Namiki (Pilot) Fountain Pens

Namiki Vanishing Point Retractable Fountain Pen

Namiki Yukari Royale

Best known in the U.S. for their plastic roller ball pens, the Pilot pen company of Japan also produces a well respected line of high end pens under the Namiki brand.  As somewhat of a closeted pen geek, albeit an impoverished geek, I have always liked to write with something nice.  Maybe it was all those pre-computer 20 page book reports scratched out with shitty half dead Bic's, you know, the kind you have to push down on so hard that you can read the words from the impression embossed on the next page in those stupid blue exam books.

Huh, whaddya know, Go Figure-check it out

Anyway, nothing is as easy and satisfying to write with as a good fountain pen (unless you're a lefty).  Almost no pressure is required, the ink just flows out onto the page.  The principle drawback to fountain pens is of course their fidgetiness, if you leave the cap off, the ink in the nib dries out and it doesn't work right away, that and messy ink wells.  The Namiki Vanishing point is the best of both worlds, the smoothness of a fountain pen and the convenience of a Bic.  With a solid gold nib it is extremely smooth  (nb-steel nib fountain pens suck to write with, I don't know why, just trust me-they do.) and because the nib retracts like a ballpoint click pen, it's never messy and always writes instantly.  The best part of the vanishing point is that at around 100 bucks, it's cheap for a gold nib pen.  If you run a bit more spendy, Namiki also makes some of the most expensive pens on the planet.  The three pictured above, retail for a modest five grand and are each hand painted and lacquered individually in the traditional Japanese style.