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Opinions about Pilot Vanishing Point?

I’m thinking about getting a pilot vanishing fine gold nib. I don’t know why it’s considered a good pen.
I just got a Pilot Metropolitan Fine nib for about $22 and a Lamy 2000 with a Fine nib for $150 plus taxes and would like to add a “clicker”. Opinions, other options and any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 
I have the Decimo, so same nib and click assembly, just a thinner body. The feel of the nib and writing experience between the Metro and the Vanishing Point is vastly different. The VP has a nice sort of springy softer feel to the nib. Sort of .. not flex nib, but it has some flex feel to it. I've not written with a Lamy 2000, so I can't compare to that one.

All said, I'm super happy with my Decimo. The click action is smooth and very satisfying to use, the pen has a great feel when writing, both in the hand and the nib on the paper feel. The only real complaint I have heard from some is the clip gets in the way of some pen grips, depending on your grip style. Not an issue for me, I use a pretty standard traditional 3 finger/3 point grip, so the clip doesn't interfere.
 
I have both a couple of Vanishing Points and a couple of the Decimos that Shave_Rat mentions. I prefer the Decimo for its slimmer profile.

One issue that some people have with these is having the pocket clip on the "wrong end", which can feel a bit weird. That's another reason I prefer the Decimo; the pocket clip doesn't feel as obtrusive as it does on the Vanishing Point. With some disassembly and reassembly it is possible to remove the clip without impairing the function of the pen (except for no longer being able to carry it securely in a shirt pocket). One of my Vanishing Points had this done by the seller at my request, but I find that it then requires more conscious thought to align the nib properly with the paper.

I think that the best way to fill these now may be with Pilot cartridges rather than their current converters. The pen comes with a metal cover that you can put over the cartridge to make it more compatible with the click mechanism, and their cartridges have a wide mouth design than makes them easy to refill.

The fine and medium nibs for these, at least, are quite nice to write with, and a step up from the Metro. There are plenty of other pens to suggest if you're only considering writing quality, but if you want a retractable, you'll probably be happy with a Vanishing Point or Decimo.
 
Got a Vanishing point for Christmas. Love it! The pocket clip works for me as a grip but I could see this being a problem for some depending on their natural grip. I really like that it is essentially the convenience of a click ballpoint pen but the quality of a fountain pen. No cap to have to mess with to write something quick and then back into your shirt pocket. Effortless. The included ink converter is just this side of useless. Lots of trouble for very little ink. Buy some appropriate sized syringes and refill empty cartridges yourself. There’s a little plastic plug in the cartridge that can be retrieved with a pair of tweezers and reused To seal the freshly filled cartridge. This way you never have to worry about running out of ink when you’re traveling with your pen. And you don’t have to bring an ink bottle with you, just a spare cartidge or two.
 

Doc4

Stumpy in cold weather
Staff member
I have a couple.

They can be handy to use, especially if you want/need to do a "one handed deploy" from a shirt or jacket pocket. But I find the nib dries out quicker than regular "capped" pens ... the little internal door works ... but not as well as an actual cap. So after a few days the pen is dry and needs priming.
 
I have both a couple of Vanishing Points and a couple of the Decimos that Shave_Rat mentions. I prefer the Decimo for its slimmer profile.

One issue that some people have with these is having the pocket clip on the "wrong end", which can feel a bit weird. That's another reason I prefer the Decimo; the pocket clip doesn't feel as obtrusive as it does on the Vanishing Point. With some disassembly and reassembly it is possible to remove the clip without impairing the function of the pen (except for no longer being able to carry it securely in a shirt pocket). One of my Vanishing Points had this done by the seller at my request, but I find that it then requires more conscious thought to align the nib properly with the paper.

I think that the best way to fill these now may be with Pilot cartridges rather than their current converters. The pen comes with a metal cover that you can put over the cartridge to make it more compatible with the click mechanism, and their cartridges have a wide mouth design than makes them easy to refill.

The fine and medium nibs for these, at least, are quite nice to write with, and a step up from the Metro. There are plenty of other pens to suggest if you're only considering writing quality, but if you want a retractable, you'll probably be happy with a Vanishing Point or Decimo.

What other quality fountain pens for under $150 do you recommend? Preferably for longer writing sessions.
 
Possibly the holy grail of Pilot Capless

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rockviper

I got moves like Jagger
The Decimo I had felt REALLY good and the M-nib was buttery smooth right out of the gate. I had no issues with the clip and perhaps the only drawback was the smaller ink capacity compared to other pens. However, if you like changing your inks, this might be a desirable feature!
 

