Namiki Vanishing Point Carbon Fountain Pen - Carbon Fiber Grey, Fine Nib 60146 Review

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(More customer reviews)I like to use fountain pens. I love the feel of pressureless writing, very different from writing with a ball point pen. However, I do not like fussing with a cap. This pen solves that problem. I work as an ER doctor and write and sign countless prescriptions on every shift. This pen works great and does not give me an aching hand. I also keep a daily journal and there is a certain pleasure to keeping my notes with a pen and cursive writing, watching the line width change with different angles (although I'm not a calligrapher). The pen comes with a converter if one wishes to use bottled ink, and cartridges for less fussy maintenance. I've been using the cartridges lately and the ink is excellent, although they are not cheap. I have the carbon fiber version which is very attractive. I would buy this pen again, and might buy a second as a backup.

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Namiki Vanishing Point Carbon Fountain Pen - Carbon Fiber Blue, Fine Nib 60149 Review

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(More customer reviews)The pictures of this pen don't do it justice--I'll try to describe in words what it is like to hold this pen in your hand. I have the blue carbon fiber model, and the dark navy blue next to the rhodium finish indeed looks very sharp. The bottom of the pen, where the nib comes out, has a vague hint of art deco about it, whereas the rest of the pen, with its unfamilier, yet totally logical geometry and layout, has a fashion-forward air. But the styling of this pen is neither retro nor futuristic.The combination of a (lets face it) archaic writing technology combined with advanced materials like carbon fiber makes a dramatic styling statement--but without a hint of irony. And yet, the look is anything but contemporary---what is it?
The best way to describe it is that this pen looks like an artifact from an alternate world history--it looks like what a high-end fountain pen would look like today had the ball point pen never been invented. It fits, unselfconsciously, into your lifestyle as if you had been using fountain pens all your life. The retractible nib makes for a very practical writing instrument--it is so much quicker to whip the pen out of your pocket and press the clicker to jot something down that you do it much more naturally than uncapping a regular fountain pen. Another click and the nib vanishes just as fast, ready to be cliped back into your pocket.
I bought the model with the fine nib, and I really like the ultra-precise line it can draw, but I can't really recommend the fine nib model to casual or first-time fountain pen buyers. I had to adjust the nib by (very carefully!!!) inserting a razorblade to spread the tines out a bit, in order to get the kind of ink flow I desire. And fine nibs can be finnicky. It is a fountain pen, after all. So newbies please get a model with a medium nib.
But I really love this pen, and can't imagine what I did without it.

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Namiki Vanishing Point Gunmetal Grey Fountain Pen - Grey, Fine Nib 60433 Review

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(More customer reviews)I received this pen as a gift and I love it! The gunmetal gray is beautiful with chrome accents. It looks very classy. The weight of the pen is nicely balanced, and there's no cap to worry about - you just click the nib out, like you would a ballpoint! Inside there's a bit of metal that closes over the nib when it retracts to protect it from dirt or damage. It writes very smoothly as well - I've used Lamy black and Noodler's Forest Green inks in this pen so far; both worked very well.
You may notice from the picture that the clip is in an odd spot - down the barrel toward the nib. I am right-handed and hold the pen in a pretty "normal" way so this isn't a problem - the clip sits above my fingers and out of the way. However, for those who write with their fingers kind of wrapped around the pen, especially lefties, this may present an issue.
The only other thing to be aware of is that the fine nib is very, very fine. It's more of an extra fine. I have a Waterman and a Lamy Studio and use a fine nib on both of those, but this Pilot/Namiki fine is so fine that it felt kind of scratchy to me, so I exchanged the nib for a medium, which works well. The medium nib draws a line only a tiny amount broader than the Lamy fine nib, and feels incredibly smooth to write with. Those who like extra fine nibs, such as those with tiny handwriting, will love this fine nib. If you're accustomed to Western fine nibs, I'd go with medium on this pen. (I've heard the extra fine "fine" is a quality of Japanese pens, but this is my first one so I can't say for sure). Overall impression: Great pen!

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