Sailor Pro Gear Regular Fountain Pen Review

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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Esterbrook Niblet Fountain Pen Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

I don't think my obsession with pocket pens will ever fade (I sure hope it doesn't), so it stands to reason that my gotta-try-em-all quest would bring me, eventually, to the Esterbrook Niblet. And I'm so glad it did. I'm a huge fan of Esterbrook and their bold dive into all things analog. And while I haven't loved all of their products I've tried, I love how adventurous they are. This pen has all the vintage vibes that Esterbrook does so well, but it brings it back to basics with great success.

This Niblet, in Raven, has a matte black acrylic body with gold-plated accents. The cap unscrews from the grip section, then screws onto the back of the pen to post it, creating a comfortable full-length pen. I enjoy writing with it uncapped, as well. The cap is clipless, and has a small, gold-plated roll-stop on it to keep the pen from escaping your writing surface.

The biggest surprise of this pen is under the cap, where the pen has a full-size #6 Jowo gold-plated steel nib. And because it's a full-size Esterbrook nib, some retailers, like Goldspot Pens, offer it in the full lineup of Esterbrook nib grinds, like stub, mini stub, scribe, architect, needlepoint, elastic, journaler, italic, etc. This one is a mini-stub, which gives me a lovely fine italic quality to the writing. It is a delight to write with. The flow is perfect. The lines have character. It never skips. It writes even when I've neglected it for a week. I really can't say enough good things about this nib. That's been my experience with Esterbrook in general.

The pen comes with a mini-converter, so you can use bottled ink with it. It can also take standard international short cartridges. It comes in the characteristically opulent Esterbrook packaging, which includes a felt travel case, nestled securely in a decorative gift box. Every time I get an Esterbrook pen, opening it feels like an event. Like we're celebrating something. Which we are--celebrating a new Esterbrook pen.

The Esterbrook Niblet is currently for sale at Goldspot for $157.50. I think that's a very fair price. I love that Esterbrook has such great quality pens that have stayed under the $200 price range. While it's still a lot for a pen, I think they're one of the best-priced brands on the market right now. The Niblet comes in a variety of Esterbrook's most popular materials and colors, as well, so if you're as taken with this small wonder as I am, you're bound to find one that speaks to you.

(Goldspot provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Leonardo Momento Zero Pausilya Fountain Pen Review

The Leonardo Momento Zero has been a long-time favorite in the fountain pen world, and on this blog. We have reviewed several Leonardo models since their launch in 2017, and they consistently rate as some of the best on the market. So why, if the Momento Zero has been reviewed many times already, is it worth spilling a few words on again?

The market changed, and the Leonardo Momento Zero is an even better option now than it was a few years ago.

One of the topics I want to focus on in the coming months is to revisit and update some classic pen reviews. The LAMY Safari is on that list, for example, and the LMZ fits the bill as well. Quality pens that remain quality options over years, and sometimes decades, are worth repeated discussions, because as we have all learned, the market can change rapidly.

To be clear, a $200 fountain pen is very expensive, but the Momento Zero more than lives up to the price tag. You can feel it in this pen from the first moment you pick it up. The fit and finish of the hardware and material is perfect, the design is classic and comfortable, and the writing experience is unparalleled. Do you even need another fountain pen? I’d argue that this one could be your one and only. Yes, it’s that good.

Big fan of this material, and the fancy converter.

And the Momento Zero is considered Leonardo’s entry-level fountain pen! The craftsmanship continues on up the product line with larger barrels, gold nibs, and piston-filling mechanisms, but I’d argue you don’t need more. This one is nearly perfect, at least for me.

That said, do we really need a blind cap for any converter-filling pen?

If there is one consideration when trying out the Momento Zero, it is that the grip section design is slightly different than similar pens. It has a taper toward the nib that only begins after a slight transition in the middle of the section. I wondered about this myself back when I bought my first one years ago, but it works well with my lower grip style. I can lock into it, and there is no issue when writing for any length of time. If you have a higher grip, it may not be as comfortable.

From a writing perspective, the Jowo #6 Steel Extra Fine nib is perfect. Leonardo must tune these before shipping because they feel fantastic right out of the box. The Momento Zero uses a cartridge/converter filling system, and I inked this one with Taccia Rikancha, one of their new releases. It’s so good, and matches this Pausilya material so perfectly, that it could have been a Parings Party.

What’s left to say about this great pen? It might be a better value today than it was when I bought my first in 2019. I paid $180 then, and this model ranges from $200-$225 now. That’s not an insignificant increase, but given that this price point was vacated by most gold nib fountain pens last year, it represents the best of the bunch by a good margin.

I think it is obvious how much I love the Leonardo Momento Zero, and I shouldn’t have shelved it for as long as I did. It’s a complete joy, and I’ll be keeping it within reach for the foreseeable future.

(Goldspot provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!