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Dear community, I need your advice. I almost bought the Pilot VP Raden but then I saw the Aurora Optima 2024 and now I can’t stop thinking about this most beautiful pen in the world. The only thing that stops me is information from everywhere that Auroras break easily without a serious reason. I know that I can buy Raden and most likely, if I take care of it, the pen will last me a lifetime. But what about Aurora? What is the probability that the Optima will fall apart? Which pen would you choose? This is a lot of money per pen for me and I can't buy both.

I just got a rather good deal for a NOS vintage Pilot Capless. This is the quite sought after 1970's aluminum bodied CN-400BS/CN-500BS version. While I don't usually succumb to the temptation of buying pens at this price, I was really drawn in by the packaging of this one that I end up pulling the trigger on it (it's still well below the price of a new current generation Capless, though). Now back to the packaging, I really like the cylindrical shape and free-standing layout. I think it complements the "futuristic" look of the pen very nicely. I'm not familiar enough about vintage Pilot packaging, but I haven't seen this type before. I've seen another NOS example of this pen sold here before, but it came with the regular style flip case with a leather-like exterior. And quick online search I did before buying also didn't turn out any leads, which just made me want to buy it more!

I've done some searching but couldn't quite find what I'm looking for. I recently purchased a VP with a Fine nib and it's just finer than I would like, so I'm planning on getting a Medium nib unit later in the month. Later in the year I'm hoping to get my hands on a Custom 823. Before I got my VP I was thinking about getting the 823 in a Fine but now I'm likely to go with the medium. Only thing is, from what I've read on the forums, Pilot's VP Medium writes rather similarly to a Western Medium and that there's no real happy medium. Is this the case with the 823? How does a VP Medium compare to a 823 Medium? Thanks in advance for any input

I'm in the market for a VP, and I'm torn between the matte black and the blue carbonesque. I'm really curious as to how the matte black finish wears off, and I'm not sure if I like it or not. Can you share the wear on your matte black VP? Do you mind the wear or do you think it looks nice? Thanks!

I have a Pilot VP with a broad nib (18k). Great writer and I love it except for one thing: When the ink - whether in a Pilot Cartridge or the CON-40 - drops to about 1/2 full, there is no flow/hard starts (which do not resolve after a few strokes) if the pen has been stored nib up. If then placed nib slightly down for a few minutes, the flow is back to normal. By stored, I mean overnight in a pen cup or in my shirt pocket for an hour or so. FYI - the ink - whether in cartridges or via converter - is and has always been Kon Peki. Has anyone else run into this or have any ideas (other than not storing the pen nib up) ? TIA!

Thought I'd share the result of stripping down a matte black Pilot Vanishing Point and setting to work on creating an aged, vintage brass look.

I am not sure about the model name, maybe A1, but Majohn/Moonman has definitively released a metal Capless clone as seen in several video reviews on several Chinese websites. I'll post more photographs when I found some. It's so similar to the Capless, I wonder if it's produced under licence. The only difference I can spot is the middle ring that is a millimetre bigger, otherwise the Pilot internal module fit perfectly inside the Majohn body.

