Image via JetPens
The Pilot Kakuno may not be my number one choice for your first fountain pen, but it is the most fun choice. I love the feel of the pen, and the style is right up my alley. Plus, the nib is a fantastic writer - and it has a smiley face on it!
I have one Kakuno to give away: The Soft Yellow model with an extra fine nib. If you want a fountain pen to write like your favorite micro-gel ink pen then this is the one. Read the rules below and enter away!
Opus 88 Picnic. Image via Goldspot.
Sponsor support is very important to me here at The Pen Addict. My sidebar advertisers put their faith in me to deliver good value for them month in and month out, and I want to shine the light on the best of the best for you. If you are shopping for pens, paper, inks, and more, please check out these great companies and see what they have to offer. Some recent highlights:
Pen Chalet has the hottest new Caran d’Ache 849 ballpoint, featuring archival patterns from designer Alexander Girard.
Goldspot received the Opus 88 Picnic in three colors, the most recent release from this new to the market, and well-received, pen brand.
Anderson Pens are now taking pre-orders for a new store exclusive Sailor Pro Gear in a beautiful Slate Blue.
JetPens has the new Yamamto Ro-Biki Notebooks, featuring a unique cover stock, an interesting format, and wonderful internal paper.
I fully understand how good Sailor fountain pens are. I own a baker’s dozen, and always have my eyes on the next one. Since I own, use, and love so many already, I was convinced I didn’t need another one when the 1911 Royal Tangerine launched. Yes, it’s practically the perfect pen for me and my tastes, but I was ok holding off until the next one, or the one after that. I have enough Sailors!
Apparently I don’t, as it turns out. My friends at Goldspot sent me one to review, and as soon as I inked it up I wondered what I had been waiting for. This is a fantastic example of everything that Sailor does right.
Pro Gear Orange (top) vs 1911 Standard Royal Tangerine
If you’ve read or listened to me for any length of time, you already know what those things are. Sailor pens are stylish, yet refined. The colors are bright, and the hardware fancies up the joint without being ostentatious. This tangerine orange barrel with rhodium trim POPS, but in a way only a few companies can pull off.
And the nibs. I feel a tinge of guilt if I ever say they aren’t the best in the business. Platinum has an argument here, but any Sailor second place talk is squashed quickly by the sheer amount of variety. I even tried something new this time while remaining in my writing wheelhouse. This medium fine nib is a wonderful every day writer.
That’s where this pen fits for me. It’s almost the perfect every day carry fountain pen. From the moment I inked it up, with Bungubox Tangerine of course, I’ve wanted to carry this pen with me. Clipped to my shirt, in a front pants pocket, attached to a notebook, in a case - anywhere.
The feeling I get with the 1911 Standard (my first one, btw) is that it wants to be an EDC pen, unlike all of my other Sailors. They are mostly Professional Gear models with flat end caps. The 1911 has rounded end caps. The Standard model is also smaller than the Large. Those things combined mean it stealthily fits into more places than its larger, edgier counterparts.
It’s durable too. The barrel construction, including the clip, are rock solid. Another reason I want to carry it anywhere and everywhere is that I know it can take a beating. It gives me the confidence to carry it to the shop at Nock and leave it on the counter while I work around it. I don’t have to pretend it’s a fragile little flower. That feels great, and makes me want to have it with me at all times.
I’m still not sure exactly why this particular Sailor made me change my mentality around carrying it, but I’m glad it did.
If you are waiting for the kicker, there is one: It’s expensive, especially for a pen I’m recommending as an EDC option. It’s currently $196 at Goldspot, which is above the comfort zone for many. If you are a Sailor fan and user, you get it and understand the cost. If you haven’t reached this threshold in your pen buying, then it can be a tough pill to swallow. There are tons of great pens that are cheaper. There are many worse pens that are more expensive. It’s about finding a pen that fits your needs, and this one fits mine more than I even considered.
(Goldspot provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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