The Sailor Pro Gear Shiba Inu is a limited edition fountain pen. It’s part of Sailor’s ‘Akita & Shiba’ collection and available in only 500 numbered pieces worldwide. It was created as a tribute to one of Japan’s most beloved and iconic dog breeds which appears in comic and meme format just about everywhere in the country.
But Shiba dogs are far more than memes – they’re loved in Japan as loyal pets, and as symbols of courage and dignity. This Shiba Inu pen features a Shiba-coloured barrel, with the dogs walking around the cap, just above the gold ring. The gold accents contrast elegantly with the barrel, striking a happy balance between flat even colour and refined Japanese craftsmanship. The cap finial bears Sailor’s unmistakable anchor emblem, the historic symbol of the house founded in 1911. The serial number can be found engraved on the cap ring, certifying its exclusivity. Mine happens to be 021/500.
The pen comes well packaged in a gift cloth bound box with an ink converter and a 10ml bottle of Shiba Inu coloured ink.
The 14-karat gold nib – characteristic of the Pro Gear line – is renowned for its precise feedback and smooth, fluid writing performance. I have a Medium Fine nib on my pen, BUT I found the supplied ink to be thin and the writing experience somewhat scratchy. So I swapped it out for a heavy sheening more lubricating ink, Diamine Smoke on the Water, and the writing experience was much much much better. For me though, the surprise of the day was the converter! Its ink draw is smooth and substantial and pretty much filled the chamber in one go! I have never witnessed a converter work this well before.
To conclude, I view this pen is a bit of fun and for collectors. For me, it’s a small pen and I had to have the cap posted for writing. And as stated, writing with the MF nib and a thin ink was not great. But the pen is well made and crucially, it’s a Sailor, arguably, the world’s most revered pen and ink brand. Of note, this is the first time I have used a Sailor pen and sincerely hope that my next experience may be more memorable. Even though the pen is a limited edition, it is still widely available for circa £300. Make of that what you will.
Many many thanks to Stephan Lucht at Tinte Im Blut. for sending me the pen to review. Woof!
And HEY! If you’re interested to know more about how to use fountain pen inks in more creative ways – whether it’s simply to observe their chromatic behaviours, or, to recreate one of my swatch cards, or, to learn how to use them in watercolour painting, illustration and calligraphy, why not check out my online course or, even better, sign up for a workshop?
FOUNTAIN PEN INK ART 