Sailor Compass 1911 Fountain Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

The sub-$100 price range can be difficult for a lot of pen manufacturers to succeed in. For some, this is where they excel at offering great value and excellent writing instruments for the price (ever heard of TWSBI?). On the other hand, being able to deliver high-end luxury writing instruments doesn't also make you an expert at delivering lower cost, affordable items that compete well with brands that operate exclusively in that space. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try, though! And that's exactly what Sailor is doing with the Compass 1911 fountain pen line.

The Compass 1911 borrows a familiar shape from the high-end 1911 fountain pen line, but uses more affordable materials in order to hit a much lower price bracket: $50 MSRP. On top of that, the Compass 1911 even comes with two black ink cartridges and (wait for it) a cartridge converter. I've definitely criticized Sailor in the past for not including a cheap converter with their $200+ fountain pens. At that price range, it seems petty to discount it from the hinged box that contains the pen. In the $50 price range, it's a fantastic bonus that I would never expect.

But the value gets better from there since no one really sells goods for the MSRP. As of now, you can find the Sailor Compass 1911 for just under $40 at Goldspot. For that price, is an excellent value for a beginning fountain pen kit. But, how does it perform as a pen? Can Sailor scale down their excellent writing to an ultra affordable, entry-level pen?

Across the lineup, the Compass 1911 feature semi-transparent materials in a variety of fun colors. The trim is silver in every case, and there also aren't any nib choices to make. Every pen comes with a stainless steel medium fine nib. While this is a bold decision, I certainly agree with this being a default option for a nib size. Others won't appreciate it and will look for larger or smaller alternatives, but for most people that don't really know what nib size to use yet, it's a pretty good starting point.

The pen is fairly lightweight, but doesn't feel brittle or delicate. It can definitely withstand some abuse from being thrown in bags and pockets. The screw-on cap posts securely to the back of the pen, and I find it extremely comfortable to write with the cap posted or non-posted. Both lengths are great for writing. In all, the materials used in the body and cap feel great for such an affordable pen. Even the converter seems well-made.

Moving on to the more important part of the pen, the nib is incredibly plain compared to Sailor's more expensive options. Even though it's plain and looks a little cheap, this nib is a solid performer. The MF nib is stiff as a nail and writes smoothly and reliably. It's always such a joy to ink up a pen straight out of the box and find that it writes beautifully without any fuss. The Sailor Compass 1911 is one of these pens, and an excellent first option for those that are curious about the world of fountain pens. I also enjoy that the material used for the feed is transparent as well, which shows off the ink color you've chosen. For my Olive version of the pen, I went with Pilot Iroshizuku Chiku-rin to compliment the light green transparent color of the body. The green feed just makes it even better.

To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect when I opened this box. I've been disappointed in the past by some of Sailor's sub-$100 offerings, and I thought this might be another lackluster attempt to break into that price range. The Compass 1911 won't disrupt what TWSBI, Pilot, Lamy, Kaweco, or other brands that offer pens in the same price range are already doing, but it is a fantastic offering from the brand that directly translates what kind of quality and dependable writing experience you can expect from their more luxurious offerings. Here's to hoping they continue experimenting in this fun category.

The review unit featured here is the Olive color option, but you can also pick from Clear, Brown, Yellow, Green, Purple, Blue, Pink, and Red. At $40, they're a fantastic deal for a gift or a personal treat.

(Goldspot provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Pokka Jakket and Dokk Accessories Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

As 2020 is nearing the end, many of us are still spending most of our time in our homes instead of out and about. But just because you're staying home doesn't mean you can't carry a pen around at all times. There are so many great pocket pens to choose from, but today we'll focus on the Pokka Pen — an affordable and "disposable" pocket pen that's only 3.25 inches long when closed. When open and posted, the pen is 5.5 inches long, making it very comfortable to use. And, while it's advertised as a disposable pen, you can actually purchase additional refills (and multiple colors) for when it's time to replace the ink refill.

