Pilot Vanishing Point FP and Pencil

[pkoko]

I just want to say what got me hooked on fine instruments is my trusty pilot VP mechanical pencil. It is so well built and so practical that it is w/o a doubt one of the best pencils ever made. First the Fountain Pen:

Pilot Vanishing Point Black with Rhodium trim

Fine Nib 14k Gold nib.

 

Packaging (4.5/5):

The package came in traditional Pilot packing w/ nice gold trim on the outside. It looks nice from far and feels good close. Open the box and the pen resides in pristine location. I also love the padded back cover look.

http://www.stmaryadultmedicine.com/IMG_1082_1.JPG

 

http://www.stmaryadultmedicine.com/IMG_1083_1.JPG

 

http://www.stmaryadultmedicine.com/IMG_1084_1.JPG

 

Exterior Design(8.5/10):

This pen will not win many beauty contests. And many will mistake it to look cheaper than it is which IMHO a big plus in order not to attract unnecessary attention. Everything about the exterior design is about function over form.

http://www.stmaryadultmedicine.com/IMG_1093_1_1.JPG

 

Fit & finish(14.5/15):

The paper clip is strong and everything feels solid and well built. The clip’s location actually aids in adjusting the nib. There are no scratches or flaws with the pen; the finish feels silky smooth and feels like it will last. It loses one point b/c the clicker is a little loose.

 

Refilling (6/10):

The pen came with a converter and 1 cartilage. The converter capacity is really small making refills a constant routine every 8-10 pages or so. To add insult to injury it is almost impossible to look at the converter and know how much ink is left. I haven’t used the cartridge but it looks to be a nice size and hopefully refilling it is easy. The pen will also have to be disassembled in order to refill. So quick refills are a no No.

 

Ergonomics(9.5/10):

A simple click fountain pen. What is not to like. It has a nice thick feel of more expensive pens. The clip also aligns the nib perfectly. The pen is very balanced. It loses ½ a point b/c it is a tad too heavy.

 

http://www.stmaryadultmedicine.com/IMG_1095_1_1.JPG

 

Nib/writing performance (33/35):

VP come with 14K nibs that can easily be interchanged with other VP nibs. Those nibs are among the best I used. I have used Parker Sonnet, Lamy 2K, and Cross ATX. It is very smooth and delivers almost flawless performance. It wrote great on day 1 and it continues to this day. There is reasonable amount of Flex in this nib. I took some points b/c the nib is not decorated or beautiful to look at. I would appreciate a small engraving on it(but This is a work pen; not Jewelry). Also my fine nib is a little too fine for creative writing; it never skips or bleeds though. Highly recommended writing experience.

 

http://www.stmaryadultmedicine.com/PILOTVP.jpg

 

Value (14/15):

This pen retails for around $166 USD and comes with 3 year warranty. It is also the cheapest click function fountain pen. It writes as well as any pen in my arsenal. So why not a perfect score? For $150 I expect my pens to look a little more expensive; Also the included converter leaves a lot to be desired.

 

Overall (90/100)

This is a great pen that every FP collector should own. It writes extremely well and is extremely practical especially for those who write notes on the go. This is a workhorse pen that is meant to be used everyday. I just wish this pen had better way of knowing how much available ink is left in the converter or a bigger converter. Maybe the Con-70 fixes that?

 

The Vanishing Point Mechanical Pencil is no longer being made and it is a big shame. It is one of the best pencils ever made. Once one experiences the easy of carrying pencils in his pockets and not get poked; there is no going back. The Pencil works very similary to the FP. One big click retracts or expands the tip. small click advance the lead. I love how it matches my FP in style

 

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Thanks for reading.

[rokurinpapa]

Thank you for your nice review. I have raden that I love so much.

 

rokurinpapa

[greencobra]

Enjoyed reading this and I agree with most of your thoughts. But that nib is so small and not much of it is visible, I can understand why it's not decorated. That mechanical pencil is cool. Never aware they were made, something else for me to look for. I'm wondering if they were boxed in a set at one time but the pencil really doesn't match the pen except for color. Nice job on this.

[pkoko]

Thanks... No the pen and the pencil were purchased separately. I made them a set by making sure I get matching colors and trim. I just wish the nib or clip say anything pilot or Vanishing Point. I think such small insignia will give the pen a more expensive look.

[Conz]

Very nice review.

 

I got an extra medium and broad nib section from these guys (no affliation):

 

http://stores.shop.ebay.com.sg/Pen-Discounters__W0QQ_armrsZ1

 

I find the broad is double the width of the medium, (the medium being only slightly wider than the fine) but with noticeably more flex.

 

The other problem I have is nib creep, esp. when running low on ink. (I use Noodlers HoD).