Results 1 to 10 of 10

Thread: Pilot VP not as good as my daily Lamy Safari..

  1. #1
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2020
    Posts
    5
    Thanks
    5
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    Rep Power
    0

    Default Pilot VP not as good as my daily Lamy Safari..

    Evening,

    All the wife brought me a Pilot VP for my birthday, and its awsome. But!

    Does not write as well as my Lamy!

    Can the VP be modified. It feels really fast flowing and wet compared to the Safari?

    Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

  2. #2
    Senior Member awa54's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Location
    Vermont, USA
    Posts
    207
    Thanks
    37
    Thanked 86 Times in 55 Posts
    Rep Power
    5

    Default Re: Pilot VP not as good as my daily Lamy Safari..

    what nib width did you get? nib units can be replaced as a unit and most F or EF Pilot nibs are drier writers than the M and broader. Ink choice may tame excessive flow as well and it's even possible that the nib could need adjustment...

    **Full Disclosure: I don't own a VP, but I *do* own dozens of modern and vintage Pilot pens!
    David-

    So many restoration projects...

  3. The Following User Says Thank You to awa54 For This Useful Post:

    dsgrnmcm (February 3rd, 2020)

  4. #3
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2020
    Posts
    5
    Thanks
    5
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    Rep Power
    0

    Default Re: Pilot VP not as good as my daily Lamy Safari..

    Great thanks, can I get them from Amazon?

    Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

  5. #4
    Senior Member awa54's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Location
    Vermont, USA
    Posts
    207
    Thanks
    37
    Thanked 86 Times in 55 Posts
    Rep Power
    5

    Default Re: Pilot VP not as good as my daily Lamy Safari..

    yes the nib units are available on Amazon around $80-$85, search "Pilot vanishing point nib" and there will be plenty of hits.

    You may not need a new nib unit though and if it's a new pen Pilot ought to fix it for free if it's actually defective... I just had another thought as well, Pilot cartridges (and converters) require a much longer push to fully seat on the cartridge nipple than Lamy cartridges do, if you've never used a Pilot pen before, you might not have fully seated your ink source, which could easily lead to excessive ink flow. If you remove the current cartridge and the little flap isn't turned a full 180 degrees to the cartridge mouth, or if there's ink inside the pen barrel, that might be the issue?

    More information and/or pictures will help you get a better diagnosis of the issue and might save you from spending $80 for no reason.
    David-

    So many restoration projects...

  6. The Following User Says Thank You to awa54 For This Useful Post:

    dsgrnmcm (February 4th, 2020)

  7. #5
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2020
    Posts
    1
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
    Rep Power
    0

    Default Re: Pilot VP not as good as my daily Lamy Safari..

    My Decimo with an F nib is fairly wet using Pilot cartridges. The line it produces is certainly not as fine as other Japanese F nibs I have.

    If you are OK with the converter, use an ink that is drier (i.e. does not flow as smoothly). Pelikan or Lamy are good choices.

  8. The Following User Says Thank You to stauffert For This Useful Post:

    dsgrnmcm (March 20th, 2020)

  9. #6
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2020
    Posts
    5
    Thanks
    5
    Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
    Rep Power
    0

    Default Re: Pilot VP not as good as my daily Lamy Safari..

    Cheers,

    Not sure if I will get ink everywhere with a converter!

    Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

  10. #7
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2019
    Location
    US
    Posts
    6,793
    Thanks
    642
    Thanked 898 Times in 690 Posts
    Rep Power
    11

    Default Re: Pilot VP not as good as my daily Lamy Safari..

    My Lamy fine point went from dry (Pelikan ink) to free flowing (Waterman ink).

  11. #8
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Posts
    140
    Thanks
    27
    Thanked 49 Times in 33 Posts
    Rep Power
    6

    Default Re: Pilot VP not as good as my daily Lamy Safari..

    Quote Originally Posted by dsgrnmcm View Post
    Evening,

    All the wife brought me a Pilot VP for my birthday, and its awsome. But!

    Does not write as well as my Lamy!

    Can the VP be modified. It feels really fast flowing and wet compared to the Safari?

    Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
    It could be that some oil or grease from manufacture is contaminating the ink. Try cleaning the pen.

  12. #9
    Senior Member carlos.q's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    On a hill in Puerto Rico
    Posts
    1,698
    Thanks
    2,215
    Thanked 1,818 Times in 797 Posts
    Rep Power
    12

    Default Re: Pilot VP not as good as my daily Lamy Safari..

    Quote Originally Posted by ilikenails View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by dsgrnmcm View Post
    Evening,

    All the wife brought me a Pilot VP for my birthday, and its awsome. But!

    Does not write as well as my Lamy!

    Can the VP be modified. It feels really fast flowing and wet compared to the Safari?

    Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
    It could be that some oil or grease from manufacture is contaminating the ink. Try cleaning the pen.
    Oil or grease ink contamination would cause hard starts and skipping. The OP describes "fast flowing and wet" so his problem will probably be solved by using a drier ink.

  13. #10
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Posts
    140
    Thanks
    27
    Thanked 49 Times in 33 Posts
    Rep Power
    6

    Default Re: Pilot VP not as good as my daily Lamy Safari..

    Quote Originally Posted by carlos.q View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by ilikenails View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by dsgrnmcm View Post
    Evening,

    All the wife brought me a Pilot VP for my birthday, and its awsome. But!

    Does not write as well as my Lamy!

    Can the VP be modified. It feels really fast flowing and wet compared to the Safari?

    Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
    It could be that some oil or grease from manufacture is contaminating the ink. Try cleaning the pen.
    Oil or grease ink contamination would cause hard starts and skipping. The OP describes "fast flowing and wet" so his problem will probably be solved by using a drier ink.
    No. Oil and grease CAN cause hard starts: they can also cause fast flow - it depends on the AMOUNT and TYPE of lubricating agent. Eg a silicone-based grease in small quantities will behave exactly like glycerine.

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •