Wancher Matcha Fountain Pen Review: A Pro Gear with an 18K Twist

Introduction

The Wancher Matcha is a fascinating entry for anyone who loves the Sailor Pro Gear silhouette. Everything on this pen is branded Wancher, but the pen and nib are manufactured by Sailor as the OEM. This is not a knock-off. It is an official collaboration, essentially a custom Pro Gear with a couple of meaningful differences, including an 18 karat gold nib that sets it apart from the standard model. The pen arrives in a nice softwood box with a ribbon on top, two proprietary cartridges, and a soft sleeve protecting the pen inside.

First Impressions and Design

At first glance the cap and barrel look like a solid tea green, but closer examination reveals small flecks of gold embedded in the resin. The name references matcha, the finely ground Japanese green tea powder that becomes suspended in water once whisked, and the flecks genuinely evoke the suspended leaf particles of the drink. Tea green and olive green are usually among our least favorite pen colors, yet the flecks add an element of life to the resin that a flat color would lack.

The details carry the theme well. The top of the cap has a cream finial representing a ceramic mug you might drink your tea from, and the cream pairs better with the green than a stark white would. The finial is inlaid with the Wancher logo. The traditional Pro Gear clip is gold, as is all the metal trim. The clip is very accommodating, with the cap angling up and staying straight until a rather large band near the end. That band is stamped with Wancher and Made in Japan, and it angles down to minimize the transition from cap to barrel. The barrel is straight for about an inch and a half before tapering down to a solid gold band punctuated with a cream end piece that matches the top of the cap. The cap twists off with one and a half rotations.

The 18 Karat Gold Nib

This nib is the real highlight. Most Pro Gear pens carry 21 karat gold nibs, and the mediums are generally described as hard mediums: firm writers with a thinner line, closer to a Western fine. This medium 18 karat gold nib writes more like a Western medium. It is soft and smoother than a standard Sailor nib, while still retaining that pleasant Sailor nib feedback. It is a very enjoyable combination.

The nib is available in extra fine, fine, medium fine, medium, and broad, and for an additional cost you can equip it with one of Wancher’s Kireu nibs, their take on an architect grind. The plastic feed follows beneath the nib, and ink flow from the nib is rather generous. Reverse writing is a little scratchy but gets the job done, and it is significantly smoother than a 21 karat gold nib in that regard. In fast writing, the feed keeps up very well.

Handling, Filling, and Everyday Use

The section begins with a very slight flare and angles up, followed by a thin band and an even transition into the threads. The section is not overly large, so the grip tends to spill over onto the threads, but the smooth transition and fairly smooth threads make it very comfortable in the hand. This is not an oversized pen, but it is long enough to use unposted. The cap does post, and it posts deeply and securely. The angled cap band minimizes the step down from cap to barrel, so any contact against the inside of the hand stays smooth.

It is a cartridge-converter pen that accepts proprietary Sailor cartridges, and a Sailor converter with a metal ink housing is provided. With metal trim in the housing and a multi-piece barrel, dropping this pen would not be recommended. The Matcha is available only through the Wancher website and retails for $310, which is essentially the same price you will find Pro Gear models offered at on both sites. It is nice to see a specialty model priced the same as standard versions.

Measurements and Size Comparisons

Side by side with other Sailor Pro Gear models, the Matcha shares its proportions with the standard version. Comparisons against the Imperial Black with its similar band, the Kreis with its more traditional Pro Gear band, the Pro Gear Slim, and the King of Pen Pro Gear show where it sits in the lineup. Alongside other Wancher collaborations, it joins the hammered-metal Japan Blue, another Sailor partnership with outstanding performance.

Writing Sample and Ink Pairings

For the writing sample, the medium 18 karat gold nib was paired with Monara’s Noah, a green ink inspired by a cactus in Mexico, since tea green inks are not common in most collections. Compared with Anderson Ilium’s Bobtail Squid Green and Montblanc’s Irish Green, the pairing suits the resin nicely. The medium nib is not as firm as the hard medium 21 karat nibs on a standard Pro Gear, and you can get a little bit of line variation out of it.

Conclusion

The Wancher Matcha takes a beloved platform and changes the one part that matters most to many fountain pen users: the nib. The 18 karat gold medium writes softer and smoother than a standard Pro Gear while keeping the Sailor feedback many people love, and the flecked tea green resin with cream accents gives it a distinctive identity. At $310 it is priced in line with standard Pro Gear models, making it an easy recommendation for Pro Gear fans looking for something a little different.