Is This Enablement?!

[MercianScribe]

OK, cover me, I'm going in...!

 

$20ish (£15 - ¥2160 to be precise) for a seemingly unscratched, sound nibbed (F, 14CT) Pilot Vanishing Point (Capless?). The 'knock' mechanism seems a little stiff, and when I took opened it to check out the inside, the spring came out with the nib/section assembly, but it seems fine otherwise.

So, do I?

 

Obviously, the answer is probably 'yes', otherwise I wouldn't come to you guys...!

But, as someone who is primarily interested in calligraphy (as in, I write all of my work notes and to-do lists etc in italic/roundhand/summat fancy), who has almost exclusively vintage flex, modern 'flex', various italic and stub pens, with maybe only three 'regular' nibs for marking papers at work... Who can sell me on the merits of the Vanishing Point? And who doesn't like them and why?

 

Cheers!

[ParkerDuofold]

Hi MS,

 

I do not know too much, if anything, about restoring VP's, to get that one back into premo working condition; but it seems to capture your interest even though it's the opposite of what you look for in a pen.

 

The price seems right... so go for it and sate your curiosity and see how the other half lives.

 

Be well and in the words of the immortal Scoob... rots a ruck.

 

 

- Anthony

 

P.S.: Was this sufficient enabling... did I measure up to FPN standards?

[Rosendust2121]

Hi MS,

 

I do not know too much, if anything, about restoring VP's, to get that one back into premo working condition; but it seems to capture your interest even though it's the opposite of what you look for in a pen.

 

The price seems right... so go for it and sate your curiosity and see how the other half lives.

 

Be well and in the words of the immortal Scoob... rots a ruck.

 

 

- Anthony

 

P.S.: Was this sufficient enabling... did I measure up to FPN standards?

 

I have to agree with you, this opportunity's too good to pass up!

[inkstainedruth]

I don't know enough about VPs to know whether it's a major repair job, but it sounds like a great price (I thought I did well a year and a half ago at paying $45 US for a practically new one (the cartridge was used up, but that was the only problem).

If you don't get info about repairs, contact Pilot (I don't know if there's a UK division but I've sent email to Pilot-USA with questions a few times.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Arkanabar]

I had one of the matte black, faceted "stealth" model VPs, and it never saw much use, especially once I had my M200. Looking over seventeen years back into the mists of time, I couldn't tell you if it was the excessive weight, the excessive girth, or the triangular section profile created by the clip that was most important in dissuading me from using it.

 

But hey, that's me. This forum is full of devotees of pens as heavy as the Jinhao 159, as girthy as the Noodler's Ahab and Neponset, and as triangular as the Lamy Safari. That does seem a bargain price for a VP or even a Decimo.

Edited September 12, 2017 by Arkanabar

[AAAndrew]

I think it's your duty to purchase this:

1. To save it from the unworthy who would try to put a ball point refill in, couldn't figure it out and stick it in a drawer

2. To give you greater experience in understanding modern fountain pens, including repair and maintenance.

3. To practice your monoline Spencerian, an artful and "summat fancy" hand in it's own right

4. To then pass on to a worthy child/niece/nephew/strange child on the street who looks ripe for further recruitment into the cult hobby. As it is a somewhat more expensive pen (at least compared to any ball point or gel pen they've used before) but it cost you minimal, you'll appear as the grand and generous parent/relative/odd stranger.

 

Go forth and purchase more pens!!

[MercianScribe]

I think it's your duty to purchase this:

1. To save it from the unworthy who would try to put a ball point refill in, couldn't figure it out and stick it in a drawer

2. To give you greater experience in understanding modern fountain pens, including repair and maintenance.

3. To practice your monoline Spencerian, an artful and "summat fancy" hand in it's own right

4. To then pass on to a worthy child/niece/nephew/strange child on the street who looks ripe for further recruitment into the cult hobby. As it is a somewhat more expensive pen (at least compared to any ball point or gel pen they've used before) but it cost you minimal, you'll appear as the grand and generous parent/relative/odd stranger.

 

Go forth and purchase more pens!!

 

This might have just swung it.

My monoline Spencerian is pretty poor.

 

Arkanabar: It didn't seem very thick in girth...

[AAAndrew]

Always glad to be of service to further folks down the slippery slope.

[amberleadavis]

Send it to Pilot for repair. The cost is minimal, the service is excellent.

[MercianScribe]

Send it to Pilot for repair. The cost is minimal, the service is excellent.

 

You know, I never thought of that, which considering I live here in Japan, is a bit of a daft oversight... Thanks!

[amberleadavis]

Mat, glad to help.

[EMQG]

A VP at that price is a bargain, even if you need to have some work done on it.

 

If you do, I hear Ron Zorn is good for VPs

[MercianScribe]

Well, I got it! I'll post a pic at some point soon, although it's a bog standard black and you all know what they look like!! It might be one of the slimmer ones; the proportions look a little different to the normal. I took it apart to give it a good clean and putting it back together again I must have set the spring a little badly as its catch isn't working properly, so I may yet take it to Pilot.

 

I'm afraid EMQG, Stateside restorers won't be any use for me, as I live in Japan, but thanks for the suggestion.