perform as a pen? Can Sailor scale down their excellent writing to an ultra affordable, entry-level pen?

Across the lineup, the Compass 1911 feature semi-transparent materials in a variety of fun colors. The trim is silver in every case, and there also aren't any nib choices to make. Every pen comes with a stainless steel medium fine nib. While this is a bold decision, I certainly agree with this being a default option for a nib size. Others won't appreciate it and will look for larger or smaller alternatives, but for most people that don't really know what nib size to use yet, it's a pretty good starting point.

The pen is fairly lightweight, but doesn't feel brittle or delicate. It can definitely withstand some abuse from being thrown in bags and pockets. The screw-on cap posts securely to the back of the pen, and I find it extremely comfortable to write with the cap posted or non-posted. Both lengths are great for writing. In all, the materials used in the body and cap feel great for such an affordable pen. Even the converter seems well-made.

Moving on to the more important part of the pen, the nib is incredibly plain compared to Sailor's more expensive options. Even though it's plain and looks a little cheap, this nib is a solid performer. The MF nib is stiff as a nail and writes smoothly and reliably. It's always such a joy to ink up a pen straight out of the box and find that it writes beautifully without any fuss. The Sailor Compass 1911 is one of these pens, and an excellent first option for those that are curious about the world of fountain pens. I also enjoy that the material used for the feed is transparent as well, which shows off the ink color you've chosen. For my Olive version of the pen, I went with Pilot Iroshizuku Chiku-rin to compliment the light green transparent color of the body. The green feed just makes it even better.

To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect when I opened this box. I've been disappointed in the past by some of Sailor's sub-$100 offerings, and I thought this might be another lackluster attempt to break into that price range. The Compass 1911 won't disrupt what TWSBI, Pilot, Lamy, Kaweco, or other brands that offer pens in the same price range are already doing, but it is a fantastic offering from the brand that directly translates what kind of quality and dependable writing experience you can expect from their more luxurious offerings. Here's to hoping they continue experimenting in this fun category.

The review unit featured here is the Olive color option, but you can also pick from Clear, Brown, Yellow, Green, Purple, Blue, Pink, and Red. At $40, they're a fantastic deal for a gift or a personal treat.

(Goldspot provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Desiderata BAMF Pump Piston Fountain Pen: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

The Desiderata Fountain Pen Company was established by Pierre Miller, a chemist, musician, and writer who makes fountain pens. His goal is to create pens that are well made, accept a variety of nibs, and offer an excellent flex-nib writing experience for those who desire it.

I'm on Pierre's mailing list. And when I received a notification about his newest creation, the BAMF Pump Piston Fountain Pen, I set an alarm on my iPhone, and as soon as orders opened, I placed mine. In part, I wanted this pen simply for its name--a name I cannot publish here--because when I saw it engraved on the pen, I laughed aloud, long and hard. I knew I needed this pen after the year I've had (and I'm not even talking about COVID).

But I also wanted the pen because it offers a unique combination of features: an innovative pump piston filling system that holds a lot of ink, a beautiful black ebonite exterior with a red ebonite grip and feed, and the ability to use a Zebra G calligraphy flex nib with a fountain pen system.

I've been on a never-ending quest to find a modern flex fountain pen because I have an anti-Midas touch with vintage pens. Believe me. I touch a vintage pen and it crumbles in my hands. I've also tried straight and oblique calligraphy pens with dip nibs. I am so bad at dipping, resulting in ink blobs, spatter, and all-around ugly calligraphy.

I've also tried multiple modern pens, including the Aurora Anniversary Flex Nib, the Noodler's Triple Tail Flex Nib, the Scribo Feel flex nib, and many others. My conclusion: Meh. Some are absolute duds. Others offer decent flex but aren't really calligraphy worthy. And others are just out of my price range right now (like the Scribo, not to mention the Montblanc Calligraphy 149).

Pierre's pens offer a wonderful middle ground: reasonable price, calligraphy flex nib (with other nib options), and a filling system so you don't have to dip the nib. Woot!

The BAMF pen comes in no-frills packaging: a small flat rate USPS box and some soft paper padding taped around the pen.

The pen is made of black ebonite--the body has a gloss finish and the cap has a brushed finish.

There's no clip or any ornamentation on the pen other than "Desiderata Pen Company" and "BAMF" (spelled out) engraved on the barrel. This is not a pen you want falling in the hands of a child who can read and who wants to know what those words mean. I've kindly blurred them out for the photo.

The pen is 150mm/5.9 inches capped, 140mm/5.51 inches unposted (with the Zebra G nib installed), and 178mm/7 inches posted (but I couldn't get the cap to post securely at all). The pen is light, weighing only 15 grams capped without ink.

It has slightly rounded ends and a small drop from cap to barrel. The blind cap blends so well into the barrel that you wouldn't know it's there. I'm glad I watched a review of the pen before I received it, because I would've tried to unscrew it at the grip end.

The grip is made of polished red ebonite which offers a classy contrast to the black pen.

The filling system is all kinds of cool. Pierre calls it a "Pump Piston." You open the blind cap to reveal more red ebonite (where the blind cap screws onto the barrel), a spring, and a swirled ebonite button. Once you're ready to ink the pen, you simply put the nib into your ink and press the pump several times until no more bubbles come out. Clean off your nib and section and you're ready to write (well . . . sort of, see below).

I opted for the Zebra G nib (you could also choose a JOWO nib in various sizes or a Nemosine .6 italic) and the red ebonite feed.

