My good friend Jonathon Brooks of the Carolina Pen Company has jumped on the custom ink train with his very own Robert Oster formulation. Carolina Blue is a medium/dark blue with nice shading and a hint of sheen, and is now available online and at pen shows that Jonathon attends. He sent me over one bottle to give away, so read the details below and get entered!
Sailor Pro Gear Ocean Fountain Pen Review
I have a strange habit of not having reviews on The Pen Addict for some of my most favorite pens. In my head, I’ve done them. I talk about the pen constantly online, or with friends, or on the podcast, so certainly I can link you to the review right? Time and time again, the answer is nope, I can’t. And I can’t figure out why!
But today, I’m logging the Sailor Pro Gear Ocean Fountain Pen into the permanent record. I looked back through the eleven plus year history of this blog and saw that I have reviewed exactly one standard Pro Gear fountain pen, back in 2015. That’s unacceptable for a pen I use and recommend so much.
Since that last review, my love for the brand, and specifically this pen model, has grown. Sure, I’ve had dalliances with the 1911, and rave about the King of Pen (which I haven’t reviewed yet either!), but the Pro Gear is one of my favorite all day, every day pens in my rotation.
Everything about this pen is perfect for me. The size and weight of the pen hit a perfect balance of not to small and not too heavy, while also remaining not too large. It slides into a pocket or a pen case easily, with the strong clip keeping it secure. It even posts to a reasonable writing length for you heathens out there.
As great as this pen feels, I have a lot of pens that feel just as nice. Two things set it apart from those other pens. First off, Sailor pens have a style that fits me and my aesthetic perfectly. There are always fun colors and combinations to choose from, including a ton of rhodium trim and nib options. The clip design is classic, the cap band is a strong, but not overwhelming, visual, and the anchor in the finial is as classic to me as the Montblanc snowcap. And don’t even get me started on all of the special/limited editions, of which the Ocean model is one of.
Secondly, and the thing most people think of when they think of Sailor, is the nib. If I can tell you one thing about Sailor nibs and how they compare to their Japanese counterparts it is that they are firm. Sailor stock nibs come in a wide range of sizes, from Extra Fine, to Zoom and Music. I ordered a Medium Fine for my Ocean, and had Dan Smith stub it before shipping - an awesome service he offers by the way. (Disclosure: I paid full price for this pen with my own cash money.)
Even with the nib modification, this thing writes like a nail. And I love it. A quick look at the writing samples in this review will tell you why. This is my normal writing style and size. The output on the page is tight and clean, and the ink flow is perfect.
For years, people have asked “Why fountain pens?” when questioning me about why people choose to write with certain pens. And my answer is always “Customization.” This Sailor Pro Gear Ocean is the epitome of that for me. It’s the feel I want, the color I want, and the nib I want, all wrapped up in one neat package. Add up all of those wants, and all I want to do is use it. There is no higher praise I can give a product than that.
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Misfill, REALLY Super Mario Edition
Each week in Refill, the Pen Addict Members newsletter, I publish Ink Links as part of the additional content you receive for being a member. And each week, after 10 to 15 links, plus my added commentary on each, I'm left with many great items I want to share. Enter Misfill. Here are this weeks links:
— Ink Review: Rohrer & Klingner Aubergine (The Well-Appointed Desk)
— Sailor 1911S Key Lime Fountain Pen Music Nib (Gourmet Pens)
— A View From the Easel (Hyperallergic)
— Review: Color It Dot Grid Journal (Comfortable Shoes Studio)
— review: colorverse pale blue dot (ink between the teeth)
— The Marie Kondo of pens: the Muji round aluminium fountain pen (UK fountain pens)
— Izumi Rose (Hello Sailors!)
— Pilot in 1993 (Crónicas Estilográficas)
— BlankSlate Review (Inkdependence)
— Sealed Copy Of Super Mario Bros. Sells For A Record-Breaking $100,150 (Kotaku)
— The Clandestine Cultural Knowledge of Ancient Graffiti (Hyperallergic)
— Nock Brasstown Review (PASTOR AND PEN)
— The Pelikan 300: A Chimera (The Pelikan's Perch)
— Pilot 100th Anniversary set inks tester on Life L1201 paper. (Inkantadora)
— Abby Sangiamo's Sketchbooks (Notebook Stories)
— Ink Review #577: Sailor Jentle Tokiwa-matsu (Mountain of Ink)
— 1,440 Portraits Emerge from a Single Ink Drawing in a New Animation by Jake Fried (Colossal)
— The slow and steady perfection of Galaxie 500’s On Fire (A.V. Club)
Want to catch the rest, plus extra articles, reviews, commentary, discounts, and more? Try out a Pen Addict Membership for only $5 per month!
