Jump to content

Review: Pendleton Xxf Nib For Vp


Ashram

Recommended Posts

After lurking around the forums for a while I thought it was time that I tried my hand at a review. I own or have owned many different Pilot Capless or Namiki Vanishing Points and usually favor a custom CI nib or Pilot's factory M. Recently I have found the need to take copious notes in small spaces and have wanted to try a very fine nib with a VP. At the Triangle Pen Show I found myself with an extra VP F nib unit and sought out Pendleton Brown (no affiliation - just a satisfied customer) who had just learned a new technique to produce smooth XXF-XXXF nibs. This nib that he created did not disappoint. There are numerous reviews of VPs here so I will cover the nib only.

 

After filling my VP with Pelikan Edelstein Tanzanite I wrote a few pages of notes and was immediately struck by how little pressure is required to write a steady dark line with the nib. The flow is well adjusted to allow for this effortless writing. If anything it could be a bit on the wet side but choosing a dryer ink would fix this easily and produce an even finer line. I knew that any nib this fine would have some tooth but I am truly shocked by how smooth this nib turned out to be. When using a very light hand the nib glides over Rhodia paper with only very light feedback. It performed admirably with some of the wretched copy paper that I am often forced to use. The angle at which you hold this nib does matter as when I twist the pen slightly I feel more tooth against the page. I quickly adapted to this without any real effort. It is smoother than one factory F nib I once had. I am able to take legible notes between lines of computer printouts and will find many more uses in the future for this nib. I found it worked best in a decimo sized VP but that is purely personal preference. The price in my opinion was excellent. The grind was $40 and was worth every penny. I will be keeping this one for a long time.

 

Below is the nib itself and my writing samples. Please forgive my horrific handwriting. Enjoy and thanks for reading!

 

post-66460-0-28418100-1339370612.jpg

 

post-66460-0-35136700-1339370654.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Bftqofd.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 6
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • dgator

    1

  • rapid_butterfly

    1

  • Ashram

    1

  • myn

    1

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

Very nice review. I have a Pilot Vanishing Point Fine and have not had any problems with

scratching etc. Love the pen.

"Minds are like parachutes. They only function when open." James Dewar

http://i49.tinypic.com/2j26aaa.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Enjoyed the review. I like writing with both my fine and medium Vanishing Point nibs.

 

BTW, I met Pendleton at the Chicago show last month. He let me spend time at his table trying out various nibs, while he worked on pens.

 

When FPNers go to a show, be sure to stop by his table to say hello.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have three VP's with XXF nibs made in a manner consistent with the technique Mr. Brown acquired for making smooth XXF's. They are all wonderful, just as you describe.

Where your eyes go, the car goes. - Garth Stein

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the nice review.happyberet.gif I always appreciate appreciation. bunny01.gif

 

It was a joy working with you on your pen at the Raleigh Pen Show.

 

I had just finished breakfast with my main mentor Sir Richard Binder and his very cool & lovely wife Lady Barbara (yes, I hold them both in high esteem). Richard offered to share the wonders of his Waverly XF custom grind with me and of course, I jumped on it.

 

I had finished my own test grind on one when you came along. Although we opted not for the upturned "Waverly" tip, we did reap the benefits of Richard's brilliance on making a nib that XXF still smooth.

 

Hats off to Mr. Binder and thanks again. Yes, now that Richard is not taking in nib work, my shingle is up for the XXF. thumbup.gif

 

 

Come and get your Pendleton Point Elegant Butter~lineStub/CI or other great nib mod (XXF!)

 

Denver PenPosse (June 30)

 

 

 

Miami Pen Show (July 20-22)

 

 

 

DC SupershowAugust 9-12

Edited by pb2

pendletonspens.com

 

~ May the Lord smile on you ~

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks pretty nice. I have an XXF, possibly a Waverley, on the way from RB, and I'm looking forward to trying it out.

 

I've also done some experiments with some of my own nibs where they are upturned a bit, and while I haven't mastered getting them completely smooth in all directions (the scratch patterns from a nail buff are still coarse enough to cause some drag, and corners are a bit hard to control without babybottoming), it does seem pretty promising.

 

I will certainly have to consider trying another Pendleton Point in the future. Deciding what to get is the hardest part.

 

Edit: Just got my Binder XXF. Guess I was a bit too optimistic, and not lucky enough. Perhaps it's time for me to give up on customized stuff. Congrats again to the OP, and hope your future customizations are equally successful!

Edited by XiaoMG

Robert.

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
      26624
    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...