All, I bought a stub as a spare nib for my Pilot Vanishing point. But it seems to me that it wants to write at pretty much a 90-degree angle - nearly perpendicular to the paper. Is this how they're supposed to be? Below are pictures, if a different angle will help, please let me know. (Sorry, they're not all the greatest... I could take pictures of my other stubs to show their more-rounded bottom-to-tip areas...) My questions: 1) Is this normal? Is it really supposed to be used at basically 90-degrees? Or is that little sliver of the edge (see a couple pics below, with comment) really supposed to be the writing area? Am I missing something? 2) Does anyone see any problem (other than the obvious risk of screwing it up) with me trying to adjust the nib (via micromesh) to essentially create a sweet spot at an angle that's comfortable to me? Side of the nib (so you can see it looks rather boxy - my other stubs are sort of rounded from the bottom toward the tip of the nib, so that you write at about a 45-degree angle): http://paradoxcommunity.com/vps/side.jpg http://paradoxcommunity.com/vps/side2.jpg Bottom of the nib: http://paradoxcommunity.com/vps/bottom2.jpg ...(above) I suppose that little tiny edge reflecting all the light could be intended to be the sweet spot, but it's nothing like the other stubs I have, and it's impossible to find / maintain while writing... http://paradoxcommunity.com/vps/bottom3.jpg http://paradoxcommunity.com/vps/bottom45degree.jpg ...I suppose that little tiny edge reflecting all the light could be intended to be the sweet spot, but it's nothing like the other stubs I have, and it's impossible to find / maintain while writing... Tip of the nib: http://paradoxcommunity.com/vps/tip.jpg http://paradoxcommunity.com/vps/tip2.jpg http://paradoxcommunity.com/vps/tip-angle.jpg

I was photographing pens this afternoon (getting ready to sell a slice of the collection) and took these two photos of my Customs and Capless pens. I like so many older Pilot models, but the Custom may be my favorite. If you squint, you can see I’ve added a black 18K nib to the stealth faceted VP. I am afraid to use that pen because I remember the stealth finish isn’t as tough as that used today. Please pardon the imposter that snuck in among the VPs.

About 7 years ago I became aware of the PILOT vanishing point mechanical pencil. By then it had already been discontinued and was sought after, prices going up rather high compared to the original prices (around $20). The only model numbers I'd heard of were H-1003 and H-1005. The last digit meant 0.3 mm or 0.5 mm. But in time I began to learn that there were more models made. Apparently a good many of them never left the JDM (Japan Domestic Market). H-10xx H-1003 - All black plastic body, with chromed metal parts, lead size 0.3mm H-1005 - Same as H-1003, with lead size 0.5m H-20xx H-2003 - Partial black plastic body, all metal section, brushed metal parts and metal grip with small black accents, lead size 0.3mm H-2005 - Same as H-2003, metal grip with black rectangular accents, lead size 0.5m H-21xx H-2103 - Partial black plastic body, with brushed metal parts and knurled black metal grip, lead size 0.3mm H-2105 - Same as H-2103, lead size 0.5m H-30xx H-3003 - Partial black plastic body, all metal section, brushed metal accents and metal grip with paired rectangular accents, lead size 0.3mm H-3005 - Same as H-3003, lead size 0.5m H-50xx H-5005 - Very rare retractable tip titanium body with etched lines. Very few were made and it's nearly impossible to obtain today without spending thousands! PLEASE NOTE: There was never any 0.7mm lead size offering for any of these models While the H-10xx series is a competent writing instrument, the H-20xx, H-21xx, and H-30xx series were a notable step up. Professional grade quality. Reputedly very solid lead holder core, despite the retracting mechanism. The H-21xx series is all black, with a more industrial looking design, reminiscent of the Rotring 600. There were also a few other models made with all stainless steel brushed or satin finish bodies, but no apparent model numbers (imprinted on the body or noted in a sticker). The only way I discovered anything about them was on Japanese websites, but even still, all they had were photos -- nothing else. Based on what little I've discovered, there weren't many of them made and unfortunately even within the Japanese marketplaces they're very much sought after. I've seen some FPN members post about owning the H-1003 or H-1005. Anybody here own other models? Btw, there is a recently manufactured Pilot Automac with retractable tip. It looks to be really well made, reminiscent of the earlier "vanishing point" models. Retail is about $50, which is considerably more reasonable than these vintage Pilot MP's. Clicky Post wrote a great review about it (HERE).

A while ago (time gets funny in Covidland) I purchased a 3-pack of what was reported to be Pilot Con-50 converters. I wanted to replace the Con-40s that had come with some of my pens that will not fit a Con-70. This morning I attempted to place one in one of my Vanishing Points; though it fit in the pen I could not close the pen correctly and ended up swapping back to a Con-40. Am I wrong in thinking a Con-50 should fit? I bought these from a spot @ASmugDill had mentioned - are they perhaps not actually Con-50s? I've attached a picture. I love Pilot Capless except for the lousy converters! Thanks.

