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Reviews: pilot varsity/schaeffer viewpoint

These are my first 2 fountain pens to own. I have had the varsity for a little over a month and the viewpoint just a few days.

As for the varsity, it's greatest asset is the price and ease of use. It always has ink whenever you want it and when it runs out, you can just trash it; very inexpensive. The downside is the nib. It has a small ball on the end so it writes more like a wet ballpoint than a fountain pen.

The other downside is you are stuck with the ink it comes with.


As for the Shaeffer, it came with 2 cartridges a blue and black and I got the fine nib. The pen is a little bigger than the varsity and I like the way it fits in my hand. The nib is better than the varsity, but slightly scratchy. I like the fine and the way it writes. Though it does sometimes need a line or two before the ink starts flowing. I am pretty sure I could get a converter for the viewpoint also if I wanted to play with different ink colors.

As for my first foray into fountain pens, I want a nicer one. I would think a $20 to $30 pen would not have as scratchy a nib and would just write better than both I own. I just need to convince SWMBO on that fact. I look forward to finding more pens and seeing what else I like and can do!

Hope the reviews were helpful!
 
Is this the classic Viewpoint from the NoNonsense line, or the much more recent calligraphy-set Viewpoint, with the "window" hole in the side of the barrel?
 
If you like that pen, do yourself a favor and look for the classic NoNonsense line. The pen with the 'ink window" is the really cheap version Bic used for the Calligraphy sets, but the older ones were better. Better section/grip, better nibs, better barrels, more designs and colors, better construction overall. Sheaffer made the NoNonsense line for 30+ years before Bic stopped its production when they bought Sheaffer, back in '99 or 2000.
 
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