Sailor has a Steel nib fountain pen problem, and that issue has come home to roost in the Sailor Pro Gear Regular Lucky Charm Fountain Pen.
While there is nothing technically wrong with how this pen performs, which I will get into below, the combination of feel and price has me regretting spending $200 (minus a 10% discount,) on this pen. That is a feeling I rarely have, so let’s dig into why.
With the price of Gold nibs ramping up quickly over the past few years, most fountain pen companies made adjustments accordingly. No one was spared, but big Japanese brands (Pilot and Platinum, along with Sailor,) seemed to be hit harder than most. Why? As I learned from CY and Jacob at Tokyo Inklings, price increases are a big deal in Japan, and something that companies historically resist - often times to their detriment.
Massive price jumps left these companies exposed in markets they were traditionally the leaders in, and large gaps in their product lineups remained in their wake. How did they decide to fix it? By slapping Steel nibs in pen barrels reminiscent of their traditional gold nib models, and applying price tags that fit into those now open holes in the catalog.
Was this a panic move to fill those gaps? Maybe. And maybe in five years time we will see some innovation by these companies in this space, with new models that are both interesting, and make customers feel good about these purchases.
Until then, I feel like I just spent $200 on a Sailor HighAce Neo.
If you don’t remember the HighAce Neo, you are not alone. Unlike their competitors, Sailor has never made a universally loved entry-level fountain pen. See the LeCoule, or the more recent Compass. They were fine pens, but were lacking, mostly in nib performance. They just weren’t enjoyable to use.
The HighAce Neo didn’t have the style of either of those two pens, but what it lacked in looks, it made up for it on the pointy end. The nib was great, and cost under $20.
The Casual L nib, as Sailor calls it, on the new Pro Gear Regular reminds me of using the HighAce Neo back in the day. That’s a compliment to its performance, but at what cost? You can do the math, and it’s not pretty. And yes, I am very hung up on the price of this pen.
Sailor’s new Steel nib pens start around $140 for the base model, with others like the North American exclusive Lucky Charm at a premium to that. I probably should have begun with one of the less expensive models, but I’m not sure my feelings would have changed.
One thing I do find interesting about myself and my feelings around this pen, is how I compare it to the pen I reviewed last week, the Leonardo Momento Zero. The LMZ cost $225 with a Steel nib, and is in a different league than the Pro Gear Regular Lucky Charm. Feel, performance, style, fit, finish, detail - everywhere. Conversely, the Lucky Charm just feels cheap in relation.
Is it fair to compare the two? Yes, because they are at the same price point. You can also say that no pen is worth $200, and you would be right. No pen that costs more than $3 is “worth it,” but that’s not the point of this amazing stationery hobby we participate in.
I’m here to find joy in the products I use, and spend my money wisely. With the Sailor Pro Gear Regular Lucky Charm Fountain Pen, I’ve done neither.
The overpriced Sailor Pro Gear Regular for $200, or the overpriced Pilot Prera for $65? The Pro Gear has a slightly larger barrel and a bit more style, but even the $140 Steel nib Sailor has competition at less than half the price.
My only hope going forward is that Sailor can continue to afford to innovate, like they did with the Sailor TUZU. There is still a huge price gap between $50-$100 that Pilot, Platinum, and Sailor have room to run in, so I’m crossing my fingers that we see something new from these companies in the near future. I’m keeping the faith.
(Goldspot provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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