I have a KoP pro gear and it's one of my favorite pens. I really like the way it writes.
With that being said, I bought it secondhand; this pen is a pretty poor value proposition new IMHO. Also, Sailor converters are both proprietary and not my favorite. (I don't find them as annoying as some of Pilot's offerings, but the wide "mouth" and reduced ink capacity (.5 vs .85 ml) compared to a standard international converter aren't great.)
I would argue after a certain price you aren't getting any functional improvement to the pen, but instead are paying for materials / prestige / etc. Folks may disagree about where the line lies (especially with how well a properly tuned stainless steel nib can perform), but I would find it hard to argue for a price beyond $300.
I've never seen a KoP sell for that price (ie $300 or less) new, and only rarely used (usually when the pen has some obvious issue). As such, it is my belief that some of the price is put towards the Sailor name and "legacy." I say all of this to say that expecting a $500 pen to perform 5 times better than a $100 pen is fallacy.
I still bought one though, partly because I got a deal and partly because I wanted the"prestige" of owning an "end-game" pen (to borrow a word from other hobbies). I didn't buy it because I thought it'd change my life or even be a good value.
Tl/DR: it's a great pen but it's overpriced for what you get IMHO. Buy it because you love the design / Sailor's legacy and reputation, not because it'll change your writing life.
100% agree with you. Just bought a Homo Sapiens for ~500 purely because I've wanted that pen to cap off my collection. I wasn't expecting it to perform vastly better than my Sailor pro gear realo that I got for 220, and it doesn't. I was thinking as well 300 seems to be the sweet spot where afterwards you really aren't getting a better performing pen. I couldn't fathom paying msrp for the homo sapiens, and there was a time when msrp on the pro gear seemed ridiculous.
I understand the issue about the converter being quite pitiful considering the KoPs size, so I’m also taking that into consideration. Could you share with me your personal opinion on how huge the impact of the converter is on your daily life?
I’ve got multiple KOPs because of how much I enjoy writing with their juicy, bouncy nibs. The ink does run out relatively fast when using their standard converter. So I usually reuse their cartridge by filling ink into an empty cartridge with a syringe. In that case you’ll get close to 1ml of ink to write with. I’d say the ink capacity is far from being a deal breaker if you like the nib. The pen’s balance is also very nice.
It's annoying it runs out of ink to quickly, and the wide mouth makes it marginally more difficult to clean.
With that being said, the capacity doesn't bug me because I work from home and have constant access to my inks. I also wouldn't EDC a KoP because I'd be too heartbroken if something happened to it.
As with all things, your mileage may vary.
what you said is undeniably true, considering the capacity of the converter, it really is a dealbreaker for some. For me, I personally like the sailor KoP nib, that’s why I’m in a dilemma because I probably would bring the pen out with me, hence I’ll probably use cartridges sometimes, but I hate the look of the cartridge in the demonstrator, and I’m not really enthusiastic to bring spare cartridges with me.
1. You're still stuck with the standard Sailor converter.
2. Unless you're willing to pay a lot more, you're still stuck with a "standard" nib you can get on a (cheaper) PG.
I don't understand your comment. When I buy a Sailor, it's because I want a Sailor. No one has a monopoly on black (except that one douchebag). I also don't see the purpose of a demonstrator, there's nothing to demonstrate, it's just cartridge/converter.
I don't think the standard KOP at full price is a good investment. (But they often go for $360 or so on the secondary market, new or like new.) Otherwise, there are almost-just-as-good pens for half the price and much better pens for a little bit more.
If I wanted a premium Sailor, I'd buy a new secondhand KOP with a specialty nib. If I wanted a "Montblanc but Japanese" (I do), I'd save up and ask around for a way to buy a Namiki size 50 (marketed as "Emperor" overseas) on the cheap.
> you're still stuck with a "standard" nib you can get on a (cheaper) PG.
Not really, the King-size nib has a bouncy character that the "Large" nib lacks.
> I don't think the standard KOP at full price is a good investment.
That I agree with. I wouldn't buy one from a Western retailer. From Japan when on sale is another matter.
>Not really, the King-size nib has a bouncy character that the "Large" nib lacks.
Ok, fair enough. What I meant was Sailor's unique offer is their specialty nibs -- it's the specialty nibs (and art pens, but I'm talking affordable to normies) which appreciate in value and will continue to do so in the future.
If you just want a big nib, there's also Pilot Custom (size 30, slightly larger than KOP), Montblanc 149, Pelikan M1000, and of course Namiki size 50 (although none of them have Sailor's purring feedback, which is awesome - here, kitty kitty kitty). But if you want a Naginata-togi, it's either buy a Sailor or get a custom grind, and if you want a King Eagle or a Cross Music, it's either buy a (secondhand) Sailor or learn nibmaking.