I read all of Pierre's instructions and watched his video on how to prep the pen for writing. The first step was to remove the nib and feed (which are friction fit) and to clean both of them. I used toothpaste to clean the Zebra G nib because that's what Pierre used. I rinsed the ebonite feed well.

Then I inked the pen up with Robert Oster Red Candy, sat down at the table, and began to play with the pen. I knew from watching Pierre's video that I would have to work with the nib to get it to write properly. It took some time to get the ink flowing, and even then I encountered railroading and skipping. But I kept at it. After awhile, the pen started writing more consistently, and I could do an entire page without problems.

That said, if I paused for even a short amount of time, the ink stopped flowing. I had to start all over, drawing circles, licking the nib to stimulate the ink, flexing lines to get consistent flow. This happened every time I paused or between writing sessions.

It may just be a characteristic of using a calligraphy nib on a fountain pen. Or, I may need to clean the nib more thoroughly. Or, it may be a matter of breaking the nib in. Regardless, as fiddly as the nib is, it is so much better than having to dip it in ink!!!! I really hate dipping.

I am absolutely thrilled with my BAMF. As a beginner calligrapher, I truly appreciate a pen that allows me to practice without having to deal with dipping problems. I can focus instead on creating my letters, practicing words, and developing better spacing. Yes, having to restart the pen after every pause is irritating, but it doesn't take long, and I suspect it's user error rather than the pen's fault.

Sadly, the BAMF is no longer available. Pierre makes his pens in small batches, so it's first come first served. Let us hope there will be another iteration of this pen. Your best bet, if you're interested in Pierre's pens, is to sign up for his newsletter (the sign up is at the bottom of the About page).

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Sailor Pro Gear Slim Blue Dwarf Fountain Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

After all these years of being involved with the pen community, I finally got around to picking up a premium Sailor fountain pen for myself. I've used plenty of them before, but just haven't purchased one for myself. I knew I didn't want one of the standard black models, so when the new Blue Dwarf limited edition crossed my feeds one day, I knew that was the one that would push me into this category.

I have several different models of Sailor's sub-$120 fountain pens, and they've all been "meh" in my mind. They're good pens, but there's nothing special about them. No matter how much more expensive they are from the High Ace Neo, they just couldn't justify the price for me. I just couldn't resist the sparkly blue color, and the limited edition aspect just expedited my decision-making process.

When deciding which nib to pick for this particular pen, I only had my own memories to compare against since I don't own any other gold-nibbed Sailors. I remember the nibs running incredibly smaller and harder than other brands, and knew I didn't want a needle-like tip for my first purchase. Since I've had really good experiences with the medium fine nibs on my Pilot pens, I decided to give that a shot for the Blue Dwarf as well. I like the "small-but-not-too-small" size that offers a nice feel and allows the ink to express it's characteristics a bit as well.

At $200, this pen wasn't quite an impulse purchase. If I wasn't already actively looking for a Sailor to add for my collection, I probably would have passed on it. I had been leaning toward the regular Pro Gear size instead of the slim, but the sparkly blue body just pulled me in. For $200, I feel like this pen is accurately priced based on the quality of materials and overall fit-and-finish. My only gripe is that they didn't include a cartridge converter automatically. I added the $8 converter to my order without hesitation, but it does seem like an oversight on Sailor's part when you're past the $100 mark for a pen that definitely needs some type of filling mechanism. To offer a comparison, the Pilot Custom 78 and Custom Heritage pens include a converter or use a piston-filling system, and they're often below the $200 mark. Sure, the Blue Dwarf is much more pleasant to look at, but the lack of a converter just feels annoying.

Aside from my converter complaints, the pen is an absolute delight. It's small and easy to carry around, and it also feels really sturdy despite its small size. It's really well weighted and feels comfortable when writing posted or non-posted. It's a versatile writer in the sense that I can pack it in the smallest cases but still enjoy all-day comfort when using it for longer writing sessions.

Like I remembered from using other Sailors, the nib is quite stiff and smaller than my other medium fine nibs. While the nib is stiff, it's still quite soft as it moves across the page. It writes very smoothly out of the box and has excellent ink flow, if not a tad on the dry side. I can get a small amount of flex out of the nib by applying pressure, but it's a minimal bit of variation. Honestly, I don't feel comfortable trying to flex this nib because of how stiff it is. It's certainly not meant to vary line width much at all. The 14k gold material is there to provide some cushion to the writing experience — nothing more.

Despite the stiff nib, this is still an extremely comfortable and easy-going pen to use. Regardless of the paper I've tried with it, it always glides across the page with ease. Even if I forget to cap it after a few minutes, the ink still flows easily. Likewise, if it's been capped for a few days without any use, it starts writing almost immediately.

The color of the material used in the pen is a bright, cheery blue with specks of glittery silver material. The name Blue Dwarf refers to a theoretical type of star, which is where I think the glittery material lends itself to the overall aesthetic. From JetPens:

It is inspired by the wonder of blue dwarf stars, which have been predicted by astrophysicists but will not arise in our universe for trillions of years. The blue dwarf is an inspiring reminder that, as incomprehensibly ancient as the universe seems, there is still far more yet to come.

The build quality of this pen is just astounding. There's no wonder Sailor pens are as pricey as they are. You're paying for excellence in quality and materials, and it easily shows every time you pick this pen up. It's such a delightful writing instrument to use and equally delightful to see laying on a table.

The Sailor Pro Gear Slim Blue Dwarf is a limited edition, with only 1,500 being produced worldwide. If you like this pen and want to pick one up for yourself, make sure you act quickly!

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!