Pokka Pens have been around for a few years now, and I've enjoyed using them myself and giving them as gifts. They're so small and easy to throw in places where you might need a pen at some point (like a glove box in a car or a bag or purse), but also affordable enough that you can purchase a few without breaking the bank. While I prefer the Fisher Bullet, it doesn't make much sense to purchase multiples at a time. And this is exactly the problem that Terry O'Connor was trying to solve. He was tired of buying and losing his Fisher pens!

Pokka Pens are affordable because they're made using injection molded plastic materials and standard ballpoint refills. The refills are very similar to what you'll find in any Bic ballpoint pen, which isn't fantastic but is at least very dependable and long-lasting.

Lately, Pokka Pens have released some more durable caps and accessories for their mini ballpoint pens: the Jakket and Dokk.

The Jakket is an all-aluminum replacement cap that fits any Pokka Pen. The aluminum is machined and fairly robust without adding any weight. There are some machines grooves that run along the length of the cap to provide some visual interest and extra grip, but I notice every time I use it just how sharp the edges of the grooves are. I could probably fix this with some fine grain sandpaper to knock down the microscopic sharp edges, but it's not annoying enough to merit the tedious chore of sanding something so small. Maybe a future revision would include some kind of smoothing down of the edges of the grooves to make them more pleasant to hold and handle.

Outside of the material and shape differences, the Jakket operates exactly like any regular Pokka Pen cap. It fits the pen body and post mechanism perfectly thanks to the snap and o-ring system (dubbed Double Dokk). The Jakket is just a few millimeters longer than the normal cap, but it's not enough to make much of a difference when storing or using.

The Dokk is a small bit of aluminum that snaps onto the back of the Pokka Pen and adds a convenient lanyard point to any Pokka Pen. The Dokk shares the same machined look as the Jakket and looks right at home when combined. When using both the Jakket and Dokk together, the overall length of the closed pen is about half an inch longer than the standard plastic Pokka Pen. Again, not a substantial size difference.

The convenience of being able to attach the Pokka Pen to other things is fantastic. The Dokk includes a small split ring, but I've just been using a small carabiner that was laying around. The carabiner is much easier to use than a split ring, and adds a bit more versatility. If you want to attach it to a lanyard, the split ring is perfect.

When you're using both the Dokk and Jakket, it actually works best if the Dokk is attached to something else, like a lanyard, keyring, bag, or something else. That way, you can just pull the larger Jakket to remove the pen from whatever you've attached the Dokk to. In most cases, only the Jakket comes off the pen, and then you have to pull the plastic Pokka Pen out of the Dokk, post the cap, and then start writing. Some times, the pen comes out with the Jakket. I wish it always did this, but either way you need to post the Jakket to the back of the pen before using it. Given the design, I don't see an easy way to ensure that the pen always stays attached to the Jakket when removing it from the Dokk. Not a big deal, big something to consider if the big use case you have in mind doesn't line up with this behavior.

Overall, the Jakket and Dokk are a great addition to an already rugged and extremely portable pen. At $8.95 for the Jakket and $4.95 for the Dokk, they're a decent deal for what you get (solid machined aluminum!). It sounds expensive when compared to the regular Pokka Pen prices, but this comes down to materials. The aluminum will definitely add a lot of durability to the pen, and the mounting point that the Dokk provides adds a lot of versatility to you can use this sleek little pen. Pick up a combo of the Jakket and Dokk with your next Pokka Pen order! The Jakket and Dokk come in silver (pictured here) or anodized black as well.

(Pokka Pens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Desiderata BAMF Pump Piston Fountain Pen: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

The Desiderata Fountain Pen Company was established by Pierre Miller, a chemist, musician, and writer who makes fountain pens. His goal is to create pens that are well made, accept a variety of nibs, and offer an excellent flex-nib writing experience for those who desire it.

I'm on Pierre's mailing list. And when I received a notification about his newest creation, the BAMF Pump Piston Fountain Pen, I set an alarm on my iPhone, and as soon as orders opened, I placed mine. In part, I wanted this pen simply for its name--a name I cannot publish here--because when I saw it engraved on the pen, I laughed aloud, long and hard. I knew I needed this pen after the year I've had (and I'm not even talking about COVID).