Claudel Xerxes

Staff member
Platinum has a fountain pen with a retractable nib coming out sometime soon. It's called the Curidas. I haven't tried it, or heard much about it, but it looks like there's a few reviews of it out there already.
 
What other quality fountain pens for under $150 do you recommend? Preferably for longer writing sessions.

Lots of choices, and I always have some vintage pens in the mix. But I'll stay away from recommending one of those, as getting one in well restored or easily restorable condition is a bit dicier.

But for modern pens, I like Pilot in general, and have been happy with both the Custom Heritage 91 (with a CON-70 converter) and Custom Heritage 92, which has a built in piston filler. You can certainly get them for under $150 from Amazon third party dealers and from eBay, but I wonder how worried we are about overseas shipping right now.

There is also the Pilot Elite, and the Elabo. Not sure what current prices are, but would expect them to be be within your range.

And I think the Lamy 2000 that you already have is a very nice pen. At least mine is. I just find the grip on the Pilot Custom Heritage to be a bit more comfortable for me.
 
My VP is a really nice writing pen as most higher-end Pilots are. I have a metropolitan too and there's not much comparison between the two. My metropolitan leaks occasionally and doesn't write very smooth. The VP works well, writes nicely, and doesn't leak. It's more expensive but you will get a higher quality pen for your money.
 

Doc4

Stumpy in cold weather
Staff member
What other quality fountain pens for under $150 do you recommend? Preferably for longer writing sessions.

"Longer writing sessions" makes me think of a piston-fill pen rather than a cart/converter pen.

There aren't all that many options out there compared to the cart/converter pens, but you should look at ...

  • Pelikan ... in various sizes/prices
  • Lamy 2000 ... one model/price
  • TWSBI ... "bargain" options under $100 ... some quality control issues in the past
  • Pilot Custom Heritage 92
My clear favourite (personal opinion, of course) is that the Pilot is the front-runner for first choice. Your best bet to find a good price is from Japanese sellers on e-Bay. But of course for almost all of these pens you are looking at dropping some serious coin for your purchase, so look into each model and see which you personally prefer (or think you will prefer based on what others say about them.)
 

tankerjohn

A little poofier than I prefer
What other quality fountain pens for under $150 do you recommend? Preferably for longer writing sessions.
Platinum 3776 Century, for sure. The nib is bigger and section a little wider than equivalent Pilot (CH 74/91/92) and Sailor (1911S/PG Slim) pens. I find it very comfortable to hold for long periods. YMMV, of course. Platinum cartridges are quite large and last a long time for me. The converter is not as big, but no slouch.

The Vanishing Point is not my jam, but I totally get why people love it. There is pretty much nothing else like it on the market, so if you like, get it.

The Platinum Curidas is an, ahem, "acquired" taste. I can only assume they love it in Japan. Platinum fanboy though I am, I would have to say that with a steel nib and translucent plastic, the Curidas is playing in a different league than the VP. Except for the minor inconvenience of having to remove the cap, the Prefounte is pretty much the same pen for literally 1/8th the price.
 
The VP is by far my favorite fountain pen. My other nice pens are a Platinum 3776 and a Pilot 74, I would recommend both.
The choice between a VP or traditional style pen depends on your writing style. I write a lot, but rarely more than a paragraph at a time. The vp is great for this type of writing. Go for a traditional capped pen if you frequently write a full page or more without putting the pen down. It will be more comfortable.
 
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That curidas sure looks like a dud...actually it looks like a plastic dialog 3. The VP already ran circles around the dialof 3 imho.

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk
 

Whilliam

First Class Citizen
The VP is kind of a cool pen. I find the clip enhances the way it holds. Guess I should dig mine out to do the crosswords that tend to fill my days during the siege. Be aware that a Pilot "F" nib is like a Lamy "XF" nib (an advantage when doing puzzles on newsprint).
 
Been using Decimo for around 2 years now as a daily writer. I've run, pilot, quink, diamine, noodlers, manuscript and monteverde inks all with no issues on all sorts of papers. No hard starts, no drying, no grip issues etc. In fact it the only FP I keep inked permanently as I know it'll just write.
 
Fully agree on the ease of use. Are you using carts or the convertor
Well there lies a short story. I'm using both but mainly cartridges. SWMBO bought me 10 carts in black but pressed the buy now button for 100 packets of 6 carts. She then thought "hmm 10 wont be enough" so clicked on 200 packets of 6.

I've drained around 50 carts so as to use the ink in my monteverde engage one touch, which is going strong after 12 months and the original tip. So I fill the empty carts after flushing with my other inks.
 
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