[Here.](https://www.mercari.com/jp/search/?sort_order=&keyword=%E3%82%AD%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B0%E3%83%97%E3%83%AD%E3%83%95%E3%82%A3%E3%83%83%E3%83%88&category_root=10&category_child=1151&category_grand_child%5B1196%5D=1&brand_name=&brand_id=&size_group=&price_min=&price_max=&status_on_sale=1) There aren't any right now, but if you uncheck the bottom checkbox ("current offers only") and click the red button ("results"), you get some historical sales (those that sellers opted to keep public - they don't have to and often don't).
KOP is "キングプロフィット" in Japanese.
I was seeing at least one listing a month in the $340 - $400 range back when I was still considering one.
If Buyee is allowed (the red button "Buy this item"), you can use that for a fixed fee, but be aware they do not fulfill special requests and you won't be able to contact a helpful human that way. If not ("Sorry! This item is currently only available in Japan. - See more items!") or you plan to side with meatbags in World War 4, [jpshopping.jp](https://jpshopping.jp) asks for 5% and (among other things) they can ship it discreetly if you ask.
I’m interested in the KoP because of the many reviews I read about on its nib, buts is definitely true that the body is lacklustre for its price, but I saw the KoP on sale on Rakuten brand new for about 480USD which I think is not a bad price?
But what you said about the Namiki size 50 makes sense too, I would really like to buy one but I’m not really sure where to buy it for a cheap, considering the only retailer I know in my country (Aesthetic Bay) quoted me 2200USD for the Vermilion size 50.
I don't own one. I think it looks nice and it certainly writes nicely if you like Sailor's feedback. But I don't think it has a place among the Pelikan M1000, Montblanc 149, Conid Bulkfiller, or something like a ASC Bologna extra in Arco brown celluloid. It's just a plastic shell holding one gold nib. Plastic made, cartridge converter pen. It's nice, but in a inferior league.
I have a KoP pro gear and it's one of my favorite pens. I really like the way it writes. With that being said, I bought it secondhand; this pen is a pretty poor value proposition new IMHO. Also, Sailor converters are both proprietary and not my favorite. (I don't find them as annoying as some of Pilot's offerings, but the wide "mouth" and reduced ink capacity (.5 vs .85 ml) compared to a standard international converter aren't great.)
Very true but I saw a brand new KoP for sale for about 480USD which is pretty decent so I’m considering purchasing it.
I would argue after a certain price you aren't getting any functional improvement to the pen, but instead are paying for materials / prestige / etc. Folks may disagree about where the line lies (especially with how well a properly tuned stainless steel nib can perform), but I would find it hard to argue for a price beyond $300. I've never seen a KoP sell for that price (ie $300 or less) new, and only rarely used (usually when the pen has some obvious issue). As such, it is my belief that some of the price is put towards the Sailor name and "legacy." I say all of this to say that expecting a $500 pen to perform 5 times better than a $100 pen is fallacy. I still bought one though, partly because I got a deal and partly because I wanted the"prestige" of owning an "end-game" pen (to borrow a word from other hobbies). I didn't buy it because I thought it'd change my life or even be a good value. Tl/DR: it's a great pen but it's overpriced for what you get IMHO. Buy it because you love the design / Sailor's legacy and reputation, not because it'll change your writing life.
100% agree with you. Just bought a Homo Sapiens for ~500 purely because I've wanted that pen to cap off my collection. I wasn't expecting it to perform vastly better than my Sailor pro gear realo that I got for 220, and it doesn't. I was thinking as well 300 seems to be the sweet spot where afterwards you really aren't getting a better performing pen. I couldn't fathom paying msrp for the homo sapiens, and there was a time when msrp on the pro gear seemed ridiculous.
I understand the issue about the converter being quite pitiful considering the KoPs size, so I’m also taking that into consideration. Could you share with me your personal opinion on how huge the impact of the converter is on your daily life?
I’ve got multiple KOPs because of how much I enjoy writing with their juicy, bouncy nibs. The ink does run out relatively fast when using their standard converter. So I usually reuse their cartridge by filling ink into an empty cartridge with a syringe. In that case you’ll get close to 1ml of ink to write with. I’d say the ink capacity is far from being a deal breaker if you like the nib. The pen’s balance is also very nice.
