I own Sailors but no KOP. I was shocked to see the converter situation. As I have no local FP stores, I am very glad to see this before falling for it. Thanks
It isn't that bad really, you just need to be more mindful on refills. However the is a silver lining to it: it makes it a lot easier to try different inks and enjoy its use.
100% agreement from me. We regularly see people honking about premium pen pricing from the European makers, but none of them charge over $800 U.S. street price for a basic cartridge/converter pen with obvious injection molding seams. I don't know what has gotten into Sailor lately, but it's getting pretty wild. I guess they'll keep it up if we keep paying for it.
@@Seefood73 $50 would be overpriced for that pen IMHO. I would rather buy 2 or 3 Pilot pens than that pen. And because Sailor seemingly has no pride in their "KOP", I'll probably never buy a Sailor pen.
@@robertcalkjr.8325 you are talking about a large 21k nib here, compare the price with a MontBlanc 149 or a Pelikan M1000, it's not for everyone's pocket. it's not a reason to not buy a brand. They have some excellent cheaper pens, the 1911 line starts at $60 with amazing steel nibs or $100 for gold, and they are very much loved and appreciated. the PGS (same as the 1911 with a flat top) also starts at $100, and it's an excellent buy, on par with a Pilot custom 91 or 74. I suggest you don't cancel before you wrote a page or two with one of them.
I actually like that it uses standardised parts, like I own a few quite old japanese pocket pen that the only reason why I was able to get them to easily write is that they still use the same old cartrige size today. So in 50 years if someone wants this pen it will be a lot easier to hunt down some old catriges to for a standard sailor pen than some propritary possibly super rare converter
someone can simply find/make the right diameter pipe, add a sac(this can be unobtainable/price-wise senseless option in most places on earth right now) or just close the pipe with a putty, fill ink.
I only write with my Sailor KoP now, ever since I first tried it. I love how it writes; I use the broad nib. No railroading, skips or hard-starts. I use only Sailor Studio inks. I write many long letters and have no issues with the convertor - I just refill the pen. I am not a pen collector; I use my KoP to write.
DOOODLEBUD! I love the KOP nib. I agree about the converter. There are cheaper ways to get a size 8 gold nib pen, but nothing quite like the King of Pen 21k nib.
I love Sailor pens, they write amazingly well. I have probably more than a dozen with three of them being KOP models. One is the Pro Gear in silver like this video, one is the 1911 shaped pen in gold and the other is my newest, a 1911 shaped ebonite. I like the 1911 shaped versions better, but that's strictly based on looks. The cartridge converter doesn't bother me, I have plenty of piston fillers and they are more work to clean. As for ink capacity, I don't really have to have a huge capacity, I like to change inks often and if I'm not changing colors it's very easy to refill, and isn't that part of the charm of using a fountain pen? It is for me. I have a lot of pens, well over 100, maybe approaching 150. The brands I have the most pens from: Leonardo - close to 20 Pelikan - close to 20 Sailor - 12-15 Conway Stewart - about 10 I also have many of the so-called grail pens, Mont Blanc 149, Pilot Custom Urushi, Wahl Eversharp Decoband, Visconti Homo Sapiens, etc. All of my Sailor pens write as well as the best pens by other brands. In fact, I have two Mont Blanc 149 pens and they both are underwhelming writers. I mention all the pens I own to illustrate that I have tried a lot of different pens and I feel the Sailor brand are some of the best writers I have found. They may not be perfect, no pen is, but I've never been disappointed when writing with one. I should also mention, if you shop around and possibly purchase directly from Japan, you can get Sailor pens for quite reasonable prices.
I am going to sound sacrilegious but I have a KoP with an ebonite body. There are no rings in the barrel.I don't know exactly how long I have had it but it is from their 2nd year of release. I have eyedropper filled the pen. I find the converter for such a lar pen to be a joke. So, I eyedropper the pen. It works an works well. Yes I know all about the metal section and mine is gold plated. I was not worried about corrosion. If you have a strong stomach, you should try it.
The Sailor KoP is up there among my absolutely favorite pens, ever. The size, weight, girth, feel in hand, performance and the pleasures of writing with it all check all the boxes. Prices in the U.S. are, as always, ridiculous and kind of extortionist. I bought my three KoPs (one in ebonite) directly from Japan, for $550, $600 and $700, respectively..minus shipping. The large 21k nib is just sublime and truly one of a kind. You’re right about the sweet feedback distinct control and precision it provides. Nothing else compares, on all those attributes. I don’t like the converter either, so I use cartridges instead for a greater fill. No hate and no offense taken, whatsoever. Because there is no reason for that just because you have your own honest criticisms of the pen. The KoP’s nib is among my top 5 favorite gold nibs of all time. When I write with it, I swear I feel the pen is unputdownable. I’d go so far as to say that the nib alone makes the pen totally worth the prices I paid to buy my trio. I only wish more nib options were offered beside the M and B. The broad, especially, is just the king of nibs, in my book of favorites. Good, entertaining review as usual, Db!
@@Doodlebud Good to hear. I’d only let you know that as superb as the 21k nibs are on the regular Sailor PG and 1911L, the larger 21k on the KoP is really Sailor’s very best.
I have not found any pen that I could not criticize to some degree;same with my ebonite KoP . But,I feel very lucky to have it;it's not going anywhere. The KoP nib is worth seeking out; be prepared to love it.
I do love my KOP, but I think the choice for cartridges might be dictated by the local market in Japan. For whatever reason, I think Americans seem to be much more interested in bottled ink, whereas Pelikan, Herbin, and all three Japanese pen makers seem to offer a significant number of their inks in cartridge form. This suggests to me that maybe even if Sailor wanted to make piston fillers, that they aren't as popular, and the ability to use cartridges may be particularly important in Japan, even if Sailor and Pilot do make some piston/vacuum pens. The fact that it's also easier than maintaining a whole line of truly piston-fill pens at various sizes might just be a little extra bonus. I also think that Sailor's feeds are tuned to the relatively free flowing inks that they use, and I've noticed that the pens feel significantly drier than you might expect when using inks that are on the drier side (even Sailor's own dry inks). While they seem to write wetly enough under most conditions, they do hit the "dry writing" ledge much faster than some other feeds. However, when using Sailor's inks (particularly their standard Blue, Black, and Blue Black), they seem to write exceptionally well and very consistently.
I doubt that bottle ink is an American obsession. As a matter of fact, Japanese culture has a name for their ink obsession: inkunuma. If your statement holds that they use carrridges then Sailor would make more interesting ink colors in cartridge than their current offering but it’s just standard colors.
@@cynthiaalvarado8610 My understanding of Inkunuma is that it has more to do with collecting inks than using them in fountain pens (dip pens seem to be favored for Inkunuma swatching). And if you look at Pilot and Sailor, they make a wide range of cartridge colors for their premium ink lines available in Japan and sometimes abroad. This includes the Shikiori line, MIxable, and the Iroshizuku line. Platinum also offers a large cartridge color range, which is actually somewhat larger than their standard ink colors in a lot of ways, and many are only available in cartridge form (though you can mimic them almost exactly in some cases with the Mix Free line). I think specifically the use of bottled ink and piston fillers is a stronger Euro/American thing. Even in Europe there is a strong practical use of the cartridge pen in a way that we don't have in the US.
Nice video. I have the 1911 KOP in ebonite and for me this pen is the absolute king hands down. The writing experience is truly unique in my opinion. Mine don’t railroad like that though, it shouldn’t, it can handle a bit of pressure.
the large chunk of metal at front is for weight distribution and centre of gravity. it just make better writting experience than 149 that has weight at the back.
You hit the nail on the head - Sailor KOP is like a 9/10 beautiful woman with borderline personality disorder; irredeemable yet so tempting nevertheless. Sailor did make in 2006 a Realo KOP with piston filler and Naginata togi nib. I still own it but rarely use it because of how expensive it has become - I dream of letting it go one day when I can get over my materialism/consoomerism personality defects.
@@bngr_bngr The nib would be the smaller #6 size that you get on 1911 and standard Pro Gear models. Raro or Realo (depending on translation) is the piston filling version of a standard Pro Gear. The nib of a KOP is unique to the KOP lineup and is larger.
