Posts filed under Sailor

Sailor Pro Gear Classic Graphite Lighthouse with Zoom Architect Nib: 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.)

Long ago I owned a Pelikan M200 with a fine Architect nib (also known as a Hebrew/Arabic Nib). It was a lovely, delicate thing, ground by the great Richard Binder. But, when I originally ordered it I was young and naïve, new to fountain pens, and I didn’t realize that the fine nib would not give me the line variation I craved for Hebrew characters. I eventually sold the pen.

I’ve been itching to try a Sailor Zoom nib with an Architect grind, and I knew exactly which nibmeister I wanted to do it: John Mottishaw at nibs.com. Deciding on a Sailor pen for the nib was extremely hard (so many choices), but I eventually settled on the Sailor Pro Gear Classic Graphite Lighthouse. This surprised me a bit, because why would I want a “boring” gray pen when Sailor has so many bright, cheery colors? I don’t know. I liked the subtle color and the clear finials on both ends, and a more “sober” pen seemed somehow fitting for writing Hebrew.

Even though the Sailor Graphite Lighthouse is a North American exclusive, it comes in a basic Sailor box. The only thing differentiating it from a regular Sailor is a bookmark--woot?

The pen itself is a dark gray color with rhodium trim, which complements the color perfectly.

As stated earlier, the cap and barrel finials are clear, offering a special detail that makes the pen look unique. I just wish it lit up like a real lighthouse!

The Pro Gear Classic is a small to medium-sized pen--small if you don’t post it and medium if you do. It measures 5.1 inches/130mm capped, 4.5 inches/115mm uncapped, and 5.9 inches/150mm posted. It’s a light pen, weighing only 25 grams capped and 16 grams uncapped with the converter filled with ink. I usually like much larger pens, but for some reason I’ve gravitated towards Pro Gear Classics. I own several of them.

The real story with this pen is the nib. All Sailor nibs are gorgeous, with beautiful scroll work and the Sailor anchor inscribed above the gold content.

The Zoom nib is like an extra broad but with a triangular shape and lots of tipping. It’s the perfect choice for an Architect grind.

I asked John to make my Architect “forgiving,” so he smoothed it out more than a traditional Architect grind so I could use it to write cursive.

It’s absolutely perfect--smooth and juicy, but I can also get clean vertical and horizontal strokes for Hebrew and block letters.

Upside down the nib writes extra, extra fine. I’m unlikely to use the nib this way, but it’s a nice option if you want to write marginalia.

I inked the Graphite Lighthouse with Sailor Ink Studio 123, and the two pair together beautifully. I can write in my usual cursive style with this nib, and the pen simply floats over the paper.

I am absolutely thrilled with this pen and the Zoom/Architect nib. Even though the Pro Gear Classic Graphic Lighthouse is mostly sold out, you can, of course, order almost any Sailor with a Zoom nib from nibs.com and request an Architect grind. If you do block printing more than cursive, you’ll definitely want a classic Architect grind. But, if you’re like me and want an Architect that allows you to do cursive as well, just ask John for a more forgiving nib, and he will send you the perfect grind.

(I purchased the Sailor Pro Gear Graphite Lighthouse with my own funds.)


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Posted on October 4, 2019 and filed under Sailor, Fountain Pens, Architect Nib, Pen Reviews.

PenSachi Sailor Limited Edition Pro Gear Classic Demonstrator Fountain Pen - Ruby Pink Giveaway

The longer the title, the better the giveaway? That’s what I’m going with, at least in the case of this wonderful giveaway from PenSachi. I first learned about PenSachi from their impressive Sailor Limited Edition collection, and that is exactly the type of pen I have for you today.

They have provided one Sailor Limited Edition Pro Gear Classic Demonstrator Fountain Pen in Ruby Pink with a 21k Medium Fine nib to give away to one lucky reader. Read the rules below, and enter away!

Posted on September 24, 2019 and filed under PenSachi, Sailor, Giveaways.

Sailor Ink Studio 442: 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.)

A few months ago I reviewed my first Sailor Ink Studio ink: Sailor 123. It is a fascinating color that shifts and changes before your eyes. Around the time I bought Sailor 123, I also purchased Sailor 442 from a different retailer.

Sailor 442 is a blue ink with purple tones. On my Col-o-dex card, the swab looks like a basic blue, but there is some green sheen in the splats. Shading isn’t very evident on the card because my Brause Blue Pumpkin nib was pretty saturated. You can see better shading in my other writing samples.

I tested the ink on Rhodia dot-grid paper with three Lamy Vistas in different nib sizes and the 2.4mm Pilot Parallel (dipped). The ink is a medium to dark blue with good shading in wider nibs. The purple tone comes out slightly in the broader nibs, but is most evident in the water test. The ink dries quickly but seems well lubricated when you write with it.

Chromatography reveals all the different shades combined to create this ink (light blue, purple, lavender, turquoise, green, and yellow). It’s a shame these colors don’t show up in swabs or shading. Unlike Sailor 123, 442 is not a shade-shifting ink. It’s quite striking in chromatography, but rather bland in the nib.

Even in my Handwritmic nib, which best displays the color variations, shading, and sheen potential of an ink, Sailor 442 was disappointing. There’s a good amount of shading, but only slight hints of the color variations found in the chromatography test. On the Midori Cotton paper, sheen was not evident.

After the magical experience of Sailor 123, I must say I was disappointed with 442. It’s not that it’s a bad ink--it’s actually a very nice blue with good shading and medium wetness. I just expected more from this rather expensive little bottle of ink. I now know that only certain Sailor Ink Studio inks have the shade-shifting characteristics of Sailor 123. I definitely plan to purchase those. I’ve read that the higher the number given to Ink Studio inks, the more sheen they have.

For an amazing overview of all 100 Sailor Ink Studio inks, I recommend Mountain of Ink’s blog. Not only can you read about the collection as a whole, there’s a detailed review of each one.

I purchased Sailor 442 from an eBay seller for around $21.00 plus shipping. Now you can purchase Sailor Ink Studio inks at $18.00 a piece (plus shipping) from Dromgoole’s (though you have to do so over the phone).


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!

Posted on September 20, 2019 and filed under Sailor, Ink Reviews.