Wancher X Sailor Pro Gear Shamrock Green
I discovered Sailor when I purchased my White Russian Pro Gear Slim. I was impressed with the nib, especially its smoothness - it lead me to the purchase of a 1911L, another pen I enjoy. Now, it’s led me to this:
While listening to the PenAddict podcast, I learned of this pen, a collaboration between Sailor and Wancher. Green is one of my favorite colors, so when I saw it, I thought it would be a perfect way to break up my collection, which is dominated by “classic” colors, with something more unique. Around the same time, I was looking to try out a Zoom nib - a nib that puts down different line widths depending on the writing angle. I nearly purchased a yellow Pro Gear, used. But, finding it overpriced, I went with this instead.
Produced by Wancher in Japan, the Shamrock Green is a Japanese exclusive. To purchase, I used a website called ZenMarket. I had some mixed feelings about this process and would not have used it if not for speaking to a friend with previous experience. Necessarily, you must first purchase a certain amount of yen to convert your USD. I was somewhat annoyed that I kept having to add yen as the process carried on because of shipping and other fees or taxes. However, I do appreciate that I was able to “purchase” only what I need and not have to buy large chunks.
I then had to link to the product page, and over several days respond to questions from ZenMarket about what nib to get. The process was relatively painless but more protracted than something like PenSachi.
The pen was then shipped from Wancher to ZenMarket’s warehouse. This was the next frustration, as after I chose my preferred shipping method, they told me the next day (and after I paid) that because of a potential customs form that may need to be signed, I would have to pick a different, slower, shipping method. They refunded what I initially paid for shipping into yen for the more time-consuming choice. ZenMarket confirmed my order on February 14th, it arrived at their warehouse on the 21st, they shipped it on the 26th, and I received it finally on March 2nd. This was a long process. The pen is available at PenSachi; I’ll likely order there in the future, even with the markup, for a more straightforward process.
The pen itself looks excellent. In pictures, it appears more blue than green, but it is a lovely green in person. The white cap and accents look great with the pen, and the two-tone nib fits it very well. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the glitter, but I think they’re a nice touch.
I at first inked the pen with Edelstein Jade, which matches the pen perfectly. I enjoy writing with this pen, but I’ve had to accept it as a double broad. The nib goes from F reversed to BB at a low writing angle. I have to write at 85-90 degrees to get a medium, which I find I prefer for most writing. Going to 60 degrees goes to a Sailor B, and is also suitable for most writing.
However, I have a somewhat low writing angle, and in this case, my writing is often BB for the pen. Paired with my handwriting, this isn’t great for something like my Hobonichi, where I write small. However, it is an exceptional way of showing off an ink’s character.
I tend to keep my writing angle consistent and have to be intentional about changing it. Writing with the M angle hurts my hand much of the time, and so I generally use the pen either reversed for the F or full-on B/BB. If this were changed, with F as the default and M-BB on the reverse, it would be perfect for me. That’s why I intend to purchase a Seagull nib from Monty Winnfield.
As with the Sailor 1911L, this pen does the weird section-barrel unscrewing, which I’ve never experienced with other pens. I don’t know what I do that causes this, or if it is just something that happens with all Sailors. It’s no more than a minor annoyance, but if I could find out how to prevent it, I would.
Another good pen. Sailor x Wancher have some interesting products, and I may add more to my collection someday. Here are some writing angles; the ink pictured is a Random Allocation Unnamed Green:
