New Vp Stealth Paint Coming Off

[Crim]

Anyone having issues with the paint coming off? I'm pretty sure I haven't put it with anything that would scratch the pen and yet I can see tiny bits of it flaked off. Underneath it is a yellow base...

[professionaldilettante]

Anyone having issues with the paint coming off? I'm pretty sure I haven't put it with anything that would scratch the pen and yet I can see tiny bits of it flaked off. Underneath it is a yellow base...

I was afraid of that. I was wondering what was under the paint, and you have just confirmed for me, that despite it's stunning looks, it needs to be babied.

[yachtsilverswan]

It's brass underneath the matte black powdercoated finish.

 

The Matte Black Pilot Namiki Vanishing Point is such a great pen - functionally great with its one-handed push-to-retract / push-to-extrude nib, and aesthetically great with its light sucking tactical stealth finish.

 

Unfortunately, I have found the matte black finish is easily scratched, exposing the underlying brass body of the pen. I had been clipping the VP to my trouser pocket - the same trouser pocket with my keys and a few loose coins. The keys and coins scratched off the matte black finish of the pen.

 

http://i477.photobucket.com/albums/rr131/yachtsilverswan/VP3.jpg

Photo with iPhone4 and Icroscope

 

The matte black finish is a powder coat process, similar to the powder coating used on contemporary yachts to protect aluminum trim work from rust and corrosion in the sea air and salt spray. I expected the VP finish would be exceptionally durable, as it is on yachts. It's possible Namiki applied the finish improperly - powdercoating is an exacting and highly technical process involving electrically charging both the paint stream and the target base metal. On yachts, the base metal is almost always aluminum. The VP looks to be brass underneath the powdercoating - perhaps that's part of the problem.

 

If Namiki acknowledges and fixes the problem, I'll send the pen for repair or replacement - but only if Namiki can assure a more durable finish. I have been enthusiastically recommending this pen for the punishing mission of a college student - as an indestructible pen that can be safely tossed into a day bag with books. I'll still recommend the Vanishing Point - but this finish is too delicate for college life.

 

So while this is a great looking pen, the finish may be more susceptible to scratching than other versions of the VP. My stealth VP now rides in my shirt placket - away from keys, coins, and other abrasives. If my chest hair further abrades the powdercoating, I shall write a very stern letter sprinkled with verbiage seldom read in polite and deferential Japan.

Edited August 16, 2011 by yachtsilverswan

[metwin1]

And I just pulled the trigger... not half an hour ago. Bummer.

 

I'm surprised that this issue hasn't come up sooner.

[inkpenguin]

The clip on mine started brassing already on the edges of the clip. I only keep in inside my front shirt pocket.

 

This does not bode well for me as the only other pen that did that was my Pilot Knight and within less than a year, it has become an unsightly mess.

 

Both pens had a similar matt metal finish. I'm going to stick to plastic pens from Pilot from now on or stop using these as daily writers.

 

No, I do not abuse my pens in case you are wondering.

[watch_art]

I soldered the clip back on mine b/c the nose cone metal is so fragile. I use it more now though - but still not a favorite.

[Gobblecup]

I'm glad I am reading about this now, before I decided to buy one. It was hanging out in my 'to buy/want list'.

 

I hope Pilot can respond to the issue and fix it, although as yachtsilverswan points out, the base metal could be part of the problem. Meaning to fix this Pilot might have to replace more than just the paint or the process, but remake the whole pen. I am only guessing, but, it seems like this great looking pen has turned out to be a pass for me.

[PinarelloOnly]

Those pens are not lacquered like the rest of the VP line, what did you all expect. I'm also sure that there are not too many things in this world that are powder coated or PVD coated over brass. Powder coating is nothing but a very thin layer open to the elements.

[Crim]

Luckily mine doesn't look that bad yet. Sad because I really do like the pen, I just hate how it looks a year old a week after use. This is my first full fledged VP though and I like the weight and everything. Maybe I'm just unlucky with my VPs though. Within a month there was this giant fissure on my Decimo and I have absolutely no idea how it got there. Like, Grand Canyon sized.

