Sailor 1911 Standard Black GT 14K Gold Medium Point Fountain Pen - 11-1219-420

I bought this pen as my first entry into Sailor’s offerings. I’d been eyeing it for a while, and pulled the trigger when I saw the recent price dip. I will definitely be ordering a 1911 Large now that I’ve experienced the realness of the long-standing hype for the brand. It is a well-realized, tried and true design that is flawlessly executed as we’ve all come to expect from Japanese brands. The nib is the star of the show, but there’s lots more to love.Likes:The 14k nib (M) provides a writing experience that is both smooth and tactile. Not quite “buttery” as with some other pens I own, but neither is it scratchy. I think a good word might be “velveteen” as you feel the paper, but in a soft, steady way. There is a lovely bit of flex in the nib that you don’t see too often. It’s not so much as to be inconvenient, but it gives my signature a tasteful hint of line variation.The medium is, in typical Japanese fashion, somewhere between a European fine and medium. In future sailor purchases, I’d very much like to try their other offerings—particularly the broader varieties, but the medium does a good job of demonstrating the quality I can expect.The styling is, of course, as classic as it comes. My first ever pen was a JinHao sailor knockoff, and though it no longer gets used, I’ve always kept it displayed. The real deal is even more attractive.Tooling is precise, no wiggles, gaps, or looseness anywhere. The section takes several turns to release from the barrel, which I like because I find that the tighter seal keeps inks from drying out.For the reduced price of ~106, this pen is a bargain. However, with the original price being so close to LAMY 2k prices I’ve seen recently, I can’t award full stars for value. That said, the 2K is well known as an outlier in its price bracket to begin with, so it’s hard to be too critical of the Sailor. Plus, they are very different pens so this is heavily influenced by my bias toward the LAMY.Dislikes:Most of my “dislikes” have more to do with personal preference than anything uniquely wrong with the pen, but I’ll include them all the same:I knew going in that it would be a little on the smaller and lighter side, and it is. The section is relatively narrow, which is fine for me to take quick notes, but I often write for long stretches and my hand would eventually start to feel discomfort. Personally, I post most all of my pens because I like the heft against my hand, but with this pen it’s a necessity. There are advantages to both of those qualities even if I generally prefer a larger, heftier pen for my big Neanderthal hands. I suspect it will make an excellent travel pen and a could be a great marathon session writer for all the pen loving folks out there with smaller mitts.The pen likes a slightly different angle for writing than I am used to for optimal contact. It’s certainly not among the pickiest pens I own, but if you’re off by too much there’s a bit of scratch and issue laying down consistent lines. It will likely improve as it breaks into my grip, but it’s on the choosier side of things as of now.The rub:Overall, this pen is a great buy, especially at the current price. It has sold me on Sailor, and I’d be willing to bet that this time next year I’ll own several of their lineup. I think this first one will live in my bag and see a good bit of use alongside my pilot lucina, elite 95s, Faber-Castell e-motion, and LAMY studio as an on-the-go note-taker/journaler. When I get my hands on the 1911 Large, I suspect it’ll stay at my desk along with the workhorse pens for more intensive writing.

This is a great fountain pen for the money. It is not the cheapest gold nib out there but it is on the more affordable end while maintaining quality. I currently use it with Sailor black ink cartridges which are easy to install and write nicely.The only negatives that I forsee some people having with this pen are: the ink cartridges and the pen size. Regarding the ink cartridges, the issue here is that the pen is only compatible with Sailor's own ink. This is an issue due to cost and if one prefers a specific ink color not offered by Sailor. You can use a converter to get around this issue however. Regarding the pen's size, it is a little small. There is a larger iteration of this pen '1911 large' but I have not tried it. I would definitely recommend that one if you have large hands.Overall this pen writes very well and has a very classic look and feel. Aside from the cartridges and small size of the pen (which don't bother me personally) it is the best pen I have tried for the price. Highly recommended!

An excellent writer that is real value for money, with that traditional pencil-like feedback that only Sailor has mastered. I have many Sailors, and this was my first one with the smaller 14k nib, and suffice to say it didn't disappoint. Despite the feedback, it is still a really smooth writer and never feels scratchy on the page. I own Platinum pens too, and even in the broader nib sizes, the feedback is not as pleasant as what one feels with Sailor nibs on paper.Highly recommend as a first gold nib pen for anyone looking for something different from a steel nib!

After stumbling into the fountain pen lifestyle with an inexpensive Lamy, I finally decided it was time to step up to a REAL pen. After reading blogs, reviews, and researching many different types, I decided to purchase the Sailor 1911 Standard. I was, initially, a little worried about the size being small considering I'm a big guy (6'3") with large hands, but I find the pen is very comfortable even without the cap posted. Fit/Finish is absolutely top notch - the action of twisting on and off the cap is smooth and easy. Everything is tight and the finish is impeccable. The presentation box is simple, but elegant and will be where I rest this pen when not using it. I like the subtle gold touches on the ebony black body and I feel the overall look of the pen is elegant and is perfect for use in a business environment.Writing with this pen, however, is an experience to behold. Ink flow is plentiful, perhaps even a bit wet. I got the medium nib which produces lines that are about 2x the size of a typical .5mm rollerball pen (I tried to measure, but it was difficult. I'm guessing about 1.2mm). I have had no hard starts or ink flow issues, even on stupidly cheap paper. On my Rhodia pad it is simply sublime. The 14k gold nib is capable of producing some line variation and has a little more flex than my stainless steel nibs on my cheaper pens. The end result is smooth writing with just a little feedback and no scratchiness at all. I can easily see this pen becoming my daily carry.The reason for the 1 star reduction is because of two issues. The first is weight. This pen is LIGHT. It feels no heavier than my Lamy Safari which is 1/5th the price (and it writes well, but nowhere near as well as the Sailor). I was hoping for a little more mass in this pen, but the weight ensures marathon writing sessions will not introduce fatigue so I suppose it all balances out. The other issue - no included converter. I specifically chose a medium nib to pair with my j. Herbin Anniversary ink which is laced with flakes of gold producing a shimmer effect. On my Fine and Extra Fine nibs there simply isn't enough flow to really get a feel for the qualities of this ink so I was looking forward to using this incredible ink in this pen. Unfortunately, I have to wait another couple of weeks for the refillable converter to arrive (at an additional $10 cost). For the price of this pen, it SHOULD have been included.These two issues may be a bit nit-picky and they absolutely should not prevent you from purchasing this beautiful pen. The fit, finish, quality, and writing mechanics of this pen are simply incredible and are equal to pens that are 3x the price. I would even overlook the lighter weight if it included a converter. The converter would have made this overall pen a home run.