My unanimous readers,
This pen, a mere $15 at JetPens, is one that I’ve been eyeing for a long time, and the only reason why I didn’t get it before now is because it cannot be used with a converter. It’s too small and slim. However, now that I have the Private Reserve Cartridge Refill Kit, I can fill up the cartridge (it comes with a free one) when it’s done with any color I like.
I loved this pen from first sight because of its beautiful, unadorned design. It’s pure and simple and very slender. But it’s not so short that it would inconvenience those of you with big hands. I don’t mind really short pens, but this one is longer than, say the Pilot Petit pens (at least unposted) so most people, I think, will be able to use it comfortably.
Like all Sailors, the nib is very very fine. And sometimes, as I’m writing quickly, I have this weird sensation that the letters are just appearing by themselves. This pen is so inconspicuous that it seems that words just happen on the page. I have not had that sensation with any other fountain pen I’ve used. And I have some very small ones.
It is smooth, obviously, and it starts right up when I use it. I love how it feels in my hands, and I feel that I could write a lot with it without getting tired. The line it puts down is solid but not as fine as, say, the Sailor Desk Pens. It’s fairly commensurate with the Manhattaner, but I’d say just a tad finer than that one. However, because its cap does not screw on, it does not have the threads on it that the Manhattaner does, and that makes writing with it a little more comfortable.
The nib is stainless steel, so it is very rigid. Bear that in mind. The body is resin, but it kind of feels like metal to me. It’s more substantial than just plastic, so the pen has a level of gravitas that the Manhattaner, for all of its kawaii properties, does not. (I don’t mean to be bagging on the Manhattaner; I love that pen, too; it’s just the closest thing I can think of to compare the Recruit to, and, if I had to choose one over the other, I’d choose the Recruit, converterlessness and all.)
Yep, I’d have to say that this is one of my favorites. Sailor is definitely my favorite brand now; between this and the Desk Pens, it manufactures my favorite pens. I love the fineness of the nibs and the crisp, clean lines that emerge from them. There’s just something about Sailors in general that makes me think that they know what Japanese-loving fountain pen users want in a fountain pen. I will likely get more Recruits in the future. I loved it the moment I started writing with it, so I highly recommend it, especially for those who want a slim, light pen that seems to write by itself!
