Pilot Vanishing Point Fountain Pen Video

I mentioned in my Pilot Vanishing Point review last week that I made a short video to share with you. I’m no Scorsese, but I at least tried to capture a few of the high points of the pen.

There is a quick shot of the door that keeps the nib from drying out and a good look at the clip in case you were questioning how your fingers might land on the barrel. I also point out the little hole that you need to get all the way in the ink bottle to fill the converter properly.

I have moved over to the standard Pilot Namiki Black Ink Cartridges which I plan on trying for a while and then testing out syringe refilling to see how that goes. So far so good with the black ink cartridges in the few days I have used them.

This is a heavy rotation pen for me and really the only pen I am using right now. The next thing I want to do is several nib and line width comparisons so look for that in the near future.

Monteverde Artista Crystal Fountain Pen Giveaway

Do you listen to The Pen Addict Podcast? If you do and caught Episode 13 then you would have heard me allude to a pen I was excited to giveaway this week. The Monteverde Artista Crystal Fountain Pen is brand new at JetPens and I have one Transparent Lime Green Body with Medium Nib to giveaway.

I haven’t inked up this pen and taken it for a test drive but it has a really nice look and feel. The clear resin barrel is very sharp, especially with the chromium plated accents. It uses short international ink cartridges and also comes with a converter so you can use your own ink. I will certainly be jealous of whoever wins this!

Here is how to enter:

1. 
   

   Leave one comment on this post anytime between now, and Wednesday night at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. You are limited to one entry. This contest is limited to US residents only.

   
   


2. 
   

   For this contest, I will pick one winner at random from the comments section of this post. The comments will be numbered in the order they are received, i.e. the first comment is #1, the second #2, and so on. The Random Integer Generator at random.org will be used to pick the number of the winner.

   
   


3. 
   

   The contest winner will be posted on Thursday, May 17th. The winner will have one week to email me at the address posted in the right sidebar.

   
   

Thanks and good luck!

Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto Smart 3 Multi Pen Review

I have reviewed many Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto multi pen barrels over the years. It is the first multi pen I fell in love with and is still the best in my mind. While the ink cartridges haven’t changed, new barrel designs hit the market frequently. The Coleto Smart 3 is the most recent I have tested out.

Compared to the older Coleto barrel designs the Smart 3 is an excellent visual upgrade. The clear plastic grip area is the biggest change, allowing you to see a large section of the ink cartridges. It is eerily similar to the original Uni Style Fit.

The updated look is great but that change comes with a slightly wider barrel diameter. I don’t have the exact measurements, but this barrel looks and feels wider than the standard 4 Color Coleto barrel. That, to me, makes it less desirable. If I can fit four cartridges in a narrower barrel I am going to take that more often than not.

In the end it is only $2.50, so you don’t have to break the bank to try it out. If you have a few spare Coleto refills laying around it is worth a shot.