Ranking 15 Pilot Fountain Pen Nibs

I had the pleasure of testing all 15 of Pilot’s #10-sized 14K gold fountain pen nibs recently, and wanted to share my thoughts on them as a group.

For starters, I am thrilled that Pilot made these nibs available in the US market, via the Custom Heritage 912 lineup. The basics were always available here - Fine, Medium, Broad, etc. - but the specialty nibs - Coarse, Stub, Posting, and so on - were traditionally only available in the Japanese market. That changed a couple of years ago, and Pilot fans, such as myself, rejoiced.

When thinking about reviewing these, I had several thoughts. Should I do one review per nib? Should I group them in use-case batches? What about videos? Pictures? It was a lot to consider! My friend Mike Matteson at Inkdependence review this entire set a few months ago, so be sure to check out his great videos on these nibs.

For me, I decided on something different, and specific: How would I rank these nibs for my own use? Do I worry this is too specific for a broader product review? A little. In the end I think it is going to work out, as I’ll be able to discuss my specific preferences, and the pros and cons that go along with those preferences. Nibs that don’t work for me may be perfect for you, and I hope to be able to explain that throughout this list. They are all good nibs, Brad!

A few notes before we begin:

• I write in a block print style, never cursive or script. I prefer fine lines, or wide lines with an edge that benefit my writing style. Needless to say, those nibs will be near the top of my list.
• Pilot requested that I only dip test these nibs. I don’t believe that is the best way to give you the most accurate commentary on nib performance. That said, Pilot’s nibs and feeds are so good that I am able to get good results from only dipping the nib.
• All nibs are tested on Maruman Spiral Note Basic A4 Dot Grid paper, and with Pilot Iroshizuku Take-Sumi ink.
• Once I dip the nib, I wipe the bulk of the ink off on the bottle edge, then write several lines on scrap paper to even out the flow before testing the line.
• The lyrics used are from the start of ODB’s verse on “Da Mystery of Chessboxin’” by the Wu-Tang Clan.
• Wu-Tang is for the kids.
• If you have any questions if a certain nib is for you, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment, or get in touch.
• Thank you Pilot USA for loaning me these nibs!

On to my rankings:

15) Coarse

Someone has to finish last, and for me it is the Coarse. It is a marker tip, so if you are looking for that type of line, then take a look at this one. There is no line variation, just a bold, round, line. I will say that given the size and shape of nib tipping, the Coarse is a perfect platform for big and interesting nib grinds.

The Pilot Coarse Nib, perfect for big nib grinds.

14) Broad Broad

Similar to the Coarse, but with a little more ink application on the page. The Coarse nib seems to spread the ink thinner on the page, while the BB just unloads it.

Left to right: Broad, Broad Broad, Coarse.

13) Soft Medium

There is a group of nibs with no true home in the list, starting with the Soft Medium. I think it is the worst of the “Soft” group, offering less line variation than the other options. That’s what you want with a nib like this, but it is too similar to the Medium.

12) Fine Medium

Ditto here, but with a little more line variation. I will say that even with the Soft designation, the speed at which I can write is great. This is a fun one, but there are better choices for my style.

Pilot SU, left, and Music nibs.

11) Music

This traditional two slit, three tine Music nib setup is fantastic, I just prefer the Sutab (SU, aka Stub,) so much more that I knocked this one down the list a bit. It is much wider than the SU on both vertical and horizontal strokes. Think 1.5 mm vs. 1.1 mm. I prefer the narrower on both accounts.

The upturned Pilot Waverly nib.

10) Waverly

This was my first time with the Waverly nib, and I expected more from it. The idea is that it is great for writing at any angle, so if you hold the pen in a non-traditional manner, this nib could work well for you. For me, there was no benefit to it, although I wouldn’t mind spending more time with it to see what I could sort out.

9) Medium

An excellent stock writing experience. Japanese Medium nibs are the recommendation sweet spot for every day writing. I prefer finer lines, as seen below, but there is no arguing with this one.

