I am a huge Sailor fan. This is known. So when Sailor announced last year’s Sky model, I went big. I went way out of my wheelhouse and bought my first King of Pens model. And it is amazing.
At the time, the Earth model had just been announced as the second in this special edition series, but wasn’t available yet. Did I just lock myself in to buying the complete set of these pens? And what is after Earth? Wind and Fire?
I liked the visual of Earth when I first saw it, but it was a little too gold for me to commit to a King of Pens model once again. I received this Pro Gear model on loan from Goldspot to try out though, and I have to say it is pretty great.
What makes it so great? I think Sailor’s Professional Gear shape and size is one of the best all-around fountain pen models on the market. It is the perfect combination of weight, balance, quality, and choice for nearly anyone. One of the two I own is always finds it way into my rotation.
With the Earth, you get what at first looks like a brown barrel with gold hardware, but closer inspection reveals red undertones, and importantly in my book, some transparency. The body of the pen is generally solid, but the end of the cap and the grip section transition into a lighter, see-through color. It is a really nice effect.
The 21k nib is fantastic. This model is an H-MF so the firmness and line width is nearly ideal for my handwriting. Sailor nibs aren’t glassy smooth, and this one has the normal feedback I expect. It was flawless on the page, but you know the nib is there.
I did have one issue with this pen, and I wonder if it is a one-off situation, or if it appears on other units. In some areas around the gold cap band it looks like the barrel finish or coating went a little wild during manufacturing. I didn’t notice it at first, but if you look closely you can see that there is some bleed onto the gold hardware, giving it a tarnished look. I didn’t try to get it off because I don’t own this pen. If I am spending this kind of money I would ask to have mine checked before it shipped for a clean cap band. (UPDATE: Thanks to the commenters below, this is an issue Sailor caught and has since corrected.)
That bug aside, I love the Pro Gear as a daily writer. It has everything I look for in a fountain pen, Earth, Sky, or any of the dozens of other options.
My thanks to Goldspot for loaning me this pen for purposes of this review.
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, which I am very grateful for.
Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!
