Pilot Vanishing Point

[Koyote]

I'm posting this here, rather than in the Rising Sun forum, because the Pilot VP is so popular that it seems to transcend nationality.

 

I like the idea of this pen, but I don't like LOUD. For ballpoints, I prefer my old Sheaffer twist action pens (over the Parker click pens) for their silence.

 

So, for those who own VPs: how loud is it? If it's not too bad, I will buy it; otherwise I may consider the Fermo, which is more expensive.

 

Thanks in advance, all...

[prolixindec]

Interesting question. I have two VPs, one in the original series of colors with chrome ends, and one that's matte black throughout. The original chrome pen has a fairly robust click. It sounds solid, just as loud as you'd expect an all-metal pen to sound. Sturdy. Not outrageous. The matte black version is a little softer and sounds like a more standard retractible ball point pen.

[Pippin60]

To me it something like the old Parker Jotter ballpoints, smooth but IMHO not loud.

[Tdot]

I hate the loud snap click of most BPs. My VP's are the early version with faceted plastic bodies, with a long push button that almost requires the pen to be wrapped in your hand to activate. The click is solid but a softer muted sound.

[Silvermink]

I remember it being fairly loud on the modern ones, but I don't have a VP anymore so take that with a grain of salt. It's a pretty long button with a hefty action, certainly much moreso than any ballpoint I can think of.

 

Foo, now I want another one.

 

I think you might be better-served by the Fermo if the click's potentially going to bug you.

[Koyote]

my concern is that, like most FPs, it won't like having the nib exposed for more than a few minutes - might dry out. So, during meetings in which I might intermittently jot notes, I don't want the "click click click" sound. I hate it when people keep clicking their BPs, so I don't want to be that person!

[prolixindec]

I hear what you're saying. But I decided I like it pen so much that I don't care that I'm "that person." But the main reason to keep the nib retracted is so that you don't forget it's extended, pick up the pen backwards, and accidentally stab yourself in the thumb. :-)

[nightwing]

The sound is definitely noticeable. It doesn't annoy me, but I can see how it would annoy other people. For that reason alone, I don't think I'll ever use my VP during quiet meetings.

 

Edit: I just remembered I once accidentally left my VP nib (a fine nib) exposed for about 50 minutes and it still wrote - no drying out! So, you could possibly use a VP and not have to keep retracting the nib, provided that the nib is fine and you use a wet ink...

Edited October 30, 2012 by nightwing

[hari317]

The sound is quite loud IMO. I switched to Fermo.

[Pippin60]

I never encounered a drying out problem.I think perhaps you need to try one if at all possible.

[bluejay]

The pen will just have a small trouble starting when left open for over 15minutes. Just a bit of tapping on the paper will get the flow going again. VPs are my go to pens for note taking in my lectures. If you are self conscious of this noise, do what Hari did and pick up a fermo. It is a bit heavier though. So not great for long note taking. In recorded lectures you can hear me clicking my VP in the background . Its a way my friends know I went to class. Hopefully this helps.

[Uncle Red]

There's always the Dialog 3 and the DaVinci as well.

[FPFan]

The Fermo, although a little less easy to open and close, it totally quiet. There is little to no sound to the smooth twist action. The clicking of the regular VP's can be very annoying if one is constantly clicking it in and out. I switched to a relatively wet ink to make up for the amount of time I left the nib out & the inactivity while taking lecture notes. YMMV

[hari317]

Wanted to add that the previous generation Faceted Capless are quite quiet as compared to the current click versions, maybe worthwhile to look for good examples of the faceted ones.

[nightwing]

All this talk about clicking pens reminds me of the James Bond movie, GoldenEye...

[ecox]

Using an SPL app on my phone, a modern VP is 79db right against the microphone, 55db from 3 feet away, and 43db from 10 feet away. It's not really that loud. Certainly less loud than the noise of flipping to the next page on a notepad, for example.

 

An older, faceted VP is 75db, 51db, and 40db from the same distances, respectively.

 

Does that help?

Edited October 30, 2012 by ecox

[Silvermink]

All this talk about clicking pens reminds me of the James Bond movie, GoldenEye...

 

Click click click click click click BOOM!

[ravantra]

I used an app that indicates the decibel level. I clicked my VP point 4 inches away from my phone and it registered between 50 & 60 decibels. It was about the same for snapping my fingers. I guess it is fairly loud.

 

Disclaimer: This was not a scientific experiment and no controls were employed or data collected, just my observations.

[Koyote]

Wow. Empirical evidence. Thank you, ecox and ravantra!

[Pentulant]

It would certainly be loud enough to be heard in a meeting, but like others, I would think you could click to start the notes and not have to retract each time you've written a bit.

 

My other thought is that the quality of the sound makes a difference (at least to me). The clicking of fingernails being clipped is perhaps one of the most annoying sounds in the world. Tink Tink Tink. But the deeper tone of the VP would make it more tolerable.

 

Either way, it's nice that you're thinking of others.