--- title: "Sailor hocoro Dip Pen: Swappable Nibs and the Feed" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/sailor-hocoro-dip-pen/" description: "Sailor hocoro dip pen explained: fountain pen nibs from Fine to 2.0 mm, Fude and Brush, a nib that stores inside the barrel, the optional feed and prices." category: "Pens" type: "Dip pen" published: 2026-10-29 updated: 2026-10-29 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 14 products: - name: "Sailor hocoro dip pen (fountain pen nib dip pen), Fine, White (12-0135-210)" brand: "Sailor" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Japan" material: "Stainless steel nib, POM section, polycarbonate barrel (Sailor Japan)" released: "2021-12-20" price_band: "$$ ($5–20 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "The Sailor Pen Co., Ltd., Kure, Hiroshima, Japan; majority-owned by PLUS Corporation since May 2022" model: "12-0135-210" gtin: "4901680162834" url: "https://sailor.co.jp/product/12-0135/" --- # Sailor hocoro Dip Pen: Swappable Nibs and the Feed > The Sailor hocoro is a dip pen that uses Sailor's fountain pen nibs without a feed, so changing ink means a rinse in water. The nib unit pulls out and swaps between Fine, Medium, 1.0 mm, 2.0 mm, Fude and Brush, and it reverses into the barrel instead of a cap. Sailor launched it in December 2021. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/sailor-hocoro-dip-pen/ - Category: Pens - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-29 - Updated: 2026-10-29 ![Sailor hocoro dip pen drawn to scale: 135 mm long ready to write and 119 mm with the nib stored inside the barrel, with an inset of the nib's heart-shaped hole and clip-on feed](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/sailor-hocoro-dip-pen-illustration-16x9.png?v=b6d13f0f) *Writing and stored lengths at 1 mm = 4.17 px (Sailor Japan); body tints are representative.* Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times. Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Sailor hocoro dip pen (fountain pen nib dip pen), Fine, White (12-0135-210) | Sailor (by The Sailor Pen Co., Ltd., Kure, Hiroshima, Japan; majority-owned by PLUS Corporation since May 2022) | Japan | Japan | Stainless steel nib, POM section, polycarbonate barrel (Sailor Japan) | 2021-12-20 | $$: $5–20 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (Sailor hocoro dip pen (fountain pen nib dip pen), Fine, White (12-0135-210)): Japan. Hunter Paper Co. (UK) lists the hocoro as made in Japan. Sailor's Japanese product pages don't state a country. Source: https://hunterpaperco.com/products/sailor-hocoro-dip-pen-grey ## Key takeaways - Sailor Japan lists the pen at 10.7 mm across and 135 mm long when writing, or 119 mm with the nib stored inside, and 6.1 g with the Fine nib. - Sailor's release dates: Fine and 1.0 mm on December 20, 2021, 2.0 mm and Fude on August 1, 2022, Medium on July 29, 2023 and Brush on March 29, 2025. - The optional feed, which Sailor calls a reservoir part, is 6.4 × 4.3 × 15 mm, weighs 0.1 g and costs ¥220 (about US$1.40) in Japan. - Sailor Japan prices the Fine, Medium and 1.0 mm pens at ¥1,650 (about US$10) and the 2.0 mm and Fude at ¥1,760 (about US$11), with tax. - Yoseka listed the white pen at US$16 to US$17 by nib on October 29, 2026, in our $$ band ($5–20). ## What is the Sailor hocoro? **It is a dip pen built around Sailor's fountain pen nibs, made for trying many bottled inks without filling and cleaning a pen.** Sailor's Japanese name translates as "dip pen with a fountain pen nib", and its tagline is "play with fountain pen ink, more casually and more toughly". Sailor's Q&A is clear that it is not a fountain pen. The feed is removed, so the nib holds only what it picks up from the bottle, and switching colors takes a quick rinse in water. ## What are the specs? **A light 10.7 mm resin pen that is 135 mm long when writing and 119 mm with the nib stored.