Pen Review - Pilot Vanishing Point

[cjr]

Fantastic review! Thanks. I have a VP blue carbonesque with a fine nib. After a few years, I decided I needed a darker line, so ordered a medium rhodium nib. Tried that out and it is much better, but the nib squeaks something awful. If I write very slowly, it is OK, but I'm disappointed in the squeaking because I use my pen daily for note taking in the office. I'm concerned the squeaking will disturb others in meetings.

 

I may have to order another nib, this time from Binder, to get a better feel. However, despite the squeaking, my VP is my favorite daily carry pen because of the nib retraction mechanism.

 

Thanks for the thorough review.

[lurcho]

 

I own a VP in Blue Carbonesque. It's been my trusty pen. I find it well balanced and a dream to write with. Never had any issues with the fine nib myself. I use the pen on a daily basis, the clicking mechanism works well for me. After almost 7 years I am still using the same pen everyday.

 

You mean 'every day'. 'Everyday' is an adjective.

[Koyote]

 

You mean 'every day'. 'Everyday' is an adjective.

 

Does "anal retentive" contain an adjective?

Edited February 9, 2014 by Koyote

[lurcho]

You mean 'anally retentive'. it's an adjectival phrase.

Edited February 9, 2014 by lurcho

[Koyote]

You mean 'anally retentive'. it's an adjectival phrase.

 

I use adjectives everyday.

[lurcho]

So, you use quotidian adjectives, but have a German's disrepect for the...

 

Seriously, I'm winding you up. I'm not being aggressive.

 

Forgive me.

[Koyote]

So, you use quotidian adjectives, but have a German's disrepect for the...

 

Seriously, I'm winding you up. I'm not being aggressive.

 

Forgive me.

 

So, along with pretentiously correcting a minor grammatical error committed by a poster whose native language is likely not English, you are now also slandering Germans?

 

I'm not sure if any of that is as sad as believing that you are winding me up. Methinks your sarcasm detector is broken.

 

But at least you know all about adjectives.

Edited February 10, 2014 by Koyote

[lurcho]

It wasn't a minor error.

 

I'll refrain from using the adjective I currently have in mind. (Actually, it's a verb followed by a preposition.)

 

My point about Germans was simply that the German language places a different weight on, or pays a different degree of respect to, verbs or nouns or whatever.

 

Listen: If someone sort-of apologises to another on an internet chat forum, it's not as if they're doing it for fear of medical repercussions.

 

Chillax.

Edited February 10, 2014 by lurcho

[Pen2009]

 

I own a VP in Blue Carbonesque. It's been my trusty pen. I find it well balanced and a dream to write with. Never had any issues with the fine nib myself. I use the pen on a daily basis, the clicking mechanism works well for me. After almost 7 years I am still using the same pen everyday

How often would you click on and off each day? Mine started getting loose with the clicking mechanism less than a year. Oftentimes, the clicking does not "catch" first time to get the nib out.

[jclewis33]

Nice review. I have been considering getting a VP for about 9 months now. Haven't pulled the trigger yet, not sure why.

[Oldtimer]

Based on the review, I wouldn't buy the VP. Apen with that price should not peel or scratch that easily and the nib rubbing a part, that is unthinkable of. So, as much as I would like to click YES I wouldn't until they solve the finishing quality problems at least.

 

Great review, BTW! Thanks! It ha shelled me cross it out of my list.

[konradwhite]

If nib is more smooth than in Heritage 92 or Custome 74?

[vikasbargale]

Hi, I am doctor and also a fountain pen lover. So my priority is having a permanent ink as to write on case paper and prescriptions. And other practical point is, I dont want to keep on capping and uncapping my pen. I love writing unposted. So only option for pen is Pilot Vanishing Point(PVP) for its click mechanism ( just like ball-point) So all well. But the problem is JUST LOVE Noodlers' Baystate Blue(BSB), for both its water proofing and the vibrancy. I know its dangers. As of now using BSB without any problems in Pilot Metropolitan for 2 months. But seriously want to shift to PVP, for its practical purpose for me.

SO the big question is should I use BSB in PVP?

So I request the community to throw some light on it. Does anyone has any personal experience in this combination?

Regards,

Dr. Vikas

 

[DrDebG]

Very nice review!

 

I love my two VPs. At least, I love the concept behind my two VPs. I have had nothing but problems with both of them since my husband ordered them a couple of years ago. So, I bought another nib unit - a stub. That too has given me nothing but problems. Scratchiness, poor ink flow, etc. I finally contacted Mike Matsuyama. They are now in his very capable hands. I am really looking forward to them working well.

[Oldtimer]

Based on the review, I wouldn't buy the VP. Apen with that price should not peel or scratch that easily and the nib rubbing a part, that is unthinkable of. So, as much as I would like to click YES I wouldn't until they solve the finishing quality problems at least.

