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Posts in the fountain pen category

Sailor HighAce Neo

Sailor HighAce Neo

The HighAce Neo is a low-priced, entry-level fountain pen offered by Sailor. In many places, it can be purchased for under $20 (USD) and comes in black, red, green, or blue barrels. The section and cap are always the same color. My first impression was that this pen feels very off balance. The cap is made of a lightweight metal, but the barrel of the pen is made of a super light, cheap plastic. It took me some getting used to, but writing with such a light pen soon became rather effortless and I finally began to appreciate the qualities of the pen that stood out to me.

One of the best parts of this pen, for me, is the nib. I am a big fan of Sailor pens and I am glad to see that even their low-priced, entry-level pens are really smooth writers right out of the box. The steel nib is very plain, but its cheap appearance belies the writing experience it can provide. There is little to no flex with this nib as it was not designed for flex writing. The nib itself is clean with only the brand, the nib number, and size.

Sailor_HighaceNeo_03

One feature I liked was that the cap can snap on to both the front and back ends of the pen alike so you can be sure it is securely attached. When posted, the pen becomes heavily off-balance due to the cap being made of metal. I found the weight difference to be perturbing enough to disrupt my writing experience. The pen is comfortable enough to write with sans posted cap. The barrel of the pen looks really narrow, but surprisingly the pen is still quite comfortable to hold. The grip section is made of smooth plastic as opposed to the rest of the body which has some texture to it, but I had no issues with slipping or losing my grip. Personally, I prefer pens with a larger barrel diameter so extended periods of writing were not ideal in comfort.

That being said, the Sailor HighAce Neo is a great, affordable, entry-level fountain pen that still manages to bring a smooth writing performance. It may not be the most durable or long lasting pen in your arsenal, but for a quick pen to toss in your bag for every day writing, I think it can stand on its own.

Nib material: Steel

Cap: Snap

Filling mechanism: Cartridge/Converter (Sailor)

Overall Length: 136 mm

Weight: ~10.6 g

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Lamy Safari

 

Lamy Safari

To many, the Lamy Safari is one of the quintessential “starter” pens for those seeking to step into the wide world fountain pens. It is affordable, well constructed, and has a relatively high availability in most countries. My own Lamy Safari is a bit weathered (well, at least the nib is), but it is still going strong!

Lamy Safari

The Lamy Safari comes in a wide variety of colors. Some of those colors are actually limited editions made for one specific year (though some of those colors are repeated in later years), but the simple format of the pen itself never changes. There is also a clear (demonstrator) version of this pen which is often referred to as the Lamy Vista. My personal color of choice was the charcoal gray with matching trim. The body is made of a hard resin that has been given a textured surface (note: most Safari models are not textured but rather smooth plastic) which helps you keep a good grip on the pen and also adds a bit of character to it as well. Along the sides of the pen is an open-air ink window on either side, and the words, “LAMY” on one side. The pen is light, but it does not feel cheap. When posted, the pen feels a bit back-heavy and I find it more comfortable to write without the cap. The resin feels strong and does not flex if you squeeze it. Unlike some of the cheap knockoffs, the Lamy Safari feels like a pen that is built to take some abuse.

The nib is made of steel and can be very smooth if you find the sweet spot. Deviate too much, though, and it can give a lot of feedback depending on the type of paper you are writing on. There is really no flex to the nib at all, and it definitely was not meant to be flexed. One of the great features of these pens is how incredibly easy it is to switch nibs. Simply grip the nib from both sides and give it a gentle tug away from the pen and it slips right off. Lamy sells replacement nibs in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, 1.1 mm, 1.5 mm, and 1.9 mm.

Lamy Safari

One of the more polarizing aspects of the pen, for some people, is the grip section. The grip section is molded to aid in keeping a proper writing grip on the pen. Some people like it, others do not (personally, I don’t like it). However, overall the Lamy Safari has made quite a name for itself and it continues to be among the first pens suggested to beginning fountain pen users (for good reason). I think it is a great pen and a stepping stone into a larger world.

