23:00 - got my ProFit (1911) KoP for $200 less than that, direct from Japan, free EMS expedited shipping. They're only really expensive here in the US. From Japan, they're very reasonable. It's quite mindblowing, the differences in prices.
Great video, Daisy, and thank you. Loved the history, Yes, their converters are subject to disdain lol by some but their nibs... Oh my GOD, their gold nibs are really amazing and my favorite is their medium nib. I'd gladly give up a little ink to be able to write with any of them. Thank you for sharing.
I would love the 1911 KOP with Urushi. If I could find one with Mt. Fugi in Maki-E, I would love it. I was exhausted when packing to move for a University (my first year teaching) to Texas Tech, and I left my climbing stick which had all the stamps burned in for every station including the top. That climb was in 1969. I have only a little symbol you pinned to your cap, but none of the stamps. A pen with Mt. Fugi on it, made in Japan, would be a treasure indeed. Thanks for the overview. I did purchas a ProGear KOP, and the nib is a writer’s nib. love it.
Thank you for always going into the history, the context and the marketing of different stationery items! I enjoyed your Kobe Ink Story video as well. For a long time I have wanted to read a book explaining the history and state of the fountain pen/stationery industry but couldn't find anything.
I'm a Pilot fan and don't really like the pencil-like feedback of Sailor pens. But I still watched your video! I'm very interested in the history of fountain pens, so it was a fun video to watch. Thanks for making it and doing all the research.
Such beautiful pens! 😍🥰❤👏 Isn't the pen completely to the right of your tray at 15:23 a Pilot Custom Urushi, instead of the Pilot Custom 845 Urushi? There's only 4.6 mm difference between the 845 and the Pro Gear KOP, capped, whereas on your tray, it looks that there is over 10 mm difference between the 1st one on the left (KOP PG) and the last pen on the right (Pilot with flat ends).
@@Yoseka is it possible to have a video of comparing the pilot custom urushi and sailor kop in different nib sizes? I think there’s a group of people who are interested, including me!
The King of Pen is my personal favourite fountain pen, but I also think that Sailor should make a larger converter, or at least a long cartridge. It's kinda weird that they haven't done so, because they already have a specially designed small converter for their Mini pens, so why not a big converter for their flagship? Also, did you know that Sailor made a limited edition King of Pen Realo piston filler in 2006 for their 95th anniversary? They only made 3300 of them and after that they never made a piston filler KOP ever again.
Totes agree! I can use one fill in a day with the medium nib, I dream of a large capacity converter for this pen. I was unaware of the realo version and would totally snag one of those as long as it had a larger capacity than the regular sized realo, which holds an incredibly small amount of ink.
Completely agree. I think it is absolutely ridiculous that such a large pen; a VERY EXPENSIVE pen has such a small converter. I mean really, they can't produce a converter for that pen specifically? I can't imagine what the price of a piston filler for the KOP would be? I can understand if they don't want to create a piston filler, as I hear the Japanese culture prefers converters, but this pen needs it's own converter, and if they make one, it should fit existing KOP pens. I was never to buy this pen specifically because of this issue, but I succumbed because of a good deal.
I also wish they'd create a larger converter. I just got two Jinhao Dadao 9019 in the mail with large-capacity screw-in converters which seems only fitting for a model that looks a lot like a Pilot Yukari Royale.
Drives me mad having to fill my KoP with King Eagle nib up every few pages. There was a guy in Australia who was printing a larger converter but it was silly expensive. Come on Sailor, it's not difficult to make a bigger converter!
Didn’t know about the eras of big pens. I wonder if that was the same internationally as many Indian FPs are quite large. Never imagined a big pen is easier for people with arthritis. Sailor nibs certainly have an interesting feel. Have a good summer.
This is so helpful, thank you for the thorough explanation! I was so confused about the pro-fit so now I know how to pronounce and how to distinguish it from the others!
I would like for you to have told the U.S. market about the 1911 Realo model, because I view it as one of my best piston-filling pens. It still has all the nib options of a 1911. Great reviews though. Thanks.
Thank you for such an informative video on the KoP. I have been thinking of getting a Montblanc 149, but now my mind is shifting to this beauty instead 😄
Great video! I've noticed there are some variations on the cap bands on some sailors. My PG KoP, for instance, has one resembling more the model on the 1911 shown on this video. Any sources out there explaining the different designs and why they change?
I have very sadly fallen in love with a Sailor King of Pen with a raden river and golden cherry blossoms design. It is incredibly out of my budget, but it looks gorgeous. I have small hands, so I'm wondering if it will still be okay in them. But it's really a hypothetical question because how could I ever afford and justify getting one pen for over $1000?
@theyxaj Visit a pen show, and go to a vendor that carries a sample KOP sample pen, and write a thoughtful note for yourself. You can make the note a keepsake, and experience the oen at $0. Good luck.
One of the differences between the 2 King of Pen models and their smaller counterparts is that there is more metal around the top of the filling system which adds not only to the weight but also the balance of the pen. You might like to know that Mont Blanc had a series of fountain pens in the 1930's which were the precursors of the 14* series of the 1950's and this series included 2 large pens with a size 9 and a size 8 nib, namely the 139 and 138. An internet search should throw up some images and possibly their old catalogues.
I was able to transform my King Of Pen into an eyedropper a few years ago, and I now have a great pen with a very generous ink supply. For those who have heard that you cannot use an eyedropper to fill a pen with metal on the inside, I doubt it is true because I have also transformed many other pens with metal into eyedropper. But because of the high cost of my KoP, I devised a way to avoid having the ink touch the metal. I posted a video on how I did this on UA-cam. using the identical method for a Jinhao X159 at ua-cam.com/video/9zu0N0BFlVg/v-deo.html
I've had a KOP. Now I'm using a Jinhao 9019, and for me the difference is functionally negligible. The ebonite KOP cost me nearly a thousand dollars. It had to be treated gingerly, and it had to be kept out of light when not being used. The Jinhao needs no such special care, and for $12 I can get a new one anytime.
Sounds like Montblanc wins again on number of nibs available (and ink capacity). Pelikan sure isn't doing ANYTHING anymore. Disappointing Sailor will not offer their complete nib line up for the King of Pen Models. Many of us have larger hands. Any idea if and when this will change for the US? Some people do other things with Sailor pens and pens in general that just "writing". They are popular with artists too! Artists also write as well. Would make more sense to offer all the nibs instead of just the Medium and Bold. Very limiting really for both art and writing. (imho) I was hoping that Sailor had finally come around to be a true competitor in function, not just looks and price. Nice video however. Informative and well done.
23:00 - got my ProFit (1911) KoP for $200 less than that, direct from Japan, free EMS expedited shipping. They're only really expensive here in the US. From Japan, they're very reasonable. It's quite mindblowing, the differences in prices.
King of Pen is my favorite Sailor size and that nib is fantastic!
Great video, Daisy, and thank you. Loved the history, Yes, their converters are subject to disdain lol by some but their nibs... Oh my GOD, their gold nibs are really amazing and my favorite is their medium nib. I'd gladly give up a little ink to be able to write with any of them. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for sharing your perspective Jeff!
I love your video pen history episodes!
Very nice video. Well explained!!
Thank you.
Such an excellent and well researched video. Thank you.
I would love the 1911 KOP with Urushi. If I could find one with Mt. Fugi in Maki-E, I would love it. I was exhausted when packing to move for a University (my first year teaching) to Texas Tech, and I left my climbing stick which had all the stamps burned in for every station including the top. That climb was in 1969. I have only a little symbol you pinned to your cap, but none of the stamps. A pen with Mt. Fugi on it, made in Japan, would be a treasure indeed. Thanks for the overview. I did purchas a ProGear KOP, and the nib is a writer’s nib. love it.
I'm pretty sure the ones with Mt. Fuji on em are Namiki pens, not Sailor.