Does anyone know of an online pen retailer that tests a pen and specifically the nib before sending out a pen. I am looking for a Pilot Vanishing Point in Fine and don't want to purchase a pen that is scratchy out of the box. Thank you

I’ve had this black nib pilot vanishing point for a few months and have only used pilot blue and iroshizuku shin kai in it, but the nib has started to discolor and cannot be cleaned. Does anyone know what could be causing this and what I can do about it? Thanks

Hello guys, I am a mechanical pencil collector from China. It's my first time posting here in FPN. I have been seeking for a PILOT Automatic H-5005 Vanishing Point Mechanical Pencil for 5 years, and this is the 6th year. I think many of you have heard of it. It's very rare, and I already looked over ALL the websites that have a keyword "PILOT AUTOMATIC H-5005" that I can find on Google. I did see some auctions in Japan for it during the past few years, but I missed it because of many reasons. I have talked to many pencil collectors outside of China. I don't think it had been sold officially by PILOT in outside Japan, but what surprised me is that I heard some collectors from North and South America owned this pencil before. It has been a problem that not only me but also many of my friends (also pencil collectors) have the money to buy it for a really high price, but we cannot find even a single piece. Under such a situation, one of my friend suggested me to ask for help here since FPN is probably the most widespread forum in which I can find collectors who have been collecting pens or pencils for several decades. To complete my collection of Pilot Vanishing Point mechanical pencil, I will need this H-5005 eventually. But I will also need some other pencils to complete my whole collection. Here I listed some below: Sakura Free Matic ES1000A Sakura Archi Y2 Sakura AT matic ATS3000 (I have the blue barrel one, looking for a black version) Faber-Castell Alpha-matic (silver version. I have the 230th gold version, executive, titanium, bronze and the plastic versions, need a silver one) I really appreciate that if someone can help me. I prefer buying directly, however exchange with pencil/fountain pens is also possible. I attach the photo of H-5005 below. Thanks and have a great day!

I had a bit of a mishap yesterday; my Vanishing Point F slipped out of my hand and landed embedded in my foot. I thought I might have a tsuki-yo tattoo, but later realized the ink had actually come out but that I had bled. I wonder if it would have done less damage had it been a stub...

How long does the mechanism on the Vanishing point last with normal daily usage? Has anyone faced any issues with it?

