Sailor ProGear Slim

Overview

The Sailor ProGear Slim is Garry's first gold-nibbed Sailor pen (he already owned a steel-nibbed Sailor 1911 Junior before this). His copy is the "Blue Green Nebula" limited edition (1 of 1800 made worldwide in 2021, item #11-8649, PMMA resin), bought from Pure Pens in the UK. It has a 14-karat gold broad nib -- chosen deliberately broad because he didn't want to fight a too-fine nib the way he did with his 1911 Junior. Price climbed noticeably over the life of his ownership: $224 AUD when bought in 2021, rising to $355 AUD and then $400 AUD in later showdown videos.

By far the most consistent theme across every single review of this pen: Garry repeatedly calls it his favourite nib, full stop -- not just among Sailor pens, not just among gold nibs, but of every pen he owns.

Design & Appearance

Shape: Small, slim body with a flat cap top bearing the Sailor anchor logo, gold-coloured springy clip, and a twist-off cap (1.5-1.75 turns).
Colour/Material: "Blue Green Nebula" -- a teal/blue-green translucent resin with silver flecks meant to evoke stars being born in a nebula. Garry, an astronomy enthusiast, is consistently delighted by the theming and the way the material catches the light.
Bands: Three engraved bands below the cap ring reading "Founded," "1911," "Sailor Japan."
Section: Same translucent material as the body -- no separate-coloured section. Garry likes being able to see through to the converter inside.
Pen looks scores across reviews: 9/10, 9/10, 9/10, 9/10, 9/10, 9/10 -> consistent 9/10 (one review notes it "nearly reaches 10 out of 10")

The Nib

Material: 14-karat gold (hallmarked 14k/585).
Grade: Broad (a Japanese broad -- narrower than his European broads, as expected).
Decoration: Engraved border below the breather hole, "1911," the Sailor anchor logo, "14k," "585," and "Sailor."
Feel: Stiffer than his Pilot nibs when new, has softened somewhat with use over time; not as soft/bouncy as Pilot, not as stiff as Platinum -- "in between." Loud audible feedback that Garry says is characteristic of Sailor nibs, but not scratchy.
The recurring verdict, in his own words across different videos:
- "One of my favorite nibs if not my favorite nib" (vs Pilot Prera)
- "By far my favorite nib full stop, of all the nibs I've got, all the pens I've got" (vs Sailor 1911 Junior)
- "One of my favorite nibs, absolutely love writing with this pen" (vs Jinhao 82)
- "I absolutely love love love love love love love the nib on the Sailor ProGear Slim" (vs Waterman Carene)
Writing experience scores across reviews: 9/10, 9/10, 9/10, 9/10, 9/10, 9/10 -> consistent 9/10

Filling Mechanism

Cartridge/converter pen, came with a Sailor converter (used as supplied, unlike several of his Pilot pens where he has to work around an unusable converter). Cleaning routine: flushes the converter and nib/section with a blunt-nosed syringe and bulb syringe rather than disassembling the pen. He avoids shimmer inks in it as a precaution but is happy to use sheen inks.

Measurements

Measurement	Value
Total length (capped)	12.3-12.4 cm
Length unposted	11-11.4 cm
Length posted	14.3 cm
Body width	1.2 cm
Cap width	1.4-1.5 cm
Section width	0.9-1.1 cm (tapered)
Full pen weight	19-21 g
Body weight alone	11-13 g
Cap weight	6-8 g

Writing Experience

Cannot be comfortably used unposted beyond a sentence or two -- once posted, Garry consistently describes the balance as excellent and not back-heavy.
The standout praise in every review is the tactile and audible feedback from the nib -- described as a "joy," "pleasurable," with "gorgeous tactileness."
Section feels thin to him, same recurring nitpick as his other small Japanese pens, but he says it "doesn't bother" him given how the pen is meant to be used.
One showdown (vs the Sailor 1911 Junior) dinged Comfort to 7/10 specifically because of hand cramping on a long writing session with two small pens back to back -- every other review scores Comfort at 8/10.

Inks Used (as referenced across reviews)

Ink	Context / Notes
Diamine Aurora Borealis	Used in the First Impressions video, the vs Pilot E95S showdown, and the vs DLike New Moon 2 showdown; chosen deliberately for its "astronomical" name to match the nebula theme
Diamine Marine	Used in the Fountain Pen Focus review; turquoise/green ink that matched the body colour well
Robert Oster Tranquility	Used in both the Pilot Prera showdown and the Jinhao 82 showdown
Diamine Garland	Used in the Sailor 1911 Junior showdown
Diamine Sleigh Ride	Used in the Waterman Carene showdown; a 2024 InkVent calendar ink with a red base and green sheen
Diamine Chaos	Used in the vs Platinum 3776 Century showdown

Comparisons and Rankings

vs Pilot E95S (Diamine Aurora Borealis vs Lamy Crystal Topaz)