8) Soft Fine

It’s fine, but not fine enough. This is a good example of expectations when choosing a nib. Japanese Fine nibs are very fine, and the Soft style makes lines wider due to the tines spreading further than on a standard nib. I’d rather have a standard Fine.

7) Soft Fine Medium

But the Soft Fine Medium is great! My expectation is that it would be wider, given “Medium” in the name, and it is. It is also finer than a stock Medium, and has more character on the page.

Pilot Posting nib, left, and Extra Fine.

6) Extra Fine

Why so low? It’s mostly the PO (Posting) nibs fault, but maybe more so that Pilot’s Fine nib is my favorite all day, every day writer. The Extra Fine is great, but I don’t see a place for it given my fondness of other nibs. Now, if those nibs didn’t exist, this one could top the rankings.

5) Broad

Surprise, surprise, surprise! Something happened to me when I tested this nib out, and no, it wasn’t an alien abduction. I want to be able to control my lines in wide nibs, and most nibs I’ve tested in this category have been too wide, too wet, too rounded, or all of the above. I thought I would easily prefer the Medium nib over this one, but it wasn’t that close. Again, the Medium makes for a great recommendation, but the Broad is more enjoyable.

4) Fine

My favorite pick up and write nib. Yes, the line is very narrow, but not too much. It remains legible for all types of writing, and the nib feels more stable and stronger than the Extra Fine.

3) SU

I’ve owned a Sutab nib previously, but didn’t get on with it that well. Testing this one out made me wonder if there was something wrong with mine, which I no longer own. With any stub-type nib, you want to see line variation. My old SU had very little, and I found it boring. This one has a wide range from thick to thin, and I think I’m going to need to buy a new one.

The unmistakable Pilot FA nib.

2) FA

This is the most fun Pilot nib. The flexible FA nib has more bounce than most other modern flex nib pens, while retaining a great standard writing line if you aren’t actively pushing the nib. It gives my standard block print writing a ton of character. I wouldn’t mind having this nib inked and in the rotation on a permanent basis.

1) PO

Do not buy this nib without trying it first. That’s how I acquired my Posting nib. I raved about the loaner I reviewed, a reader went out and bought one, instantly hated it, and sold it to me. 10 years on, I’m still in love. PO nib fans refer to this nib as nail-like, and that is accurate. The line is finer than the stock Extra Fine, while also being firmer due to its turned down tip. I wouldn’t be surprised if Pilot sells less of this nib than any other, but it is the one nib I own that I can’t live without.

That’s a wrap! My biggest takeaway from this experience is that Pilot makes amazing nibs. I already knew that, but it is nice to have that confirmation across the board. If you have a fountain pen writing need, Pilot as a nib for you. My thanks to Pilot North America for loaning me this set of pens for review.

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Choosing The Best Beginner Fountain Pen

(This is a guest Post from Sam Alpert. Sam is a geologist, gamer, and general lover of all things with good, clean design that will last a lifetime.)

ABSTRACT

I have compared a number of properties, both quantifiable and subjective, across three of the most widely-recommended beginner fountain pens: the Pilot Metropolitan, Lamy Safari, and Platinum Plaisir. Based on my findings I have determined that the Pilot Metropolitan represents the best balance across all compared categories and is therefore the best beginner fountain pen.

PREFACE

I am assuming that the person purchasing this pen wants to use their own ink, and will therefore also need a converter. For those looking to get the highest ease of use a cartridge is significantly easier, but it also limits you to the inks available in them. To me this defeats one of the biggest reasons to switch to a fountain pen: being able to choose almost any ink color imaginable. I am also assuming that the person purchasing this pen is not prone to losing their possessions and is willing to make some sacrifices in terms of ease of use in order to switch to a fountain pen. If you are not, then stop reading now. You may as well stick with ballpoint or rollerball pens. There are many phenomenal options out there for upgrades from the basic Pilot G2 and this article does not cover them.

