Pilot Vanishing Point- To Buy Or Not To Buy?

[elysee]

  On 8/12/2013 at 6:53 PM, cadfael_tex said:

Just wanted to add that some vendors will remove the clip for you (for a fee).

Removing the clip would be the solution to the clip problem, allowing for the slight pen rotation that facilitates the creation of lovely variable line widths while writing. Being able to fully utilize the nib with its lovely edges and surface is what makes using a fountain pen so pleasurable.

Edited August 12, 2013 by elysee

[cadfael_tex]

Richard Binder will remove the clips. http://www.richardspens.com/?page=pens/nam.htm

Edited August 12, 2013 by cadfael_tex

[Anabasis]

I love my VP, like most Pilot products it is very well-made and you get performance for your money. I do not hold my pen "correctly", but I have not found the clip placement to be an issue. However, I have a medium so I cannot advise about the XF nib.

[sharonspens]

I agree with Tom/OldGriz. I had an older, faceted VP that I really liked, but the body finally cracked. I sent it back to Pilot to see if it could be repaired, and they very kindly sent me a brand new one for free (I mean, it was a really nice deal; I'd had that old one for many years, and it sat for a couple of years before it ever crossed my mind to send it to them). Sadly, I really hated the feel of that new, heavier pen. I eventually traded it to a good friend who had coveted one. I am pretty sure Pilot no longer does that trade of old for brand spanking new, BTW.

 

clearly, however, other people love the feel of that pen. I again advise handling one before purchasing.

 

Sharon in Indiana

[de_pen_dent]

  On 8/12/2013 at 7:54 PM, MBFan said:

What sorcery?! How much more would that cost, and where can I find it?

 

I really wanted a VP, but the clip killed it (I own a Lamy Dialog 3 and the clip on that is only just acceptable).

 

Easy to do yourself - heat the top cap with a heat gun to get it off. Then open the tabs on the inside and take the clip off. Glue the top cap back on.

 

Opening the tabs is a bit of a PITA, but otherwise, it is a fairly painless process.

[hari317]

The Decimo in my experience is a worthy alternative to the faceted VP in terms of ergonomics.

[tomkeb]

  On 8/12/2013 at 1:49 AM, rumbleroar said:

Hey guys! I'm relatively new to fountain pens, but I adore them already. I started using them as a product of a search for a finer line (messy, fast, small script required it), and now I continue my search. I am currently most interested in the Pilot Vanishing Point XF nib, which I have heard great things about. For context, I am a senior in high school (limited funds, and this will be used for note-taking), and I have been using a Lamy Safari XF for about five months now.

 

How much thinner is the VP XF nib? How smoothly does it write? Is it useable for daily note-taking, as in fast note-taking? Could I use it with your typical 5-subject mead or staples notebook? ****If not, what's a good five-subject notebook for it?******

 

And, honestly, is $140 worth it? I'm saving up for it with lawn-mowing so it will take a few months (or longer if it snows early this year), but if it's really worth it I'm in.

 

And one more thing, does anyone know if it's possible to test-drive one in a pen shop? It doesn't have to be any particular size nib, I just would like to know if the clip placement is a problem before I spend that amount of money.

 

Thank you, to anyone who can help me out!

 

By my standards the Safari <EF> nib is far from being truly fine. It writes even a hair wider than a Pilot <M> nib, so if you bought a Pilot <EF> nib, it would be a radical change. Check out the Nib Nook at Goulet Pens. I think VP <F> nib might just be good enough for you. I suggest you look into this topic.

 

The VP was worth the price for me, I've had my eye on it for years… but I keep it at home. For fine note taking at school I use other Pilot pens, such as Prera and MR/Metropolitan with <F> nibs.

[Sleepyside]

The solution to the too fat/too heavy problem is the Decimo. I, too, really disliked the VP. But I loved the Decimo enough that I got another one. Note that in the US that will really cost you, as they are 100 bucks more than the VP and only available from Jetpens.

[metaphora]

I think it's absolutely worth it. In my case, once I got a Decimo, I stopped buying pens completely because I finally found the perfect daily user. That probably saved me hundreds of dollars in potential pen purchases :-) I use a Decimo F and a Lamy Safari F daily. I gave away my Safari XF (not because I hated it, but because a friend fell in love with it), but my recollection is that the Safari XF has a broader line width than the Decimo F.

