About
Reviews (1)
Jun 25, 2023
A well made, great writing but finnicky pen
Pros
-Larger grip. Perfect for those with larger hands
-Piston filler makes it easy and quickly to fill up the pen
-Good ink flow. Rarely skips when writing quickly, even when writing in block
-Air sealed chamber prevents ink from overflowing during flights
-Offers some line variation
-Reverse writing is decent
-Piston cap is fairly secure once locked
-The ink window is integrated into the body. No need to unscrew the cap or body to see how much ink remains.
-Better weight distribution than a Pro Gear with a converter.
Neutral
-Its nib is semi-smooth. More feedback than other Medium nibs, but also smoother than 14K nibs and steel nibs.
-Lightweight
Cons
-Piston filling mechanism is less versatile than a Cartridge/Converter setup
-Piston mechanism takes more time to clean and flush
-Difficult to disassemble; doing so will void the warranty and also remove its air seal
-Could be pricey to repair/replace if the piston mechanism ever fails
-Very small capacity compared to other piston fillers in the same price range
-Takes 2 and 1/4 turns to uncap
The Realo is a gimmicky and unusual pen in Sailor's lineup. The regular Pro Gear is more versatile, it's more accessible, comes with more colors, has the same writing experience and is far cheaper and readily available. You buy this pen because you want a straightforward pen with very little fuss, has the Sailor experience, an ever so slightly longer body, personal preference and ego.
Writing with this is a pleasure. The 21k M nib is the goldilocks of Sailor nibs. It's smooth, but it's still grounded to the paper. It's flexible, but not too bouncy. It gushes out ink on the paper, but not too much. The nib feels like a freshly sharpened pencil. Writing with it is audible. Reverse writing is more pronounced, so it's almost like having two pens. But the experience is more scratchy.
There's some line variation if you press down but it won't go too far. You can also "temper" the feedback a bit by using certain inks. I find thicker inks like Sailor's pigmented inks, causes it to write smoother due to its thicker consistency. using runnier inks like Iroshikuzu, or Sailor's own Manyo and studio lines makes it "toothier".
The pen is light but still feels like quality. The pen can be written comfortable posted and unposted. The piston cap can be twisted a bit further to "lock" it, but please don't overtighten too much. THe cap is also wide enough that it clamps on the body. Don't worry about accidentally unscrewing or screwing the piston cap if you twist the pen cap.
Overall, the Realo is a tough sell. I personally LOVE this pen. While my Head says to go for the regular Pro Gear, my Heart says, "Get the Realo". You get a novel, amazing pen. Whether someone's a collector that wants something a bit different due to the Sailor Experience or a piston, or to someone who just wants one, REALLY nice pen, the Realo won't disappoint.