What is a collection: Sailors

Left to right: Sailor M1911, Sailor Sapporo, Sailor Navy Calligrapher and long clear Sailor Calligrapher

Well, I have four, a Sapporo, an M1911, a clear calligrapher and a navy blue calligrapher that looks almost but not quite like the M1911.

What I've learned writing with all of these pens, day after day this month, is that a lighter weight Sailor can be as rewarding a write as a more expensive Sailor m1911, or a Sapporo.

I liked the way a music nib (Sailor) wrote in the shop, and fantasized for weeks on end before splurging on it. Then when another Sailor came up for sale with a Zoom for a pittance, I splurged again.

Frankly, I had nearly forgotten about the two calligraphers (memory sluggish on occasion) and might not have been ever so keen on more fountain pen investments.

And, I am seriously thinking of putting the M1911 up for sale. I prefer the rhodium finishes.

Perhaps it will end in Japan: Sailor M1911

Sailor M1911 with Zoom Nib

I'd like to believe that this Sailor M1911 fountain pen will be end of my fountain pen purchases. There is always another fountain pen that intrigues me, whispers sweet words into my ear and occasionally speaks my name out loud, but they are Sirens' voices and it seems after gathering and sorting, I have more than enough pens and will attempt to resist their call.

The Magic of Japan: Sailor Sapporo and Pilot Iroshizuku

I haven't thought about this fantasy for a very long time, but once many years ago I imagined I was Japanese.

I loved the simplicity of all things Japanese: the kimono I received as a gift, the tea ceremony, the hieroglyphic writing, and the Sushi I ate three to five times each week.

I've had a few colleagues from Japan, and it was their dislike of Japan that probably pushed the notion of being Japanese myself out of my head.

Two close colleagues felt discriminated against in Japan, one because she was female, extremely bright and overlooked for a promotion and and didn't receive tenure; the other because he wouldn't follow the family's strict adherence to custom and looked out of place at his towering six feet, two inches.

But regardless of how much they were disenchanted with their own country, they brought with them many of the rituals, customs and simplicity that I admired and wished to emulate and they both shared these with me often.

However, as much as I related to the culture, I never considered a Japanese fountain pen until I held one in my hand just a few weeks ago. Now I am in possession of a Sailor Sapporo with a music nib, and a Sailor M1911 with a zoom nib. I debated with myself on the purchase of a fountain pen with a zoom nib for a long time. I read about them time and time again, and when a pen became available for the price of a Sushi dinner, I bought it.

It arrived today.

I inked it with Iroshizuku Tsutsuji and it writes like a dream.

You can buy the ink at Jet Pens but you're on your own for the fountain pens and that dinner!