 

Still a great pen. Tch... stupid. Then again maybe we're unwrapping the golden ticket, haha.

Edited August 17, 2011 by Crim

[OrangeJuice]

Hi, i have a matte black vp as well and noticed that it does need to be babied. However, i just saw that a Lamy Dialog 3 in matte black will be coming out soon if you wanted to try that later.

[Crim]

yachtsilverswan,

 

If you ever decide to send a letter let me know. Maybe even make a topic about it here... I'm sure there will be other people who feel the same way and maybe it will help get things done if we say something as a group.

 

Those pens are not lacquered like the rest of the VP line, what did you all expect. I'm also sure that there are not too many things in this world that are powder coated or PVD coated over brass. Powder coating is nothing but a very thin layer open to the elements.

 

Er, honestly? I wasn't expecting my pen to look a couple years old after riding in a secluded pocket of my backpack with a faux leather lamy notepad for 2-3 days. I feel really bad for the poster with that large scratch. Aren't VPs meant to be in our pockets moreso than other FPs? It's kind of their nature to be treated a little rougher than other pens. This is my only Pilot pen not giving me problems, I was hoping it'd be my main pen of choice. Now I have two choices. Leave it at home where it can really be a "stealth" pen, or renaming it bronzie?

Edited August 21, 2011 by Crim

[Garageboy]

It's just like the black Fisher Space pen

[watch_art]

my black space pen doesn't have a scratch on it - and it's in a box of pens and pencils and block carving knives.

[professionaldilettante]

It's brass underneath the matte black powdercoated finish.

 

The Matte Black Pilot Namiki Vanishing Point is such a great pen - functionally great with its one-handed push-to-retract / push-to-extrude nib, and aesthetically great with its light sucking tactical stealth finish.

 

Unfortunately, I have found the matte black finish is easily scratched, exposing the underlying brass body of the pen. I had been clipping the VP to my trouser pocket - the same trouser pocket with my keys and a few loose coins. The keys and coins scratched off the matte black finish of the pen.

 

http://i477.photobucket.com/albums/rr131/yachtsilverswan/VP3.jpg

Photo with iPhone4 and Icroscope

 

The matte black finish is a powder coat process, similar to the powder coating used on contemporary yachts to protect aluminum trim work from rust and corrosion in the sea air and salt spray. I expected the VP finish would be exceptionally durable, as it is on yachts. It's possible Namiki applied the finish improperly - powdercoating is an exacting and highly technical process involving electrically charging both the paint stream and the target base metal. On yachts, the base metal is almost always aluminum. The VP looks to be brass underneath the powdercoating - perhaps that's part of the problem.

 

If Namiki acknowledges and fixes the problem, I'll send the pen for repair or replacement - but only if Namiki can assure a more durable finish. I have been enthusiastically recommending this pen for the punishing mission of a college student - as an indestructible pen that can be safely tossed into a day bag with books. I'll still recommend the Vanishing Point - but this finish is too delicate for college life.

 

So while this is a great looking pen, the finish may be more susceptible to scratching than other versions of the VP. My stealth VP now rides in my shirt placket - away from keys, coins, and other abrasives. If my chest hair further abrades the powdercoating, I shall write a very stern letter sprinkled with verbiage seldom read in polite and deferential Japan.

I would expect the VP to have been built to Pilot's exacting standards. If you say you put it in your pocket with keys and coins.... there is nothing short of tungsten carbide that would take that beating unscathed. I really think this is a case of user malfunction. Even if I threw my Homo sapiens, or M90, or even Pelikan in a pocket with keys and coins, I would come to expect scratches. Paint, powder coats, and varnishes are always prone to be scratched off. Even anodizing has its limits. I just really hope you won't decide to put a Maki-e pen in your pocket only to find it gets destroyed, and then blame it on poor application of the urushi....

[professionaldilettante]

yachtsilverswan,

 

If you ever decide to send a letter let me know. Maybe even make a topic about it here... I'm sure there will be other people who feel the same way and maybe it will help get things done if we say something as a group.

 

Those pens are not lacquered like the rest of the VP line, what did you all expect. I'm also sure that there are not too many things in this world that are powder coated or PVD coated over brass. Powder coating is nothing but a very thin layer open to the elements.

