Pilot Varsity Disposable Fountain Pen, BLUE Ink, Sold as 1 Box of 12 Pens. Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have a Lamy, some old Parkers, and two Waterman fountain pens, yet this is the pen I keep with me all the time, the one I always use. The Parkers are OK, the Lamy and the Waterman pens are a joy to write with, but this pen is also pure pleasure to write with, and if I lose it I'm only out a couple of bucks.
I also don't mind so much when someone says "Hey, let me borrow that pen for a minute," then they carve a trench in the paper with a very heavy hand. Abuse will ruin this nib as quickly as any other, but again, they're easy to replace.
I like a medium nib, and this is a generous medium. If you're looking for delicate fine lines, this is not the pen you want. A gentle touch and average writing speed will produce a clear, unbroken line. Awareness of how I'm holding the pen and the speed of my writing forces me to concentrate on what I'm doing, and that turns my illegible scrawl into something that can almost be read without squinting. With minimal proper care, this pen will write smoothly without skipping until it begins to run out of ink. Even my Lamy can't write that consistently.
I've flown several times with this pen, including with one that was nearly empty, and I was a little worried that it would leak with the pressure change. It never did.
Some details:
- Store upright to prevent leaking. I clip one into a pocket in my purse.
- This is water-based ink, and it will smudge if you get it wet.
- Because the ink takes a couple of seconds to dry, if you drag your hand over your writing (if you're a lefty, perhaps?) this might not work for you.
- Be gentle with the nib (the writing point.) It can take a bit of abuse, but once you bend or warp it, the pen is pretty well useless. Cap the pen when you're done for the day. (I just put it down if I'm taking a break for a few minutes, and it doesn't dry out.)
- If you're having trouble with the pen, look at the way you're using it. Fountain pens require a little more care than ballpoints. If you're getting a broken line, be sure you're writing with the bottom of the nib and don't leave it uncapped for hours. If it's leaking, check that you're holding the barrel and not the nib. If it's not working on multi-part forms, give it to me and go get a Bic.
If you enjoy writing and you haven't tried a fountain pen, this is the place to start. If you use fountain pens but have to hide the good pens from co-workers, keep these on your desk. It's far better than a disposable has a right to be.


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