Buying a Namiki Vanishing Point ..... but

[Aitch]

As the only way I can get hold of these is by mail order ..... I can't man-handle any before purchasing

 

Which colour is favoured here ..... I kinda like a few the but can't decide .....

 

http://www.namiki.com/gallery.asp

 

 

Also, I know the Namiki nibs are finer than usual ..... which do you guys prefer ??

 

Cheers

[scribble]

I would think such a far out looking pen deserves the Raden finish

[Leslie J.]

Try to get the lowest price possible then. I love my VP, the clip doesn't affect my ability to write, but others feel the opposite. Then if you really hated it, you could resell it.

 

Wow, I love the Raden finish and would love to have one someday. I have the green with rhodium trim. I like all of them really.

[Kees]

Personally, I would probably take the shiny black one with gold accents (which shows what kind of bore I am), but considering the big tech character of the pen, I like the blue carbonized one too (note the nib color!). For a first Namiki, the medium nib would probably be the least risky buy, wouldn’t it?

[scribble]

After checking these on FPH I staggered back and reconsidered. Now I'm suggesting black Carbonesque instead. I can think of other pen styles I'd rather have for $300 bucks!

 

Since it is a rare opportunity to get an EF that is really spidery, I'd go for that nib choice if it were me.

[Daniel Shih]

If you can afford it, the Raden finish seems pretty sweet. The VP is a workhorse for me, however, and I'm not sure how comfortable I would be taking an expensive pen like the Raden into rough-and-tumble daily life. I haven't handled the other VP models, but I am very satisfied with how my Blue Carbonesque looks and feels. Yes, you can actually feel the "Carbonesque!"

 

As for the nib, it really depends what you're looking for. My fine nib is, as everyone says, an EF. But it is very smooth. However, because it is fine, there is a bit more "feedback" than my ridiculously smooth medium nib. For this reason, I actually prefer the fine nib. The fine also puts out so little ink that one cartridge can last for a very long time.

 

I've been using my VP exclusively for the past week, and the click-feature cannot be underestimated in its practicality. This pen is not a gimmick, it is genius!

[tntaylor]

I've got the rhodium vp (and there I was calling it "chrome" all this time) and it is quite sleek (not to mention it matches the Mac G4 Powerbook perfectly), but the black carbonesque and raden are quite attractive, too. But, I think the raden vp is quite pricey?

 

You might want to consider getting two nibs for the pen. Since the medium is quite fine (but not too fine, IMO), perhaps medium and broad (which might put out a nicely sturdy line, but I have a medium, so I don't really know)? They seem the most usable, unless you really like a thin thin line, in which case go for fine.

 

Not very helpful, was that?

 

Ah well.

 

t!

[scribble]

A little more research reveals that it is offered in fine, medium or broad. Looks like the Sailor is still the only option for that extremely fine line (other than my inverted MB). Still looks like a nice carry around job to me. Like you could toss this in a bag or coat pocket.

 

All these responses suggest an undue interest in one of these developing on my part. And I've already got another one on the way.

Edited July 26, 2005 by scribble

[KendallJ]

Medium nib is "Pelikan Fine" which means a little wider than a typical fine nib. I have a medium and love it. T is right, 2nd nib is not so expensive.

 

Color... hmm

 

I have carbonesque blue. I like it, but would also like blue with silver or blue with gold. My real preference is the Yellow resin if you can find it!

[Bill D]

I like my blue carbonesque VP. I have the medium nib, which is very nice, but I'm thinking of getting a fine to use at work.

 

oscarbraunpens.com has Vanishing Points for $72 and extra nibs for $14.

 

Bill

 

Edited to add that Pendemonium has 0.9 mm cursive italic nibs for $35.

Edited July 26, 2005 by Bill Dodson

[woodwindmaster06]

I'll recomend what I have for mine which is the green with gold accents and a medium nib. It has a very good look and not as expensive for the raden, there is just something about green and gold that for me makes it look amazing to me.

As for nibs, once you get it you can easily buy another one for around 20 bucks, so for 40 bucks you can buy the other two nibs and have the complete set.

Tim

[wimg]

Hi Aitch,

 

I have a carbonesque blue myself, B nib, filled with PR DC SS 2003 Blue, which seems to be the ink it is asking for . Beautiful pen, great nib, good writer.