Pilot Vanishing Point, Broad Nib I wanted a pen for quick note taking, a gold nib, and not be too flashy in the visual department. I did some research and it looked like the Pilot Vanishing Point would meet my requirements. 18kt gold nib (broad, in my case), great for taking notes, because of it's retractable nib, and it looks nice and understated. http://i.imgur.com/mAl4zyG.jpg?1 The Pilot branding is not subtle. http://i.imgur.com/zac9ZGe.jpg?1 It's cool that you can put two more pens in the box. http://i.imgur.com/Mox3wj1.jpg?1 Lift up the "floor" to reveal the literature and that metal thing you need to put over the cartridge. Not in the picture are the converter and cartridge. Appearance & Design (9/10) http://i.imgur.com/d1N60da.jpg?1 I think the Vanishing Point, overall, is a very elegant, classy, and balanced looking pen. I chose the Gun Metal Gray version with rhodium accents. I don't think it's particularly flashy (not in this colour anyway) and that suits me just fine. The gray colour looks nice and deep, like the paint on a car, and narrow nib looks quite unique. It essentially looks like a retractable ballpoint pen with the clip on the wrong end. Some people might not like the positioning of the clip, but it makes sense, since this way the nib is pointed upwards rather than downwards when clipped into a shirt pocket. I like the clip's location, because it insures that I will never accidentally rotate the pen around while I am writing, which I do. Construction & Quality (10/10) Upon first fondle it's quite evident that this is a quality item. Nothing to complain about here. Weight & Dimensions (9/10) The pen for me is pretty heavy compared to some of the other ones I own. I don't write with a heavy hand, so the added weight pressing the pen down onto the paper makes it feel like the pen is doing all the work for me! It feels pretty balanced to hold, though people who like to post might find it not back-heavy enough. I never post the cap, so I'm fine with it. Nib & Performance (8.5/10) The nib 18kt gold and rhodium plated. I chose broad, since I figured it would be the closest to the Lamy medium nibs I'm used to. This nib is super smooth. Best feeling nib I've ever used, but it's also the only gold nibbed pen I've ever used, so I can't really say how well it performs compared to other gold nibs. Not only is it smooth, it also writes well holding the pen at a very vertical angle, which is how I prefer to write. There are a few issues, however. The pen starts out wet and gradually becomes a little drier the more I write, which is annoying sometimes. Occasionally there are hard starts and skips, but they aren't frequent enough to spoil the fun. I noticed that I'm getting the wetness and hard start/skipping problem mostly on Clairefontaine and Rhodia paper, but not with my Leuchturm notebooks. I tried Diamine Majestic Blue, Iroshizuku Ku-Jaki and Tsuki-yo, and Sailor Jentle Yama-dori with the pen. I had an issue with the pen drying out in less than 12 hours with Diamine Majestic Blue, but I've had similar problems with that ink in other pens. My experience with the other inks was great. Filling System & Maintenance (7/10) It is a cartridge/converter pen. The supplied converter doesn't hold much ink, which doesn't bother me since I switch inks before the pen is empty anyways. When using cartridges you have to use a weird metal thing and place it over the cartridge before reassembling your pen. http://i.imgur.com/U71RxCb.jpg?1 When filling from a bottle, the combined feed/nib unit is pretty convenient, because it's easy to wipe excess ink off of it. There is one thing that annoys me about this pen when cleaning it, though. There sometimes is a bit of ink that get's trapped by the door where the nib comes out of. What I do is take a syringe and blast water into the tip. Cost & Value (?/10) I paid $140US for it at Goulet Pens. Since I don't have experience with other pens at this price range, I'm not quite sure how the Vanishing Point would compare to them. Conclusion (Final score 8.5/10) I love this pen. It's my go to pen for most of what I do. It's elegant, feels great, and is just so smooth to write with. Sure there are a few issues with it, like the pen starting out wet and going a bit drier as I write, and the few skips and hard starts, but that's not enough to dampen my enthusiasm for this pen. I like it for what I do, I'm glad it is now part of my collection, and it sees frequent use.

I want to get myself my first Vanishing Point. I have read threads about Vanishing Point nib widths running a size wider than other Pilot models. I saw Goulet nib nook but it seems I cant benchmark the nib width. I can't decide whether I should go for a Medium or a Broad. I would like to use it for daily purposes. The only Japanese Medium I own is a Plaisir and a Preppy medium. Can anyone show a written sample of a Vanishing Point Broad compared to a Preppy or some other nib width?

I can't get enough of this Namiki Vanishing Point!! Do you guys like the more intricate designs in Namikis such as this, or prefer the solid colors?? This one is probably my favorite by far. Feel free to vote in the poll above!