 

Great review, BTW! Thanks! It ha shelled me cross it out of my list.

... And then I saved some money, forgot about this early list and bought a VP... OMG I have gone through two additional nibs and it was still a problematic nib, so i "retired it". I have no love for this pen, I only love the concept and refuse to invest any more on nibs hoping one of them will work. My last avenue is the stub, maybe that'l work but I woul sell it on a whim if I decide d to go through the hassle of placing an ad somewhere. Is the DECIMO any better! I gues sthey use the same nibs, don't hey?

[inkstainedruth]

I just picked up a used one last week as a happenstance find in an antiques store about an hour and a quarter north of where I live. I still need to flush out the nib unit but it seems to be working ok otherwise (we'll see how much the husband likes the pen -- it's a bit too heavy for me).

I'm with Berelleza, a bit -- I like the size of the Decimos better, and were hoping that they would be lighter weight. But I'm not sure I want to pay full price for one, since they're basically the same cost as for one of the full size VPs, which is not exactly inexpensive....

Anyone have experience for VPs with either an F nib (which is what the one I bought came with) or an EF nib?

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Tasmith]

I just picked up a used one last week as a happenstance find in an antiques store about an hour and a quarter north of where I live. I still need to flush out the nib unit but it seems to be working ok otherwise (we'll see how much the husband likes the pen -- it's a bit too heavy for me).

I'm with Berelleza, a bit -- I like the size of the Decimos better, and were hoping that they would be lighter weight. But I'm not sure I want to pay full price for one, since they're basically the same cost as for one of the full size VPs, which is not exactly inexpensive....

Anyone have experience for VPs with either an F nib (which is what the one I bought came with) or an EF nib?

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

My Decimo has a fine nib that is one of my smoothest nibs. I use Pelikan 4001 Royal Blue in it with a Con 20 squeeze converter. I tried using Montblanc Permanent Blue, but the feed and nib would dry out in a day or two making for a hard start. Can leave the Decimo sit for a few days with Peilkan Royal Blue and it always starts right up. The Decimo weighs about 22 grams vs. the VP's 32 grams.

Edited April 28, 2016 by Tasmith

[Oldtimer]

I just picked up a used one last week as a happenstance find in an antiques store about an hour and a quarter north of where I live. I still need to flush out the nib unit but it seems to be working ok otherwise (we'll see how much the husband likes the pen -- it's a bit too heavy for me).

I'm with Berelleza, a bit -- I like the size of the Decimos better, and were hoping that they would be lighter weight. But I'm not sure I want to pay full price for one, since they're basically the same cost as for one of the full size VPs, which is not exactly inexpensive....

Anyone have experience for VPs with either an F nib (which is what the one I bought came with) or an EF nib?

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

 

Two of the nibs I tried were an EF & F. It was scratchy, more than normal SCRATCHY, more than a $15 EF Nemosine MUCH MORE scratchy than a 78G Fine(which is actually smooth), etc,etc… I guess someone with experience could fix that, but I wouldn't try it. So, I had a medium, a F , EF and none of them worked out of the box. The actual M gets unused because is not a good M, just ordinary and lacking any smoothness.

Edited April 28, 2016 by Berelleza

[Bluey]

My F nib was scratchy too. After a bit of smoothing it writes a lot better now, more smoothly and quite nicely. And the click mechanism is a godsend for me when it comes to making notes of topics I'm attempting to learn.

The sparkly colours on the Decimo are really quite stunning, particularly the sapphire, pink champagne, and burgundy

Edited April 28, 2016 by Bluey

[inkstainedruth]

Well, I've been soaking the nib unit since yesterday afternoon. I thought the cartridge was pretty much dead but there's still a tremendous amount of ink coming out of the nib unit. Put it in fresh (distilled) water this morning (but not horizontally, like it was last night) and there's still a small stream of ink coming out from where the nib and feed hits the section.

Part of the trouble is that I have not been able to get the cartridge pulled off. I contacted Pilot USA, and was told that I could try soaking the entire nib unit with the cartridge attached, but to not try to force it (because that might damage the spring). Starting to wonder if that was why it was in an antiques store for a third of the price of a new VP....

If I had realized that there was that much ink still in the pen, I would have just wet the nib and tried writing with the pen (can't tell what the cartridge is, but given that everything else looked pretty much pristine, I'm guessing that it was Pilot/Namiki Black, and the one that came with the pen).

If I could get the danged cartridge off, I'd just flush everything with a bulb syringe. Seriously considering taking jeweler's pliers to it. Any tips for cartridge removal -- short of sticking it back into the dish tub and flushing the {expletive deleted} out of it? The only other Pilot pens I have are a couple of (dead) Varsities, so I have no real frame of reference.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth