Pilot Capless all black "Stealth" or "Military"

[mstelz]

First Impressions (5/5)

 

Well, I was creeping around the Pilot Capless pens like the cat around the hot porridge for AGES.

Due to the many euphoric descriptions, especially of the nibs, I just wanted one.

BUT: The price is quite high, and somehow I couldn’t really warm myself to the design - and prefer vintage to new pens.

I like the colors, but I’m not a fan of those Chrome or Gold colored parts.

Most of all I think they just look like a fat Cuban Cigar with a long thin chrome Nail sticking out of it at the rear.

Somehow the proportions just don’t match to me.

I tried one in a shop in Vienna (318 EUR !) and it simply was too thick to feel comfortable in my hand.

Decimo’s would have been an option, but somehow they also were not “mine”. And they are not available in Austria for a try.

The FERMO finally might have been it, as it is not so fat, and doesn’t have that ugly long nail in the rear, but the price is just too much (for me).

 

Appearance (5/5)

And then I found MY Capless on Ebay.

 

 

 

 

 

It looked really elegant on the pics!

Slim, really well proportioned - and all mat black, including the clip and knob. A beauty. (remember Henry Ford?).

Also its not round (like every other pen), but has 15 edges - similar to Eversharps Doric’s, which makes it even better looking.

A great Plus to me is also, that the Clip is not at the end (like 51 or most other pens) but the nose sticks out of the pocket about 3 cm, so it’s much easier to grab and pull it out. (But that's so on all Capless)

Also after severall “Best Offer” negotiations also the price was quite ok.

 

Design/Size/Weight (5/5)

Design:

Very very elegant!

The combination of all mat black, cornered body, a black and not so long & thin button, together with the little gold colored nib is just a dream.

(De gustibus non est disputandum - I know)

Size: 

app. 1,1 cm diameter which is perfect for me about like the 51.

Incredible how much difference a mm more or less makes in the comfort of writing.

Weight:

App. like the 51. and well balanced.  

 

Nib (3/5)

Off course I only can describe MY pens nib. 

It is marked “Pilot 14K585 <M> 291”, is gold colored and has no breather hole.

It writes even finer than my fine Snorkel Triumph nib, but softer (little flex?), and is on the VERY extra-dry side.

Perhaps because the feeder still is clogged a little (see below). Also after a day without use it doesn’t start to write until I turn a drop of ink out.

Also it’s somehow scratchy and not as smooth as I awaited/hoped it to be.

Probably a matter of minutes for a Binder to fix, if only he wouldn’t be on the other side of the big pond and have hundreds of nibs in his drawer to fix before he’d even take a look at mine.

 

 

Filling System (3/5)

When it arrived there was a Cartridge stuck in the pen, so dried out that only after soaking it for hours it could be removed, and then only with pliers force.

I bought a converter, and when screwing the piston in, the whole converter just blopped out!

As I found out the section/nib was completely airtight clogged. 

After another half day swimming in a cup of water and a lot of blowing/sucking efforts slowly slowly the century old Thromby seemed to start to dissolve, and finally I could get some ink in. 

Well, about the filling procedure of a capless there has been written enough in this Forum, so I spare You the repeating.

 

Cost and Value (4/5)

The new ones seem too expensive for my feeling, although the overall quality, look & feel of these pens is absolutely top class.

My old one was about a new Decimos price, and for me worth the money.

Especially as it seems full but light weight metal, no plastic, and is in a excellent condition - and SOOO good looking!  

 

Conclusion (5/5)

I give it a full 5 of 5 , even with its nib problems, as the complete Nib part is easily to replace.

Would buy it immediately again.

As to Carmen ( of RiveraPens) this pen is not so rare - usually called “Stealth” - , although I haven't seen one in Ebay or anywhere else since I'm looking for Capless’s (good over a Year).

My seller called it “STAINLESS BLACK MILITARY PILOT VP“.

 

 

Added a week later:

After beeing angry with the nib for a few days, I finally inspected it with the 10x magnifier and found the right tine to be the split of a hair lower than the left, and both pressed together strongly.

So, knowing, that in case I kill it, a replacement Nib Unit is not more than 60 or 70 USD away (even a Binder with shipping, tax, customs app. 160) I took my hart and my mini Swiss Army-knife into my clumsy fingers and lifted the right tine slowly until I just could squeeze the cutting edge between the tines.

Well, that was it.

Now it writes nearly as smooth as my 51, and became a sweet Martini, instead of an extra dry.

Never thought that it was SO simple.

