Pilot Vanishing Point Gun Metal Black Matte Fountain Pen Review

I didn't need another Pilot Vanishing Point. I already had two: the famed Black Matte, which became one of the "pens who shall not be named" on the podcast, and a retro Black Faceted model, which is a mainstay of my collection. So why did I NEED this new Gun Metal Black Matte Vanishing Point? I rarely need any new pen, but this one I had to have.

It took a while for me to get on the Gun Metal bandwagon. I wasn't sure of the color scheme at first, but after seeing multiple pictures of it and checking it out in person I went for it. The barrel is slightly different than the full black matte version, with the grey area being smooth as opposed to a satiny matte feel, which is reserved for the tip, clip, middle band, and knock. It's quite a stunning look, especially in person.

It also sports one of the recently introduced black nib units, which I am in love with. I went for the EF nib, which is ridiculously small, even for me. I never recommend this size to anyone but I love it. Paired with a well lubricated ink like Sailor Nano Black, this nib writes wonderfully smooth and consistent. But boy is it fine. You really need to manage your writing angle with this one to make sure you are hitting the sweet spot.

Many people have asked what fountain pen best compares to the Pilot Hi-Tec-C 0.3 mm/0.4 mm gel ink pens. Pilot's EF nibs, as found in the Penmanship (which can be swapped into the Metropolitan or Prera) and the Vanishing Point, are the closest I have found. Looking at the writing sample in my Field Notes it is closest to the 0.28 mm Uni-ball Signo DX and 0.3 mm Hi-Tec-C, so that seems like a good range. Ink and paper will cause this to vary of course.

But back to this whole idea of needing this pen. Although yes, I got this pen for free as part of my JetPens sponsorship, I still couldn't justify it without selling one of my current Vanishing Points. I didn't see myself actively using two similar pens, so my trusty black matte VP, one of my first big fountain pen purchases, has found a new home. More than any other fountain pen I own, the Vanishing Point is made to be used, anywhere and everywhere. That is this pens job, so having one sitting around collecting dust would be doing it a disservice.

My friend Mel found the words I was struggling to find about my Field Notes Butcher Orange, and it applies here too: "By using it, it is now truly yours and you've fulfilled its purpose." Words to live by.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

Sakura Pigma Micron Blue Black Review

How did a blue black ink pen like the Sakura Pigma Micron 05 slip under my radar? I am a huge Micron fan and use the 03 black model all the time. They are also one of my favorites to use in Field Notes memo books. They write well, handle all types of paper, and are disposable so I don't worry about losing or breaking them. So how did I overlook this beauty? I was blinded by the cult of fine tips.

Comfort zones are an interesting barrier. For years and years I was fixated on ultra fine tips, the likes of which are found in the Pilot Hi-Tec-C, Uni-ball Jetstream, and more. The finer the better in my book, with almost no limit on how fine. That carried over to my fountain pen fascination, as stock EF nibs weren't fine enough for me and I sent them off to be ground even finer.

As I found out quickly with fountain pens I was missing out on the benefits that wider nibs have, like stubs and italics. There was a level of expressiveness to be found, plus it opened up new brands and styles to me that I wouldn't have considered when I was in "XXXF OR DIE!!!" mode.

And that is how I missed this great blue black Micron. A Twitter follower asked why I had never mentioned it before, knowing how much I like both Microns and blue black inks. The fact is, I was stuck using "my size" of Micron and never bothered to check that other colors were available in other tip sizes. I logged into JetPens, clicked over to the 05 Sakura Pigma Micron page, and lo and behold there it was.

It's pretty good too. The blue black color reminds me a lot of Sailor's blue black fountain pen ink, which I have come to love after some initial hesitancy. The 05 Micron size (.045 mm) is obviously larger than what I'm used to but I like it a lot, as the first 6 or 8 pages in my latest Field Notes book will attest to. I can see this size in other colors making its way into regular use.

Step outside your comfort zone occasionally. You might be surprised what you find.

Uni Power Tank Smart Series Review

The Fisher Space Pen is the quintessential write-anywhere ballpoint pen that most people have seen or might own. There are several other pens that utilize a pressurized cartridge to achieve the same results, and the one that I've really taken a liking to is the Uni Power Tank.

There are three things that stand out to me that make the Power Tank a greater value than the Space Pen: Price, Grip, and Writing Performance. Bold claims, right?

At $3.30, the price is obviously much lower than most Fisher Space Pens. But, the price doesn't detract from the writing quality of the pen, which is what makes it a great value. I have several of these in different places. There's one in each of our cars, a couple in random bags of mine, one at work, and probably a couple others that I've forgotten. I can buy several and not flinch.

The grip on these pens is something I especially enjoy. The grip section sports tightly grouped grooves that provide an excellent writing grip. The thickness of the section is also very agreeable. It's on the thick side of average. I've written a lot with these pens, and I've never been annoyed by the grip.

The refill is excellent as far as ballpoints go. I don't think it uses the same ink technology as the Jetstreams, but it's pretty similar. Smooth, dark, and skipless. This pen keeps up with fast writing in less-than-ideal conditions and positions. On top of that, it's a 0.7 mm point, which is what I prefer. It's the same line width as the Jetstream 0.7 mm points. Prefer something different? You can also get 0.5 and 1.0 refills, although color options in all are bare.

One of my favorite things about this pen when compared to something like the Fisher Bullet is the fact that it's retractable. Sure, it's longer than the Bullet when it's closed, but you can't beat the simple one-handed operation of a retractable pen.

This pen is a real winner for me because it significantly over-delivers on what it sets out to do. It's trustworthy, and I love it for that.

There are five colors to pick from, as well as a premium metal body that's only available in pink on JetPens. They used to carry a silver and black version, and I wish I would've gotten one when I had the chance. The body colors are extremely exciting, but there's plenty of choice. Personally, I think you can't go wrong with the Yellow or Silver bodies.

(You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution, Twitter, and App.net.)