Comparing the Pilot and Sailor Flat Top pens

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In the past I've posted about the Pilot, Sailor and Platinum "Balance" style pens but for this series I'd like to concentrate on the Flat Top ones. Platinum does not offer a similar selection under their branding so for this it will be just Sailor and Pilot. I will begin with the larger ones first.

The Sailor series starts with the King of Pen Pro Gear while from Pilot I will look at the Custom (why is it not a Custom Heritage model) 845. Both will be black with gold furniture.

First the BORING DETAILS.

In the past I have reviewed a Pilot Custom 845 in Vermilion and found it a difficult and confusing pen. I really wanted to like it but found it was one of the few pens I simply could not enjoy so sold it. That one had a BB nib so I ordered a Medium nib black version and this one I found far more pleasant, yet still a difficult and confusing pen. It's really close to being a great pen but still falls short when compared to other somewhat similar pens I own.

The Urushi on this versions has greater depth than the vermilion urushi but still nowhere near the depth found on a Platinum Izumo or Nakaya. This example is still moderately wet but no where near the gusher of the vermilion and the medium nib is smooth, controllable and responsive. But while there were no discernible seams on the section of the vermilion whether checked with a loupe or by feel, this on definitely has seams and they are prominent enough to catch with a fingernail. I have a 743 that uses the same section but as with the vermilion the 743 has no discernible seams on the section.

If this is supposed to be the best pen marketed under the Pilot brand why can they not deliver one where you do not see or feel the seams on the section?

As with the Sailor King of Pen Pro Gear this is a cartridge/converter and uses Pilot's proprietary versions.

The Sailor King of Pen Pro Gear being reviewed is the basic resin/plastic model. It is slightly shorter than the Pilot Custom 845 when capped, unposted or posted but also considerably wider.

Like the Pilot Custom 845 the KoP Pro Gear is a cartridge/converter pen and uses Sailor's proprietary versions.

Notice how much more metal there is compared to the inside of the Pilot Custom 845.

BUT... it is precisely that extra metal that makes this pen one of the absolute finest pens I own. That extra metal sits forward of where the pen body sits on the webbing between my thump and hand when writing. That gives the pen a slight forward bias in balance. Yet The cap weighs 12.8g while the section with a cartridge inserted weighs 12.6g. That means when used posted the balance point falls exactly at the webbing between thump and hand and the pen feels weightless. The only pens I can think of that balance so well are the Sheaffer pens built on the PFM/Legacy model, Montegrappa Classicas, Aurora Hastil and the ST Dupont Orpheo/Olympios.

The pen also fits perfectly in my shirt pockets and has perhaps the best, most pocket friendly clip I've ever found. Unfortunately the Pilot Custom 845 uses the ball end Custom clip that is among the most pocket unfriendly clips I've found but more on the when we move on to the other sizes.

In summary; I can find absolutely nothing I'd change on the Sailor King of Pen Pro Gear and the Pilot Custom 845 once again while there is absolutely nothing truly bad about the 845 it is even more disappointing that they did not take the few extra steps that would have made it a GREAT pen.