Sailor Magellan Demonstrator – Medium Nib (1998)
Wow. That’s all I have to say about this pen. I purchased this pen on a whim from GoPens.com’s Quarterly Catalog. Continuing the streak of buying Sailor Pens for $55, I picked up this NOS 1998 Sailor Magellan Demonstrator, with a medium, 14k gold nib. The clip has some weird corrosion on it, but it’s easily looked over. I can not begin to tell you how smoothly this pen writes. It’s amazing, and I practically zone out every time I’m using it out of pure writing enjoyment. Why am I not doing a full review on this pen? The answer is because it’s no longer available and I have had some trouble getting any more information on it. However, in the picture below, you’ll see a bullet style review written out using the categories I use in my full pen reviews. Please enjoy the photos, and if you happen to see one of these out in the wild for sale, jump on it!
Intro:
- Impulse buy – at $50, how could I say no?
- Hard to find – going on 15 years old
- Hands down, the smoothest writing pen I own
Appearance and Packaging:
- Demo with gold accents – I like, don’t love, it
- Nib is very plain, lightly stamped anchor and some filigree
- Gold band at grip looks good – like the Pelikan M605’s silver band
- Original pen comes with a box – this one didn’t
- Regular full-sized pen – in between the Sapporo and the Professional Gear
Nib and Filling System:
- Super wet, super smooth – smoothest pen I own
- About the same nib width as a Lamy 2000 medium
- Big step in width from a modern Professional Gear fine nib
- Fills with cartridge or converter – nothing special
Feel:
- Medium weight – feels good for extended writing sessions
- Size is good – comfortable both posted and non-posted
- Grip is comfortable – between Professional Gear and Sapporo
- Feels like the Pelikan M605 – but 1/6 of the price…
Pros:
- Smoothest. Pen. Ever.
- OMG at the price I paid ($55 shipped…)
- Weight and balance are idea
Cons:
- Cleaning demonstrators (to OCD clean) is not fun…
- Flies through ink (which isn’t bad for me)
Conclusion:
- Everything happens for a reason – I sold my Pelikan M605, and this pen came into my life shortly after, filling any and all void left behind
- Amazing nib / writing experience
- Looks great
- Price was amazing – not biased – I would have gladly paid full retail for this pen. It’s a better writer than my M605 was.
Thanks for reading everyone!
Gallery:
Related Reading:
edjelley.com - Fountain Pen, Ink, and Stationery Reviews 
Nice Ed, very nice. I’ll have to go and take a look at GoPens
Definitely do so! They mostly sell vintage stuff, but there’s usually a small modern section. Great site, great customer service, and fun to look through. Thanks for reading!
Congratulations, Ed! The Magellan is a neat Sailor to acquire, and the nibs are among the best, IMHO. If you don’t mind, I’m going to link to your review in a Magellan post I wrote earlier this year. I’ve never head of the demonstrator Magellan—but that’s thing about this particular model, there were many materials used outside of the “official” Magellan materials, and there’s no list available to us! So it’s cool to see them pop up from time to time, and we all go “ohhhhh!” Cheers to you.
Thanks! Go right ahead with the link, I look forward to reading the review myself. It’s hard to find any information on the pen, but it’s shaping up to be one of my favorites.
Indeed it is to hard to find good info on it. Here’s the link to what I have: http://peaceablewriter.wordpress.com/2013/03/03/tale22/