on saleSailor Pro Gear Realo Fountain Pen - Black/Gold

I wrote for thirty years with a Pelikan that was an earlier version of the M800. Finally sold it when the worn threads were letting it come apart in my pocket. Many pens late I have finally settled on the Sailer Pro Gear Realo. Lower ink capacity but otherwise the equal or superior of the Pelikan. I love the feedback from the nib. The cap is much more secure. The length better suited to pockets. Price varies widely. Full price is not so nice. I paid $165.

I was impressed with all of the information on the Goulet website. Being able to compare different pens and see how they wrote made me feel more comfortable buying without trying. And I also called with a few questions and found the customer support fantastic. I would definitely buy another fountain pen.

This is my first gold nib pen, not to mention my first Sailor Pro Gear. Needless to say, I am very impressed with the quality and precision of this pen. It writes smooth as silk (no skipping, decent feedback, and consistent flow). As a fan of the piston filling mechanism, the Realo model of the Pro Gear doesn't disappoint. The ink window is also a bonus.

First - this pen is wonderful! The ink window on the Realo is about a billion times better than the same feature on the Lamy 2000. The pen body is light and a little on the short side for my hands unposted, but the cap posts easily and securely, extending the overall length an inch or so. Posted or unposted, the pen is beautifully balanced in the hand. The 21k nib is gorgeous and ideally formed. My pen is the extra-fine nib which draws a magnificently thin line with Sailor Kiwa-Guro ink. The nib is not scratchy, but makes a soft sound when writing like a 0.5mm graphite mechanical pencil. There is just a trace of tactical feedback as well - nothing I would describe as scratchy, but it's definitely there. This will not be a butter-smooth nib like a Lamy 2000 or some Pilot nibs, but I find that this little hint of feedback improves my writing. I sometimes have a tendency to increase my speed when writing, which decreases legibility. The increased traction of this nib on the page nullifies that tendency in me. I think the words I write with this pen are the most consistently legible of any of the pens I routinely use. It has become my dedicated writing instrument at home. The more rugged Lamy 2000 now rides in a pen loop of my bullet journal - which is carried with me wherever I go and tends to get banged around. I don't feel like the Sailer Pro Gear Realo would fair as well in that circumstance.

Here's how you know if you'll like the feel of this pen: A Pilot Vanishing Point feels way too slippery to me, a Lamy 2000 also feels a bit too slippery, a Sailor 1911 feels too scratchy to me, and this pen feels just right. The nib has some nice flex to it, but also, there's some feedback to keep my handwriting under control. This pen makes a soft pencil-like sound when writing.Pen performance is excellent. I've written multiple pages with this pen and it never missed a stroke. The nib tolerates some less-than-perfect nib and page angles. The feed delivers a smooth flow of ink flawlessly.(All of the above was my experience when using Sailor Seiboku ink; of course other inks would probably also be great in this pen, but I figured I'd pair this pen with the manufacturer's ink in order to give Sailor the fairest shot). The piston filler works smoothly every time--with some piston pens the piston can become a little stiff, but I haven't noticed that here. The clip on the pen cap moves with plenty of freedom; I had no difficulty putting it in shirt pockets. As others have noted, the ink window is easy to see through and use. The pen is gorgeous and elegant. The nib is a sculpted work of art. I don't always wash nibs in water after filling, but for this one you kind of have to; it's too gorgeous to leave ink stains on it. The rest of the pen is a dignified and traditional black, with some beautiful gold accents. The price is high; I certainly don't buy pens in this price range often. But, it's definitely now one of the best-writing and best-looking pens I own.