The Pilot Vanishing Point is an extremely popular fountain pen with a click mechanism that retracts the nib. I have had mine for several years now and while it’s frequently inked it’s far from my favorite pen. To me the Vanishing Point is purely a tool; it’s reliable and can be operated with one hand for quick notes but it’s not fun to write with. My VP has a brown lacquered brass body with rhodium accents weighing in at 30.9 grams with a full converter. The VP measures just under 5.5″ long and is about half an inch thick at its widest point. The Vanishing Point is a pretty ugly pen; it’s definitely not a show piece. The VP looks the most dignified in matte black and unfortunately for me it was released well after I purchased my brown one.
The stiff 18 carat gold medium point nib has no personality but is smooth and reliable. The medium point is a bit finer than most European mediums and the flow is pretty average.
Depending on how you hold your pen the clip may be an issue because it is so close to the tip. Having a pretty standard grip it does not bother me but this pen definitely wont work for everyone. Also, I do not find the VP to be comfortable for long writing sessions as the grip area is relatively wide and the pen is quite heavy. The Vanishing Point comes with a converter, a cartridge and a metal cartridge cap (that prevents the click mechanism from crushing a plastic cartridge). The VP offers a lot of pen for the money with an average street price $140. The build quality is excellent as with all Pilot products and it has held up well quite well for me. The nib has a lot of tipping material so I may have it ground down into a stub to give this great pen some character. I recommend trying the Vanishing Point in person before purchasing.
Here are some great reviews of the Vanishing Point:
(I have no affiliation to the sites linked below)
The Pencil Case Blog – Pilot capless/ vanishing point fountain pen
No Pen Intended – Pilot Vanishing Point Yellow Body Broad Nib Fountain Pen
Lady Dandelion – pilot vanishing point – a functional, chubby dolphin
Tyler Dahl Pens – Pen review – Pilot Vanishing Point!
The Fountain Pen Quest – Review: Pilot Vanishing Point “Matte Black”
Ed Jelley – The Pilot Vanishing Point Fountain Pen in Matte Black – Handwritten Review
Everyday Commentary – Pilot Vanishing Point Review
Gourmet Pens – Review: Pilot/Namiki Vanishing Point Raden – Medium
Yes this pen is not for everyone- weird grip, so-so balance, but I like it for being the odd man out of the more traditional fountain pen. It’s unique and a nice conversation piece. It’s one of my favorite pens.