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Pilot-Namiki Vanishing Point


Chiyoko

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Hi,

Do you own a Pilot Vanishing Point? If so, I'm hoping you could shed some light on this subject.

How is the nib on the VP? Does it dry out? How much flex does it have? Some say that it is too small. Is that true?

Thanks for your feedback.

Best,

Yuzuki

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I have several Vanishing Points. Two have F nibs; two have M nibs. Inked with Pilot ink I don't think I've ever experienced one drying out. I do run only Sheaffer Skrip red ink in one of them; it has dried out on occasion. I think though this is more typical of red inks in general rather than the VP.

 

I don't note much flex on mine, but I'm not really one to strive for flex. The nibs are overall smaller than on more traditional pens but I've not found that to be an issue at all.

 

Lastly, if you've never tried a VP, see if you can get into a store to test one out. Some folks here at FPN have an issue with the clip being near the nib and hence bothersome with the way they grip the pen. This has never been an issue for me. Also note these pens are not as light as some others as they have brass barrels. So a test drive is in your best interest.

 

All that said and done, they are some of my favorite pens. Particularly useful if you're in an environment where having to remove the cap would be bothersome!

Moshe ben David

 

"Behold, He who watches over Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps!"

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VP has no flex, the nib part that shows is only a few mm long, nothing to flex there. It's a soft/bouncy nib and writes very smooth but it has no tine spread.

Edited by bardiir

My Pens/Nibs (inked/active): Lamy Studio/Vista/Joy (XXF slight-flex custom | 14k EF | EF | F | 14k M | M | B | 14k 1.1 custom | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.9), TWSBI Diamond 580 (F | Pendleton BadBoy | Zebra G | F.P.R. semi-flex), Pilot Falcon EF, Penkala Vintage 14k semi-flex, Pilot Parallel (2.4 | 3.8 | 6.0)

http://www.fp-ink.info/img/button.pngI'm still looking for help/data/supporters/sponsors for my Ink Database - It already contains over 900 Inks but is still low on data about the inks except on the Inks I got myself or where I found nice data sheets. So Im looking for these: InkSamples mailed to me, Permissions to use InkReviews - preferable by people who have a lot of InkReviews online, InkReviews mailed to me so I can scan them, Sponsors that will help me to finance InkSamples, People willing to trade InkSamples (list of available Inks from me is available via PM request - please include available Inks)

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My first VP came with a binderized medium nib. It has spring, but no flex and write superb. They don't dry out because they have a little trapdoor which shuts out air when the nib is retracted.

 

BUT! The clip bothered me... I tend to rotate the pen counterclockwise because of my tripod-grip and the the clip.... so I ordered a 15 degree left-foot oblique nib for it, now it's fine :-)

What a strange world we live in, where people communicate by text more than ever before, yet the art of proper handwriting is seen as a thing from the past.

http://null.aleturo.com/Dumatborlon/Badges/5EH4/letter.png

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I have two old-style/faceted barrel VPs & 3 nib units: F, M, Binder CI 7mm. I've loved the pens & so much that I purchased the CI a few months ago (still on the learning curve!). Very nice feel & springy; I do love writing with the pens. However, I love the faceted barrel, not the new smooth barrel; I find the clip obtrusive with the new model. Suggest you hit a pen show to try the two types.

 

Enjoy!

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Aloha Yuzuki, I own both the older, plastic faceted model VP as well as the newer, model of VP. Nibs on both models are similar. Both are very smooth writers with a little bounce, (definitely no flex). Both are very dependable. After a couple of weeks of non-use, they both will start writing with no problems.

 

The biggest differences between old and new, the older model body is made of a faceted plastic while the newer body uses a metal with lacquer finish. The difference is in the weight. The older body is much lighter, (which I prefer). Also the faceted design keeps the pen from rolling off the table and helps the pen from getting too slippery when writing, (the round, smooth surface of the newer model can get a little siippery).

 

I do like the clip design on the older model too, as it is integrated with the front of the pen whereas the newer model is attached to the body. The integrated design minimizes the awkward transition when holding the pen, though it is not as robust as the newer model.

 

Where the newer pen excels over the older model is in the durability of the body. The plastic on one of my older VP's cracked, and unfortunately is not repairable as the pen was discontinued back in 1999.

 

Bottom line assessment, you cannot go wrong with the VP. Value and reliability are excellent for a 14K nib. Best of luck and good writing.

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One of my favorite daily users is a fine nibbed Vanishing Point. I bought it from a dealer who tuned the nib for me before sending it, and also removed the clip for me. That means I can't carry it in a shirt pocket, but it's comfortable to write with at length.

 

Before that one, I had (still have) one with a medium nib. The nib was great, but with the clip, I can't quite get comfortable for a long writing session. Okay for jotting notes.

 

No problem with nibs drying out, as there is a trap door assembly which covers the nib when retracted.

 

Ink capacity could be better. I do best by using a Pilot cartridge, just refilling them with whatever ink I want to use.

"So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable creature, since it enables one to find or make a reason for everything one has a mind to do."

 

- Benjamin Franklin

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For an extra $15, Richard Binder will remove the clip from the pen body. Plus you get a Binderized nib automatically. My fine VP is Binderized and it's smooth and juicy.

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I have one in a medium nib and it writes very smoothly (but wasn't perfect out of the box - had to write with it a few times and it kind of smoothed itself out, if that's even how you describe it, haha!). No flex or drying of the nib whatsoever and I don't think that the nib is small at all.

 

Some hate the clip, but for me, it actually helped my pen grip a lot. I used to death grip my pen with my index finger over my thumb - yikes!

Edited by joeccentric
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I have a binderized .7 cursive italic and a standard fine. The italic writes normally, however the fine nib does feel very bouncy. It's not that the nib is flexing, but rather that the entire nib unit flexes a bit. It took a little bit of getting used to.

 

Also, I have noticed that my VP's tend to dry out after a minute of non-use if the nib is left in the open position. It doesn't take long to get it started again, but it does dry out quicker than some of the standard nibs that I have. If I click the nib back into the body, then it's good to go immediately, even after a week of non-use.

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Other than the scrapes on the nozzle and plunger, they aren't bad pens. Just wish mine has more capacity. Only drying problems I've experienced were with Noodler's Whaleman's Sepia (shudder). Kiwa-Guro and Carbon-Black were a pain to clean out though, and Sei-Boku wasn't much fun to remove either. I have a black/gold (F) [call me a traditionalist] that has been fed Noodler's, Pilot, Sailor, and MB inks. Find it to be a very fine "fine" nib. Mine usually gets most of its workout from filling out forms with tiny boxes to write in. The finish can get marred though.

The pen is surprisingly heavy and surprisingly large. I'd give it a thumbs up.

Imagination and memory are but one thing which for diverse reasons hath diverse names. -- T. Hobbes - Leviathan

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I love my VP's. I have 4 of them but only 3 nibs. Two are Binderized, one is an XXF and the other Arabic/Hebrew. The third is a Med. I haven't used it because I don't like med nibs.

I haven't had problems with the nibs drying but then again I don't normally keep them open for longer than whatever I am writing.

I love that you can change the nib with the body depending upon what you feel like. Also I am left handed and I don't have any issues with the clip.

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I love my VP. It has a M nib that is smooth & wet. It wrote perfectly straight out of the box with every ink I've tried.

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