Sailor 11-3926-432 Fountain Pen, Professional Gear, Raro, Marun, Medium Point

I thought I was crazy to put so much money down for a pen, but thanks to the Japanese yen conversion, I decided to take a plunge on my first Sailor fountain pen that normally retails for $424 without tax. I am a fan of EF pens from Pilot (Kakuno, Metropolitan) and I decided to give the Fine Nib Realo (interesting that it shows up as Raro) a try and it's comparable to an EF. But the nib is 21K and it makes such a difference. If I had to get rid of all my fountain pens and just get one, this will be it. If it skips and such, then you got a dud. (I had to return a Med-Fine Sailor when it happened to me, a pen worth $300 plus should not skip). This pen is so smooth and such a luxury to use. Just be gentle with it. I bought the cleaning kit specifically for Sailor pens (SAILOR 14-1006-000) so I can keep this pen running smoothly for many years to come.

First the seller, Amazon Japan. The price I paid, $188, was nearly half what a US pen company would sell this for. The day after I bought it, AJ had raised the price to $242; today it is $207. Beware. The listing had a couple of English problems. The description made no sense. The trim, gold or silver, was not mentioned, but the pictures showed gold. The nib was described as bold--did you mean broad, sir? The model was "Raro"--after spending two months in Japan, I guessed this meant Realo. I took a chance I was guessing right. And then the seller took a full week to ship the pen. Their private shipping company was speedy, but a transition to Fed Ex in LA meant a delay or a couple of days and loss of tracing info. A first world problem. The pen itself is a gem. Heftier and better unposted in the hand than the classic Pro Gear, and much better looking too, smoother and wetter in a broad than a medium, and a piston filler instead of wasteful cartridges or else Sailor's notoriously flimsy converters. I love it for $188. Full US price, I would have a problem. This is a follow-up, after the purchase of second Sailor Pro Gear Realo, this time in maroon Medium. The shipping time was only 10 days. The price was only $168, though on the day of delivery it had jumped to $190, which still was less than half the standard US price. I have at long last concluded this is the best pen for me--weight, balance, nib length, grip size, and grip point close to the nib, nib toothiness (I like smooth but need a little toothiness because of my familial trembling--think, Katherine Hepburn). I love the B nib and will keep it, but for longer texts and legibility, M is better--equivalent to a European F, more or less. I'll be selling my Pilot Heritage 823, a great pen but not best for my grip.

I have two other Sailor Pens a M/F Lecoule and a 1911 L with a zoom nib. This M nib Realo writes more like a fine, but it is very smooth and has some feedback. I am using a green Sailor ink; it writes equally well on Rhodia and standard copy paper. The sailor pens are just wet enough to give you a smooth writing experience, but they work well in almost any situation. I have multiple Pilot pens and like them, but the Pilots require some adjustment and tuning. In some cases they are designed for Japanese characters that are generally written at a high angles (e.g. Custom 912 FA) and the ink flow can be to slow for cursive. My custom 823 F wrote like an XF and also needed some adjustment to increase its ink flow. The Sailors work well in just about any situation and almost never require tuning. I would say that the Realo is superior to the 1911 L due to its overall weight and weight distribution. I bought it for a very reasonable price (1/3 rd off normal Amazon price). These Amazon deals are pretty amazing.

Anybody who's unsure: These are genuine Sailor fountain pens!

I adore this one however the feeder is a bit off I’m not sure that it’s a normal things hopefully I can send this one and get a replacement over a great purchase write amazing

The Pro Gear Realo is, in my humble opinion, Sailor's best pen overall. It combines all the features that make a Sailor pen great; the exquisite 21kt nib, excellent balance, and precise manufacturing. However, unlike other Sailor fountain pens, including the excellent but over priced KOP, the Realo is a true piston filler. At the price from Amazon Japan it is an absolute bargain.

Bought lot pens, this is my favorite even though others cost 3x as much. Sailor comes with a 21k gold nib and I think makes the difference

Deal of a lifetime! Finest fountain pen in the world, at the best price ever! Amazon knows great quality!