BACKGROUND

My name is Sam. I'm a PhD candidate studying meteorites at the American Museum of Natural History. I've always been very pedantic with a tendency to nit-pick my possessions. I like things to last while serving their purpose as cleanly and effectively as possible. I've loved pens ever since I first saw my grandfather's Cross pen/pencil set he kept on his desk. I like simple, classic designs; I prefer my writing utensils to only serve one purpose at a time. I wouldn’t attempt to use a fountain pen (FP) to write lab notes (though I have at least tried). Likewise, I see no better utensil to write notes on talks, papers, and to-do lists than a FP.

Disclaimer: this article does not describe how to use a fountain pen, or what each individual part of a fountain pen is. Such information is not in debate and there are numerous resources online that will provide this background. The goal of this article is to help answer the most basic question one is left with after researching FPs and deciding to take the plunge and buy a first one: which is the best?

The primary reason for writing this article was the lack of inter-comparisons across the internet. Most reviewers do not put pens head to head. Instead they review one pen at a time, and while they may have a rudimentary formula for how their review is conducted, a comprehensive series of quantifiable and subjective criterion is often lacking, instead opting for soft (non-quantifiable) comparisons to a single property of a single similar (or dissimilar) FP. For example, The Pen Addict’s review of the Metropolitan contains only a single mention of the Safari as his preferred entry level fountain pen, with the given reason as it having more barrel options (6). The article doesn’t discuss things like the ink capacity of the FP, a feature which may be more important to some than barrel options. In addition the article, which was published in 2013, doesn’t line up with the current recommendations on his “Top 5 Fountain Pens for Beginners” list (7).

This lack of continuity across even a single reviewer is not unsurprising. Changes in taste and shifts in the market play a huge role in the opinions a reviewer might hold. Additionally, most reviewers do not all start by reviewing the most popular, or most entry level FPs before moving on. The process of reviewing pens this way is organic, but lacks a rigorous baseline from which to compare reviews against one another.

Broadening the spectrum to other reviewers we find that searching for “the best beginner fountain pen” also results in a wide range of opinions, most of which do not agree. The Pilot Metropolitan, Platinum Preppy, LAMY Safari, TWSBI Eco, and Kaweco Sport all appear repeatedly in lists online (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, others). Less commonly mentioned are pens like the Platinum Plaisir, Diplomat Magnum, and a variety of pens by Jinhao (2, 5). Browsing forums like Reddit or Fountain Pen Network will give similar results. These recommendations range in their level of detail from simple filters on a retailer’s website (5) to full guides with extensive reviews of each individual pen in separate articles linked from the body of the guide (1). Each of these reviews still lack methodology or criterion that are shared across each pen. Even in cases where pens are compared to each other, there is little consistency in what aspect of each pen is being compared. For example, a review might state that the Safari is lighter than the Metropolitan, and therefore more comfortable for long writing sessions. However, when comparing the Plaisir to the Metropolitan weight is not referenced at all, and instead the review focuses on how wet or dry the nibs are relative to each other. The lack of consistency fails in the primary objective of assisting a reader in determining which pen to buy. As an additional example, were one only concerned with ink capacity and price then neither of the aforementioned comparisons would help in the decision making process. While reading multiple reviews is always the best method to get the broadest view of any topic, the lack of salient points to compare across those reviews makes developing a consistent opinion impossible.

This article seeks to address this lack of baseline by using the same methods to compare each pen under review. Thereby providing the reader with all the information necessary to make their own comparisons or conclusion as to which pen they would prefer. This also allows the reader to compare this article to articles from other sources no matter what points those reviews chose to cover.

METHODS

Each pen will be compared based on its specific characteristics: materials, price, filling mechanisms, available options (colors and nib sizes), weight, length, grip diameter, and grip style. Pens will be subjected to 1 week of real world use. During this time the pen will be carried unprotected in my daily bag (either in the pouch on the front of the laptop sleeve of a Timbuktu messenger bag or the top zipper compartment of my Osprey Stratos 24 backpack) along with a few other EDC items (varies depending on the day). This is intended to test the durability of the finish of the pen and its reliability when used afterwards. For the entire week this will be the only fountain pen I use. I will also carry the pen in my pants pocket for 1 day of the week while at work to provide an added level of stress testing.