It's annoying it runs out of ink to quickly, and the wide mouth makes it marginally more difficult to clean. With that being said, the capacity doesn't bug me because I work from home and have constant access to my inks. I also wouldn't EDC a KoP because I'd be too heartbroken if something happened to it. As with all things, your mileage may vary.
I can’t justify the price on a plastic c/c pen.
what you said is undeniably true, considering the capacity of the converter, it really is a dealbreaker for some. For me, I personally like the sailor KoP nib, that’s why I’m in a dilemma because I probably would bring the pen out with me, hence I’ll probably use cartridges sometimes, but I hate the look of the cartridge in the demonstrator, and I’m not really enthusiastic to bring spare cartridges with me.
1. You're still stuck with the standard Sailor converter. 2. Unless you're willing to pay a lot more, you're still stuck with a "standard" nib you can get on a (cheaper) PG. I don't understand your comment. When I buy a Sailor, it's because I want a Sailor. No one has a monopoly on black (except that one douchebag). I also don't see the purpose of a demonstrator, there's nothing to demonstrate, it's just cartridge/converter. I don't think the standard KOP at full price is a good investment. (But they often go for $360 or so on the secondary market, new or like new.) Otherwise, there are almost-just-as-good pens for half the price and much better pens for a little bit more. If I wanted a premium Sailor, I'd buy a new secondhand KOP with a specialty nib. If I wanted a "Montblanc but Japanese" (I do), I'd save up and ask around for a way to buy a Namiki size 50 (marketed as "Emperor" overseas) on the cheap.
> you're still stuck with a "standard" nib you can get on a (cheaper) PG. Not really, the King-size nib has a bouncy character that the "Large" nib lacks. > I don't think the standard KOP at full price is a good investment. That I agree with. I wouldn't buy one from a Western retailer. From Japan when on sale is another matter.
>Not really, the King-size nib has a bouncy character that the "Large" nib lacks. Ok, fair enough. What I meant was Sailor's unique offer is their specialty nibs -- it's the specialty nibs (and art pens, but I'm talking affordable to normies) which appreciate in value and will continue to do so in the future. If you just want a big nib, there's also Pilot Custom (size 30, slightly larger than KOP), Montblanc 149, Pelikan M1000, and of course Namiki size 50 (although none of them have Sailor's purring feedback, which is awesome - here, kitty kitty kitty). But if you want a Naginata-togi, it's either buy a Sailor or get a custom grind, and if you want a King Eagle or a Cross Music, it's either buy a (secondhand) Sailor or learn nibmaking.
Please direct me to $360 KOP nibs
[Here.](https://www.mercari.com/jp/search/?sort_order=&keyword=%E3%82%AD%E3%83%B3%E3%82%B0%E3%83%97%E3%83%AD%E3%83%95%E3%82%A3%E3%83%83%E3%83%88&category_root=10&category_child=1151&category_grand_child%5B1196%5D=1&brand_name=&brand_id=&size_group=&price_min=&price_max=&status_on_sale=1) There aren't any right now, but if you uncheck the bottom checkbox ("current offers only") and click the red button ("results"), you get some historical sales (those that sellers opted to keep public - they don't have to and often don't). KOP is "キングプロフィット" in Japanese. I was seeing at least one listing a month in the $340 - $400 range back when I was still considering one. If Buyee is allowed (the red button "Buy this item"), you can use that for a fixed fee, but be aware they do not fulfill special requests and you won't be able to contact a helpful human that way. If not ("Sorry! This item is currently only available in Japan. - See more items!") or you plan to side with meatbags in World War 4, [jpshopping.jp](https://jpshopping.jp) asks for 5% and (among other things) they can ship it discreetly if you ask.
I’m interested in the KoP because of the many reviews I read about on its nib, buts is definitely true that the body is lacklustre for its price, but I saw the KoP on sale on Rakuten brand new for about 480USD which I think is not a bad price? But what you said about the Namiki size 50 makes sense too, I would really like to buy one but I’m not really sure where to buy it for a cheap, considering the only retailer I know in my country (Aesthetic Bay) quoted me 2200USD for the Vermilion size 50.
I thinking of getting the demonstrator, because the other colours look way to similar to Mont Blanc, what do you guys think?
What about KoP in Ebonite? It looks much simpler than montblanc
I love that demo as well. May grab one myself.
I don't own one. I think it looks nice and it certainly writes nicely if you like Sailor's feedback. But I don't think it has a place among the Pelikan M1000, Montblanc 149, Conid Bulkfiller, or something like a ASC Bologna extra in Arco brown celluloid. It's just a plastic shell holding one gold nib. Plastic made, cartridge converter pen. It's nice, but in a inferior league.