@@bngr_bngr I remember watching a video here on RUclips from Yoseka Stationary that does a comparison of all Sailor nib sizes. You might find your answer there. I would say the difference is so minute that it isn't really noticeable, and the sizing is uniform across the line. Another way your question could be interpreted is Japanese vs Western nib sizing, Sailor nibs are Japanese sizing where a Sailor Medium is more like a western fine. Japanese nib sizing is almost always going to be smaller than western in regards to Medium and Fine.
@@bngr_bngr I remember watching a video on another channel that compares all Sailor nib sizes, you may find your answer there, do a search here on RUclips. If you are referring to Japanese vs Western sizing, Sailor Medium will feel like a Western Fine. Japanese nibs are almost always one size smaller in regards to EF, F, M sizing. Broads are similar in size in general.
I own a kop ebonite for over a year. That convertor is something doesn't match this price tag... Sailor can come up with something like a Pilot con-70. The nib is lovely. I write Asian language characters. The strock speed is relatively slow, not calligraphy, just journaling. The railroad issus doesn't show and the ink flow is right on point to me. So your guess proofed :D. I have 2 Sailor pens, one is kop and the other is realo. I hope they can have a piston-fill kop so bad.
The railroading is puzzling. I don't have a KOP and I don't ask my 911 or Pro Gear to flex, but I've never had any ink flow issues with either one. They write a bit dry compared to other pens, but the ink flow is so consistent that they don't skip at all even when low on ink. I'd be interested to see how the KOP behaves with different ink in it.
Sailor did in fact make a limited edition Realo (piston filler) version of the King of Pen. I am not sure if it allows for a significantly larger quantity of ink than a Sailor cartridge, as the standard size Sailor Realo pens only hold about as much as a Sailor cartridge (it houses the piston within an inner tube which reduces the volume). For whatever reason Sailor has never accommodated people who want larger ink capacity. The only concession they make is that they sell a pen maintenance kit that includes a reinforced empty cartridge, blunt syringe, and an adapter to attach the syringe to the nipple on the feed for cleaning. They then also sell the empty reinforced cartridges in packs of six. It seems like their solution is to offer special cartridges for reusing with syringes and this is what I use with my Luminous Shadow (King of Pen in a unique body design). A fellow from Australia IIRC made extra large converters for a time but stopped offering them unfortunately. And because of the metal you can't eyedropper it! However I do like how the metal attached to the section adds some heft and balance to the pen. Now, as for the pen itself, I think the nib is extraordinary. The combination of size, bounciness, and feedback combine to produce my personal favorite writing experience. I'm addicted to Sailor's feedback (and Platinum's) in general, and the King of Pen is the pinnacle of what makes Sailor pens so renowned. You could pay many more times the price of the King of Pen (especially if you get one on the grey market) for pens that don't write nearly as well.
It is interesting how Sailor doesn't deliver much in the way of "large capacity" self-filling solutions. While I don't think this is the reason they don't do it, I have noticed something in my use of the KOP vs. 149 and other big nibbed pens (Santini, for example). The Sailor KOP is abnormally apt to have a lot of ink loss when cleaning the nib after filling from a converter. The way the feed sucks up ink on the 149 and Santini pens that I have means that after dropping out a few drops and soaking the ink back up, or other techniques, there just isn't that much left over ink saturating the feed, and wiping the nib doesn't result in a lot of lost ink. However, on the KOP, after a fill, I lose a *ton* of ink from the feed when wiping the nib down. This was frustrating enough for me that I went for their cartridge and syringe system you mention and found it much more pleasant to use, and just about as quick. Using their empty cartridges and syringe resulted in a very quick fill with zero ink loss at the cost of not "washing" the nib in ink at each fill, and thus benefiting from manual washing a little more frequently than I need to do with other self-filling pens. The pens that have been the best for me in terms of self-filling economy have been Lamy, Waterman, and Pelikan pens. Each of these can be filled via piston or converter and usually have almost zero excess ink on their exposed parts after filling. Sailor and Pilot have been the worst in this respect.
@@arcfide Yes, the King of Pen feed absolutely drinks up ink. I can write many pages on a cartridge that's run empty because of how much ink from that cartridge fills the feed.
5:15 i always thought that whole metal section was for aesthetics for their demonstrator model. It's the only demonstrator for a cartridge that i think looks cool
Meant to say that your handwriting is really good. Most noticeable on the recent flex nib review a joy to watch. A nibwright of my acquaintance says that Sailor nibs are more geared to the oriental style of writing and that backs up your theory. I have 3 Sailor pens and they are quite dependable. The large 1911 music nib is a really nice pen and is my favourite. It’s not a brand that I’m particularly drawn to overall and they seem to change hands quite frequently on our BST site, more than most brands. However the pen you’ve reviewed is undoubtedly decent and thank you for the video. Very enjoyable D😊
Maybe the metal is for the balance of the pen, or for the weight in your hand. The size of the converter - I can change the ink more often. I understand that in Japan they like to change the ink color often, maybe that's why they stick to cartridge/converter.
Hi there and greetings from Prague, Czechia. Thank you for the review, I like your en related videos a lot. I've coincidently bought two Sailors recently myself. The first one is Sailor 1911 L Realo, a piston filler, with 21k fine nib. This one writes nicely, but the fine is really, really fine, more like extra-fine (as I understand is usual with Japanese nibs) and so it feels almost scratchy. It is not scratchy, it just feels so. The second one however is Sailor 1911 L Ringless Kyoto Garden Koke (Sailor's European spec. ed. I believe) with 21k rhodium plated medium nib, and this one writes absolutely fantastic: very smooth with just a touch of very pleasant feedback. I fell immediately in love with it. I already had some excellent writers but this one may very well be the very best one. The only drawback is the converter size-Sailor's converters are quite tiny-but I've already bought a pack of empty Sailor cartridges (twice the size of the converter) and they'll do just fine (even though I prefer piston and vacuum fillers or eyedroppers).
I have a sailor 1911L I got a GREAT deal on from Reddit. It’s amazing. One of my top 3 pens. I LOVE the feedback. It’s not my ideal nib grind, it’s a HM(Hard Medium) but still, I love it. I like some of the finishes of the KOP but they’re wayyyy too expensive for me.
Just found your channel and I’m enjoying your approach. Since you approach things with a technical angle, perhaps you can explain how Sailor achieves the feedback while a company such as Pilot achieves glassy smoothness. I know they both do it on purpose.
@@davidprewitt1050 I was actually looking into that the other day while checking the nib under magnification. I figured out how the do it (I think). I'm going to try to reproduce it here at home. Will start testing soon I hope. Had to order some stuff
I understand your objection to the converter housing. And, now, even if they don't want to go a Realo mode on the King of Pen, Sailor must take note of the extra large converter Jinhao have put on the market. I do have a Sailor, the ProGear Realo. Love it well. Wing Sung, however, has brought out fabulous alternatives.
Hi, DB. Thanks for another of your excellent reviews. I'd much prefer your Aurora; it makes the others look very plain. Obviously, I'm not a member of the BPC (Black Pen Club.) Cheers from Terror Australis.
Hey Doodlebud, I am a Sailor fan. And I agree. The metal chunk does contribute to the esthetics in a demonstrator. But I'm not so jazzed about the ink window. Funny that the pen railroaded on you. I have the Pro Gear with a broad nib- it's a gusher.
The step down you mention is actually a weight to balance the pen in your hand. If you look at other Sailors, you can see they very carefully consider this weight based on the design of the pen. They don’t use it on their smaller nibbed pens. I consider these pens to be very nuanced in their design because for me their pens are the most comfortable to use. I find your forgiveness to the Montblanc verging on the irrational side. The pen cap takes 2 not 1 turn to uncap, and the threads just hurt my thumb. I find it not as well considered in the nuance of the design of the pen.
I agree with you 100 percent re. the converter. The Jinhao 9019 and 9016 converter springs to mind. The capacity of those converters is 2.2 ml about twice the Sailor converter. Doodlebud 11:6 "and a Chinese pen shall lead them."
The ink capacity was the sole reason I ended up buying a Sailor 1911 'Realo' instead of their other models. It has been a joy to write with so far and I can go on long writing sessions without worrying about running out of ink. Would you consider doing a review across different Sailor models/nibs?