Pens will also be put through a series of tests under controlled conditions. This will include: a standard writing test (same passage will be used for all pens) in a Leuchtturm1917 Notebook Classic, a short writing test (sample sentence and some line tests) in a generic Staples brand notepad, and a test consisting of 5 drops from desk height onto my office floor (carpet tile over concrete) to simulate accidents that may occur during daily use. For all writing test pens will use the same ink: Pilot Blue Black. This ink was chosen for being relatively inexpensive per mL, acceptable dry time (<20 s), good performance (not too dry, not too wet), ease of cleaning, high quality (relatively resistant to developing mold), and good color (subjective but I just couldn’t bring myself to do this with black ink, sorry, not sorry).

Each pen will also be evaluated based on a series of additional subjective points. This will include: writing feel (how smooth the nib is, how much feedback the nib has, how comfortable the pen is while writing), ease of maintenance, ease of carry, and aesthetics.

RESULTS

Physical Characteristics

The physical characteristics of each pen are listed in Table 1. This information was gathered from a combination of my own measurements in the case of the length, weight when full, minimum/maximum section diameter, and drop test. The ink capacity of the converters, and prices were sourced from JetPens.com.

Table 1 - Physical characteristics of pens

Because of the “ergonomic grip” design, a diameter is not relevant here.

Figure 1 - A) pens capped top to bottom: Plaisir, Metropolitan, Safari, G2.

B) pens uncapped same order as in A.

Writing

The Metropolitan performed the best in terms of overall smoothness of the nib, there was no feedback or snagging in the F nib I received even while writing on lower quality papers (such as basic Staples brand notepads). The flow was generous without being too wet that it began to pool while writing normally. The Safari is the second smoothest, having some feedback but never felt scratchy or untuned. It had a good flow to keep up with the slightly wider European-style F nib that was less wet than the Metropolitan but never felt dry. On lower quality paper the lower flow combined with the blueblack ink created a slightly lighter overall effect to the writing which was nevertheless still dark enough to be considered professional. The Plaisir had the highest feedback, feeling almost pencil-like in its scratchiness. On lower quality paper it was beginning to feel like it was dragging into the paper and could have resulted in tears if not writing on a hard surface. The flow was also very dry. Even on high quality (Kokuyo) paper the difference is noticeable when compared to the other two pens. In the writing samples below the Plaisir has significantly lighter coloration to the same ink when writing on Leuchtturm paper.

The grip section of the Metropolitan is small but works well, with the flare at the nib acting to prevent sliding forward despite the slickness of the plastic material. The grip of the Safaris is both textured to prevent moving, as well as contoured to effectively lock you into a single writing position. The grip of the Plaisir is not textured and not flared, as a result I experienced some sliding over the end of it while writing for extended periods of time.

During writing I found that the weight of the cap was too great to use posted for the Metropolitan. The length of the cap moves the weight of the Safari too far back and also makes it less effective when writing with it posted. Comparatively, the Plaisir being both light and relatively compact means that writing posted is preferred.

Maintenance

All three pens are relatively low maintenance requiring no special tools to clean them thoroughly. Because the Plaisir has the special seal inside its cap it will require less maintenance overall than the other pens if left for extended periods of time while filled. All 3 pens were left for 1 week without use with no issues and were able to write immediately after being picked back up. The CON-B converter which is included with the Metropolitan is the hardest to clean as it’s a simple squeeze action converter (like an eye-dropper) and therefore getting all the ink and cleaning water out can be tricky. If the CON-40 twist converter is purchased it makes cleaning without additional tools identical for all pens. Purchasing a blunt-tip syringe and a bulb syringe makes cleaning and maintenance for all base pens identical (both items will also drastically reduce the cleaning time required and are highly recommended in general). Additionally, a blunt-tip syringe could be used to fill the CON-B converter directly similar to how one would refill a cartridge. This improves the performance of the Metropolitan overall as it makes filling the converter fully possible thus giving it the largest capacity of all 3 pens.