** All figures are from Sailor's Japanese product pages. | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Diameter | 10.7 mm (0.42 in) | | Length, writing | 135 mm (5.3 in) | | Length, nib stored | 119 mm (4.7 in) | | Weight | 6.1 g (Fine) to 6.6 g (2.0 mm) | | Nib | Stainless steel | | Section / barrel | POM / polycarbonate | | Barrel colors | White, Gray; clear barrel and limited clear black sold separately | | Price (Japan) | ¥1,650 (about US$10) Fine, Medium, 1.0 mm; ¥1,760 (about US$11) 2.0 mm, Fude; with tax | ## Which nibs can you get? **Six: Fine, Medium, 1.0 mm, 2.0 mm, Fude and a nylon Brush, each sold with a barrel or as a nib unit.** Each pulls out of the barrel and clicks in, so one barrel can carry any of them. ![The six hocoro nib types with release dates: Fine and 1.0 mm December 2021, 2.0 mm and Fude August 2022, Medium July 2023, Brush March 2025](https://stationerytimes.com/images/sailor-hocoro-dip-pen-nibs.svg?v=a23e3a83) *Nib types in order of release, per Sailor Japan. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.* Sailor's Japanese name for the Fude nib means "brush lettering"; for Sailor's bent-nib fountain pen made for the same kind of stroke, see our [Sailor Fude de Mannen](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/sailor-fude-de-mannen/) guide. The Brush, added on March 29, 2025, swaps steel for nylon at ¥1,375 (about US$8.70). ## What does the hocoro feed do? **It holds extra ink under the wide nibs, so you dip less.** Sailor sells it as a "reservoir part" for ¥220 (about US$1.40): an ABS piece 6.4 × 4.3 × 15 mm that weighs 0.1 g. Yoseka explains that a bump on the feed snaps into the nib's heart-shaped hole, and that Sailor left a wider gap than usual behind the nib so it still rinses clean. The 2.0 mm and Fude pens include one; Yoseka sells it on its own for the 1.0 mm. ## How do you carry it without a cap? **Pull out the nib unit, turn it around and push it back in, point first.** Sailor says the reversed nib sits safely inside the barrel, which brings the pen down to 119 mm. There's no clip either. Sailor shaved one side of the barrel flat so it won't roll off a desk. ## How does it compare with other dip pens? **It's the only common dip pen that stores its own nib, and its nibs are fountain-pen style rather than flexible.** | | Sailor hocoro | [Kakimori Stainless Steel Nib](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/kakimori-stainless-steel-nib/) | Comic G nib | |---|---|---|---| | Nib type | Fountain pen nib | Grooved steel bullet point | Flexible chrome-plated steel | | Line | Set by nib size | Broader when tilted | Swells with pressure | | Ink per dip | Little; feed helps wide nibs | A sentence or two | Not stated | | Storage | Nib inside barrel | Separate holder | Separate holder | The Kakimori and G nib columns are from our guides to them. Our [best dip pens for beginners](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-dip-pens-for-beginners/) compares more holders and nibs. ## Which inks work best? **Bottled fountain pen inks, which Sailor designed it for.** Sailor allows shimmer inks but warns that glitter can clog the slit and that faults from non-Sailor inks aren't covered. Ink on the barrel can stain it, dye or pigment, so Sailor says to wipe it off quickly. Sailor's own bottled ranges are in our [Sailor Ink Studio](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/sailor-ink-studio/) guide. ## Where is it made, and what does it cost in the US? **In Japan, per Hunter Paper Co.