As far as I'm aware they actually made a pistonfill version of the KOP but it was in very limited production, just a shame! Even if the did that version and also offered a C/C version, I'm sure it'd be very popular.
It’s funny that you mention the cartridge converter as your reasoning, as I was really really close to buying a limited run Taccia (sailor KOP internals and housing), but ended up having to pass on it for that exact reason and bought a Danitrio instead.
Hey DB, loved the review. I must be the really odd man out since I fail to see the appeal of the KoP in particular, or the larger Sailor pens in general. I do have Sailor pens, a couple of vintage pocket pens the same style of the Pilot Elites, and besides the High-Ace Neo, the only modern Sailor I own was a recent purchase of a Sailor Compass 1911 (just a few weeks ago). The pen writes well and is nice enough. I can still hold it well enough given it's small size, but the other models just don't appeal to me!! I'm looking forward to seeing the Bulk Filler review. One pen to compare it to would be the Gravitas Kyuseidao-Kakari (yeah, I splurged on that pen - got it from Pen Venture).
Right there with you on KOP converter being too small. I had a nice tax refund last year and still had no Sailors in my stable. I almost went with the KOP for the gloriously ginormous nib but couldn't get over how small the converter was in proportion. I ended up going with a 1911 Large demonstrator and it really is a sweet writer. I came from a Pilot 823 but I got used to the Sailor feedback almost instantly. Just wish that KOP was vac filler!
I have a KOP (I was able to pick it up at a very reasonable price). I agree with the converter being a bit of a disappointment, but the metal parts add a bit of weight to the pen which I find quite pleasant. I am looking forward to the review of the Conid! As a Belgian I am probably quite biased, but I find it an amazing pen. Curious for an engineer's opinion!
It's actually "King of Nibs". The pathetic converter and its capacity deny the pen, a living upto its name. Personally, I'll prefer to buy a number of PilotCustom823 for the price of KOP.
I own a KoP and my biggest objections are indeed the thread marks and small ink capacity. Yet that said, the writing experience is absolutely amazing...
I love the look of all that metal and machining inside the barrel, and imagine it gives the pen a nice weight and balance. I also like your idea of making a larger converter like the Jinhao 9019 Dadao. I almost purchased the 1911 KOP as the price was tempting for around $370 USD on the "big online retailer" from Japan.
Thank you for showing us this extra detail. I think that would be a turn off for me too. The railroading may be a product of that specific ink. I have certain inks that'll just refuse to flow any faster than a medium nib will allow. Coincidentally, my most troublesome is also a brown that I consider my "Signature Ink"
Thanks for sharing. This kind of lines up with my experience trying a Pro Gear: kind of light, a bit plasticky, and quite some feeadback. I ended up buying a Diplomat A2 instead.
Maybe those Japanese nibs feel like that because the way they write. just a theory. Also at that price I would expect a piston filler and and Ink window, just my preference. Thanks for the reviews!!
I'm sure they do have the feel for a specific reason, it seems intentional. I really do enjoy the nib and writing with it. I'll probably end up getting a regular 1911 after using this pen
Maybe that metal step-down is really for cartridges not the converter. It's one thing to create a new converter to sell with your pen, quite another to start selling packs of disposable cartridges for one pen in your lineup. Maybe Sailor is concerned about confusion surrounding several cartridge sizes?
It's not about confusion. It's about saving money & making more money. You get to use existing parts, so no new expense for design. And you grt to continue to sell you existing consumables. There is money to be made with proprietary converter & cartridge sizes. Pilot, Sailor, Platinum all use their own. Lamy is also proprietary but it seems more common with the large Japanese makers. Jinhao does the same too. Nothing wrong with making more money as a company, after all that's what they're supposed to do. But it would be nice if every once & a while they put the user ahead of the bottom line economics. There are other arguments to support the decision, but money is a significant factor. Other companies do it & make quality pens.
@@Doodlebud One thing I meant to mention in my argument was that in the Japanese market cartridges are more important (afaik anyway). The Sailor converter is really an after thought for hobbyists. Which, I imagine, is why it's kind of a crud converter. So, when Sailor made this decision they would have primarily made it with cartridges in mind. I suppose what I really meant to say in my original comment was that I think the decision makes more sense with cartridges in mind. In addition to the confusion worries I mentioned: the cartridges already have a decent ink capacity; Sailor's target customers are going to use cartridges primarily; and if Sailor wanted to make a larger capacity cartridge it would make more sense to make it longer, rather than wider. Therefore, Sailor has money to lose and not much to gain from their perspective. So, you're right that it's money making this decision, but in Sailor's mind only a small subset of their costumers would care about a bigger converter. (Note how speculative this is btw, I'm really just spitballing here. I don't work for Sailor.) (Also, not trying to fanboy for Sailor, I actually dislike the brand. I'm just trying to be charitable.) Though if I'm honest, I just agree with you. It's even worse because I just looked up whether the Jinhao Dadao 9019 (the one with the big converter) can fit standard Jinhao cartridges, and it can. So, Sailor could make a bigger converter and still use standard Sailor cartridges. They just don't. (Although the cartridges probably wouldn't fit as snugly.)
I have six sailors (two KOPs in Ebonite and Demonstrator), and they are some of my favorite pens. I also got them all used and probably wouldn’t pay full price for any of them for the same reasons you expressed.
I have put the pro gear 21k (not KOP) nib on a Eureka Ultem pen, very happy with that setup! The nibs are my favorite, definitely a personal preference thing.
Injection molded body and the converter support structure at this price range are not really acceptable. The feed is not entirely standard - the breather hole is close to the tip, same as on almost all Sailor and Pilot gold nibbed pens. This is done to not require dipping the section when inking, but these feeds have issues when high flow is required. That's why the stock feed on the Pilot 912 FA doesn't keep up despite having quite wide ink channels.
I use my Pilot Silvern with a cartridge and would do the same if I ever got a Sailor KOP. However, I think the m1000 is my ultimate grail pen and I only need one.
Thanks for sharing! I've noticed on a couple nibs of mine that railroad, I can take some micromesh and rough up the underside of the nib just a hair and it fixes them. I'm thinking some nibs are so smooth, or the finish on them makes them slightly hydrophobic and causes the ink to recede when the times spread.
I had one of these. I loved it but your spot on. The tiny little converter caused me to use cartridges because I went thru refilling often. I dont know why they didn't take the Realo approach and make it a piston fill.
I keep meaning to grab a Sailor but I don't like having to manage all the different converters for my current pens and I'm not sure if the lower cost pens maintain the pencil-like feel that most people mention.
Can be translated in english as King of Pen or King of Pens. (no plural form for this construct) I have the 1911 version of this pen, and I really like the nib. Both Sailor, Platinum and Pilot nibs (and Aurora and Pelikan) are distinctive, each in their own interesting way.
I would probably agree with all your review points both pro and con so I just have a couple of ideas. One, you might see if you can find a Sailor Pro Gear Realo, which is a piston filler and may actually have the same nib. I have a full size Pro Gear and it does have a large nib though smaller by a bit. It’s also 21K so you get a similar feel. Most Sailor nibs exhibit the “scratchy” feel/sound. You either like it or not. I find it very satisfying, personally. (Steel nib Sailors are generally smooth, I think). Thanks for the excellent review as always.
Thanks, to you and to the kind person who loaned you the pen, for relieving me of any FOMO for the KOP. Seriously -- it;s too short AND it railroads? No thanks, I will spend my $880 on something else.
Sounds like that King of Pens is a compensation thing. Like the little guy going to the parking lot and getting in the biggest, mega-wheeled, jacked-up pickup truck! 😮
The extra metal around the section moves the pen's centre of gravity right into the middle of your grip and is great, rather than 'cheap'. 🙄 While I do think Sailor should offer a higher capacity converter, and that the KOP Realo should not have been a limited production, converters are standard for high-end Japanese pens like Nakaya, etc. Personally, I appreciate that the most likely part of the pen to fail is such an easily replaceable component. Considering that the KOP can be purchased for less than $350US directly from Japan, I think the nib alone makes this an incredibly compelling fountain pen.
