Sailor has been in the fountain pen and ink making business for over a century.
Now, with that legacy comes a wonderfully rich – if a bit confusing – line of products.
Last time, we gave an introduction to Sailor inks. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the core Sailor fountain pen models available in our collection, breaking down their shapes, nibs, filling systems, and writing characteristics in a way that actually makes choosing easier.
Sailor Fude de Mannen Fountain Pens
Let’s start with something special.
With their rather slim silhouette, Sailor Fude de Mannen pens may look simple at first glance, but under the cap they hide a nib with lots of personality. Its defining feature is the bent, “fude” nib. Fude (筆) meaning brush in Japanese. This nib allows your writing to shift from fine to thick lines just by changing the angle of the pen.
Held upright, the Fude de Mannen produces fine and controlled lines. Lay it down more horizontally, and the nib opens up into thick strokes reminiscent of a brush pen. This ability makes it popular for sketching and calligraphy, especially because it lets you avoid the learning curve and mess of an actual brush. It’s far easier to control and more forgiving.
Sailor offers two nib angles to suit different writing styles. The Green version features a 55-degree nib, for writers who tend to hold their pen more upright. The Dark Blue, Pearl White, Pearl Pink, and Pearl Brown versions come with a 40-degree nib, recommended if you naturally write with the pen laid down at a lower angle.
Sailor 1911 Fountain Pens
Named after the year Sailor was founded, the 1911 is Sailor’s flagship design, created to preserve the memory of skill, materials, and writing quality that have defined the company from the beginning.
The 1911 has a cigar-shaped silhouette with rounded ends on both the barrel and cap. It’s a well-balanced pen that writes smoothly and feels comfortable in the hand.
The 1911 comes in two main sizes. The 1911S (Standard) is fitted with a 14k gold nib, while the larger 1911L (Large) features Sailor’s famous 21k gold nib. Beyond size, the series expands into variations that offer the same classic shape with different filling systems and aesthetics.
Sailor 1911 King of Pens
At the very top of Sailor’s range sits the 1911 King of Pens – a pen designed as a statement of everything the brand stands for. This model represents Sailor’s highest level of craftsmanship.
The star of the show is the oversized 21k solid gold nib, widely regarded as one of the finest nibs in modern fountain pen production. Smooth, expressive, and responsive, it delivers an exceptional writing experience without requiring pressure. The pen body itself is made by hand from ebonite, a naturally produced hard rubber, warm to touch and subtly elastic. It feels organic, almost alive in the hand.
Many King of Pens models are finished in Urushi lacquer, a traditional Japanese technique that elevates the pen into functional art. Urushi is applied entirely by hand, in up to 12 individual layers, with each layer needing to cure fully in a carefully controlled environment before the next is added. The process takes months, but the result is a durable and uniquely luminous surface.
Sailor Pro Gear Fountain Pens
Also known as the Professional Gear, this design is one of Sailor’s most recognisable silhouettes.
The Pro Gear features flat ends on the barrel and cap, giving it a more modern, architectural look. The finials – affectionately called “socks” – are usually finished in contrasting colours, and the flat top of the cap is adorned with Sailor’s iconic anchor medallion.
Uncapped, the Pro Gear measures approximately 11.4 cm, which means many writers find it most comfortable when used posted.
The Pro Gear is available with 14k or 21k gold nibs, depending on the model. Size options include the Pro Gear Standard, Pro Gear Slim, and the King Pro Gear, the largest of the line-up (it also uses the same oversized 21k nib as the King of Pens).
Sailor Pro Gear Slim
The Pro Gear Slim is a more compact version of the standard Pro Gear. It’s a slimmer and roughly 5 mm shorter whether capped, uncapped, or posted.
The most significant difference is the nib. The Pro Gear Slim is fitted with a 14k gold nib, which has a firmer, less elastic feel than Sailor’s 21k nibs. This gives the pen a slightly more controlled and precise writing sensation.
The Pro Gear Slim strikes a sweet spot, offering the Pro Gear aesthetic in a slightly more delicate form and approachable price point.
The Pro Gear and Pro Gear Slim lines are where Sailor explores the widest range of designs, appearing in countless colourways, finishes, and themed series, from limited-editions to longer-running collections such as Shikiori, Manyo, Smoothie, Cocktail, Teatime, and Princess Raden series.
Sailor Pro Gear II
First introduced in 2003, the Professional Gear quickly became one of Sailor’s most iconic designs. The Pro Gear II is a subtle evolution of that classic, refining the look without losing what made it special in the first place.
It features a 21k gold nib and a redesigned clip and Sailor emblem, which gives the pen a slightly more futuristic, contemporary feel. They are available in classic black resin with rhodium or gold trim.
