I must have been a very good girl this year, because I was gifted a Pilot Capless 50th Anniversary retractable fountain pen for Christmas. Oh, it's beautiful and writes like a dream. I've found an excuse to pull it out every day since I received it, and let me tell you, my grocery lists have never been more exciting to write.
It's made of maple with gold accents and an 18kt gold nib. Mine has a medium nib, but it produces a much narrower line than American mediums, so I didn't bother swapping it out for a fine. It is beautifully packaged, coming in a matching maple box with surprisingly strong magnetic closures and holding ink cartridges, a converter, and a number plate. 900 were produced worldwide, with 300 allotted to the American market. Maybe I'm not one in a million, but I'll take being one in 300. Have I mentioned that it's retractable? How neat! It operates with a click mechanism that opens a small door just inside of the tip and releases or replaces the nib, forming an airtight seal when it is closed.
Because of its high price point and my inability to easily replace it, this is not a pen that I carry. It's a pen that lives in its box and is returned to its box when I've finished using it. However, despite the many things I've read about it being intended for collectors, I had no qualms about inking and using it. From the get-go, it produced a strong, flowing line, with no skips or issues. It's a pleasure to use! The only issue I had was pulling the converter to replace it with a cartridge, and that was due to my fear of breaking it with too strong of a pull. Needless to say, I didn't break anything and successfully inserted a cartridge. I gave the cartridge just a brief squeeze to get the ink flowing, but it didn't need much before I was able to write. And oh, how it writes.
To be honest, I would never have purchased this pen for myself. The whole limited edition thing doesn't do much for me, and while I can justify carrying around a $175 Vanishing Point (the name of the resin line of the same pen, coming in many different colors) I'm having a hard time imagining turning the $550 Capless into a purse pen. I'm sure it would hold up to the purse environment- it's sturdy despite its soft feel and beauty- but I'm not willing to risk possibly destroying or losing it. Someday, I might add a Vanishing Point to my collection (or my purse), but I'm more than content with the Capless right now. I'm incredibly grateful to have received it, and the fact that I got such a thoughtful and kind gift makes it all the more special. Even if it doesn't travel with me, I love pulling it out daily for the writing I do at home- journaling, list-making, etc. The fact that I keep it in its box has turned everyday writing into a bit of a ritual. Opening it to use it turns every day into Christmas Eve, where I unwrap it and take a moment to reflect not only on the beauty of the box, the pen, and the overall presentation, but also on how lucky and grateful I am to have received it.
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