Japanese pen makers are basically not interested in making a piston-filling pen (I’m guessing because they don’t want to deal with after sale repairs). Between Pilot, Platinum, and Sailor I don’t think there is a single model with a piston filling system. The only two Pilot models that aren’t cartridge/converter are the Custom 823 and the Namiki Emperor (I’m pretty sure).
Hi DB! Thank you for showing the KOP. Not really a pen on my radar, but still cool! Thanks to your friend also, for allowing it to be shown on your channel! The only Sailor pen in my collection is the Hokoro dip pen. To be truthful, their stuff just doesn't appeal to me too much. Now the new Tuzu might get me to bite, because of the adjustable grip section. To me, right now, my Pelikan is the king of my penbox! I also have the torpedo shaped version of the Wingsung 630, and that is a fabulous pen for the money! Have a good weekend!
Roughly 900 bucks US for a converter is by far exaggerated, even taking into acct its 21K nib. I love my 2 Sailors, a 1911 L, 21K maki e and a PG slim with a steel nib. Fantastic writers but the KOP is in my book way overcharged.
Agree with you! I've been tempted for years by the KOP but the small-ish ink capacity has holds and still holds me back -- appreciate that reminder. You'd think that for the "King" of Pen, Sailor would've figured out how to get the capacity of, say, the JinHao 9019!
I've been crying out for a piston filler version of this pen in a nicer body ever since I first saw one! They actually make some REALLY nice urushi and ebonite models, but even these still use a little converter. It's a travesty.
I have five Sailor pens and I prefer my Pilot Custom 823 and Platinum President over them all, although the only one I presently keep inked up is my Montblanc 146. I've never felt that the Sailors write great straight out of the box, but that's just me.
I just got a Sailor TUZU and it has essentially the same converter and it is rock solid attached to just a plastic... receptacle? I don't know. What's the word for that bit?
Yeah for that price too you have to have some flex or some piston hard 👎 for me I would rather have a cheap pen that works the same as the big boys that wingsung 630 is amazing
It's not a bad pen, but for a flagship to have a useless converter that is found on the lower models just kills it for me. Out of all my big pens, this is the one I reach for last. It writes well, nice to hold, but that converter.
7:20 the raised flat surfaces is there to grip the cap during posting. demo/clear colors will see those faces get dull and the back of the pen to be just as dull/scratched from repeated posting. I live my Kure Azur Pro Gear so the posting marks are there, but its cool, it claws very close to the bottom finial ring, barrel side, cleaning the pens with clean cloth, gold polishing cloth on the post marks, and the flat surface is good idea, it makes posting effortless again(no need to jam hard, just drop it)
That's what I thought initially but I had a close look at it looked like it posted using the cap liner. There was clearance between the back of the pen and those hemispherical features. Looks like back of the pen slipped into the cap liner.
@@Doodlebud my Pro Gear's end finial stops just at the front of the lip of the cap liner. there is slight tapering curve on the barrel/end finial too, so I'll stand on the 'post at posting surfaces' instead of sitting on the soft cap liner when posted
Hmmm...I've always thought that Sailor added all that metal so that they could add weight to a large pen body, gives it more heft. Otherwise, it would be comically light.
I feel unreasonably vindicated that you also noticed the moulding line in the threads. If you're going to injection mould a pen that's this expensive, at least finish it properly. Looking forward to the Bulkfiller review.
I get the reasoning behind the name of a pen like the Namiki Emperor. but King of Pen seems like a silly name for such a perfectly ordinary and standard mainline mass produced fountain pen.
“If you please, I am Dorothy, the small and meek…”. Sailor may think it’s got a *King of Pens*, but you can’t always say that till you hold one and try it out. Had a nice SF Realo Pro Gear that I just knew would be my favorite! Nope, nice pen, worked fine, didn’t overpay I think, but no real love. Just specs alone doesn’t make it that one pen… . No magic there for me. Glad I could pass it on. Maybe the next person will think it’s the bee’s knees 🤷♂️. I have an expensive Namiki, beautiful black Urushi, M nib, writes so well. I’ve left it inked with Pilots basic blue, and even after months of not using it, it writes immediately 😊. Still, made of brass underneath, and it just seems a little too heavy for anything longer than a card, or quick note or letter. My favorite in my small & meek collection is my Kaweco Golden Expresso. I use it as an eye dropper. Works 99% of the time, doesn’t leak, aluminum. Noodler’s #41 brown, just fits me and works so well even with a steel nib! Your review seems spot on to me, others may not agree, but hey, we all get to choose … 😊. Thanks DB 👍😎
I really like the feel of the nib but I think I'll end up grabbing a 1911L model with the 21K nib. My sports are great pens and are always ready to write.
I’m surprised at the plastic feed; I expected ebonite. (I wonder if that was an option your friend chose, perhaps to reduce leakage?) The visible seams from injection-molded plastic were a surprise too. A premium pen should give you interesting, variable writing when you want it, writing with character. This one can’t, possibly because of the feed. The tiny cartridge converter is a let-down for sure. (Perhaps another chosen option?) If I were a wealthy hobbyist considering this pen for my collection, all those things would put me off. But I do wonder what other options for feed, filling mechanism, pen material and appearance are available. I actually found this pen rather ugly and functionally unappealing, but maybe other versions would be different. Maybe polished turned ebonite with an ebonite feed and a piston-filling, eyedropper, or giant cartridge converter mechanism….
I own Sailors but no KOP. I was shocked to see the converter situation. As I have no local FP stores, I am very glad to see this before falling for it. Thanks
It isn't that bad really, you just need to be more mindful on refills. However the is a silver lining to it: it makes it a lot easier to try different inks and enjoy its use.
@@HyperionidYup
I can report that subscribing to this channel SIGNFICANTLY improved the performance of all my nibs.
I’m excited for the Bulkfiller review.
You'd think the king of pens wouldn't have to stoop to the standardised parts of the peasantry.
100% agreement from me. We regularly see people honking about premium pen pricing from the European makers, but none of them charge over $800 U.S. street price for a basic cartridge/converter pen with obvious injection molding seams. I don't know what has gotten into Sailor lately, but it's getting pretty wild. I guess they'll keep it up if we keep paying for it.
I don't believe it is anything new. The construction has not changed recently and the prices have always been too high. Yet somehow I have 18 of them.
@@ichirofakename 🤣🤣🤣 This is the best response I've ever read. Thanks for the chuckle.
800 bucks is for Ebonite or special editions. The plastic base model starts at 600 or so. Still overpriced IMHO.
@@Seefood73 $50 would be overpriced for that pen IMHO. I would rather buy 2 or 3 Pilot pens than that pen. And because Sailor seemingly has no pride in their "KOP", I'll probably never buy a Sailor pen.
@@robertcalkjr.8325 you are talking about a large 21k nib here, compare the price with a MontBlanc 149 or a Pelikan M1000, it's not for everyone's pocket. it's not a reason to not buy a brand. They have some excellent cheaper pens, the 1911 line starts at $60 with amazing steel nibs or $100 for gold, and they are very much loved and appreciated. the PGS (same as the 1911 with a flat top) also starts at $100, and it's an excellent buy, on par with a Pilot custom 91 or 74. I suggest you don't cancel before you wrote a page or two with one of them.
I got a KOP yesterday. I avoided it for a long time mostly because of the cost. I got mine for $350…at that price, I had to do it. So far, I love it.
That's a good price!
Considering Jinhao made a larger converter.....makes one think.
The fact its on a sub 20 dollar pen it almost seems insulting Sailor didn't.
Spot on! I am seriously considering swapping the KoP nib with a 9019 - if it fits well, it's a win
@@HyperionidOh, that's a great idea. It would be VERY interesting to see the result, if you would do that please post the results
Yeah, even the Jinhao X159 would Japslap that pen into yesterday...LOL!
I actually like that it uses standardised parts, like I own a few quite old japanese pocket pen that the only reason why I was able to get them to easily write is that they still use the same old cartrige size today. So in 50 years if someone wants this pen it will be a lot easier to hunt down some old catriges to for a standard sailor pen than some propritary possibly super rare converter
someone can simply find/make the right diameter pipe, add a sac(this can be unobtainable/price-wise senseless option in most places on earth right now) or just close the pipe with a putty, fill ink.