Thank you for always going into the history, the context and the marketing of different stationery items! I enjoyed your Kobe Ink Story video as well. For a long time I have wanted to read a book explaining the history and state of the fountain pen/stationery industry but couldn't find anything.
The Sailor KOP is a spectacular writer, I do not know if words can describe how smooth and juicy this pen is.
like a watermelon
I'm a Pilot fan and don't really like the pencil-like feedback of Sailor pens. But I still watched your video! I'm very interested in the history of fountain pens, so it was a fun video to watch. Thanks for making it and doing all the research.
Thank you Terry!
Thank you. This answered many of my questions about King of Pen.
You guys have some amazingly thorough videos!
Well done review! Thanks.
Thank You Madam 🙏🏼
You have covered so many good things about Sailor Pens in this Video.
God Bless You 🙏🏼👍🏼
Such beautiful pens! 😍🥰❤👏
Isn't the pen completely to the right of your tray at 15:23 a Pilot Custom Urushi, instead of the Pilot Custom 845 Urushi? There's only 4.6 mm difference between the 845 and the Pro Gear KOP, capped, whereas on your tray, it looks that there is over 10 mm difference between the 1st one on the left (KOP PG) and the last pen on the right (Pilot with flat ends).
Ah you're correct! That was actually the custom urushi! Good catch thank you :)
@@Yoseka 😉
@@Yoseka is it possible to have a video of comparing the pilot custom urushi and sailor kop in different nib sizes? I think there’s a group of people who are interested, including me!
Great catch i was wondering the same.
Barry is a legend!
The King of Pen is my personal favourite fountain pen, but I also think that Sailor should make a larger converter, or at least a long cartridge. It's kinda weird that they haven't done so, because they already have a specially designed small converter for their Mini pens, so why not a big converter for their flagship?
Also, did you know that Sailor made a limited edition King of Pen Realo piston filler in 2006 for their 95th anniversary? They only made 3300 of them and after that they never made a piston filler KOP ever again.
Totes agree! I can use one fill in a day with the medium nib, I dream of a large capacity converter for this pen. I was unaware of the realo version and would totally snag one of those as long as it had a larger capacity than the regular sized realo, which holds an incredibly small amount of ink.
Completely agree. I think it is absolutely ridiculous that such a large pen; a VERY EXPENSIVE pen has such a small converter. I mean really, they can't produce a converter for that pen specifically? I can't imagine what the price of a piston filler for the KOP would be? I can understand if they don't want to create a piston filler, as I hear the Japanese culture prefers converters, but this pen needs it's own converter, and if they make one, it should fit existing KOP pens.
I was never to buy this pen specifically because of this issue, but I succumbed because of a good deal.
Thank you so much for watching and sharing :) Didn't know about that anniversary edition KOP realo-- sure would love to see that in person one day!
I also wish they'd create a larger converter. I just got two Jinhao Dadao 9019 in the mail with large-capacity screw-in converters which seems only fitting for a model that looks a lot like a Pilot Yukari Royale.
Drives me mad having to fill my KoP with King Eagle nib up every few pages. There was a guy in Australia who was printing a larger converter but it was silly expensive. Come on Sailor, it's not difficult to make a bigger converter!
Didn’t know about the eras of big pens. I wonder if that was the same internationally as many Indian FPs are quite large. Never imagined a big pen is easier for people with arthritis. Sailor nibs certainly have an interesting feel. Have a good summer.
This is so helpful, thank you for the thorough explanation! I was so confused about the pro-fit so now I know how to pronounce and how to distinguish it from the others!
Great comparison, Daisy. Thanks!
I would like for you to have told the U.S. market about the 1911 Realo model, because I view it as one of my best piston-filling pens. It still has all the nib options of a 1911. Great reviews though. Thanks.
Thank you for such an informative video on the KoP. I have been thinking of getting a Montblanc 149, but now my mind is shifting to this beauty instead 😄
Great video! I've noticed there are some variations on the cap bands on some sailors. My PG KoP, for instance, has one resembling more the model on the 1911 shown on this video. Any sources out there explaining the different designs and why they change?