 

Er, honestly? I wasn't expecting my pen to look a couple years old after riding in a secluded pocket of my backpack with a faux leather lamy notepad for 2-3 days. I feel really bad for the poster with that large scratch. Aren't VPs meant to be in our pockets moreso than other FPs? It's kind of their nature to be treated a little rougher than other pens. This is my only Pilot pen not giving me problems, I was hoping it'd be my main pen of choice. Now I have two choices. Leave it at home where it can really be a "stealth" pen, or renaming it bronzie?

Pockets yes... but SHIRT pockets. Not pants pockets, not loose in a bag. A shirt pocket was always reserved for pens, or a tissue. There are too many confounding factors in other pockets. It's like, yeah, I stored it in my bag, it's a small bag, and there is usually nothing in it. OH and btw... I like to collect rocks and take them home in that bag... yeah... I don't know what people do with their pens. Mine stay in by shirt pocket at all times, if I'm not using them. I've lost too many plastic AND metal pens to the ravenous jaws of pants pockets and back packs.

[yachtsilverswan]

I would expect the VP to have been built to Pilot's exacting standards. If you say you put it in your pocket with keys and coins.... there is nothing short of tungsten carbide that would take that beating unscathed. I really think this is a case of user malfunction. Even if I threw my Homo sapiens, or M90, or even Pelikan in a pocket with keys and coins, I would come to expect scratches. Paint, powder coats, and varnishes are always prone to be scratched off. Even anodizing has its limits. I just really hope you won't decide to put a Maki-e pen in your pocket only to find it gets destroyed, and then blame it on poor application of the urushi....

 

Kinda harsh dude.

 

If you refer back to the OP's post, you'll see they reported flaking of the matt black finish despite protecting the pen from anything that could scratch. So it's not just my habit of carrying a VP clipped to the same pocket as my keys.

 

The Matte Black VP Stealth is my fourth VP - in different finishes and in different nib widths. Because of the unique retractable nib design, I have not been worried about a cap becoming loosened. I have carried each of my VPs clipped to my right front trouser pocket, along with my keys and often along with change coins - and I can find no sign of damage on any of these pens except for the Matte Black Stealth.

 

So the VP Chrome, the VP Black Carbonesque, and the VP Raden have each survived unscathed clipped to my right trouser pocket. Only the VP Stealth has shown damage.

 

Powdercoating is usually a highly durable finish. It is often applied to ladders, rails, and hand-holds on contemporary yachts. In addition to the abrasive sea salt spray, the finish stands up to stepping and climbing without scratching.

 

You are correct that I carry other pens differently, because my other pens have twist off caps or pull off caps. My primary pen for the day rides clipped to my shirt placket. The VP usually serves as my backup pen if my primary pen runs dry or if I need a different nib width or a different ink color.

 

I choose my pens to fit the mission I set. Some pens are daily workhorses - they have to function flawlessly and look great over years of heavy daily use. Some pens are functional art - and these dress pens require a higher level of care and caution. I use my VPs as backup pens, and riding clipped to my pocket is part of that mission.

 

For the first time, I'm disappointed in a VP. The matt black stealth VP is not suitable for the mission I have set.

Edited August 23, 2011 by yachtsilverswan

[Amandaa]

sigh. oh well, i guess i saved myself from yearning for this one!

[Crim]

Why try and make us feel silly for being disappointed with the integrity of this VP's coat? I wouldn't mind a scratch as long as the pen kept it's "stealth". When I saw pictures of the old VP stealth with scratches, the pen was still all black. So forgive me if I expected a little more.

[reprieve]

I've been carrying mine in a three-pen case since I got it in April, and it hasn't shown any noticeable wear yet. I'm sorry to learn that the finish isn't as durable as that of the other VPs. If mine starts showing wear, I'm just going to pretend that it looks like a well-brassed Leica film camera (ha ha ha!).

[donnad333]

And I just pulled the trigger... not half an hour ago. Bummer.

 

I'm surprised that this issue hasn't come up sooner.

 

Yikes. Mine is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. So sad!

(Maybe I will return it.)