I only write with my Sailor KoP now, ever since I first tried it. I love how it writes; I use the broad nib. No railroading, skips or hard-starts. I use only Sailor Studio inks. I write many long letters and have no issues with the convertor - I just refill the pen. I am not a pen collector; I use my KoP to write.
Cool to hear. The broad nib is just the King of all nibs.
DOOODLEBUD!
I love the KOP nib. I agree about the converter. There are cheaper ways to get a size 8 gold nib pen, but nothing quite like the King of Pen 21k nib.
Seconded! I feel and said much the same. King of Nibs, indeed! 👌
I love Sailor pens, they write amazingly well. I have probably more than a dozen with three of them being KOP models. One is the Pro Gear in silver like this video, one is the 1911 shaped pen in gold and the other is my newest, a 1911 shaped ebonite. I like the 1911 shaped versions better, but that's strictly based on looks. The cartridge converter doesn't bother me, I have plenty of piston fillers and they are more work to clean. As for ink capacity, I don't really have to have a huge capacity, I like to change inks often and if I'm not changing colors it's very easy to refill, and isn't that part of the charm of using a fountain pen? It is for me.
I have a lot of pens, well over 100, maybe approaching 150. The brands I have the most pens from:
Leonardo - close to 20
Pelikan - close to 20
Sailor - 12-15
Conway Stewart - about 10
I also have many of the so-called grail pens, Mont Blanc 149, Pilot Custom Urushi, Wahl Eversharp Decoband, Visconti Homo Sapiens, etc. All of my Sailor pens write as well as the best pens by other brands. In fact, I have two Mont Blanc 149 pens and they both are underwhelming writers. I mention all the pens I own to illustrate that I have tried a lot of different pens and I feel the Sailor brand are some of the best writers I have found. They may not be perfect, no pen is, but I've never been disappointed when writing with one.
I should also mention, if you shop around and possibly purchase directly from Japan, you can get Sailor pens for quite reasonable prices.
I am going to sound sacrilegious but I have a KoP with an ebonite body. There are no rings in the barrel.I don't know exactly how long I have had it but it is from their 2nd year of release.
I have eyedropper filled the pen. I find the converter for such a lar pen to be a joke. So, I eyedropper the pen. It works an works well. Yes I know all about the metal section and mine is gold plated. I was not worried about corrosion. If you have a strong stomach, you should try it.
The Sailor KoP is up there among my absolutely favorite pens, ever. The size, weight, girth, feel in hand, performance and the pleasures of writing with it all check all the boxes. Prices in the U.S. are, as always, ridiculous and kind of extortionist.
I bought my three KoPs (one in ebonite) directly from Japan, for $550, $600 and $700, respectively..minus shipping.
The large 21k nib is just sublime and truly one of a kind. You’re right about the sweet feedback distinct control and precision it provides. Nothing else compares, on all those attributes. I don’t like the converter either, so I use cartridges instead for a greater fill.
No hate and no offense taken, whatsoever. Because there is no reason for that just because you have your own honest criticisms of the pen.
The KoP’s nib is among my top 5 favorite gold nibs of all time. When I write with it, I swear I feel the pen is unputdownable. I’d go so far as to say that the nib alone makes the pen totally worth the prices I paid to buy my trio. I only wish more nib options were offered beside the M and B. The broad, especially, is just the king of nibs, in my book of favorites. Good, entertaining review as usual, Db!
The ebonite KOP looks amazing! After writing with this pen, I think I'll end up picking up a Sailor but most likely a 1911L
@@Doodlebud Good to hear. I’d only let you know that as superb as the 21k nibs are on the regular Sailor PG and 1911L, the larger 21k on the KoP is really Sailor’s very best.
I have not found any pen that I could not criticize to some degree;same with my ebonite KoP . But,I feel very lucky to have it;it's not going anywhere. The KoP nib is worth seeking out; be prepared to love it.
I do love my KOP, but I think the choice for cartridges might be dictated by the local market in Japan. For whatever reason, I think Americans seem to be much more interested in bottled ink, whereas Pelikan, Herbin, and all three Japanese pen makers seem to offer a significant number of their inks in cartridge form. This suggests to me that maybe even if Sailor wanted to make piston fillers, that they aren't as popular, and the ability to use cartridges may be particularly important in Japan, even if Sailor and Pilot do make some piston/vacuum pens. The fact that it's also easier than maintaining a whole line of truly piston-fill pens at various sizes might just be a little extra bonus.
I also think that Sailor's feeds are tuned to the relatively free flowing inks that they use, and I've noticed that the pens feel significantly drier than you might expect when using inks that are on the drier side (even Sailor's own dry inks). While they seem to write wetly enough under most conditions, they do hit the "dry writing" ledge much faster than some other feeds. However, when using Sailor's inks (particularly their standard Blue, Black, and Blue Black), they seem to write exceptionally well and very consistently.
I doubt that bottle ink is an American obsession. As a matter of fact, Japanese culture has a name for their ink obsession: inkunuma. If your statement holds that they use carrridges then Sailor would make more interesting ink colors in cartridge than their current offering but it’s just standard colors.
@@cynthiaalvarado8610 My understanding of Inkunuma is that it has more to do with collecting inks than using them in fountain pens (dip pens seem to be favored for Inkunuma swatching). And if you look at Pilot and Sailor, they make a wide range of cartridge colors for their premium ink lines available in Japan and sometimes abroad. This includes the Shikiori line, MIxable, and the Iroshizuku line. Platinum also offers a large cartridge color range, which is actually somewhat larger than their standard ink colors in a lot of ways, and many are only available in cartridge form (though you can mimic them almost exactly in some cases with the Mix Free line).
I think specifically the use of bottled ink and piston fillers is a stronger Euro/American thing. Even in Europe there is a strong practical use of the cartridge pen in a way that we don't have in the US.
Nice video. I have the 1911 KOP in ebonite and for me this pen is the absolute king hands down. The writing experience is truly unique in my opinion. Mine don’t railroad like that though, it shouldn’t, it can handle a bit of pressure.
My 1911 KOP in resin doesn't railroad either, not that the body material is relevant.
@@ichirofakename I am thinking it might as well be the ink that is not cooperating.
I found out the pen is inked with Iroshizuku Yama-guri.
@@ichirofakenameHey, did you really finally get the Sailor KoP? Sweet to hear of it.
@@sajjadhusain4146 watch the video.
the large chunk of metal at front is for weight distribution and centre of gravity. it just make better writting experience than 149 that has weight at the back.
You hit the nail on the head - Sailor KOP is like a 9/10 beautiful woman with borderline personality disorder; irredeemable yet so tempting nevertheless. Sailor did make in 2006 a Realo KOP with piston filler and Naginata togi nib. I still own it but rarely use it because of how expensive it has become - I dream of letting it go one day when I can get over my materialism/consoomerism personality defects.
I have a Sailor Pro Fit Raro with the 21k nib. It is a piston filler. The nib is fantastic, and it was less than $200 on Amazon
Was the nib smaller or bigger than indicated?
@@bngr_bngr The nib would be the smaller #6 size that you get on 1911 and standard Pro Gear models. Raro or Realo (depending on translation) is the piston filling version of a standard Pro Gear. The nib of a KOP is unique to the KOP lineup and is larger.
@@elborracho81 thanks but I asked the wrong question. Is a medium nib a medium or does it feel like a fine or bold?
@@bngr_bngr I remember watching a video here on RUclips from Yoseka Stationary that does a comparison of all Sailor nib sizes. You might find your answer there. I would say the difference is so minute that it isn't really noticeable, and the sizing is uniform across the line.
Another way your question could be interpreted is Japanese vs Western nib sizing, Sailor nibs are Japanese sizing where a Sailor Medium is more like a western fine. Japanese nib sizing is almost always going to be smaller than western in regards to Medium and Fine.
@@bngr_bngr I remember watching a video on another channel that compares all Sailor nib sizes, you may find your answer there, do a search here on RUclips. If you are referring to Japanese vs Western sizing, Sailor Medium will feel like a Western Fine. Japanese nibs are almost always one size smaller in regards to EF, F, M sizing. Broads are similar in size in general.