I am trying to think a little ahead, here, and get an idea of a goal I want to start shooting for. I am thinking of getting my next fountain pen in the $50-$100 range in the next several months. Currently I own a Pilot Metro (F), Pilot 78G (B ), and a TWSBI Eco (EF). I tend to write small, and generally with about a 50 degree angle to the page. Eventually I would like to own both a VP and a Lamy 2000. So, here's the dilemma: neither the VP with a gold nib, nor the Lamy 2k are in the desired price range right now, so they'll probably be a couple years out. I am both a student, and a full-time employee in a law office. Piston-fillers and a super-easy deployment both have a lot of draw for me. I can get the TWSBI in the States for around the $50-$70 range, depending on model, and I can get that "Special Alloy" VP shipped from Japan for around $90. I have been stalking reviews on both for months now, but I am having a really hard time picking one over the other. It's also nice to think I can swap out nib units for either if I want to switch (in the case of both) or upgrade (in the case of the VP). Do any of you have experience with both? Preferences for one over the other (and why)? The pen will be used as my edc, the daily go-to for notes and dictation in the office, light notes for school, and my future "Ink Tests for the Common Office" reviews. Right now, my Eco with the EF nib is lasting between one and two weeks per fill, and I am not bothered by having to fill more often. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hello guys, I am a mechanical pencil collector from China. It's my first time posting here in FPN. I have been seeking for a PILOT Automatic H-5005 Vanishing Point Mechanical Pencil for 5 years, and this is the 6th year. I think many of you have heard of it. It's very rare, and I already looked over ALL the websites that have a keyword "PILOT AUTOMATIC H-5005" that I can find on Google. I did see some auctions in Japan for it during the past few years, but I missed it because of many reasons. I have talked to many pencil collectors outside of China. I don't think it had been sold officially by PILOT in outside Japan, but what surprised me is that I heard some collectors from North and South America owned this pencil before. It has been a problem that not only me but also many of my friends (also pencil collectors) have the money to buy it for a really high price, but we cannot find even a single piece. Under such a situation, one of my friend suggested me to ask for help here since FPN is probably the most widespread forum in which I can find collectors who have been collecting pens or pencils for several decades. To complete my collection of Pilot Vanishing Point mechanical pencil, I will need this H-5005 eventually. But I will also need some other pencils to complete my whole collection. Here I listed some below: Sakura Free Matic ES1000A Sakura Archi Y2 Sakura AT matic ATS3000 (I have the blue barrel one, looking for a black version) Faber-Castell Alpha-matic (silver version. I have the 230th gold version, executive, titanium, bronze and the plastic versions, need a silver one) I really appreciate that if someone can help me. I prefer buying directly, however exchange with pencil/fountain pens is also possible. I attach the photo of H-5005 below.

A question pertaining to Vanishing Point nib sizes: Has anyone else experienced a significant difference between the fine and medium VP nibs (the silver looking gold nib rather than the black-coated gold nib)? I have both a fine and a medium. The fine is almost like writing with a needle and the medium lays down a much larger, wetter line. I'm pretty experienced with fountain pens, so made sure to use the same ink and paper combinations when experimenting in order to reduce the variables. I used Iroshizuku take-sumi and standard Rhodia graph paper as well as cheaper steno pad paper in a separate test. I also understand the differences between Western and Japanese nibs, i.e. a Western fine in more like a Japanese medium, Japanese nibs running approximately one size smaller than it's Western counterpart. I love the idea and ease of the VP, but have been unhappy with both these nibs, either too fine or too broad for my tastes. It just seems like there is such a jump between the fine and medium... Was curious if anyone else had a similar experience or additional thoughts/comments or if I happened to get into some quality control issues. Cheers, RO

I've been using fountain pens actively only for few months and i quite much like the stiffness of non-gold nibs. I quite like my Pilot 78G F nib. It is quite stiff compared to my Sailor Profit 14K F nib. I might later come to appreciate the extra smoothness gold nibs give but at the moment i quite much enjoy to not having to feel the "OMG am i going to beak it" feeling that i associate with gold nibs. I have two questions that i have been trying to find information about but not succeeded. If you are in possession / have tried special alloy nib i would greatly appreciate more information. How would you compare the nibs of Pilot 78G F and special alloy Vanishing point F? I have read that Vanishing Point with special alloy is rather dry. If possible can you verbally compere it to 78G? HAve you experience in adjusting it to be more wet? Another option to VP with special alloy nib would be to order smoothed EF nib from Pendleton Brown to my TWSBI 580.