 

Nib material: Steel

Cap: Snap

Filling mechanism: Cartridge/Converter (Lamy Z24)

Overall length: 144 mm

Lamy Safari nib size comparison

 

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TWSBI Diamond 580

TWSBI_580_01

After much deliberation, I decided to purchase the TWSBI 580 Diamond with a 1.1mm stub nib. TWSBI is known for having good quality pens at affordable prices, and despite the numerous reports of quality control issues and breaking parts (of which I have had none), I am really enjoying this pen. The body is a crystal clear plastic with a sort of angled diamond pattern to the barrel. This gives it an almost prismatic effect which becomes virtually invisible when filled with ink. The piston filling mechanism works well, and the pen can hold almost 2 ml of ink, which is very rare at this price range. TWSBI sells different nibs for this pen separately and they are easily swapped out with their modular nib/feed system. TWSBI even sells special ink bottles that allow you to fill the pen without getting the nib covered in ink.

The 1.1mm stub nib can be a bit finicky about the angle at which it is held to the paper, but when you get the hang of it the nib is a very smooth writer and lays down a fat wet line. If you’d like to see additional writing samples, see any of my reviews posted before (and probably after) this post. I am very happy with this purchase, and I was actually a bit surprised at how nice the build quality of the pen felt. I can see why this pen is so often recommended to people looking to move away from the baseline entry-level pens. Recommended!

Nib material: Steel

Cap: Screw

Filling mechanism: Piston

Overall length: 142mm

 

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The Morita Original Sailor Pro Gear Slim

Sailor Professional Gear Slim Morita Exclusive

I recently made a pilgrimage to the Morita Pen Shop in Osaka, Japan and picked up one of Mr. Morita’s exclusive pens. This Sailor Professional Gear Slim is in a unique color taken from the roof of the Salzburg Cathedral, where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was baptized and later performed. The color is a soft, robin’s egg blue that I really enjoy.

Morita Fountain Pen Shop

It was my first time visiting Osaka, but the Morita Pen Shop was quite easy to find. The shop itself is a bit small, but it still has a hefty selection of beautiful pens and inks adorning the walls. Mr. Morita himself doesn’t speak much English, but he is incredibly helpful and will let you test out any pen you are interested in trying.

The prices are generally lower than shops you’ll find in western fountain pen stores, and even competitive with online shops from around the world.

Other than the color, the rest of the pen is identical to the standard Pro Gear Slim. I purchased the 14k gold nib with rhodium plating in MF and it is beautifully smooth, though not as smooth as the larger 21k gold nib on my Sailor 1911. Initially I was afraid that the Professional Gear Slim would be too small for my liking as I tend to prefer larger pens, but when I was pleasantly surprised with how well the pen feels when it is posted. Without posting, the pen feels too light and off-balance, but when posted it feels perfect. The grip section isn’t too narrow and the acrylic body provides a modestly comfortable writing experience.

I inked it up with Sailor Kobe Sannomiya Pensée  which I picked up from a Nagasawa Pen Shop during my day trip to Kobe. I like the way it looks with the pen. Inkflow was great. The feed keeps up and the nib is very smooth with just a tiny bit of feedback on the paper. It is definitely a smooth writer, though not as smooth as my Sailor 1911L with 21k nib, but it holds its own.

left to right: Lamy Safari, Noodler's Ahab, Sailor Profit 1911 L, Sailor Pro Gear Slim
left to right: Lamy Safari, Noodler’s Ahab, Sailor Profit 1911 L, Sailor Pro Gear Slim

The shop also carries a regular Professional Gear in the same color fitted with a 21k gold nib with rhodium plating. If you are ever in Osaka and have some time to stop by, I highly recommend checking out Mr. Morita’s pen shop!

Overall, it’s a lovely pen that I’m happy to have part of my collection.

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