Pilot Vanishing Point with Special Alloy Nib Review

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

As a self-professed Pilot Vanishing Point (or Capless) fan, I was a little surprised at myself for not owning one with the “Special Alloy” nib, which I will be referring to as “steel” even though I don’t know for certain what alloy they used. I think “old me” had fallen into the trap of gold must be better than steel, especially since all the VP/Decimo/Fermo/etc pens had gold nibs, so I never really gave it much thought. At one point, I wanted to have Hiroko Makino of Bokumondoh do some urushi & raden work on a VP for me, so I went and ordered this steel VP because it’s significantly cheaper than a gold one, and I didn’t have the time to wait for a deal on the secondary market. I figured I could always swap in one of the other gold VP nib units later. I opted to send her different pens, so I decided to ink up this VP anyway to see how it wrote.

Pilot Vanishing Point, Deep Yellow with steel Fine nib (left), Blue Carbonesque with 18kt gold Fine nib (right.)

I originally put Jacques Herbin Brun Eiffel in the Deep Yellow VP cuz you know me and matchy matchy inks. I inked up the Blue Carbonesque VP with De Atramentis Sherlock Holmes (aka “Night Blue”). Paper is Kokuyo Perpanep Tsuru Tsuru.

Blue Carbonesque VP (top) and Deep Yellow VP (bottom.)

Despite both nibs being Fine, the gold nib felt just a wee bit softer and also gave a slightly wider line. The steel VP nib definitely felt more nail-like by comparison, not that the gold nib was bouncy or flexy by any stretch. But I could definitely feel the difference between the two.

So then I thought, well, maybe it’s the ink, so I put Brun Eiffel in the 18kt gold VP nib, and both nibs felt a bit more similar.

Both had similar line widths in print but it was more obvious with cursive, that the steel nib had a finer line.

Zooming in on some lines and squiggles, you can see that the top lines (18kt gold) are slightly wider than the bottom ones (steel.)

While I wouldn’t say the Jacques Herbin Brun Eiffel was a dry ink, it certainly isn’t as wet as De Atramentis, so I went and cleaned out the Deep Yellow VP and inked that up with DA Sherlock Holmes. I was surprised that the wetter ink didn’t produce a wider line, if anything, it almost looks like it is finer than it was with the Brun Eiffel, especially in print. I did a bit of writing after cleaning and inking to make sure it wasn’t due to a wet feed, etc., so it doesn’t make any sense.

Both pens inked up with De Atramentis Sherlock Holmes, the steel nib gave a thinner line, especially with print. The difference is less obvious with cursive.

Once again the 18kt gold nib (top) produced wider lines than the steel nib.

Before you jump to any conclusions about steel vs gold, I would also like to add that the steel writing experience was quite nice. I definitely prefer Medium nibs (in general) to Fine nibs, but the Deep Yellow VP with the steel nib wrote well and I didn’t have any problems with it in the 3 months that it’s been inked up. I’ve used it on 10 different occasions (thank you, FPC, for that handy data) and never had any hard starts, despite Brun Eiffel not being a super wet ink. I don’t love the EF VP nibs (or most EF nibs, for that matter), so this steel Fine is about as fine as I would want to write with on a regular basis. I was very pleasantly surprised at the experience and am glad I bought it.

The “special alloy” nib Pilot Vanishing Points are also available in Medium (I didn’t see any when I was originally shopping for it) as well as Fine, and seem to only be available in Black, Dark Blue, and Deep Yellow. I would assume that the Medium steel nib would feel similar, e.g. finer than the gold Medium, with a stiffer/firmer writing experience. To my knowledge, these steel nib Vanishing Points aren’t sold by US retailers besides Amazon, which was where I ordered mine. Prices range from $75-95 before sales tax. Considering a VP nib unit alone costs about $90-110, this is a pretty good way to try a real Pilot VP (not clone, homage, etc) to make sure you really like it.

(Disclaimer: I purchased mine on Amazon last year and it seems to be currently unavailable in Fine in the Deep Yellow. Here is a non-affiliate link to the Dark Blue VP, Fine, Special Alloy.)

Pilot Vanishing Point/Capless Fountain Pens - A Quick Comparison

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

The question “should I get a Vanishing Point?” is asked often enough that I think it merits its own little article. Not because it’s particularly difficult to answer but because it’s not a one-size-fits-all kind of answer. Still, this is meant to be a “quick” comparison, so let’s get to it!

The Pilot Vanishing Point was first introduced in the early 1960s as the Pilot Capless. It is still called the Capless in the Japanese market and a few others as well. As the name implies, it is a pen that does not have a cap. Carmen Rivera has written a short history of the Pilot Capless with links to the many variations of the pen up until 2010. I will be using the term “Capless” for this group of pens that don’t have caps, and “Vanishing Point” for the specific model of that name. There are a lot more models of the pen that I don’t have, so I will be focusing on the most commonly discussed models - (1) Vanishing Point (AKA “VP”), (2) the Decimo, (3) faceted VPs and (4) the Fermo.

The VP in its current form, as well as the faceted ones (which were released in the 80s) and the Decimo, use a knock, push button or “clicker” atop the pen, which extends and retracts the nib. This allows the user to quickly make notes without dealing with capping and uncapping a pen, and by extension, or dealing with what to do with said cap. You can imagine how handy this is if you’re not at a desk, like a doctor who needs to take notes while standing, or if you just need to write a few words or check off a todo list. The Fermo requires you to twist the back end of the pen to extend and retract the nib.

L to R: Vanishing Point, Decimo, Faceted VP, and Fermo.

The Capless nib extends a short distance from the tip of the pen.

As you can see, once the nib has been extended, the user holds the pen down by the clip. This may or may not be comfortable depending on how you grip your pens.

All 4 of the Capless pens have clips on the nib end of the pen, but they are all slightly different in shape as well as profile, so one model may be more comfortable for you than another. The Fermo also feels slightly more back-weighted than the others because the twist mechanism is in the back of the pen. I don’t find it uncomfortably back-weighted but it’s something to consider if you tend to dislike that in a pen. The twist mechanism of the Fermo makes it quite unwieldy to operate single-handedly (I was unable to smoothly extend the nib one-handed, but retracting it was easier).

Closeup of the grips/cliips of the VP, Decimo, Faceted VP, and Fermo.

Profiles of the VP, Decimo, Faceted VP and Fermo.

I have included some similarly sized pens but am showing them uncapped since that’s the best way to compare them with the Capless.

L to R: Pilot 912, VP, TWSBI Eco, Pelikan M605, Decimo, Lamy AL-Star, Platinum 3776, Faceted VP, TWSBI 580, Leonardo Momento Zero, Fermo, Pilot Metropolitan, Sailor Pro Gear.

“But Kimberly”, you say, “how will I know if the Capless will work for me and if so, which one would work the best?” If you own or have access to a Pilot Metropolitan (or MR), I have a hack for you! Flip the Metro around such that you are gripping it at the cap/clip end and see if it works with your grip! The VP is slightly girthier than the Metro, and the Faceted VP, Fermo, and Decimo are slightly slimmer.

”Turn it on its head” and pretend you can click it!

A few different grip positions in relation to the clip (I grip my pens like the top left, my husband more like the top right and my son bottom left.)

The recent LS Capless also uses a knock to extend the nib, but a twist to retract it. I don’t have this one because (1) it is quite a bit more expensive than a regular Capless and (2) I don’t like the thought of two different mechanisms for extending and retracting the nib. And if you think that one is expensive, don’t even bother looking up the one that was a collaboration with Hermès (yes, that one), called the Nautilus which employs a twist mechanism that is extremely smooth and satisfying to watch. And no, I don’t have that one either, and if you Google the price tag, you’ll know why!

Compared to pens with an actual cap, the Capless’ trap door doesn't have as tight a seal, so you may experience a little bit of drying if you don’t use the pen regularly. It is also more noticeable if you use dryer inks. For this reason, I try to use my Capless pens a little more frequently than my capped pens and I use wetter inks like Iroshizuku.

Other random tidbits:

• Faceted VPs are long discontinued - These pens have been discontinued for quite some time (more than 20 years) but I included them in this review because they pop on the secondary market and are sought after because people often find their clips to be less intrusive. They came in 5 colors (black, blue, green, burgundy – all with silver trim, and black matte with black trim).
• Fermo discontinued? - I have heard that the Fermo has been discontinued but I don’t know that definitively. You can still find them new from both the Asian markets as well as here in the states.
• Alloy nib VP - Though not officially sold outside of Japan, Pilot has made VPs available with a steel alloy nib, instead of gold. This is most often found on eBay or Amazon and is a $100 way to find out if the pen is for you.
• Swappable VP units - For the most part, the nib units on the various capless models are swappable. However, some of the vintage models may not take the current VP units as they are a bit too girthy, so keep that in mind.
• Metal Cartridge cap - The “clicky” Capless pens (aka, not Fermo) come with a metal cartridge cap, which you should use over your cartridge. Otherwise, the repeated clicking may result in a damaged cartridge and an inky mess.
• Special Editions - Pilot releases a special edition VP every year like the 2019 Tropical Turquoise or the 2016 Guilloche. Pilot often makes special Japan-only or store-exclusive releases that are unavailable elsewhere. Those often command a premium because many of those stores do not ship outside Japan or require you to purchase them in store.
• Other retractable pens - I know that Majohn has recently released their A1 and A2 versions of the Pilot Vanishing Point and faceted VPs. I have heard good things about them but I don’t have either one to compare them to. There’s also the Platinum Curidas and the upcoming Endless Creator, but I decided to keep this article focused on the Pilot retractables.

