Jump to content

Pilot VP (Capless in the UK)


AndyHayes

Recommended Posts

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb177/shetlink/PilotVP1.jpg

 

First Impressions

The matte black sleeve looks stylish and when you slide it off you are greeted by a very shiny perspex(?) box in black and clear. A very nice design. The lid tilts back and the pen is sat in a cut-out in its plastic bag with a label advising the make, model and nib size. Take out the pen then pull out the thick plastic tray underneath then pull out the felted plastic box to find the cartridge protector.

 

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb177/shetlink/PilotVP2.jpg

 

Appearance

It’s certainly a strange looking pen. The push button protrudes a long way out of the pen, but it needs that length to operate the nib unit. The green is almost a British racing green and fits in well with the gold furniture.

 

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb177/shetlink/PilotVP3.jpg

 

Design/Size/Weight

I have not owned a pen with a design like this before, but the fact that the nib comes out of the end with the clip makes it “unique” to me. I expect that this will get people looking at the pen. A real oddity! I take a lot of notes throughout the day in my job so it is frustrating constantly uncapping and re-capping my pen, or being caught out when the nib dries out. As simple as a ballpoint the action on this pen will withdraw the nib into an airtight area. It’s go to be a step up from a normal pen. It’s a medium sized pen, the barrel is thicker than a Pelikan 200, thinner than a Densho and about the same thickness as the thickest part of a Lamy 2000. With the nib in the pen is 140mm (5.5in) long and with the nib out is the same length. The weight is 32 grammes, so what I would describe as a medium weight pen. Compare it to a Pelikan 200 at 15 grammes, a Danitrio Densho at 29 grammes or a Rotring 600 at 41 grammes.

 

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb177/shetlink/PilotVP4.jpg

 

Nib

I chose the broad option. The nib unit is quite narrow, but the blob of tipping on the end is huge. It writes very smoothly, only slightly under the standard of a Sailor so I was quite impressed.

 

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb177/shetlink/PilotVP6.jpg

 

Filling System

A same but different slant on things. You have to unscrew the two parts of the body and then withdraw the the ink holding/nib unit. Mine came with an aerometric style filling system. Actually it is a press bar converter which can be pulled off the end of the nib unit. and replaced with a standard Pilot twist type converter or you could use a cartridge. The pen is reputed to hold little ink, but I would be surprised if there was much difference between this and my Parker 61. You can buy whole nib units online in the UK, but they are not cheap. The only drawback is that the nib has to go a long way into a bottle of ink to fill the pen, so make sure that you buy thoughtfully designed ink bottles or a stack of cartridges.

 

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb177/shetlink/PilotVP7.jpg

 

Cost and Value

These list at £99 (US$200) in the UK. One UK online seller knocks £20 (US$40) off the price. Too rich for my taste so I picked up two at really good prices. They provide good value at what I paid and if I had have been able to buy an italic nib at standard I would have been happy to buy one at the UK reduced price.

 

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb177/shetlink/PilotVP8.jpg

 

Conclusion

It’s a nice solid pen and at the price that I got it rather a bargain. The pens strange appearance can be overlooked for the convenience of its ballpoint type press button action. It writes well on my legal pads, but it does not like my Rhodia pads at all. Perhaps the grease from my skin comes off on the pad and stops the ink writing on the page. I have tried both Noodlers Black and Lamy Blue with little success. I can best explain it by saying that it writes like a flex nib that is being pressed hard on so that you get two separate lines on the down strokes when there is not enough ink arriving at the nib. Not all of the time, but often enough to be annoying. In situations like this I usually fill them up with Caran d’Ache black as that is my fastest flowing ink.

 

http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb177/shetlink/PilotVP5.jpg

Skype: andyhayes

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 14
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • AndyHayes

    6

  • Col

    2

  • roboPen

    2

  • alvarez57

    1

I have tried both Noodlers Black and Lamy Blue with little success. I can best explain it by saying that it writes like a flex nib that is being pressed hard on so that you get two separate lines on the down strokes when there is not enough ink arriving at the nib. Not all of the time, but often enough to be annoying. In situations like this I usually fill them up with Caran d’Ache black as that is my fastest flowing ink.

 

I've had good luck with Waterman Blue-Black in my (previous generation) faceted VP. Possibly because of the very long feed section, the VP works best when you are writing at a desk. When I try to write in a reclining posture (pen nearly horizontal), it will quickly dry up.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very good review! Very few of their nibs will give you trouble, but alas! you will find them. Otherwise, they are excellent nibs and very smooth.

It is a shame they turn to be so expensive in UK!

Enjoy them.

sonia alvarez

 

fpn_1379481230__chinkinreduced.jpg

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great review. Pilot Capless pens have intrigued me, but I don't think I would get one.

 

One can get them very cheap (for Britain anyway) from Richie at cyberpens, through his eBay (pilot561) for about £50.

No affiliation... just a very very satisfied customer. :)

Publifhed According to the True Originall Copies

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice review, once I tried one I would never not have one.

I am getting tempted to try a Binder nib at some stage for my next one...

Lamy 2000-Lamy Vista-Visconti Van Gogh Maxi Tortoise Demonstrator-Pilot Vanishing Point Black Carbonesque-1947 Parker 51 Vacumatic Cedar Blue Double Jewel-Aurora Optima Black Chrome Cursive Italic-Waterman Hemisphere Metallic Blue-Sheaffer Targa-Conway Stewart CS475

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice review, Andy. That packaging looks a bit more fancy than came with my Far East imports. Do the pens have 14-ct or 18-ct nibs? Of course, now you have the bodies you can add more nib assemblies relatively cheaply - great fun.

Col

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Col

 

I don't know what the nib is, my loupe is where I am not at the moment.

 

I have just bought another nib assembly from the marketplace. Apparently this one has been touched by Mr Binder so it will be a relief to get my pen working.

 

I have decided that the nib unit on this should go back to Pilot as it is getting worse. Is anyone aware of the UK address for Pilot? I don't think that I noticed it in the instructions. Thanks

Skype: andyhayes

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have decided that the nib unit on this should go back to Pilot as it is getting worse. Is anyone aware of the UK address for Pilot? I don't think that I noticed it in the instructions.

Sorry to hear you're having those problems. FWIW that's not all that common with Pilot nibs. I hope you'll like the RB nib - I have a 0.9mm cursive italic of his which is just wonderful.

 

Pilot Customer Service are very accommodating. Give them a ring first and explain your concerns: 01628 537100

 

Their address:

 

Customer Service

The Pilot Pen Co (UK) Ltd

4 Dukes Meadow

Millboard Road

Bourne End

Buckinghamshire

SL8 5XF

 

HTH

Edited by Col

Col

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love my VPs, as many of us in the forum do. I've also converted many innocent people into fountain pen users via this pen. ;) Enjoy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Col, I have logged a call with them. I will report back on how their service works out. It's always a better measure of a company when you look at how they are with problems. Sales is easy. For some, service isn't.

Skype: andyhayes

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love my VPs, as many of us in the forum do. I've also converted many innocent people into fountain pen users via this pen. ;) Enjoy.

 

Some might even call it a gateway pen!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just got a response from Pilot. Send back the pen, or rather just the innards - brilliant!!

 

I will let you know how it comes back.

 

Of course now I don't know whether I should dip the red pen or not, not that dipping really proves a great deal as was proven here!

Skype: andyhayes

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello, I got the same as you in green but mine have rhodhium parts. The nib is a broad 18K. I filled it with Aurora black and the flow is very impressive !!!!

I've purchase a 18K nib and it was send to me with a 14K nib... I've try this nib... and send it back for an exchange, the 18K nib is very very superior of the 14K nib, it's night and day!! I've try the Namiki cartridge and the result was really not so good, with the Aurora black ink, it's really another pen!!

I've bought it in Germany via Ebay, great service, good deal, good pen..

 

If you had something to tell, write it !!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Just a quick update on the service.

 

I sent the nib unit off just over 3 weeks ago and there has still been no word so I chased it up. I was told that I had to send it in, which initially freaked me out a bit. Turned out to be a language barrier issue.

 

I later learnt that it was sent to Japan 2 weeks ago, so hopefully it wont be much longer.

Skype: andyhayes

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Another update!!

 

I have been having little luck with the nib-meistered medium nib so the VP was turning out to be a bit frustrating. It still skipped on the Rhodia pads, but wrote OK on the cheaper legal pads.

 

A week or so ago a new broad nib unit turned up from Pilot and it has made the pen like a totally different pen. It is full of Skrip green at the moment and it writes a treat on the Rhodia pad. Not skipping at all now.

Skype: andyhayes

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33494
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26626
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...