Review: Sailor 1911 Large Fresca Fountain Pen - Music Nib @PenChalet

A review of the Sailor 1911 Large in Fresca Blue was in order because I couldn't ignore the darned pretty color.

ABOUT

Body material: Plastic
Trim: Rhodium-plated
Cap: Screw on
Posts: Yes, friction
Filling: Sailor proprietary cartridge/converter
Nib material: 21kt rhodium-plated gold
Length (capped): 141.0 mm/5.55"
Length (uncapped): 123.1 mm/4.84"
Length (posted): 153.5 mm/6.05"
Length (section): 16.8 mm/0.66"
Diameter (barrel): 11.2 - 13.3 mm/0.44" - 0.52"
Diameter (section): 10.5 - 11.7 mm/0.41" - 0.46"
Weight (all): 26 g
Weight (cap): 9 g
Weight (body): 17 g
Price: $288.00USD
Where to buy: Pen Chalet

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PACKAGING

The Sailor 1911 fountain pen has straightforward packaging. There is the classic blue hard case box with the Sailor logo printed on the top in gold lettering. Inside the blue box, the pen is held in place by an elastic and ribbon on a felt bed. The bed is removable. There is also a cartridge, a converter, as well as a little pamphlet about the Sailor Pen Co. and your pen. Little wasted space with this packaging. It's plain packaging, but I don't feel bad about not keeping it. It also doesn't seem (depending on how you feel about packaging at all) too wasteful.

APPEARANCE

The Sailor 1911 Large fountain pen is not a huge pen, but it is the larger of the two 1911 sizes. It is a torpedo shaped pen with rhodium-plated trim. The center band is wide and is engraved with Sailor Japan Founded 1911. The finial is unmarked. The clip is plain, coming to a rounded off end. It has no branding on it, so it isn't particularly unique.

Near the end of the cap, there is a raised center band and a thinner, flat band just a small space above it. The larger band is engraved with: Sailor Japan Founded 1911. The section is round and tapers ever so slightly towards the nib, and ends in a flared ridge. The cap threads at the back of the section are the same color as the pen so they blend in.

I really was interested in this pen because, sadly, the Fresca Blue color was so appealing! The pen is a light blue that was exclusive to North America. Complemented by the cool trim, I couldn't ignore it. I tried to resist. I don't even need more pens and I just couldn't. Pathetic, I know.

The resin does pick up micro scratches over time, but if you don't let it rub on other pens and keep it in a sleeve when you tote it around, it'll look pretty good.

NIB & PERFORMANCE

The music nib is a single tone 21kt nib. It has a single slit, a round breather hole, and is engraved with: 1911, 21K, 875, Sailor and M on the side, the Sailor anchor and some flourishes. Sailor is the only company that produces a modern music stub nib with only one slit and two tines. Platinum and Nakaya, for example, produce a music nib with two slits and three tines, which you see more of in vintage music nibs. Sailor explains they were able to produce a music nib with a single slit that still delivers a wet, stubby line. 

The nib is smooth, medium wet, and is a pleasant writer. The stub is not so large that it cannot be used daily, but it is a more generous size than your typical daily writer. The nib is firm, so there is not much in the way of line variation (unlike vintage music nibs), but it does offer line variation because of the shape of the nib. You will get wide down strokes and thinner cross strokes. It has a little feedback but does not feel scratchy or unpleasant. 

Of the standard nib selection, my favorite nibs are the Music and Zoom nib - they offer the most variation and feel the best for my writing preferences. 

IN HAND

The clip has moderate tension - it can be lifted but it is snug - quite practical. It has a reasonable length so it will clip on safely to papers/pockets.

The section is small but comfortable - no sharp ridges or anything. The cap threads themselves are a bit sharp but they are well out of my grip space. If you have large fingers, they might get in your way, but even so, it's not too sharp. They're not so bad that I wouldn't want to use the pen.

I think this is a great pen in hand - it's extremely comfortable, great weight, great balance. It writes well unposted but it's perfected posted because it posts deeply and comfortably. Writing for extended sessions is no problem. If you have larger hands, you'll likely prefer the 1911 Large size as it can be used unposted as well as posted. If you prefer the 1911 Standard, then using it posted might be ideal. I prefer the Large size. 

PROS & CONS

OVERALL

Sailor pens are solid. I love them and think they produce some great stuff. Some people have objections about the little converters but to be honest, I kind of like it because it means I get to change my inks around more. They're simple but comfortable pens with really nice nibs, available in a heck of a lot of colors and a couple models - there's surely something to please everyone. I love them. The music nib is just so fun, and although the Fresca is a little more expensive than the standard colors, it was worth it for me because it's so bright and happy. Who doesn't want bright and happy??