Pilot Vanishing Point Review

The first post in my first blog is about my newest pen, the Pilot Vanishing Point. It has been a long time coming that I've wanted to buy this pen - after having several come in and out of my collection for some time. I know I won't be the most prolific blogger about pens and stationery, but I wanted to share my love of fountain pens and stationery. In this digital world, what brings us back to basics than pen and paper?

Pilot VP Blue with Rhodium Trim

Pictured above is my new blue and rhodium trim VP on top of my Midori A5 Goat notebook cover housing a Hobonichi Cousin. All of which I will also review in due time. The VP was once one of a kind in retractible fountain pen technology, and save for the Lamy Dialog, there are few other "capless" options. In fact, the VP is in the family of Pilot Capless pens, which include the Pilot Decimo, VP, and Fermo.

Looking down the trap door

What makes this pen capless? As fountain pen users know, in most pens, there is a cap general that screws or snaps onto the section covering the nib. In the pilot VP, there is a small trap door that the nib (really the feed) pushes through when you depress the knock (fancy word for clicky thing), and extends the nib for you to write quick notes! See the above photo for a peek at the door. You can't see the nib from that angle at all - it's just the trap door you can see inside the hole.

BOOM! A nib appears!

Here is the nib extended!! Pictured next to it is a Leutchtterm A6 Slim notebook, which I will also review at a later time. It's an extra-fine nib at the suggestion of my friend, the lovely salesperson at my local pen and stationery shop, WonderPens.

Pen with my notebooks.

The nib writes very well - it is wetter than I think, although with prolonged exposure it can get a bit dry. Just recap it, and simply the action of pushing the knock again resets its wetness. I am antsy to buy a fatter nib like a M or a B or actually, a stub, to really see what this baby can do. As it is, EF is perfect for non-fountain pen paper, and all of my paper at work.

Disassembled!

Disassembled, the VP is made of 3 major units - the knock system (the back end), the converter-feed-nib system (the guts), and the clip-grip-trapdoor section (the front end). One of my "knocks" haha about this pen is certainly the converter. I'm glad I have an EF nib so that I have enough ink for my day, since I write a lot in my profession. 0.5mL, of which I can really only usually fill 0.4mL in a CON-50 converter is really not enough for a pen that just demands to be used.

In fact, new pens come with a CON-40 converter - which only actually holds 0.4mL... not sure what its actual fill amount is. You can always get the close to 1mL ink cartridge and refill it via syringe, but I would argue that seems too labour intensive. Maybe I should try using an ink sample vial and bring that as backup...

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What about contruction? This pen is SOLID. It's made of brass that has a smooth laquer-like surface in the colour part and tight threads with an O-ring that hold the front end and the back end together. The pen is hefty, at roughly 30g unfilled and a little more in some models. It is not unweildly at all, however, given that its weight is solidly in the grip part of the front end. Beautiful almost indestructible construction.

VP on the left, PG on the right

Here is the size of it next to a capped Sailor Professional Gear. It is remarkably heftier, and feels even more solid that my wonderful Pro Gear.

You always hear - what about that clip getting in the way of your grip? There are little cutouts of the grip for just that purpose. I think ballpoints have ruined everyone's pen grip, but there is a tripod grip that is meant for a pen. Try it, put your first 2 fingers and your thumb together in a relaxed way - look at the shape of your 2nd finger - it should be in a relaxed C-shape. This is the correct hand position to hold a pen! I won't make it too grim for most people who do not hold a pen like this... like myself who sometimes do the whole thumb over 2nd finger thing when I'm holding ballpoints... but truly, the VP can help remind us how to hold a pen such that we don't use too much pressure to spring a nib... just let the beautiful 18k thing glide by its own weight over the page.

Head to Head

Here is a photo of both the Pro Gear nib (M) and the VP nib (EF) facing off. Certainly, the EF really is... EF. It is perfect on all papers. Below is a writing sample of it in my Hobonichi Cousin which has Tomoe River planner paper. Please note the 2 different figure 8s. The first one and the title are written when the EF was running slightly dry after being "uncapped" for some time. I recapped it to take some photos, and the figure 8 to the right of the firs tone is the result.

Many people want to know about flex - this pen does not flex. In fact, it has some subtle line variation from the 18k softness, but it is by no means meant to, or should be, flexed. However, it gives a highly consistent line, and I have yet to have a hard start. This is my go-to pen for jotting notes around the house on any paper (even 3M sticky notes), my pocket bullet journal/to-do list, and especially writing consultation notes on very very poor quality hospital paper.

Writing Sample

In conclusion - the VP has quickly become a staple for me given its mechanism for writing. Its pros include: great for quick notes, wet enough for good paper, dry enough for bad paper, interesting design and history, durable and well made. Cons: tiny ink capacity, fingerprint magnet (unless you get the matte collection, then scratchable), clip might be bothersome unless you have a tripod grip, may get slightly dry if uncapped for over 10 mins. For myself in my life, and in my profession, this is a great pen!! I am using it for bullet journaling, at work, and just around the house. I have other pens more dedicated to longer sessions or if I'm going to be out and about :) You'll hear about them soon.

I hope you've enjoyed my review of the VP. It really isn't technical, and none of my reviews will be. I just want to share my love of fountain pens and paper with you all, and show you how I use them.  If there is something anyone wants me to review in particular (as long as I can get it, or have it already), I'd be happy to... for now, I'll just be reviewing the pens and paper I currently own :)

Feel free to give me feedback and make comments if you want.