I own a kop ebonite for over a year. That convertor is something doesn't match this price tag... Sailor can come up with something like a Pilot con-70. The nib is lovely. I write Asian language characters. The strock speed is relatively slow, not calligraphy, just journaling. The railroad issus doesn't show and the ink flow is right on point to me. So your guess proofed :D. I have 2 Sailor pens, one is kop and the other is realo. I hope they can have a piston-fill kop so bad.
The railroading is puzzling. I don't have a KOP and I don't ask my 911 or Pro Gear to flex, but I've never had any ink flow issues with either one. They write a bit dry compared to other pens, but the ink flow is so consistent that they don't skip at all even when low on ink.
I'd be interested to see how the KOP behaves with different ink in it.
Yeah, this was my first thought. Possibly try a different ink?
Sailor did in fact make a limited edition Realo (piston filler) version of the King of Pen. I am not sure if it allows for a significantly larger quantity of ink than a Sailor cartridge, as the standard size Sailor Realo pens only hold about as much as a Sailor cartridge (it houses the piston within an inner tube which reduces the volume).
For whatever reason Sailor has never accommodated people who want larger ink capacity. The only concession they make is that they sell a pen maintenance kit that includes a reinforced empty cartridge, blunt syringe, and an adapter to attach the syringe to the nipple on the feed for cleaning. They then also sell the empty reinforced cartridges in packs of six. It seems like their solution is to offer special cartridges for reusing with syringes and this is what I use with my Luminous Shadow (King of Pen in a unique body design). A fellow from Australia IIRC made extra large converters for a time but stopped offering them unfortunately. And because of the metal you can't eyedropper it! However I do like how the metal attached to the section adds some heft and balance to the pen.
Now, as for the pen itself, I think the nib is extraordinary. The combination of size, bounciness, and feedback combine to produce my personal favorite writing experience. I'm addicted to Sailor's feedback (and Platinum's) in general, and the King of Pen is the pinnacle of what makes Sailor pens so renowned. You could pay many more times the price of the King of Pen (especially if you get one on the grey market) for pens that don't write nearly as well.
It is interesting how Sailor doesn't deliver much in the way of "large capacity" self-filling solutions. While I don't think this is the reason they don't do it, I have noticed something in my use of the KOP vs. 149 and other big nibbed pens (Santini, for example). The Sailor KOP is abnormally apt to have a lot of ink loss when cleaning the nib after filling from a converter. The way the feed sucks up ink on the 149 and Santini pens that I have means that after dropping out a few drops and soaking the ink back up, or other techniques, there just isn't that much left over ink saturating the feed, and wiping the nib doesn't result in a lot of lost ink. However, on the KOP, after a fill, I lose a *ton* of ink from the feed when wiping the nib down. This was frustrating enough for me that I went for their cartridge and syringe system you mention and found it much more pleasant to use, and just about as quick. Using their empty cartridges and syringe resulted in a very quick fill with zero ink loss at the cost of not "washing" the nib in ink at each fill, and thus benefiting from manual washing a little more frequently than I need to do with other self-filling pens.
The pens that have been the best for me in terms of self-filling economy have been Lamy, Waterman, and Pelikan pens. Each of these can be filled via piston or converter and usually have almost zero excess ink on their exposed parts after filling. Sailor and Pilot have been the worst in this respect.
@@arcfide Yes, the King of Pen feed absolutely drinks up ink. I can write many pages on a cartridge that's run empty because of how much ink from that cartridge fills the feed.
5:15 i always thought that whole metal section was for aesthetics for their demonstrator model. It's the only demonstrator for a cartridge that i think looks cool
Meant to say that your handwriting is really good. Most noticeable on the recent flex nib review a joy to watch. A nibwright of my acquaintance says that Sailor nibs are more geared to the oriental style of writing and that backs up your theory. I have 3 Sailor pens and they are quite dependable. The large 1911 music nib is a really nice pen and is my favourite. It’s not a brand that I’m particularly drawn to overall and they seem to change hands quite frequently on our BST site, more than most brands. However the pen you’ve reviewed is undoubtedly decent and thank you for the video. Very enjoyable D😊
Maybe the metal is for the balance of the pen, or for the weight in your hand.
The size of the converter - I can change the ink more often. I understand that in Japan they like to change the ink color often, maybe that's why they stick to cartridge/converter.
Yup the metal will for sure help with balance
Hi there and greetings from Prague, Czechia. Thank you for the review, I like your en related videos a lot. I've coincidently bought two Sailors recently myself. The first one is Sailor 1911 L Realo, a piston filler, with 21k fine nib. This one writes nicely, but the fine is really, really fine, more like extra-fine (as I understand is usual with Japanese nibs) and so it feels almost scratchy. It is not scratchy, it just feels so.
The second one however is Sailor 1911 L Ringless Kyoto Garden Koke (Sailor's European spec. ed. I believe) with 21k rhodium plated medium nib, and this one writes absolutely fantastic: very smooth with just a touch of very pleasant feedback. I fell immediately in love with it. I already had some excellent writers but this one may very well be the very best one. The only drawback is the converter size-Sailor's converters are quite tiny-but I've already bought a pack of empty Sailor cartridges (twice the size of the converter) and they'll do just fine (even though I prefer piston and vacuum fillers or eyedroppers).
NIce review DB. Crazy money for those pens.
God save The King 🤴!!!
I have a sailor 1911L I got a GREAT deal on from Reddit. It’s amazing. One of my top 3 pens. I LOVE the feedback. It’s not my ideal nib grind, it’s a HM(Hard Medium) but still, I love it. I like some of the finishes of the KOP but they’re wayyyy too expensive for me.
1911L is one I'll probably end up getting. I love the feel of this KOP nib, but the price just seems too much too much
Good review, interesting thoughts on the converter.
Just found your channel and I’m enjoying your approach. Since you approach things with a technical angle, perhaps you can explain how Sailor achieves the feedback while a company such as Pilot achieves glassy smoothness. I know they both do it on purpose.
@@davidprewitt1050 I was actually looking into that the other day while checking the nib under magnification. I figured out how the do it (I think). I'm going to try to reproduce it here at home. Will start testing soon I hope. Had to order some stuff
I understand your objection to the converter housing. And, now, even if they don't want to go a Realo mode on the King of Pen, Sailor must take note of the extra large converter Jinhao have put on the market. I do have a Sailor, the ProGear Realo. Love it well. Wing Sung, however, has brought out fabulous alternatives.
Hi, DB. Thanks for another of your excellent reviews. I'd much prefer your Aurora; it makes the others look very plain. Obviously, I'm not a member of the BPC (Black Pen Club.) Cheers from Terror Australis.
Hey Doodlebud, I am a Sailor fan. And I agree. The metal chunk does contribute to the esthetics in a demonstrator. But I'm not so jazzed about the ink window. Funny that the pen railroaded on you. I have the Pro Gear with a broad nib- it's a gusher.
The step down you mention is actually a weight to balance the pen in your hand. If you look at other Sailors, you can see they very carefully consider this weight based on the design of the pen. They don’t use it on their smaller nibbed pens. I consider these pens to be very nuanced in their design because for me their pens are the most comfortable to use. I find your forgiveness to the Montblanc verging on the irrational side. The pen cap takes 2 not 1 turn to uncap, and the threads just hurt my thumb. I find it not as well considered in the nuance of the design of the pen.
That nuance sure does come at a price.
I agree with you 100 percent re. the converter. The Jinhao 9019 and 9016 converter springs to mind. The capacity of those converters is 2.2 ml about twice the Sailor converter. Doodlebud 11:6 "and a Chinese pen shall lead them."
The ink capacity was the sole reason I ended up buying a Sailor 1911 'Realo' instead of their other models. It has been a joy to write with so far and I can go on long writing sessions without worrying about running out of ink. Would you consider doing a review across different Sailor models/nibs?
If I get my hands on them I will be sure to review them
Thanks for that mate.
What boggles my mind is why Sailor hasn’t released a Realo piston filler version of the King of Pen models. Seems like a missed opportunity.
They did but it was a limited anniversary edition
@@ricfraser7436 Well they should add some standard edition of it as well, at least in 1911 line. I agree it looks like a missed opportunity.
Nobody could afford it.
