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Fingers Were Meant to be Inky

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Pilot Vanishing Point Fountain Pen Review

Pilot Vanishing Point Fountain Pen, retracted

The short version of this review: Oh my God! For a slightly longer version, keep reading…

Pilot Vanishing Point Fountain Pen

Price: $140.00
Nib: Extra Fine (Oh my, yes!)
Filling System: Pilot converters & cartridges

About the Pen:

Around 1964, Pilot introduced a high-tech and remarkable writing instrument: a fully retractable fountain pen they called the Capless. Over the next 60 years, they’ve made a number of refinements and design changes, such as changing the original twist-to-retract mechanism to the pushbutton style we see today.

A note about the “Vanishing Point” and “Capless” names: The official name of this pen has gone back and forth a number of times (as has the brand name between Pilot and Namiki). I believe it is still called the Capless in many parts of the world, but it’s marketed as the Vanishing Point in the US.

The current incarnation of the Vanishing Point is as technologically advanced as it is elegant.

Pilot Vanishing Point Fountain Pen, close-up image of the pen's Nose & Clip
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Kyokuto F64° Notebook Review

Kyokuto F64° Pocket-Sized Notebooks Kyokuto F64° Pocket-Sized Notebooks (Ruled & Plain)

A Tale of Six Notebooks, a Chinese Pen, and a Whole Lot of Feathers

This was supposed to be a short, quick review. But it turned into a genuine saga.

I love notebooks. I have piles of them that I’m not sure I’ll ever get to use. But I keep buying them because I’m looking for the PERFECT notebook. As I’ve been trying different brands, paper types, styles, and bindings, I think I’ve identified exactly what I’m looking for. Unfortunately, I don’t think it exists. With the thousands of different types of notebooks out there, you’d think I could find a handful of options that suit my needs. But you’d be wrong…. Read More

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Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen Review

Two Pilot Metropolitan fountain pens: one Bronze Lizard and one Black Crocodile

From the “I know there are a million reviews of this pen already, but I’m writing one anyway” files…

Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen

Price: $15.00
Nibs: Fine & Italic
Country of Origin: Japan
Filling System: Aerometric / Squeeze-Type

About the Pen:

The Pilot Metropolitan is undoubtedly one of the best “starter” fountain pens out there. The street price is $15, making it very affordable. But it’s also a hallmark of quality: durable, dependable, reliable, and comfortable. The Metro is available with either a Fine or Medium nib; however, it used the same nib as several other Pilot pens, which are available in other grades: the Pilot Plumix has an Italic nib, and the Pilot Penmanship has an Extra Fine nib (Note: the Plumix and Penmenship cost about $8 each). The nibs can be swapped from those pens into the Metropolitan, giving a total of four nib options.

For this review, I’m using two different variants of the pen:

  • Bronze Lizard with a Fine nib
  • Black Crocodile with an Italic nib (that I swapped from a Plumix)

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