 

+1 on others' recommendation to test drive one before you buy. I never feel the clip on the Decimo but the VP was too wide for my hands and the clip only made it feel more unwieldy.

 

In re: theft. Seems to me that roller ball pens often get stolen, but FPs never seem to be a target. They must look too "complicated" and "leaky."

[GemMayhem]

Welcome to the joys of fountain pens.

I concur with the advice to try before you buy if at all possible. The Vanishing Point is definitely a pen that people either love or hate, with no in-between, mostly due to the clip placement. As mentioned above, folks like Richard Binder can remove the clip if you otherwise like the pen.

My favourite VP is one I've had for about a decade and write with it every day. It has the "carbonesque" finish, which has a great subtle texture to it. (I also like the way it looks.) Unlike entropydave's experience, I have found my VPs to be very durable. My daily one has traveled well over a million miles with me, is used every day and still looks and feels brand new. The Decimo is also very nice and has a lighter weight if you don't like the feel of the normal VP.

If you're not near a brick and mortar sore, perhaps a pen club is nearby? A member might be able to bring one for you to try.

For nib size, do consider an F instead of EF. The VP EF is even finer than the LAMY Safari EF. Brian Goulet's Nib Nook (no affiliation) can give you a better idea. http://www.gouletpens.com/Nib_Nook_s/1114.htm

Not to lead you astray... but if should you get a VP and like it, folks like Richard Binder offer customized nibs that you might want to try later. I use his cursive italic for non-technical writing (I use standard F or M for my technical notes/schematics).

Best of luck! I hope you find the perfect pen for yourself. (P.S. Pens also make awesome graduation presents, so consider them for your wish list when you finish your senior year. )

 

Edited to fix typo.

Edited August 14, 2013 by GemMayhem

[PatientType]

I have three different types of vanishing point and I really like mine. They're perhaps the most convenient to use pen when you are using a pen start-and-stop. The VP is a little smaller in the barrel than some pens and, for home use, I usually grab a larger pen. But for meetings? They're great.

They can also be a conversation starter? "Is that a ball point or a felt-tip or what? Ohhhhhh, really.... Verrry cool! Never seen a pen that looked like that."

[pen_addict]

So I own 2 of them and am currently on the lookout for a 3rd all with F nibs... I did try the XF but actually found it inconsistent and just a little too fine for everyday note taking... I also have 2 Lamys with F and EF nibs and I'd say for me at least that the Pilot F is a hair thinner than my Lamy EF

 

Then again, as others have mentioned the clip can be a deal breaker.... FWIW the clip doesn't bother me at all but I have a friend who hates the position... Then again, I hate the Lamy Safari barrel which feels different than the Al-Star but the same guy find both of them to be similar... to each their own and trying before buying definitely helps!

[johntdavis]

  On 8/12/2013 at 8:05 PM, OldGriz said:

I personally do not like the modern Vanishing Points due to the clip placement, weight and cap diameter... they just don't feel right in my hand....

I bought and sold about 4 of them over the course of time........

 

HOWEVER, I AM IN LOVE with the older facetted Vanishing Points as they feel every bit as good in my hand as my favorite Parker 51..

The also use the same nib units as the modern pens and can generally be found on eBay for about the same price or a bit less....

 

Ditto. I love my Fermo (a variation of the Pilot VP with a twist mechanism instead of a button and a slightly different body that, unfortunately, lacks the VPs dazzling array of finishes), but it feels like a brick in my hand compared to my 1994 blue faceted plastic VP, which feels literally weightless in my hand.

 

The faceted body also makes for a bit nicer grip, IMHO. Like a number two pencil. It's also less likely to roll around.

 

I've never had an issue with the clip. I'm left handed and my grip, apparently, has no issues with its placement.

 

One note about the Pilot VP M nib: it's, from my experience, a bit broader/wetter than other M nibs from Pilot, and the jump from F to M in a VP is more than you might expect. It's possible to mistake a medium VP nib for a bold.

 

I also think you'd do fine with an F nib. They're incredibly smooth for fines. (Pilot makes consistently excellent nibs: with the exception of the M nib oddity on the VP, a given Pilot nib in one pen model will perform similarly/almost identically to the same size nib in another model. I have three Pilot F nibs in three different pen models, and they all give the same excellent, smooth performance and virtually the same line width.)

 

I use my Pilot Fs for margin notes when doing legal work and document annotation; I've never had any trouble with getting small, legible writing out of them. I'd get an F and, if necessary, get an XF unit later. The great thing about the VP is it's incredibly easy to switch the nib units out, and it's like a completely new pen when you're done.