@@ichirofakenamethat didn't stop them from making the ebonite 1911's
All I want now is my fourth KoP but this time the irresistible urushi over ebonite model in one of the lovely colors offered.
As far as I'm aware they actually made a pistonfill version of the KOP but it was in very limited production, just a shame! Even if the did that version and also offered a C/C version, I'm sure it'd be very popular.
It’s funny that you mention the cartridge converter as your reasoning, as I was really really close to buying a limited run Taccia (sailor KOP internals and housing), but ended up having to pass on it for that exact reason and bought a Danitrio instead.
It's also hard to get a bulb syringe in there to clean the section.
Great review, appreciate that you do not hold back.
Regarding those raised areas in the cap, it looks like they keep the insert from falling out.
Yup could be for that
Hey DB, loved the review. I must be the really odd man out since I fail to see the appeal of the KoP in particular, or the larger Sailor pens in general. I do have Sailor pens, a couple of vintage pocket pens the same style of the Pilot Elites, and besides the High-Ace Neo, the only modern Sailor I own was a recent purchase of a Sailor Compass 1911 (just a few weeks ago). The pen writes well and is nice enough. I can still hold it well enough given it's small size, but the other models just don't appeal to me!! I'm looking forward to seeing the Bulk Filler review. One pen to compare it to would be the Gravitas Kyuseidao-Kakari (yeah, I splurged on that pen - got it from Pen Venture).
Pilot made a bigger converter, the CON 70, I don't see why Sailor can't make a bigger one too ....
Right there with you on KOP converter being too small. I had a nice tax refund last year and still had no Sailors in my stable. I almost went with the KOP for the gloriously ginormous nib but couldn't get over how small the converter was in proportion. I ended up going with a 1911 Large demonstrator and it really is a sweet writer. I came from a Pilot 823 but I got used to the Sailor feedback almost instantly. Just wish that KOP was vac filler!
The ebonite KOP looks great but a pretty stiff price jump.
I have a KOP (I was able to pick it up at a very reasonable price). I agree with the converter being a bit of a disappointment, but the metal parts add a bit of weight to the pen which I find quite pleasant. I am looking forward to the review of the Conid! As a Belgian I am probably quite biased, but I find it an amazing pen. Curious for an engineer's opinion!
It's actually "King of Nibs". The pathetic converter and its capacity deny the pen, a living upto its name. Personally, I'll prefer to buy a number of PilotCustom823 for the price of KOP.
One can buy a pack of empty Sailor cartridges (and use a syringe with a dull needle to fill them), the have twice the volume of the converter.
@@marcelsvitalsky8993.Correct! I use cartridges in most of my Sailor PGs and all three of my KoPs. No complaints.
Kind’a harsh don’t you think?
I own a KoP and my biggest objections are indeed the thread marks and small ink capacity.
Yet that said, the writing experience is absolutely amazing...
Very interesting review. I haven't noticed the railroading on mine (I have a B nib).
I love the look of all that metal and machining inside the barrel, and imagine it gives the pen a nice weight and balance. I also like your idea of making a larger converter like the Jinhao 9019 Dadao. I almost purchased the 1911 KOP as the price was tempting for around $370 USD on the "big online retailer" from Japan.
I have a PG that's clear, and all that metal looks cool from the outside.
Thank you for showing us this extra detail. I think that would be a turn off for me too.
The railroading may be a product of that specific ink. I have certain inks that'll just refuse to flow any faster than a medium nib will allow. Coincidentally, my most troublesome is also a brown that I consider my "Signature Ink"
Thanks for sharing. This kind of lines up with my experience trying a Pro Gear: kind of light, a bit plasticky, and quite some feeadback. I ended up buying a Diplomat A2 instead.
Love the Diplomat A2!
@@McAmeron089III Me too. I learned about it on Doodlebud's channel. 😀
Maybe those Japanese nibs feel like that because the way they write. just a theory. Also at that price I would expect a piston filler and and Ink window, just my preference. Thanks for the reviews!!
I'm sure they do have the feel for a specific reason, it seems intentional. I really do enjoy the nib and writing with it. I'll probably end up getting a regular 1911 after using this pen
Excellent review. Thank you.
RS. Canada
Maybe that metal step-down is really for cartridges not the converter. It's one thing to create a new converter to sell with your pen, quite another to start selling packs of disposable cartridges for one pen in your lineup. Maybe Sailor is concerned about confusion surrounding several cartridge sizes?
It's not about confusion. It's about saving money & making more money. You get to use existing parts, so no new expense for design. And you grt to continue to sell you existing consumables. There is money to be made with proprietary converter & cartridge sizes. Pilot, Sailor, Platinum all use their own. Lamy is also proprietary but it seems more common with the large Japanese makers. Jinhao does the same too. Nothing wrong with making more money as a company, after all that's what they're supposed to do. But it would be nice if every once & a while they put the user ahead of the bottom line economics. There are other arguments to support the decision, but money is a significant factor. Other companies do it & make quality pens.
@@Doodlebud One thing I meant to mention in my argument was that in the Japanese market cartridges are more important (afaik anyway). The Sailor converter is really an after thought for hobbyists. Which, I imagine, is why it's kind of a crud converter. So, when Sailor made this decision they would have primarily made it with cartridges in mind. I suppose what I really meant to say in my original comment was that I think the decision makes more sense with cartridges in mind. In addition to the confusion worries I mentioned: the cartridges already have a decent ink capacity; Sailor's target customers are going to use cartridges primarily; and if Sailor wanted to make a larger capacity cartridge it would make more sense to make it longer, rather than wider. Therefore, Sailor has money to lose and not much to gain from their perspective. So, you're right that it's money making this decision, but in Sailor's mind only a small subset of their costumers would care about a bigger converter. (Note how speculative this is btw, I'm really just spitballing here. I don't work for Sailor.) (Also, not trying to fanboy for Sailor, I actually dislike the brand. I'm just trying to be charitable.)
Though if I'm honest, I just agree with you. It's even worse because I just looked up whether the Jinhao Dadao 9019 (the one with the big converter) can fit standard Jinhao cartridges, and it can. So, Sailor could make a bigger converter and still use standard Sailor cartridges. They just don't. (Although the cartridges probably wouldn't fit as snugly.)
I have six sailors (two KOPs in Ebonite and Demonstrator), and they are some of my favorite pens. I also got them all used and probably wouldn’t pay full price for any of them for the same reasons you expressed.
With Sailor, you really are paying for the nibs
I have put the pro gear 21k (not KOP) nib on a Eureka Ultem pen, very happy with that setup! The nibs are my favorite, definitely a personal preference thing.
Injection molded body and the converter support structure at this price range are not really acceptable. The feed is not entirely standard - the breather hole is close to the tip, same as on almost all Sailor and Pilot gold nibbed pens. This is done to not require dipping the section when inking, but these feeds have issues when high flow is required. That's why the stock feed on the Pilot 912 FA doesn't keep up despite having quite wide ink channels.
I use my Pilot Silvern with a cartridge and would do the same if I ever got a Sailor KOP. However, I think the m1000 is my ultimate grail pen and I only need one.
Thanks for sharing! I've noticed on a couple nibs of mine that railroad, I can take some micromesh and rough up the underside of the nib just a hair and it fixes them. I'm thinking some nibs are so smooth, or the finish on them makes them slightly hydrophobic and causes the ink to recede when the times spread.
11:45 yep thats me thanks doodlebud. Best subscription ever 🤣
I would love to see an Conid Bulkfiller vs Asvine V200 head to head review.
I am a fan of high quality demonstrators. Sailor KoP Demonstrator is a great pen. For the other KoPs, I do not see any extraordinary characteristics.
The demonstrator versions look really sharp. The Royal Tangerine one I think looks so good! But mama mia 💸💸💸💸
Love my Sailor's nib and balance. Just really unfortunate the cap doesn't seal (Vintage Sailor Hoscal)
I believe the “dimples” inside the cap are for secure posting of it.
I had one of these. I loved it but your spot on. The tiny little converter caused me to use cartridges because I went thru refilling often. I dont know why they didn't take the Realo approach and make it a piston fill.
I keep meaning to grab a Sailor but I don't like having to manage all the different converters for my current pens and I'm not sure if the lower cost pens maintain the pencil-like feel that most people mention.
Can be translated in english as King of Pen or King of Pens. (no plural form for this construct) I have the 1911 version of this pen, and I really like the nib. Both Sailor, Platinum and Pilot nibs (and Aurora and Pelikan) are distinctive, each in their own interesting way.
I would probably agree with all your review points both pro and con so I just have a couple of ideas. One, you might see if you can find a Sailor Pro Gear Realo, which is a piston filler and may actually have the same nib. I have a full size Pro Gear and it does have a large nib though smaller by a bit. It’s also 21K so you get a similar feel.
Most Sailor nibs exhibit the “scratchy” feel/sound. You either like it or not. I find it very satisfying, personally. (Steel nib Sailors are generally smooth, I think).
Thanks for the excellent review as always.
Thanks, to you and to the kind person who loaned you the pen, for relieving me of any FOMO for the KOP. Seriously -- it;s too short AND it railroads? No thanks, I will spend my $880 on something else.
Sounds like that King of Pens is a compensation thing. Like the little guy going to the parking lot and getting in the biggest, mega-wheeled, jacked-up pickup truck! 😮
The extra metal around the section moves the pen's centre of gravity right into the middle of your grip and is great, rather than 'cheap'. 🙄
While I do think Sailor should offer a higher capacity converter, and that the KOP Realo should not have been a limited production, converters are standard for high-end Japanese pens like Nakaya, etc. Personally, I appreciate that the most likely part of the pen to fail is such an easily replaceable component.
Considering that the KOP can be purchased for less than $350US directly from Japan, I think the nib alone makes this an incredibly compelling fountain pen.
Japanese pen makers are basically not interested in making a piston-filling pen (I’m guessing because they don’t want to deal with after sale repairs). Between Pilot, Platinum, and Sailor I don’t think there is a single model with a piston filling system. The only two Pilot models that aren’t cartridge/converter are the Custom 823 and the Namiki Emperor (I’m pretty sure).
Yes, this pen would be better off to have a bottle fill only design IMHO.
There was once the Sailor KOP Realo which was a piston filler. I think it was a limited edition
Shoud have been an eye dropper or a piston filler. Such a high end pen being a tiny converter filler is such a baffling decision.
Hi DB! Thank you for showing the KOP. Not really a pen on my radar, but still cool! Thanks to your friend also, for allowing it to be shown on your channel! The only Sailor pen in my collection is the Hokoro dip pen. To be truthful, their stuff just doesn't appeal to me too much. Now the new Tuzu might get me to bite, because of the adjustable grip section. To me, right now, my Pelikan is the king of my penbox! I also have the torpedo shaped version of the Wingsung 630, and that is a fabulous pen for the money! Have a good weekend!
Great video, I look forward to see more
Day 7 of saying
as always a great review
Roughly 900 bucks US for a converter is by far exaggerated, even taking into acct its 21K nib. I love my 2 Sailors, a 1911 L, 21K maki e and a PG slim with a steel nib. Fantastic writers but the KOP is in my book way overcharged.
Agree with you! I've been tempted for years by the KOP but the small-ish ink capacity has holds and still holds me back -- appreciate that reminder. You'd think that for the "King" of Pen, Sailor would've figured out how to get the capacity of, say, the JinHao 9019!
I am so curious about the ink now. Alas, it remains a mystery.
I've been crying out for a piston filler version of this pen in a nicer body ever since I first saw one! They actually make some REALLY nice urushi and ebonite models, but even these still use a little converter. It's a travesty.
your cross has sailor made nib how is the feel compared to KOP?
My cross was smoothed by the previous owner so it doesn't feel like a regular Sailor nib. Feels like a regular Japanese fine.
I have five Sailor pens and I prefer my Pilot Custom 823 and Platinum President over them all, although the only one I presently keep inked up is my Montblanc 146. I've never felt that the Sailors write great straight out of the box, but that's just me.
I just got a Sailor TUZU and it has essentially the same converter and it is rock solid attached to just a plastic... receptacle? I don't know. What's the word for that bit?
Do you like it? I've heard positive reactions to it.
@@sushanart Yes, it's quite nice. Very smooth writer.
Yeah for that price too you have to have some flex or some piston hard 👎 for me I would rather have a cheap pen that works the same as the big boys that wingsung 630 is amazing
10/10 agree the nibs are great but the rest doesn't feel worth it. Put the nib in another pen body like a Eureka PEEK or Ultem.
mine does not railroad like this at all?
It's not a bad pen, but for a flagship to have a useless converter that is found on the lower models just kills it for me. Out of all my big pens, this is the one I reach for last. It writes well, nice to hold, but that converter.
I really enjoy the nib feedback. Might get a 1911L on day
Those nubs inside the cap are there to prevent wear when posted
7:20 the raised flat surfaces is there to grip the cap during posting. demo/clear colors will see those faces get dull and the back of the pen to be just as dull/scratched from repeated posting. I live my Kure Azur Pro Gear so the posting marks are there, but its cool, it claws very close to the bottom finial ring, barrel side, cleaning the pens with clean cloth, gold polishing cloth on the post marks, and the flat surface is good idea, it makes posting effortless again(no need to jam hard, just drop it)
That's what I thought initially but I had a close look at it looked like it posted using the cap liner. There was clearance between the back of the pen and those hemispherical features. Looks like back of the pen slipped into the cap liner.
@@Doodlebud my Pro Gear's end finial stops just at the front of the lip of the cap liner. there is slight tapering curve on the barrel/end finial too, so I'll stand on the 'post at posting surfaces' instead of sitting on the soft cap liner when posted
Hmmm...I've always thought that Sailor added all that metal so that they could add weight to a large pen body, gives it more heft. Otherwise, it would be comically light.
I feel unreasonably vindicated that you also noticed the moulding line in the threads. If you're going to injection mould a pen that's this expensive, at least finish it properly.
Looking forward to the Bulkfiller review.
this pen sums up sailor in general, in my opinion. nice looking and decently made, but lazy design.
Although a good pen your Aurora 88, Pelican and Montblanc are that much better.
I have owned all three. Not not 88.
Chris
I get the reasoning behind the name of a pen like the Namiki Emperor. but King of Pen seems like a silly name for such a perfectly ordinary and standard mainline mass produced fountain pen.
“If you please, I am Dorothy, the small and meek…”. Sailor may think it’s got a *King of Pens*, but you can’t always say that till you hold one and try it out. Had a nice SF Realo Pro Gear that I just knew would be my favorite! Nope, nice pen, worked fine, didn’t overpay I think, but no real love. Just specs alone doesn’t make it that one pen… . No magic there for me. Glad I could pass it on. Maybe the next person will think it’s the bee’s knees 🤷♂️. I have an expensive Namiki, beautiful black Urushi, M nib, writes so well. I’ve left it inked with Pilots basic blue, and even after months of not using it, it writes immediately 😊. Still, made of brass underneath, and it just seems a little too heavy for anything longer than a card, or quick note or letter. My favorite in my small & meek collection is my Kaweco Golden Expresso. I use it as an eye dropper. Works 99% of the time, doesn’t leak, aluminum. Noodler’s #41 brown, just fits me and works so well even with a steel nib! Your review seems spot on to me, others may not agree, but hey, we all get to choose … 😊. Thanks DB 👍😎
I really like the feel of the nib but I think I'll end up grabbing a 1911L model with the 21K nib. My sports are great pens and are always ready to write.
I’m surprised at the plastic feed; I expected ebonite. (I wonder if that was an option your friend chose, perhaps to reduce leakage?) The visible seams from injection-molded plastic were a surprise too. A premium pen should give you interesting, variable writing when you want it, writing with character. This one can’t, possibly because of the feed. The tiny cartridge converter is a let-down for sure. (Perhaps another chosen option?)
If I were a wealthy hobbyist considering this pen for my collection, all those things would put me off. But I do wonder what other options for feed, filling mechanism, pen material and appearance are available. I actually found this pen rather ugly and functionally unappealing, but maybe other versions would be different. Maybe polished turned ebonite with an ebonite feed and a piston-filling, eyedropper, or giant cartridge converter mechanism….
what pens do you recommend for beginners?