Sailor
Top Selling Sailor Fountain Pens
About the Sailor Brand
If you want the Japanese nib experience people rave about, start with Sailor—a Hiroshima, Japan favorite with over 100+ years of precision and “superb nib” obsession. Founded in 1911 by Mr. Sakata and his brother (initially to produce solid gold nibs), Sailor’s name even traces back to Kyugoro Sakata’s British sailor friend, who introduced him to fountain pens. Shop icons like Professional Gear (with 21K or 14K gold nib options and the anchor-top cap), or upgrade to Realo models with a piston filling system
Sailor Pens of Hiroshima, Japan, have over 100 years of perfection and quality in their writing instruments. Using only premium-quality materials and exacting standards for their superb nibs, Sailor Pens continues to impress both collectors and everyday lovers of unique, high-quality writing instruments. The Sailor name comes from founder Kyugoro Sakata’s British sailor friend, who introduced him to fountain pens. Add a Sailor pen to your collection today!
Most Sailor pens come with a 1-year warranty. Warranty information is included with each Sailor pen. For details on a specific Sailor pen, feel free to ask.
Sailor Pens FAQs
Where are Sailor pens from?
Sailor is a Japanese brand. Sailor pens are made in Hiroshima, Japan.
When was Sailor founded?
Sailor’s official history states the company began in 1911, when Mr. Sakata and his brother founded the “Sakata-Manufactory” to produce solid gold nibs.
Why is the brand called “Sailor”?
Sailor name comes from founder Kyugoro Sakata’s British sailor friend who introduced him to fountain pens.
What are Sailor pens known for?
Sailor is known for premium materials and an exactness for superb nibs—popular with both collectors and everyday writers.
What is the Sailor Professional Gear series?
Sailor describes Professional Gear as a fountain pen series with 21K or 14K gold nib options, a cut-away cap design, and an inlaid Sailor anchor logo on top.
Do Sailor fountain pens come with 21K or 14K gold nibs?
Many do. Sailor notes Professional Gear models can be offered with 21K or 14K gold nibs, and Pen Chalet lists the Sailor 1911 Realo with a 21K gold nib.
What is a Sailor “Realo” fountain pen?
Realo models use a piston filling system (instead of cartridges/converters). Pen Chalet’s 1911 Realo listing highlights a piston mechanism and an ink viewing window.
Do Sailor pens use proprietary cartridges and converters?
Most Sailor cartridge/converter models use Sailor’s proprietary cartridge/converter format. Use a Sailor converter to fill compatible models from bottled ink.
What nib sizes can I find on Sailor pens?
Nib options vary by model, but commonly include EF/F/M/B plus specialty grinds like Zoom and Music on certain pens (check each product page for availability).
Do Sailor pens come with a warranty?
Sailor pens include a 1-year warranty (details included with each pen).
Does Sailor make fountain pen inks too?
Yes, Pen Chalet carries Sailor inks, including the Sailor Manyo line (a 50ml bottled ink series inspired by “Manyosyu/Manyoshu” themes and flowers).
Pen Chalet is an Authorized Dealer of Sailor pens and writing instruments.
Country: Japan
Customer Reviews
This pen is the Bees knees.
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Lovely colors; the dual shaders are great for art work. The Shirakashi is beautiful, but has a somewhat unpleasant iodor.
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Sailor Manyo Fuji is the kind of ink that surprises you with its quiet beauty. At first glance, it’s a soft periwinkle-purple—a color that immediately reminded me of blooming wisteria or a misty twilight sky—but as you write with it, more complexity starts to show. There’s a gentle balance of blue and purple in the base tone, and under the right conditions (especially on Tomoe River or other high-sheen paper), I noticed a touch of greenish-gold sheen and even some delicate shading that gives it real character. It’s not flashy, but it’s far from flat. It feels peaceful, elegant, and contemplative—like its namesake, Mt. Fuji. I tested it in my Monteverde MP1 OmniFlex, and it performed flawlessly. The flow is slightly on the wet side, which works well with a flex nib, giving soft gradients and clean lines without any feathering or bleed-through. It’s a very well-behaved ink, true to Sailor’s reputation. Dry time is reasonable—10 to 12 seconds on good paper, a little faster on standard notebook stock. I didn’t notice any issues with smudging or ghosting. And despite the softness of the color, it’s still readable enough for journaling, letter writing, or headers in planners. The bottle is the classic Sailor Manyo 50ml glass—simple, elegant, and easy to fill from. The Manyo line overall is beautifully curated, and Fuji is a standout if you appreciate poetic, understated inks. Final thoughts: Fuji is one of those inks that calms you down the moment it hits the page. If you're drawn to soft purples, want something different from typical blue or violet inks, or just enjoy inks with a gentle soul, this one is absolutely worth trying.
