AKA: the pen I love and would never recommend.
I would call the Sailor King of Pens confusing in that it’s one of those fountain pens which you see get released, but I can’t say I see a ton of people posting about online, yet Sailor keeps releasing more KOPs with somewhat regularity despite this. And to be honest, it IS a confusing pen. The King of Pens, whether in the 1911 cigar shape, or the Pro Gear flat ends, is just the largest model of those pens without offering anything more other than just… being larger.
That being said… I bought the Sailor Pro Gear King of Pens Winter Sky after about two years of contemplation because to buy one is not cheap endeavor. While there’s roughly a $100 difference between a Pro Gear Slim and a Pro Gear, upgrading the size slightly and going from a 14k to a 21k nib, the difference between a Pro Gear and a Pro Gear KOP is closer to $500, the 21k nib is larger, and the body is larger with added metal hardware inside for weight/balance, but that’s about it. They don’t even upgrade the converter to be larger, despite there most certainly being more room in the pen!
One of the reasons I hesitated for so long is that Sailor also released the Sailor Pro Gear Slim Manyo Willow pen a few months before and I had a really hard time telling the difference in the colors. Photos struggle to capture the difference in color, and even the difference in color on the Winter Sky itself! But I can say, Willow and Winter Sky are two different colored pens. It’s just something you have to see in person.
The Winter Sky is a faint purple with flecks of shimmer scattered throughout. It’s a very subtle pen. The body and section is a cooler blue/purple while the cap is a warmer pink/purple. It’s, again, one of those things where you will notice, but not without some decent lighting. And this pen is huge. It’s somewhere handy to 5.5″, but i must have small hands because it runs from the base of my palm nearly to the tip of my middle finger. The larger size does make it more weighty, but it also makes it more comfortable as it’s easier to grip. The Pro Gear Slims are fine, but I have found them to be less than stellar for longer writing sessions.
I went with a Broad (or bold as I mistakenly wrote in my handwritten review…) as I figured, worse comes to worse, it was easier to get a grind put on a larger nib than it was to on a finer one.
To be honest though, I really love the broad. Sailor, like most Japanese nib sizes, runs on the smaller side. It’s not much broader than my medium Jowo nib and a bit smaller than my medium Monoc.
In terms of writing, the pen is smooth and I’ve had no issues. I’d hesitate to call it a wet writer, but even with the drier Sailor Studio #224, I found the flow to be excellent. It’s showcased the inks dual-chromatic shading excellently. It has the traditional Sailor pencil-like feedback, and I’ve had no issues with hard starts despite letting it sit a week at my desk.
I love this pen. Hands down, no regrets here. I would never recommend this pen though. If you had a chance to pick one up and try it, absolutely do that. I think it’s a delight. But to buy one? It’s just really not necessary. I’ve heard Brad of PenAddict say basically the same thing. The KOP is a delight, but he’d never recommend one, and neither would I. It’s just not worth the up-charge. The same dinky converter? Come on, Sailor, there’s space, do more. And while yes, you are getting a larger pen and nib, I still just don’t see how they justify such a cost increase.
Stick with the Pro Gear if you want a 21k nib, it’s just as delightful and easier on the wallet.
Casual Crossings 