Only remaining "problem" is that it dries out after a day or two of not being used, which happens only on the weekend.

 

So Now I have to correct my Nib qualification to a strong 5/5!!!

 

 

 

Last:Please excuse my English

Edited April 16, 2009 by mstelz

[Frits B]

And all you have to do now is NEVER to drop it on a hard floor or you will be collecting dozens of sharp shards. Happened to mine and I wasn't happy about it. Getting a new nib unit is a lot easier than replacing a black barrel.

[I am not a number]

Thnaks for a great review of a pen I really like. I notice that you mention a problem that I initially had with mine:

 

Also after a day without use it doesn’t start to write until I turn a drop of ink out.

 

Only remaining "problem" is that it dries out after a day or two of not being used, which happens only on the weekend.

Have you tried looking at the end of the pen (into the hole that the nib comes out of) and seeing whether the trap-door shuts fully? Because the pen is of the older style, sometimes the length of the nib unit and converter can be slightly too long to allow the door to fully close which leads to exactly the nib drying out that you described. I cured it by not using the converter and switching back to cartridges (which I refill) and now, with the silver cartridge protection sleeve over the actual cartridge the problem has been completely solved.

 

Let us know how you get on!

[Nikolaos]

Great review on a great pen.

 

I have a selection of capless including the "Stealth" one. I think Stan started calling it Stealth and it really caught on since. I prefer the design of this pen to the recent rounder and thicker capless. My stealth has a fine nib. Yes it is dry, but it writes really well. In my opinion it is one of the nicest capless out there!

 

Nikolaos

[mstelz]

Thnaks for a great review of a pen .....

BTW: This was made with the GREAT "fountainpendatabase" I found here in FPN!

Write the sections, press a button, and paste Your Clipboard into the new post.

That's it. I love it, and not only because of this function!

You can make an optically very pleasant complete inventory of Your pens, and store in it all necessary informations about them including pics!!

here: Fountainpen Database thread

 

..... sometimes the length of the nib unit and converter can be slightly too long to allow the door to fully close......

That's it! The Converter is too long!

When I slowly unscre the pen I can see the "door" close!

Also I can blow in when it's screwed together, and if unscrewed the door is airtight - no blowing possible.

So first step will be trying to shorten the Converter, and if this doesnt'd work, I'll buy cartridges and do it Your way!

THANK'S FOR THE TIP!!!

Edited April 16, 2009 by mstelz

[wykpenguin]

 

I have heard issues about the black paint being easily rubbed off from the clip which you might want to watch out for.

[mstelz]

QUOTE (Frits B @ Apr 16 2009, 10:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And all you have to do now is NEVER to drop it on a hard floor or you will be collecting dozens of sharp shards. Happened to mine and I wasn't happy about it. Getting a new nib unit is a lot easier than replacing a black barrel.

I thought it was fully metal and so unbreakable!

Sorry that this misery happened to You, but thank You for the notice!

 

[gds]

That's it! The Converter is too long!

When I slowly unscre the pen I can see the "door" close!

Also I can blow in when it's screwed together, and if unscrewed the door is airtight - no blowing possible.

So first step will be trying to shorten the Converter, and if this doesnt'd work, I'll buy cartridges and do it Your way!

THANK'S FOR THE TIP!!!

 

Nice review. The all-black capless is beautiful.

 

As you found out, the piston converter is too long for these older faceted pens. But - the Pilot squeeze converter (AKA CON-20) fits perfectly, so you don't have to give up using a converter if you don't want. I find that refilling cartridges is a nicer solution for me, though, because I can get a lot more ink in there (and the mouth of the Pilot cartridges is so wide that I can use an eyedropper instead of a syringe!).

Edited April 16, 2009 by gds

[mstelz]

Following the "alphanumeric" (Not a number) tip I got cartridges yesterday evening and :ltcapd: this morning my Pen was writing on the first try with a nice wet line ! !

NO DRYING OUT ANY MORE!

Thank's and greetings from Vienna!

Edited April 17, 2009 by mstelz

[I am not a number]

Glad to help - it took me quite a while to figure out that problem!

[greencobra]

Nice review of an interesting pen. Love the capless pens myself, wouldn't mind having a "stealth" in the collection. Thanks.

[mstelz]

Nice review of an interesting pen. Love the capless pens myself, wouldn't mind having a "stealth" in the collection. Thanks.

Keep looking!

It's worth it! I love mine more from day to day, and find myself cleaning and washing and storing away most of my other favorit pens!