Sailor Professional Gear Slim Mini - Rencontre #3

The Sailor Pen Professional Gear Slim Mini, also nicknamed Sapporo Mini, was discontinued from the North American 10 years ago. Limited quantities were later produced exclusively for the Japanese market, and in 2019, Sailor Japan reintroduced them back with 6 new modern colors. The Professional Gear Slim Mini is a shorter version of the Professional Gear Slim. When capped, the Slim Mini is 106 mm in length - or 18 mm shorter than the Slim. However, when posted, it is only 11 mm shorter. This pen is perfect for those who want a compact size pen to fit a small purse or shallow pocket, and want the quality and feel of a slim-sized Professional Gear for pure writing performance. Due to its shorter size, this pen is not suitable for use with a standard converter and therefore does not come with one. Use only standard Sailor cartridge.

Rencontre is French for “encounter”. This series embodies the encounter between acrylic resin which offers transparentness and durability, with the elegant texture of marble patterns, born of Sailorʼs original technique.

This third edition introduces a stunning array of new colors, each inspired by the natural beauty of forest landscapes. It features mesmerizing marble patterns created through Sailor's original technique, which blends acrylic resin with an elegant marble texture. This innovative method produces beautiful, one-of-a-kind patterns that vary significantly with each pen, ensuring that no two pieces are alike. The marble patterns, characterized by heightened contrast and transparent tones, showcase Sailor's commitment to craftsmanship and innovation. 

This edition introduces the colors "Lapin," a striking purple with delicate white swirls, "Terre," a deep blue reminiscent of the evening sky, and "Marron," featuring a rich maroon and cream swirl.

• Sailor Professional Gear Slim Mini - Rencontre #3
• Nib: Medium Fine
• 14K Gold Nib
• Fill Mechanism: Cartridge (Sailor proprietary) or Sailor Mini Converter Note: Sailor Standard converter does not fit due to its size
• Sailor Mini Converter
• More Sailor
• Comes with two cartridges in black
• Note: The origianl mini series has been discontinued. This updated version features pressure post cap instead of screwed post cap in the original version.

Sailor was founded in 1911. The founder Kyugoro Sakata was given a fountain pen by a friend returning from the UK after studying at the Royal Navy. He was inspired and determined to start making fountain pens in Japan. Sailor became the first fountain pen company in Japan, and earned many more firsts in Japan -- first ballpoint pen in 1948, first ink cartridge in 1954 and first brush pen in 1972, etc.

In the 1970's, Sailor made a popular beginner fountain pen, "Candy," that sold more than 15 million within a few years. However, the number of the fountain pen users were declining as ballpoint pens became more mainstream.

In 1981, Sailor decided to go in the opposite direction from their "Candy" pen and began focusing on producing a higher standard series, which is the 1911 series we see today. Their focus on making a higher standard provides a great foundation for their later series of pens. Today, Sailor makes one of the most diverse lines of nibs, some of which are designed for specific writing purposes such as writing musical notes to one that is best for character writing.