What are your thoughts on Sailor Promenade?

Feb 18, 20193990 VIEWS

EDIT: I've made my choice, my next expensive (by my standards) pen will be Sailor 1911L. Thank you everyone who contributed in the comments :)

Hi! I need some help or maybe just validation :) I'm new to the "modern" fountain pen, although I do have some childhood experience with Soviet made pens, both refillable and dippers. I like the writing/stationary industry and tools, and for some time now I've been looking to get a nice fountain pen for myself. The main usage will be - daily note-taking, writing in my RPG GM notebook and such. After several agonizing weeks of getting acquainted with the market and the multitude of options, I've finally found Sailor Promenade which seems to tick all of my boxes. I would also add that my buying habits can be ironically described as cheapskate elitist, which basically means, that I'm shopping for a fountain pen under US $100 but I want it to be high quality, comfortable, beautiful and its brand should be recognizable as something more related to fountain pens than anything else, the latter effectively eliminated Pilot from the competition (yeah, I know, don't throw rocks at me :D) Oh, and for some weird reason I tend to lean towards Japanese and German brands. Although I do prefer international standard converters/cartridges to fit, it is not essential as long as there is a converter that does. That brings me to Sailor Promenade (14k F or MF nib). I absolutely love the color. What would be your thoughts, suggestions?

(Edited)

3.9K

AlexCzar

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jwsohn

Jun 28, 2019

Consider Platinum Century 3776 as well. I have not tried Sailor Promenade, but the Platinum provides excellent writing experience with 14K nib. You have a number of nib width choices ranging from UEF to music nib. If you are leaning to Japanese fine nib, think about soft-fine nib. Also Platinum Century has several different color flavors. I recommend you to take a look a Chartres Blue.

Jun 28, 2019

Ghostwriter

Jun 4, 2019

The Sailor 1911L is an excellent choice. Some of the best nibs in the business. I have found that for my purposes and taste, the <MF> nib width is near perfect. Owning two of these pens, I would offer two observations:

I think the price difference between the 1911S (standard) and 1911L (large) is too great a jump - that said, I'm not certain if the nib size is different between the two models
I would entertain a different filling system - it seems a shame that such a large pen is only manufactured as a cartridge-converter - I'd like to see other options available (although with piston-fillers, etc. you do have other trade-offs to consider)

ps. Pilot makes some fantastic pens as well (the 74 and 823 are lovely examples of high quality fountain pens from Pilot with some excellent nibs). Enjoy your purchase!

Jun 4, 2019

LSP58

May 5, 2019

Try out the Kaweco Dia 2, it is around $96 (Jet Pens). It has been a Drop here as well for less. Classic German styling and a great daily driver. I just picked up (via Drop) a Pelikan 205 Smoky Quartz with a bottle of Edelstein Smoky Quartz ink for just over $100. Limited edition pen that normally goes for $149. As you can see, I am more German focused, but then you cant go wrong with a Pilot Metropolitan to start for a lot less ($24).

(Edited)

May 5, 2019

AlexCzar

May 7, 2019

LSP58

I have a Metropolitan, got it for $13 from Amazon. This is a bit of an old post, I've already grown my collection somewhat. Aside from Pilot MR, I have a couple of FPR Himalaya and a Pelikan M200 Smoky Quartz SE. And next I'm going for a Sailor 1911L. After buying the pens above and playing with some other pens, it seems for now I prefer Japanese. Pelikan was a huge disappointment, but seems to be just a dud, waiting for a replacement to arrive, hopefully it'll write better, as the originally received one writes much worse than a nail, I actually tried, I got an iron nail from my toolbox, dipped it in ink and it is much more reliable and pleasurable experience than the Pelikan I received :D

(Edited)

May 7, 2019

tedken

Apr 29, 2019

Have two Sailors, one with MF nib in 21K gold, and another with a 14K music nib. The common feature in both is that if there is ink in the pen, it will be at the tip, ready to go when you are. Not sure how they do it, but in my experience, they do it better than many others, incl Mont Blanc!

Apr 29, 2019

JosephCreitz

Apr 24, 2019

Sailor makes wonderful pens. You’ll love it.

Apr 24, 2019

cpmcnamara

Apr 14, 2019

I think anything sailor is a solid option for any fountain pen user - and honestly better than the typical recommendations for a beginner (eg Lamy). I started with a sailor pro gear and quickly got hooked to the fp world. If you could manage, and you know what nib size fits you, I would start with a 1911. The nib competes with even the most expensive pens and it’s ergonomically perfect for almost everyone. The only downside is lower ink capacity - hardly the biggest downside for something just starting out.

(Edited)

Apr 14, 2019

NWard

Apr 21, 2019

Really?!? I've been eyeing the Burlwood KOP but it's $1800! I just can't do it. I have a Sailor Go Pro Realo and I like it, and I have a 2 Pelikan M800 and love them too, but my Namiki Yukari is to die for. How does the KOP compare?

Apr 21, 2019

cpmcnamara

Apr 22, 2019

NWard

Kop is my favorite pen hands down, except that it really needs more ink capacity. I’ve never used the Yukari but the kop is lightyears better than my m800.

Apr 22, 2019

mrhifi

Apr 10, 2019

Sailor 1911 best buy for the 100.00 range....!

Apr 10, 2019

technogoy

Mar 29, 2019

I have owned a Promenade for over a couple of years now. Writes like a charm. Firm nib- I have a 14K Medium nib. Love it.

Mar 29, 2019

ArkadyN

Mar 22, 2019

I do not own a Sailor but have heard of complaints about their proprietary converters. If you are looking for a 14k nib and paying $100 or less, I have to wonder about the overall quality of the rest of the pen.

Mar 22, 2019

dbsail5

Mar 17, 2019

Well Alex, the sailor nibs are wonderful , the feeds flow well a little on the wet side, overall a great experience. The design of the pen is a little on the plain side I perfect the silver color trim.

Mar 17, 2019

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