Wearing Out Vanishing Points

[sshourds]

I have now completely worn out two Vanishing Point pens. Twice now I've had the click button quit working. It'll not toggle after a while. More to the point, it won't catch when I "open" the pen.

Anyone dug in there to see if there's a way to fix that? As I understand, there's a 1 yr warranty on those, but I know these are more than a year old. The newer one is from 2011. I use them constantly and I don't baby them at all and understand that things do wear out, but I'd sort of like to not have to spend money buying a new one.....been an expensive month.

 

I really kind of need this one for the lab. I constantly have to write down a few datapoints here, a few there and my VP is perfect for that. My other pens, somewhat less so.

 

So, fixes? Or, is Pilot repair service super awesome (and cheap)?

 

-Shalyn

 

 

[WateryFlow]

Vanishing point has a 3 year warranty doesn't it? Then again if you got in 2011 it's run out anyway :-/. I don't know what to suggest

 

What is Namiki's product guarantee?
Lifetime, for the original owner on hand painted Maki-e. Three years for Sterling, Falcon and Pilot Vanishing Point products. One year for Pilot Knight and Ageless Collections.

 

http://www.namiki.com/aboutNamiki/faq.php

Edited November 23, 2014 by WateryFlow

[rutherfordr]

If you're in the US, you can send the pen to the Pilot office in Jacksonville, Florida and they will fix it for you.

Their customer service is excellent, and they will usually do it for free or for a nominal fee.

[mge01park]

The Jacksonville service center is excellent for service. I've used them a few times one of which they weren't able to repair my green w/ gold trim newer body VP. They provided me a new pen with a choice of colors. Do you use a lot of red and heavy saturated colors, I've heard that they can ruin the mechanism.

[yogalarva]

Wow, that is hardcore. Not that it will stop me from using a VP, but wow. Also, good to know that the click mechanism will die before you will wear the nib down from opening and closing it. Hope you are able to get it fixed soon!

[Ron Z]

I have seen some where the ratchet mechanism wears. Especially on the older faceted barrel pens, which may be because they've been around longer. Not much that can be done though. It happens. Not often, but if one is prone to sitting and clicking the thing absent mindedly, it may be more likely.

[mge01park]

Not often, but if one is prone to sitting and clicking the thing absent mindedly, it may be more likely.

That is certainly a great observation and I'm guilty of that for sure!

[Matlock]

Clicking absent mindedly at meetings seems to be on the increase. I once observed the refill of a ballpoint point nearly take the eye out of a speaker at a particulary boring meeting. The owner of the pen had been clicking incessantly for 20 minutes and the poor pen finaly gave up. I know that I do it sometimes but with a cheap Jotter it's not so bad. If I get a VP I must mend my ways.

[Algester]

What more would it be if it was a capless BP... A BP...

[sshourds]

Ok. I'll give their service center a try. I'm just always afraid to get an answer like, "It's hosed. Send us money to buy a new one."

 

Yes, the nib unit has out-lasted two bodies and, I think, three converters. That part's been terrific.

 

I don't click it as a nervous tick like my boss. I don't let her ever use my pens. We can always hear her coming by the sound of a cheap click pen going full-auto. Me, I just have to write a bit here, a bit there all day long. I rarely am able to just sit down and write for periods of time, at least at work. I do that recreationally at home with my big italic nibs in other pens.

 

I had gotten the original pen and the second body from Richard Binder. I guess he's not dealing in Pilot anymore. I'm not sure if anyone else is selling just bodies. I have the slate grey ones, which I've not seen anywhere, body or full pen.

 

Thanks all for the responses.

[Algester]

Bodies huh look at rakuten make sure the body would match your nib unit

[maverink]

hmm i have two vps so thats got me worried

[sshourds]

You should be fine for years. Don't worry! What I do to them far exceeds the manufacturer's recommendations Clicking all day, strong acids, bases, solvents, raw sewage, etc. are a daily occurrence. My VP has lasted terrific, considering. I just want to figure out how to nurse them along a little longer.

[sshourds]

Duplicate deleted. Sorry!

Edited November 30, 2014 by sshourds

[cancoi]

Did you send it to Pilot USA? What was the outcome?