Both small 14k-gold Japanese pens around the same size. The Sailor wins narrowly on tactile/audible nib feedback; the E95S is the slightly wetter writer and wins on simplicity of looks.
ProGear Slim = 8.33/10, E95S = 8.17/10

vs Pilot Prera (same ink: Robert Oster Tranquility)

Opposite price points ($355 vs $76), steel nib vs gold nib. Garry calls the Sailor nib "one of my favorite nibs if not my favorite nib," though the Prera also performs very well for its price.
ProGear Slim = 8.33/10, Prera = 8/10

vs Sailor 1911 Junior (Diamine Garland vs Diamine Yuletide)

Two Sailors, gold vs steel nib. The ProGear Slim's nib gets the strongest praise of the whole collection here: "by far my favorite nib full stop." Comfort dinged for both pens to 7/10 due to their small size.
ProGear Slim = 8.17/10, 1911 Junior = 7.83/10

vs DLike New Moon 2 (Diamine Aurora Borealis vs Lamy Crystal Beryl)

A budget Chinese pen Garry believes is heavily inspired by the full-size Sailor ProGear. No final numeric scores given (the New Moon 2 ran out of ink mid-review), but the Sailor nib is again singled out: "the nib I just love writing with it."

vs Jinhao 82 (Robert Oster Tranquility vs TWSBI Red)

Garry notes the Jinhao 82's shape appears directly inspired by the Sailor's. Pen looks for the ProGear Slim scored "nearly reaches 10 out of 10" -- his highest looks praise of any review of this pen.
ProGear Slim = 8.33/10, Jinhao 82 = 8.17/10

vs Waterman Carene (same ink: Diamine Sleigh Ride)

The strongest "favourite nib" statement of all: "I absolutely love love love love love love love the nib on the Sailor ProGear Slim." The Carene still wins narrowly overall on looks/elegance and value, since it's seen as a "sit up and take notice" pen suited to formal occasions.
ProGear Slim = 8.5/10, Waterman Carene = 8.67/10

vs Platinum 3776 Century (Diamine Chaos vs Colorverse Red Aurora)

Both scored identically -- a clean tie.
ProGear Slim = 8.33/10, Platinum 3776 Century = 8.33/10

Among "My Gold Nibbed Pens" 5-way comparison (Wing Sung 698, Platinum 3776 Century, ProGear Slim, Pilot Custom Heritage 92, Pilot Custom 823)

Asked which one he'd keep if forced to choose just one of the five, Garry picks the Pilot Custom Heritage 92 instead, calling it his "workhorse." He's clear the ProGear Slim is constantly inked and well loved, but the 92 wins this particular vote.

Listed among "My Top Six Grail Fountain Pens"

Alongside the Benu Talisman Dragon's Blood, Waterman Carene, Pilot Custom 823, and Visconti Homo Sapiens.

Overall Scores Summary

Review	Score
Fountain Pen Focus	8.33/10
vs Pilot E95S	8.33/10
vs Pilot Prera	8.33/10
vs Sailor 1911 Junior	8.17/10
vs Jinhao 82	8.33/10
vs Waterman Carene	8.5/10
vs Platinum 3776 Century	8.33/10
Average	~8.33/10

By category (averaged across reviews)

Category	Average
Pen Looks	9/10
Build Quality	~8/10
Writing Experience	9/10
Ink Flow	8/10
Comfort	~8/10 (one dip to 7/10)
Value for Money	8/10

Build Quality

No issues across roughly three years of ownership and heavy use. Threads are smooth, no catching, no ink leakage. Build quality scores: 8/10 typically, one review scoring it 9/10.

Value for Money

Consistently scored 8/10, even as the price climbed from $224 to $400 AUD over time. Garry's framing is candid: it's not a cheap pen, but the writing experience and material justify it for him -- he says outright he'd buy another if the right colourway came along.

Key Recurring Themes

"My favourite nib, full stop" -- repeated, unprompted, across nearly every comparison video, regardless of what it's being compared against.
First gold-nibbed Sailor -- his entry point into Sailor's gold nib lineup, having previously only owned the steel-nibbed Sailor 1911 Junior.
Posted-only -- too short to use unposted beyond a sentence; posted it's well balanced and not back-heavy.
Astronomy theming -- the "Blue Green Nebula" name and look genuinely resonates with Garry's personal interest in astronomy and space.
Price has crept up -- from $224 AUD at purchase to $400 AUD in later videos.
Aspirational upgrades -- mentions wanting to eventually try the full-size Pro Gear, a Sailor 1911, or a King of Pen to get a similar nib experience in a larger body.
Inspired Chinese clones -- both the Jinhao 82 and the DLike New Moon 2 are noted by Garry as pens he believes were directly inspired by this pen's shape.

Source Files

#summary