Carry

The overall construction of the Safari is good, with rounded edges everywhere and tight threads keeping it together even when carried in the pocket. The additional security of the snap in converter is a nice bonus. The Metropolitan has an incredibly smooth construction, with even the edges of the clip seeing some form of rounding and smoothing. Despite the snap cap not feeling particularly strong, it holds up well when in the pocket and even during the drop test where it may have been expected to pop open. The Plaisir suffers from having sharp edges with the end of the clip being the most notable. In addition the threading on the one I received seemed to be slightly loose between the body and the grip section, resulting in the pen body beginning to unscrew both while carried in my pocket, and during the drop tests.

Aesthetics

This section is highly subjective. I only include it because I want to make it clear that I am not unaware of the effects of this on people’s decision-making. I believe that the range of colors in the Metropolitan and Safari lines (especially with the frequent special and limited editions offered for the Safari) give them an edge over the Plaisir. I also find the design language of the Metropolitan and Safari to be clear and well-executed whereas the Plaisir seems disjointed. The cap band on the Plaisir in particular seems out of place to me, being overly large compared to the width of the barrel, with excessive faceting causing it to be much brighter than the rest of the metallic coloration of the rest of the pen.

DISCUSSION

Taking all of the various factors into account I would generally recommend the Pilot Metropolitan to new pen enthusiasts based on its incredible writing experience in terms of both ink flow and smoothness, universally comfortable grip section, middle price point, excellent construction, solid selection of colors, and high ink capacity (when paired with its default CON-B converter and the additional purchase of a blunt-tip syringe). Even with the included purchase of a blunt-tip syringe ($2.50 on jetpens.com) the Metropolitan is cheaper than the Safari which must have its converter purchased separately.

The Safari would make a fantastic purchase for someone who is ok with a limited grip area, and wants the lightest possible writing experience. The fact that the Safari comes in the largest selection of colors is an advantage that it has over the other two pens, and if color is a high priority for you then I think this is a fantastic option.

I’m going to be slightly harsh here. The only reasons I can see to buy the Plaisir are its low relative price, and the fact that it can be left unused for extended periods of time. That being said, the other two pens also demonstrated their ability to be left for a week unused with no issues. So unless you plan to leave this pen for multiple weeks at a time, then this really isn’t an advantage. I acknowledge that the issues I experienced (body unscrewing, dryness, high feedback) could all be due to general QC, however given that I have experienced these same issues with other Plaisirs and never heard of them with the other two pens it is safe to assume that this is more normal than unusual. While it is possible to get a lemon from any company, it seems that Platinum has intentionally designed this pen to write on the dry side, and have feedback more similar to a pencil than a brush.

CONCLUSIONS

The best fountain pen

While this is hardly the only review of these pens, I believe that it represents the best objective head to head review of all three pens that I could achieve in a reasonable timeframe. The Pilot Metropolitan and the Lamy Safari are both clear winners, while the Plaisir had numerous issues that presented themselves under what I would consider normal use cases. Either of the two pens (Metropolitan and Safari) would make fantastic choices for someone looking to make their first foray into the world of fountain pens. Each pen presents a couple unique pros that makes picking one definitive best option hard, but the Metropolitan has the least specificity to its design and is therefore the easiest to recommend in a vacuum.

Future work

I intend to expand this article into a series where I review other entry-level fountain pens using the same methods and compare them back to these three. The next on the list are the: Diplomat Magnum, Kaweco Sport, TWSBI Eco, and Jinhao x82.

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Bibliography:

1) JetPens “The Best Beginner Fountain Pens” (2023)

2) Gentleman’s Gazette “5 Best Inexpensive Fountain Pens For Beginners” (2018)

3) Robb Report (2022) “How to Use a Fountain Pen—and 5 Great Models to Get You Started”

4) The Pen Addict (2015) “The Beginner's Guide to Fountain Pens (By a True Beginner)”

5) Pen Chalet (accessed 2023) “Best Starter Fountain Pens”

6) The Pen Addict (2013) “Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen Review”

7) The Pen Addict (accessed 6 May 2023) “Top 5 Fountain Pens For Beginners”

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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.)