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Budo is a great addition to the Manyo line of inks - very well behaved, richly colored, and incredibly smooth. Once I found the right pen/nib combo, it became one of my favorite dark blue/blue-black inks.
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Souten is a great, richly colored and very well behaved blue ink - one of my very favorite blues. Pen Chalet’s price was outstanding, as was their shipping and service.
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Beautiful ink for my neice in-law whom I have penabled!!!!!
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Easy to use and just the right amount for a couple or maybe 3 fills to try the color. No spilling!!!
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This is a beautiful ink--I'd recommend for anyone looking for a blue-grey that is interesting but not too light that it's impractical for daily use.
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In stock and shipped promptly.
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I like trying different brands' "basic blues," but Sailor's is anything but basic. While others lean royal blue with less saturation, Sailor Blue is dark and more of a denim color. Shading is nice, and because this ink is so saturated, the darker parts have a red sheen on good paper. Flow is nice and it goes down on paper well, with low feathering. (Its water resistance is apparently also good, but I haven't suffered any accidents to prove that yet.) At ten bucks for 50ml of quality ink, this is a bargain. Note: this ink does have a pronounced chemical odor. I don't find it unpleasant, but it is certainly there - something to keep in mind if you're sensitive to such things.
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Writes beautifully, definitely on the fine side for nibs. Smaller than I expected but is my first Sailor.
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Fried Egg jellyfish in a medium fine: I really love how this pen performed out of the box. The coloring is very nice and none of the pictures really show the sparkle in the resin like you see it in person. It has small flakes of glitter that are fairly subtile but catch some light. The gold accents pair nicely with the amberish-orange. The nib was great with no flow issues, after an initial flush. It has a pleasant feedback and an easy to find sweet spot. The line width of the medium fine compares to a pilot fine. In fact it is even a bit finer than the pilot fine, at least with my custom 74. I have longer fingers so using it posted is a must for me, or it feels like a golf pencil. I wish it was a hair longer, but that is just my preference. It is 4mm shorter than a pilot Metropolitan, for comparison. The ink capacity is nothing to get excited about with the included converter, but it worked great with no issues getting a full fill. This is my first Sailor experience and I feel this pen was a great introduction to the brand and quality. I would get another (just a bigger model).
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I bought this pen during the annual "Sailor Sales" event, and I'm sooooo glad that I did! The coral color of the barrel and cap is rich and luxurious looking. This is my first Sailor pen (with EF nib) and it is well balanced and a joy to write with! I paired it with Copper Noir ink.
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Great fountain pen highly recommend.
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My husband really likes this ink the color was great and looks good in one of his fountain pen that he ink once it come in the mail.
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I received the product intact but I would have liked to get the tracking code earlier. Good service, and great price.
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What a splendid idea Sailor has come up with. And the pen isn’t as tiny as many of their pens are.
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Another lovely shade of ink from the series.
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I was excited to try this pen. I have a Compass 911. I liked the nib but the pen body felt like light weight plastic. I also have a Pro Gear, which love. This is a great starter pen. I have the F nib. It writes with a crisp thin line. I have a sailor ink cartridge in it. There is a little feedback, but it writes smoothly, especially for such a fine line. I haven't tried it on cheap paper yet, but I expect it will write on, say regular copy paper with minimal feathering. I'm happy with the pen. I like the triangular grip. But I also like the Lamy Safari grip. The Tuzu grip is less aggressive triangular than the Safari grip.
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Similar to grass color. A bit of shading and a nice smooth flow. Gorgeous lite green grass color.
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Love this ink. Never any problems in my pens.
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This is for the MS: this ink is a nice blue. It is not a bright blue and swatches a little lighter than it writes. I will use this color at my office. It writes well with no issues. I swatched this with my Pilot Iroutsushi dip pen w/fine nib.
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Whether you’re adding to your collection or purchasing your first writing instrument, Sailor offers options that appeal to writers.
At Pen Chalet, we offer a curated selection of Sailor Pens. Our collection includes options for most writers. You’ll also find compatible ink, refills, and accessories to complete your writing experience.
Explore our full range of Pens writing instruments and discover why they remain a popular choice among pen enthusiasts.
Complete your writing experience with high-quality fountain pen ink, premium notebooks, and pen accessories designed to pair perfectly with your Sailor Pens.
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