[Centopar]

I love mine; it's never out of arm's reach. Definitely try before you buy, though; the clip does not work for everyone. (And I'm assuming you're not like I was at high school, when I was impossibly scatty and tended to lose things I loved on a weekly basis.)

 

 

You should be aware that a F VP nib is a lot finer than an F Lamy nib - it's usually the way with Japanese pens, and I find the F is equivalent to a western XF. Again, try before you buy. Mine's from Richard Binder, who works on the nibs before he sells the pen, and is less scratchy than F VPs I sampled in stores.

[ashbridg]

  On 8/15/2013 at 3:48 PM, Centopar said:

Mine's from Richard Binder, who works on the nibs before he sells the pen, and is less scratchy than F VPs I sampled in stores.

That's a good point. Fine and extra-fine nibs are harder to get right because they require a more precise grind and are more likely to need adjustment right out of the box. Richard tuned my fine-point VP when I bought it, and it writes as smoothly as any fine point I've seen. Buying pens from a vendor who tunes them as part of the purchase is always a good idea, more so when the pen has a fine or extra-fine nib.

 

As for removing the clip, I would not do it. The clip holes in the nose cone are ugly, and the pen will roll off the table, not to mention you can't clip it to a shirt pocket. If you don't like the clip, don't buy the pen. Just my opinion.

Edited August 16, 2013 by ashbridg

[rickygene]

I reinforce all of the good points already made. Definitely try one out first. If the VP fits your writing style it is a very tough, practical, everyday pen. The only real disadvantage is the small ink capacity, should be less of a problem if you use a F of XF nib.

 

It is not a cheap pen, but good value, if that makes sense. I lost my first one after ten years of use and at $10 or so a year I count it as good value. I can't afford to lose one more often than that!

I'll leave the risk vs. reward decision to you.

 

My new VP is now my everyday work pen - see my post at: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/220874-dont-just-tell-us-about-the-pen-youre-using-show-us/?p=2770578

[flatline]

The undeniable practicality of a clicky fountain pen pretty much guarantees that I'll eventually purchase a Vanishing Point pen from Richard Binder (same price as other sources, but comes with a binderized nib...seems like a no-brainer).

 

I'm particularly interested in the 0.9mm cursive italic nib that Richard Binder sells for the VP. The potential for line variation is, to me anyways, the one thing that sets fountain pens apart from other kinds of pens and so if I'm going to pay a lot for a fountain pen, I want it to be one that can give me some line variation.

 

The only reason I haven't ordered one already is because I haven't figured out how to try out a VP in order to see if the clip placement would, in fact, bother me.

 

--flatline

[BillZ]

I bought one from Dromgoole's in Houston's Rice Village about two weeks ago. I had looked at them before but was hesitant because of the clip placement. As I've said, the beauty of a B&M store is actually holding and using the very pen you will buy.

I tried the "floor model" and then actually picked one out with a Fine nib. I've been using it for most of my writing since I got it to get used to it. I love it! The clip situation turned out to be a non-issue for me. The convenience of not having to post or do something with the cap is wonderful. This feature alone would make it an excellent choice for note-taking in school if you can bite the bullet on the price. Maybe a cheaper one on Ebay? I recommend the F or EF nib. I got the converter but also bought some black cartridges. Nice ink and fairly large. Another advantage when you are on the go. Good luck

[DanF]

I"m an "inbetweener", the exception to the above rule. I like the convenience of my Vanishing P3oint for quick notes, but it's too heavy for me for any serious writing session. I have a Decimo too, find the weight much better, but it's too skinny. The Decimo can be purchased directly from Japan for about the same price as the Vanishing Point, but Jetpens here in the states charges over $100 more for it.

 

If you do wind up getting one or the other, I would recommend using cartridges rather than the converter, (you refill them with a syringe with bottled ink), as the carts hold much more ink than the converter, and a few spare carts will allow for easy changes when you run out at school.

 

Dan

[Lemonshark]

I took the dive and bought one a week ago. I was the in the pen store and they had one inked up for testing. The clip problem is negligible for myself and I actually think it helps me with proper grip when writing with a fountain pen (prevents me from turning it in my hand while writing). It feels great to write with and the nib is extremely smooth. I got mine in a M but the line is still fine enough for my small handwriting. This is my first pen over $100 and I love it. Highly recommend it.