Sailor Realo Fountain Pens
The Sailor Realo line adds a clever twist – quite literally – to Sailor’s classic designs. Available in 1911 and Pro Gear shapes, Realo pens are defined by their internal piston-filling mechanism, replacing cartridges and converters with a built-in system that draws ink directly into the pen by twisting the barrel.
This change makes a noticeable difference in ink capacity. Sailor converters are known for holding less ink than standard international converters (around 0.5 ml), but Realo pens can hold up to 1 ml.
Another distinctive feature of the Realo is the ink window. Both the 1911 Realo and Pro Gear Realo include a clear section that allows you to see the ink reservoir at a glance, even when the pen is capped. It’s a small but thoughtful detail that only adds to the pen’s overall design.
Sailor Profit Junior
Known in Japan as the Profit, the 1911 shape gets a wonderfully approachable entry point in the Profit Junior. This is Sailor’s budget-friendly fountain pen, and one we often recommend as a first pen for beginners.
It’s based on the iconic 1911 design, but made accessible through a lightweight resin body and a medium-fine steel nib. That nib still delivers Sailor’s signature writing feel: smooth, precise, and slightly tactile. The feedback offers control without scratchiness, and the ink flow is forgiving. The Profit Junior is available in a wide range of colours, from clear demonstrators to soft pastels like lilac and aqua green, to cute limited-edition series.
You can read more about beginner-friendly fountain pens in our blog.
Sailor Barcarolle Fountain Pen
Introduced in 2017, the Sailor Barcarolle is still a relative newcomer. Designed with modern tastes in mind, it features a solid brass barrel and a snap cap, giving it a reassuring weight even with the slim design.
Despite its contemporary feel, the Barcarolle hasn’t abandoned Sailor tradition. It retains the classic Sailor clip design and is fitted with a reliable 14k gold nib, ensuring the writing experience remains firmly in Sailor territory.
Its name comes from the traditional folk songs sung by Venetian gondoliers, and its column-like form may even remind you of classical architecture. Or, if you’re so inclined, you might hear echoes of Mascagni’s Barcarola, famously used by Martin Scorsese in Raging Bull. Either way, the Barcarolle stands as a successful design choice that leans on the dependable Sailor craftsmanship.
Specialty Nibs
Sailor famously offers a number of unique nib grinds. The pens with these Specialty Nibs give extraordinary variation and different line widths depending on the writing angle, allowing for a truly expressive writing experience. We already mentioned the exquisite Fude de Mannen.
Many of these grinds were developed for Sailor by Nobuyoshi Nagahara, who worked with the company from 1947 to 2011, and after his retirement, his son Yukio Nagahara continued the craft until 2020.
Here’s a short breakdown of the grinds you can find in our selection:
Naginata-Togi – Large, almost triangular tipping designed for Kanji writing. Produces wide lines at low angles and a fine point when inverted. Note that this nib produces double broad line width in a normal writing position.
Naginata Concord – Curved downwards like a bird’s beak. Offers either fine lines or bold expressive strokes, with unique “sweet spots” for calligraphic variation. Takes a bit of experience.
Naginata Emperor – A Naginata-Togi with an added gold overfeed for wetter ink flow, ideal for absorbent Japanese papers. Medium and Broad sizes show the most pronounced wetness.
Cross Point – Double-stacked nib with a massive tip. Delivers broad, smooth strokes with abundant ink flow, perfect for headlines, but not practical for everyday writing.
Cross Music – Stacked nib with a long, slim tip. Produces thin downstrokes and dramatic, thick cross strokes, reminiscent of architectural nibs.
Cross Concord – Stacked, bird-beak-shaped nib similar to the Naginata Concord. Creates thin upright lines and broad inverted strokes for dynamic variation.
King Eagle – This grind is finally back after a decade! Features a triple-layered tip for extra-long strokes. Produces broad horizontal lines with smooth, brush-like flow, even on textured papers.
Lefty – Last but not least, the Lefty is specially cut for left-handed writers, with a rounded shape to match natural writing angles and deliver a comfortable, consistent line.
Ready to explore?
At the end of the day, there’s no single “best” Sailor fountain pen, and don’t let the price point lead your choice – instead, focus on the characteristics. While a model like the King of Fountain Pens offers an undeniably luxurious experience, it might not necessarily be the one you reach for most often.
Sailor’s range is built around feel and personal preference. Once you know what to look for – shape, size, nib material, and filling system – the differences between models start to make sense, and choosing becomes just a matter of aesthetics. We know that with all of Sailor’s series, that’s still not easy, but at least now you’ll have a better idea of what each core pen model has to offer.
We hope this guide brings you one step closer to a pen you’ll reach for again and again.