The band is one of the features that can be customized so different pens will have different engravings :)
big pens are very comfortable for tall guys like my self as i am a big guy king of pen size does not feel like oversize, it feels like the right size
Great video!
Great review
I have very sadly fallen in love with a Sailor King of Pen with a raden river and golden cherry blossoms design. It is incredibly out of my budget, but it looks gorgeous. I have small hands, so I'm wondering if it will still be okay in them. But it's really a hypothetical question because how could I ever afford and justify getting one pen for over $1000?
You keep it forever :D
@theyxaj Visit a pen show, and go to a vendor that carries a sample KOP sample pen, and write a thoughtful note for yourself. You can make the note a keepsake, and experience the oen at $0. Good luck.
You can get it for much cheaper in Japan or nearby Asian countries. Now is a good time to purchase because the yen is weak against the dollar.
Nice video Daisy. So, the 1911 KOP Profit and KOP Progear have identical nibs and writing feelon paper?
One of the differences between the 2 King of Pen models and their smaller counterparts is that there is more metal around the top of the filling system which adds not only to the weight but also the balance of the pen.
You might like to know that Mont Blanc had a series of fountain pens in the 1930's which were the precursors of the 14* series of the 1950's and this series included 2 large pens with a size 9 and a size 8 nib, namely the 139 and 138. An internet search should throw up some images and possibly their old catalogues.
Thanks for sharing this Adrian :)
That extra metal also looks great in the clear demonstrators. 🙂
Would anyone know if the KOP girth will be too large for a hand which glove size is around size 6….?
Pro Fit... Pro Gear... it all makes sense now, haha. I always see english translations call it Profit.
I see this on the second hand sites and wondered why Sailor would name it Profit!! 😂
I would pay $50 for a giant converter that took advantage of all that space in the barrel.
Yoseka, Green Day 🌳🍃🦚🌈
What in comparison with Pilot Custom 823 ??
King of Pen is definitely the softer nib but we would love to do a nib log video featuring Custom 823 soon!
Size wise which of these pens is closest to the size of a Realo
Are these piston filled?
The only thing which is stopping me till now from buying a King of Pen is their ink filling mechanism & capacity.
So the very big cigar-shaped pens were phallic symbols?
I was able to transform my King Of Pen into an eyedropper a few years ago, and I now have a great pen with a very generous ink supply. For those who have heard that you cannot use an eyedropper to fill a pen with metal on the inside, I doubt it is true because I have also transformed many other pens with metal into eyedropper. But because of the high cost of my KoP, I devised a way to avoid having the ink touch the metal. I posted a video on how I did this on UA-cam. using the identical method for a Jinhao X159 at ua-cam.com/video/9zu0N0BFlVg/v-deo.html
There is Progear standard. There is Progear and Progear slim
I've had a KOP. Now I'm using a Jinhao 9019, and for me the difference is functionally negligible. The ebonite KOP cost me nearly a thousand dollars. It had to be treated gingerly, and it had to be kept out of light when not being used. The Jinhao needs no such special care, and for $12 I can get a new one anytime.
Wow interesting, would love to try!
@@YosekaThey actually cost about $6.00 (or maybe a bit more expensive at about $6.23 or $6.24) at Ali Express now.
2:19
Note: 'King Of Pen' , Not, 'King Of Pens'. Arguably, It could and should be the 'King Of Pens', Everywhere! At least, on Earth!
Nice review. However you have not included the ebonite King of Pen with no trims on the body.
Sounds like Montblanc wins again on number of nibs available (and ink capacity). Pelikan sure isn't doing ANYTHING anymore. Disappointing Sailor will not offer their complete nib line up for the King of Pen Models. Many of us have larger hands. Any idea if and when this will change for the US? Some people do other things with Sailor pens and pens in general that just "writing". They are popular with artists too! Artists also write as well. Would make more sense to offer all the nibs instead of just the Medium and Bold. Very limiting really for both art and writing. (imho)
I was hoping that Sailor had finally come around to be a true competitor in function, not just looks and price.
Nice video however. Informative and well done.