But I also wanted the pen because it offers a unique combination of features: an innovative pump piston filling system that holds a lot of ink, a beautiful black ebonite exterior with a red ebonite grip and feed, and the ability to use a Zebra G calligraphy flex nib with a fountain pen system.

I've been on a never-ending quest to find a modern flex fountain pen because I have an anti-Midas touch with vintage pens. Believe me. I touch a vintage pen and it crumbles in my hands. I've also tried straight and oblique calligraphy pens with dip nibs. I am so bad at dipping, resulting in ink blobs, spatter, and all-around ugly calligraphy.

I've also tried multiple modern pens, including the Aurora Anniversary Flex Nib, the Noodler's Triple Tail Flex Nib, the Scribo Feel flex nib, and many others. My conclusion: Meh. Some are absolute duds. Others offer decent flex but aren't really calligraphy worthy. And others are just out of my price range right now (like the Scribo, not to mention the Montblanc Calligraphy 149).

Pierre's pens offer a wonderful middle ground: reasonable price, calligraphy flex nib (with other nib options), and a filling system so you don't have to dip the nib. Woot!

The BAMF pen comes in no-frills packaging: a small flat rate USPS box and some soft paper padding taped around the pen.

The pen is made of black ebonite--the body has a gloss finish and the cap has a brushed finish.

There's no clip or any ornamentation on the pen other than "Desiderata Pen Company" and "BAMF" (spelled out) engraved on the barrel. This is not a pen you want falling in the hands of a child who can read and who wants to know what those words mean. I've kindly blurred them out for the photo.

The pen is 150mm/5.9 inches capped, 140mm/5.51 inches unposted (with the Zebra G nib installed), and 178mm/7 inches posted (but I couldn't get the cap to post securely at all). The pen is light, weighing only 15 grams capped without ink.

It has slightly rounded ends and a small drop from cap to barrel. The blind cap blends so well into the barrel that you wouldn't know it's there. I'm glad I watched a review of the pen before I received it, because I would've tried to unscrew it at the grip end.

The grip is made of polished red ebonite which offers a classy contrast to the black pen.

The filling system is all kinds of cool. Pierre calls it a "Pump Piston." You open the blind cap to reveal more red ebonite (where the blind cap screws onto the barrel), a spring, and a swirled ebonite button. Once you're ready to ink the pen, you simply put the nib into your ink and press the pump several times until no more bubbles come out. Clean off your nib and section and you're ready to write (well . . . sort of, see below).

I opted for the Zebra G nib (you could also choose a JOWO nib in various sizes or a Nemosine .6 italic) and the red ebonite feed.

I read all of Pierre's instructions and watched his video on how to prep the pen for writing. The first step was to remove the nib and feed (which are friction fit) and to clean both of them. I used toothpaste to clean the Zebra G nib because that's what Pierre used. I rinsed the ebonite feed well.

Then I inked the pen up with Robert Oster Red Candy, sat down at the table, and began to play with the pen. I knew from watching Pierre's video that I would have to work with the nib to get it to write properly. It took some time to get the ink flowing, and even then I encountered railroading and skipping. But I kept at it. After awhile, the pen started writing more consistently, and I could do an entire page without problems.

That said, if I paused for even a short amount of time, the ink stopped flowing. I had to start all over, drawing circles, licking the nib to stimulate the ink, flexing lines to get consistent flow. This happened every time I paused or between writing sessions.

It may just be a characteristic of using a calligraphy nib on a fountain pen. Or, I may need to clean the nib more thoroughly. Or, it may be a matter of breaking the nib in. Regardless, as fiddly as the nib is, it is so much better than having to dip it in ink!!!! I really hate dipping.

I am absolutely thrilled with my BAMF. As a beginner calligrapher, I truly appreciate a pen that allows me to practice without having to deal with dipping problems. I can focus instead on creating my letters, practicing words, and developing better spacing. Yes, having to restart the pen after every pause is irritating, but it doesn't take long, and I suspect it's user error rather than the pen's fault.

Sadly, the BAMF is no longer available. Pierre makes his pens in small batches, so it's first come first served. Let us hope there will be another iteration of this pen. Your best bet, if you're interested in Pierre's pens, is to sign up for his newsletter (the sign up is at the bottom of the About page).

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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!