I Bought My Favorite Artist's Fountain Pen (Part 2)

The second part of this article.

Or rather, perhaps this should be called the main part.
I will write about the fountain pen itself, which is the main point.

Packaging and Design

One day as Christmas approached.
I waited impatiently for the designated delivery time, and this is the box that finally arrived.

Beautiful.
The packaging design is coordinated to match the black and gold of the fountain pen and the blue of the ink.
By the way, there was a message from Akihito-san and Haruichi-san on the inside of the box lid, but since that is for the purchasers, I will refrain from posting a photo of it for now.

This is the fountain pen itself.
The cap features a commemorative "PG" logo designed with a microphone and guitar.
The cap ring is also engraved with "PORNOGRAFFITTI × SAILOR".
The 14k nib is also a special specification featuring a "PORNOGRAFFITTI 25" design.

By the way, I can only guess the base model, but I think it is likely the Profit Standard.
While Sailor has many models with a flat-top design (where the ends of the cap and barrel are flat), this model is a balanced type with rounded ends, and according to the product page, the nib is 14k gold.
For a 14k balanced type, there is the Profit Light or the Profit Standard, but this collaboration model looks the same as the Profit Standard in that there is a line on the clip part.
The product page states that it is a confident product recommended for both fountain pen enthusiasts and beginners, and this might be the perfect model for a collaboration fountain pen.

Writing Feel

The writing feel of the first Sailor gold nib I have ever held is as pleasant as the rumors say.
I sometimes see Sailor gold nibs described as having a "crisp" (shari-shari) feel, and after writing with this one, I understood what that meant.

The Pilot fountain pens I often use, both steel and gold nibs, have a writing feel where they have no resistance at all and seem to glide endlessly over the paper.
In contrast, this Sailor model, while having the smoothness characteristic of a fountain pen, allows me to feel a slight tactile response when it touches the paper.
It is by no means a scratchy feeling, but perhaps I should call it a sense of "actually writing".
Personally, it is a strangely pleasant feeling, like a softer pencil, where it is smooth but you can also feel the point of contact with the paper.
It might be close to the writing feel of something like a Lamy Safari.

Also, although I chose a medium nib, it was unexpected that the line felt thinner than I had imagined.
Or rather, perhaps because of the shape of the pen point, or because I have not yet grasped the best way to write with it, I feel that subtle variations in strength due to the writing angle and pressure are easier to achieve than with other fountain pens.
Since I have a light writing pressure, it might be that the line becomes a little thinner when I write without applying force.
I am also very much looking forward to how it will adapt after I use it more.

This collaboration fountain pen is equipped with a 14k gold nib.
Speaking of Sailor fountain pens, the 21k gold nib, which is one rank higher, is also famous.
Before purchasing, I was supposed to be thinking, "I'm satisfied enough with Pilot for gold nibs, but maybe I'll try Sailor too," but now after the purchase, I am looking at the Pro Gear product page thinking, "What would a 21k nib feel like to write with..." I knew this would happen.

As an aside, according to the product page, the nib of this collaboration model is gold-plated.
After the order period for this model ended, Sailor Pen announced a change in the specifications of their nibs, and many gold nib models have been changed from gold plating to gold ion plating.
I will leave the explanation of the differences in processing methods to those who are more knowledgeable, but personally, I feel that this was a good opportunity to get a nib before the specification change.

Ink: Melancholy Blue

And then there's the collaboration ink, which struck the hearts of fans with just as much impact as the fountain pen itself.
The color of 'Melancholy Blue' is exactly as the name suggests; it has a vibrancy closer to blue than the typical blue-black, yet it also feels composed.
Among the inks I own, it gives an impression close to Pilot's genuine blue-black (though just a little bit darker).

'Melancholy Blue' is a phrase that appears in the lyrics of 'Agehachou' (Swallowtail Butterfly), but I wonder if another song that comes to mind for Porno Graffitti fans when they see this ink is 'Hitomi no Oku wo Nozokasete'.
Perhaps the mysterious 'you' who keeps drawing in the protagonist 'I' leaves 'me' behind at dawn, leaving behind beautiful handwriting in this color.
It's also nice to use this fountain pen and ink to copy down lyrics or jot down my own thoughts while letting my imagination wander through the world of their songs like this.

For now, this collaboration ink seems to be exclusive to this set, but on social media, I've seen comments like 'I'd buy it if I could just buy the ink' or 'I hope this leads to the release of inks inspired by other songs.'
If it were just the ink, it would be easier to reach more people, and I would be happy if such an opportunity arose someday.
Even if there are no further developments as official merchandise, it would surely be wonderful to look through the inks I already own to find one that fits the world of my favorite songs.

Conclusion

At first, I was intimidated by the price when it was announced, but I'm really glad I took the plunge and welcomed it into my collection.
I want to continue enjoying Porno Graffitti's music while taking good care of this fountain pen for years to come.

Once again, congratulations on Porno Graffitti's 25th anniversary.
And my biggest thanks to Sailor, the staff, and everyone involved in the planning and manufacturing for making this wonderful collaboration a reality!

Thank you for reading!