** Sailor's pages don't say. Yoseka listed the white pen at US$16 with a Fine, Medium or 1.0 mm nib and US$17 with a 2.0 mm or Fude nib on October 29, 2026, and the feed at US$3. Goldspot listed a white two-nib set, Fine and 1.0 mm, at US$25. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is the Sailor hocoro a fountain pen? No. Sailor's Japanese Q&A says it is a dip pen: a fountain pen nib with the feed removed, so it holds no ink and you dip it again as you write. ### How far should you dip the hocoro nib? Sailor says to dip up to the heart-shaped hole and wipe off the excess on the bottle's rim. The 1.0 mm nib uses ink especially fast, so dip often. ### Do you need the hocoro feed? Not for Fine or Medium. Yoseka says the feed helps with the 1.0 mm, 2.0 mm and Fude nibs, which lay down so much ink you'd otherwise dip constantly; the 2.0 mm and Fude come with one. ### Can you use shimmer inks in the hocoro? Sailor says yes, but problems from non-Sailor inks aren't covered, and glitter can clog the slit, so rinse the nib often. ### Does the hocoro have a cap or clip? Neither. You pull the nib unit out and store it reversed inside the barrel, and Sailor shaved one side of the barrel flat so it doesn't roll. ### Can you buy hocoro nibs on their own? Yes. Sailor Japan sells replacement nib units, from ¥825 (about US$5.20) for the Brush to ¥1,210 (about US$7.70) for the 2.0 mm, and a barrel on its own for ¥660 (about US$4.20). ### Is the Sailor hocoro made in the USA? No. Hunter Paper Co. lists it as made in Japan, and Sailor is a Japanese pen maker. ## Sources - [Sailor Japan (Japanese): hocoro Fine (12-0135; ¥1,650, released December 20, 2021, 10.7 × 135 mm writing, 119 mm stored, 6.1 g, materials, Q&A; read October 29, 2026)](https://sailor.co.jp/product/12-0135/) - [Sailor Japan (Japanese): hocoro 1.0 mm (12-0136; ¥1,650, December 20, 2021, 6.2 g)](https://sailor.co.jp/product/12-0136/) - [Sailor Japan (Japanese): hocoro 2.0 mm (12-0137; ¥1,760, August 1, 2022, reservoir part, 6.6 g)](https://sailor.co.jp/product/12-0137/) - [Sailor Japan (Japanese): hocoro Fude (12-0138; ¥1,760, August 1, 2022, 6.4 g)](https://sailor.co.jp/product/12-0138/) - [Sailor Japan (Japanese): hocoro Medium (12-0135-400; ¥1,650, July 29, 2023, 6.5 g; related prices)](https://sailor.co.jp/product/12-0135-400/) - [Sailor Japan (Japanese): hocoro Double (12-0220; ¥2,860, early partial release December 10, 2021)](https://sailor.co.jp/product/12-0220/) - [Sailor Japan (Japanese): hocoro reservoir part (87-0151; ¥220, August 1, 2022, 6.4 × 4.3 × 15 mm, 0.1 g, ABS)](https://sailor.co.jp/product/87-0151/) - [Sailor Japan (Japanese): hocoro Brush (27-0135; ¥1,375, March 29, 2025, nylon)](https://sailor.co.jp/product/27-0135/) - [Sailor Japan (Japanese): hocoro barrel (14-0135; ¥660; white, gray, clear, limited clear black)](https://sailor.co.jp/product/14-0135/) - [Sailor Japan (Japanese): hocoro straight barrel (14-0145; ¥880, October 12, 2024, 11.4 × 113.7 mm)](https://sailor.co.jp/product/14-0145/) - [Yoseka Stationery: Sailor Hocoro Dip Pen, White (five nibs, US$16 to US$17; read October 29, 2026)](https://yosekastationery.com/products/sailor-hocoro-dip-pen-white) - [Yoseka Stationery: Sailor Hocoro Dip Pen Feed (US$3; how the feed fits)](https://yosekastationery.com/products/sailor-hocoro-dip-pen-feed) - [Hunter Paper Co.: Sailor Hocoro Dip Pen, Grey (made in Japan)](https://hunterpaperco.com/products/sailor-hocoro-dip-pen-grey) - [Goldspot Pens: Sailor Compass Hocoro Dip Pen Set, White, Fine and 1.0 mm (US$25; read October 29, 2026)](https://goldspot.com/products/sailor-compass-hocoro-dip-pen-set-in-white-with-fine-nib-and-1-0mm-calligraphy-nib)