Out of the top three Japanese pen brands, Sailor does the best job of mixing in limited and seasonal releases alongside their primary fountain pen offerings. My favorite manufacturer, Pilot, is the the worst in this area, with Platinum not doing much either, unless it relates to a Japanese lake.
Sailor, on the other hand, seems to enjoy putting out a few extra releases each year. And whether they revolve around neon colors, seasons, cities, or galaxies, they always seem to be interesting.
In late 2015, Sailor released the Pro Gear Slims Four Seasons lineup, featuring four colors: Haruzora Spring Sky Manyou, Summer Woods Meigetsu, Autumn Moon Yukitsubaki, and Winter Camelia. All feature unique resin colors to match the seasons, and 14k Medium Fine nibs.
It was hard to choose which one I wanted to review from Goldspot. An argument could be made for any of them actually. I thought Haruzora Spring Sky with its bright metallic light blue barrel was the standout, and, judging by the response on social media, I think I chose correctly.
The stark black end caps matched with the bright blue barrel and gold trim makes every bit of this pen pop. Although the blue isn’t a perfect match, I find the look to be Tiffany-esque. It’s classy, clean, and eye-catching.
Bottom to top: Pro Gear Slim, Pro Gear, 1911, King of Pens
The Sailor Pro Gear Slim, often called the Sapporo, is the smallest and lightest of Sailor’s gold nib pens. Despite that, it is a comfortable writer for all but the biggest of hands. Even when posted it remains light and well-balanced.
Sailor nibs are considered some of the best in the world, but I personally rank them behind both Pilot and Platinum. That is relative of course, like how I said above that Pilot is the worst among the three with seasonal releases. They are still wonderful, as are Sailor nibs. They have more tooth when compared to the smoothness of Pilot and precision of Platinum. Placing them third among that group is like saying someone is the third best supermodel in the world.
If you have never owned a Sailor fountain pen and were shopping for one of their gold nib models, my recommendation would be to go for the standard Pro Gear due to the larger barrel and nib. Yes, it is more expensive, but if it is your one and only Sailor it will make you the happiest in the long run I believe. If you have tried a Sailor and are familiar with the Sapporo size then you will certainly enjoy the unique colors of the Four Seasons series.
(Goldspot loaned this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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