Some special editions including the 2016 Guilloche, 2017 Crimson Sunrise, 2019 Tropical Turquoise, Bungubox Energia VP, Nagasawa Kobe Gradation Decimo, Brushed Aluminum Decimo 20 colors in Purple.

The Pilot Vanishing Point has a retail/street of $210 USD & $168 respectively, while the Decimos are $200/$160. VP nib units are $134/$107. The Fermo can still be found for $190. And the aforementioned LS model is $600/$480. Limited Editions range wildly in price, especially on the secondary market, depending on its popularity.

The Pilot Capless pens were quite revolutionary when they came out and they continue to be the standard by which other retractable fountain pens are measured. The clip placement makes it quite a polarizing option for consumers, but for folks like me who aren’t bothered by it, they can be quite a fun and useful pen to have in your collection.

(Disclaimer: All pens pictured, including non-Capless pens, were purchased by me.)

Pilot Decimo Fountain Pen Review

I normally don’t rush into product reviews. I like to spend some time with products prior to writing an article, usually a few weeks at a minimum. That’s not a firm rule-there are plenty of exceptions to be made-but the more time I spend with a product, the better idea I have on its pros and cons, and how people might use it.

The Pilot Decimo is one of those exceptions, for a few reasons.

One, I’ve been on vacation, and didn’t have an article banked for today. I like to get ahead of the game, but I’ve already let April get ahead of me a bit. And that’s perfectly ok when time off is involved.

Bought for $200 at the 2023 Atlanta Pen Show. The stock Decimo is currently priced around $160.

Two, this Decimo is fresh in my mind. It was part of my Atlanta Pen Show haul two weekends ago, and has been close at hand ever since.

And three, I know what to expect from this pen. I’m already a fan of the Pilot Vanishing Point, and you may ask “What is the difference between the Pilot Vanishing Point and the Pilot Decimo?”

Barrel diameter.

That’s it. That’s the list.

And honestly, that’s what I wanted to test. I love the Vanishing Point, but it teeters right on the edge of being too wide. It’s not, I don’t think, but what if it were slightly narrower?

That’s the Decimo in a nutshell. That slight diameter difference (10.8 mm grip/12 mm barrel vs. 12 mm grip/13.7 mm barrel on the Vanishing Point,) gives this pen a different feel. And in my week plus with this pen, I think it makes a world of difference. Pilot must think so too, as evidenced by the mere existence of this model. And in the Japanese market, it seems closer to equal footing with the Vanishing Point.

Vanishing Point, top, vs. Decimo.

That’s not the case here in the US market, or the rest of the world outside of Japan. We are stuck with a few basic Decimo colors, which aren’t refreshed every year. There’s no limited edition release, no sneaky store collaboration, no nothing. It’s the opposite in Japan, with endless choice, and constant product updates.

The Decimo nose cone is slightly smaller to accommodate the narrower barrel diameter.

My Decimo was part of a 20 pen release in Japan in 2020, with five colors launched each quarter throughout the year. You read that right-20 new Decimos in a single calendar year. Is that a bit of an outlier? Sure. But that didn’t stop the regular flow of store model and limited releases throughout the country.

In the US market? Bupkis. And not changing any time soon, despite our collective leaning on Pilot USA at the Atlanta Pen Show.

Same with the clip.

This post is more of a stump speech than a review, in that I think the Decimo should be given more love outside of Japan. It’s a great pen, which, if you already like the Vanishing Point, you may like the Decimo even more.

Do I? That’s where time and testing come in. We shall see. I certainly don’t like it less, so Pilot, why not give me a few more Decimo colors to test out to see what I really think?

Until then, I’ll keep writing with this Purple Brushed Metal 2020 Pilot Decimo, with a Matthew Chen Kodachi nib grind on its Medium 18k nib unit. And as long as I have it, I’ll keep asking for more to be available around the globe.

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