Edison Custom or Sailor?

[Kevan]

(Insert Michael Corleone Godfather III quote here)

It's been awhile since I've bought a pen. Heck, it's been awhile since I've bought anything for myself. So I have a dilemma. And no, I can't "get both." There's a budget for only one, since they're around the same price.

Option 1 - Edison Beaumont Pneumatic: If ever I was to get an Edison, this is the one I'd get. I've loved it for awhile, and I've wanted an Edison for awhile.
Pros - I love the vintage looks, I love the pneumatic filling system. Tired of converters, so the integrated filling system is a plus. I can get whatever material I want, so it'll be "my pen." It's made in the USA and I've never owned an Edison. I can swap multiple nib sizes cheaply.

Cons - Edison just started some LE group buy thing, so unless I happen to luck out on a model that's in stock, any custom job is likely going to have to wait until he makes 200 LE pens first, although I haven't emailed yet to check if this is the case. Steel nib (no, I don't think gold is inherently superior, but for $350, I personally feel that the pen should come with a gold nib standard. That's just me. Steel nibs are fine though, and I know it'll come perfectly tuned from Brian Gray). And finally, the posting on it is a bit weird, because of the pneumatic filler mechanism. It doesn't post as deeply as the standard Beaumont, and on pictures looks a bit awkward.


Option 2 - Sailor Pro Gear Realo: Always wanted a Sailor. I love Japanese pens and I'm well-stocked with Pilot, but don't own a Sailor yet.
Pros: Piston filler (I know the capacity is "only" 1ml, but honestly...I've got way more ink than I'll use for years, so who cares if I have to fill it more often than a Lamy 2000?). Sailor nibs are legendary for being awesome, and it's a 21k nib. I'll be able to get it relatively quickly depending on where I order it from. Either US or Japan, probably quicker than a custom Edison. I post my pens, and this pen is supposed to be the perfect size posted, especially for smaller hands. Cheaper than Edison if bought from Japan.

Cons: I can't decide between a Fine-Medium or a Medium nib, and I can't swap them cheaply or easily. Plenty of people have Pro Gear pens...I love the burgundy color, but it won't be "unique" like if I get a custom Edison.


Opinions?

 

[syngent]

normally i would say get the pen that had the nib you like.. but with what your looking both pens still have nib options in that size.

i know the sailor is actually a captured coverter not a real piston on sorts, certainly doesn't have the cool custom pen feel. it's hard to say, I've looked at both pens and have never been able to pull the trigger on either always ending up with something else.. but i still want them lol.

i wouldn't let speed be to much if a factor specially on a once in a while buy. i know Andy preferred his 14k sailor nibs over the 21K ones as the 14k had more spring and felt nicer.

can't really go along either way... but reading between the lines in your post almost seems like you prefer the custom Edison over the sailor... except for the posting and waiting issues.. which seen minor in the long run to me

 

[Kevan]

Currently, yes, the Edison is winning 51/49 over the Sailor because of the custom aspect. I've narrowed it down to 7 materials to choose from if I get the Beaumont. But you know how the winds change with this sort of thing. I can't tell you how many times I've put off getting a Sailor in favor of something else, and if I go to a Japanese seller, it's going to be $100 cheaper than any custom Edison, so price is a factor.

So the Realo just has an internal converter and not a traditional piston? Hmm, I'll have to look into that.

 

[Jut]

I owned the 2011 B&B Edison and own 1911 Profit with Naginata Togi nib....I prefer the Sailor 100 times out of 100; Just my opinion though. The Nib is where its at...I wouldn't get all wrapped up in the filling options. I used to think I wouldn't like the Sailor with a c/c for this reason, then I used the nib.

 

[Snargle]

Personally, I'd go with the Edison. Having a pen made exactly to my specifications, using the materials of my choosing, would be the deciding factor for me. I'm sure the Sailor is a fine pen, but it's nothing unique.

 

[lishijia]

I owned the 2011 B&B Edison and own 1911 Profit with Naginata Togi nib....I prefer the Sailor 100 times out of 100; Just my opinion though. The Nib is where its at...I wouldn't get all wrapped up in the filling options. I used to think I wouldn't like the Sailor with a c/c for this reason, then I used the nib.

This. Have an Edison (which I should sell or PiF as I never, ever use it); have had Sailors long ago. I'd choose the Sailor nibs over Edisons every day of the week. Of course, my daily driver is a Conid Bulkfiller which is largely about the awesomest-est filling system ever, so yes, I'm a hypocrite.

 

[andrew98]

If money is an issue and you want a great pen with an interesting nib, I'd say go with a Sailor. You probably won't regret it and may even find another model you like as much as the Realo. If, on the other hand, you want an interesting filling mechanism and really want to choose the material the pen is made of, the Edison makes more sense.

Personally, I don't blow through tons of ink in a single sitting, so ink capacity has never been an issue for me. I never got bit by the "filling mechanism" bug, so I have never wanted to pay the premium for anything other than c/c pens, for the most part. That said, I do own a couple Pelikans (M2XX). I toyed with the idea of a custom pen, but I could never justify the expense, especially for a pen with a JoWo nib. Those are great nibs but are just sort of standard. If you own one or two, you can probably live without any others.

Just my 2 cents. YMMV, of course.

-Andy

 

[Doc4]

Get a Sailor Realo with a Naginata Togi MF nib from Engeika.

http://www.engeika.com/product/1839

By the time you have replenished your pen budget, Edison will be done their run of LE's, and you will know if ... IF ... you need another pen.

 

[the_edski]

normally i would say get the pen that had the nib you like.. but with what your looking both pens still have nib options in that size.

i know the sailor is actually a captured coverter not a real piston on sorts, certainly doesn't have the cool custom pen feel. it's hard to say, I've looked at both pens and have never been able to pull the trigger on either always ending up with something else.. but i still want them lol.

i wouldn't let speed be to much if a factor specially on a once in a while buy. i know Andy preferred his 14k sailor nibs over the 21K ones as the 14k had more spring and felt nicer.

can't really go along either way... but reading between the lines in your post almost seems like you prefer the custom Edison over the sailor... except for the posting and waiting issues.. which seen minor in the long run to me

Sorry to detract, but what is a "captured converter"? I've never heard this before. Is it a converter that you can actuate without taking the pen apart?

 

[syngent]

my Homo sapien has this too... its basically a sealed in converter that you can not replace... it has an end twist cap like a regular piston, its why these "pistons" have such a low ml volume. Where pelikan uses the pen body as the capacity...bthe sailor has a plastuc insert that goes in... I have a break down picture somewhere, the one good thing is it is supposed to be easy to open for maintenance

 

[maxman]

I have 3 Edison pens and I do love the feel of them. They write very nice and are pleasing to the eye.
But in this case, I would choose the Sailor.
The Edison nibs are just average. Unless you plan on having them ground (I suggest Cursive Italic) then they are rather unremarkable.

The body of the pens is where it's at with Edison. Especially if you go with ebonite. I love the ebonite.

 

[Kevan]

Leaning toward the Sailor now. I think it's because I've wanted one since I started this whole pen journey back in 2009, back when Swisher Pens was still open and selling stuff. I remember him saying one time that he had used dozens of pens, but the Sailor 1911 was the best writing experience he'd ever had.

And the pendulum swings.....

 

[nortac]

As much as I love the retro coolness of the Edison Beaumont Pneumatic and/or the Menlo Park Pump Filler, The Sailor seems to be the best bargain by far, but I have no experience with any of the above pens.