 

As Bill indicates, Pam (Braun) has probably the best prices, she may even still have a Raden, although those are about $200 if I am not mistaken.

 

Anyway, if you opt for a "normal" one (or carbonesque), you can have it plus 2 extra nibs, for $100. This means you can experiment with all of the standard nibs available, F, M and B. I would say the B is in between a standard B and standard M, the M is a rather fine M, and the F is more of an XF (XF or EF is really only half a size smaller from F).

 

The nibs aren´t really just nibs, they are complete nib/feed/converter assemblies that you can stick straight into the pen (and which you need to take out when refilling anyway). Considering the fact that the nibs are gold nibs, the price for these complete assemblies is just plain awesome (as in: low).

 

If you want to see some writing examples, check some of my latest ink reviews; I have included writing samples with all three nibs in those reviews.

 

HTH, warm regards, Wim

[southpaw]

Hello Aitch,

 

Just in the last week (Saturday, actually) I received a blue carbonesque with a medium nib, a fine nib, and a bottle of WM Blue-Black from Pam Braun at www.oscarbraunpens.com (no affiliation, just a very happy repeat customer) for under $100. The pen has a little bit of texture in the finish which is great. The M nib writes almost exactly like my M200 fine (except smoother), and I haven't tried the fine yet, but I'm expecting it to be between a F and EF. It's really a great pen - go for it!

 

HTH, southpaw

[KCat]

Hey Aitch

 

I put some pics of my two VPs in the "Pictures" forum.

 

WRT a very fine nib - IMO, the VP fine is an XF. With some inks I would even go so far as to say it's an XXF. it really can be a spidery fine nib. I love it. I also love the medium which is a fine nib (in my case) that doesn't lean toward medium.

 

I have the blue with gold and red with rhodium. Both are lovely. Yes, if I could afford it, I'd go with the Raden for a third VP! My sister bought the blue carbonesque and loves it. I didn't care for the red or green carbonesque. can't say why other than it was just a general sense of "not quite right aesthetically."

 

The medium (the blue) has been my goto pen since it arrived in my house er... last week? week before? But my fine remains my notes pen.

[Aitch]

Thanks for all the replies !

 

PenTrace actually had one for sale in Blue Carbon with both Fine & Broad nibs and extra Ink for a sweet $75 including shipping ..... naturally I missed out (as usual!)

 

Funny how when something slips through your fingers .... you want it even more !!

 

Haven't seen anybody cheaper than www.oscarbraunpens.com (well apart from good 'ol ebay ofcourse!) so may just go ahead and order 3 in differant colours and nibs !!

 

No wait ...... that would be crazy right .....

 

And I also still haven't won the darn lottery too .....

 

Life is one frustration after another

[Centurion]

The Raden looks very good and interesting. :-) I have the Black Carbonesque and I got two nibs M and B for a total around US$100 so no complaints. :-)

 

Wim, do you think Noodler's permanent inks would be at least ok to use with the VPs? Maybe it's even the ideal ink. I haven't tried, been using the VP cartridges thus far.

[wimg]

Hi Centurion,

 

They should be fine with Noodler's permanent inks. They will show the typical Noodler's creep with those inks, but personally, I am not bothered by it.

 

Just note that VP nibs, especially the B and M, are a little wettish, so choose the ink carefully. It shouldn't be too free flowing, unless that's the way you like it, of course.

 

HTH, warm regards, Wim

[Sidney]

I flushed the cartridge that came with mine and refilled it with Noodler's Black. It has been said that the push button retractable nib makes this pen ideal to carry when you may need to jot down quick notes, which I have found to be true. The Noodler's Black is permanent, feather resistant, waterproof, and dries quickly thus making it the ideal ink for the variety of uses my Vanishing Point will encounter.

[Centurion]

Hi Centurion,

 

They should be fine with Noodler's permanent inks. They will show the typical Noodler's creep with those inks, but personally, I am not bothered by it.

 

Just note that VP nibs, especially the B and M, are a little wettish, so choose the ink carefully. It shouldn't be too free flowing, unless that's the way you like it, of course.

 

HTH, warm regards, Wim

Thanks for the info, that's good to know. Funny, before I didn't like it if it was wet, now depending on the purpose of my writing I do indeed like it very free flowing and wet.

[cmeisenzahl]

I LOVE my Blue Carbonesque model.

 

http://www.namiki.com/gallery_images/vpcarbonblu_l.jpg