Review: Pilot VPen (Varsity) Fountain Pen - Light Green @PilotPenUSA @JetPens

I have a great guest review up about the Varsity vs. Petit1, but I figured it was time I review this myself.

ABOUT

Body Material: Plastic
Trim: Plastic
Length (capped): 13.2 cm
Length (uncapped nib-end): 11.5 cm
Length (posted): 14.7 cm
Barrel Diameter: 11.1 cm
Section Diameter: 10.1 cm
Nib material: Steel
Weight (all): 10 g
Fill type: Pre-filled (disposable, unless hacked)
Price: $3.80USD
Where to buy: JetPens

PACKAGING

None, just the way I like it!

APPEARANCE

The VPen is a simple plastic pen in grey and accented by whatever color its ink is - in this case, a light sea green. The body is torpedo shaped, with sea green plastic ends. The plastic clip is attached externally to the cap. It is block and ends in a large, round ball. The body has PILOT, the Pilot logo, VPen, and the nib size marked on it. In between the design is a wavy ink window.

The section is straight towards the nib and clear, showing off the light grey feed and the ink in between.

The design on the barrel makes this pen look like a disposable pen to me - it's very obviously plastic. They're not designs meant to last forever, I guess. Nevertheless, I still enjoy the overall design and I particularly enjoyed the colored accents.

NIB & PERFORMANCE

The medium steel nib looks like those found on Pilot's Petit1 fountain pen. It has a single slit that connects to what looks like a breather hole, but isn't.

The pen wrote as soon as I tried it - no hard starts, no skips, no clogged feed or dried out ink, even though it sat on a shelf for who knows how long before I bought it. It just wrote! Good, reliable, consistent flow; a solid writer. The nib isn't too wet, nor too dry. It wasn't scratchy, it didn't dig into my papers, and it was well-tuned and adjusted. Not too shabby at all. I also love the smell of the ink.

I was just really pleased with the pen's performance. It gave no issues really. It wasn't completely amazing and it isn't soft and yielding, nor exceedingly, gloriously smooth, but it doesn't have to be. It just writes reliably. It's a pretty decent work horse.

IN HAND

The clip is plastic. It's springy, but it sure feels like I can just snap it off, and given the price of the pen, I probably could. I haven't snapped it off yet though.

Unposted, the pen is light and comfortable to use. The section is not amazing - it isn't particularly ergonomic, but since the pen is so light and the nib flows well, it serves well enough. It isn't uncomfortable, at least.

The cap posts deeply and securely, adding a little bit of length but without throwing off the weight, balance, or comfort of the pen. It was certainly meant to be posted and it both looks good and feels good.

PROS & CONS

OVERALL

Not bad for a $4 pen. I reach for this pen quite often. I really don't have any issues with the pen aside from the effort it takes to refill it, which requires a bit of work (post to come). It's a great starter pen, but also great for gifts, work, and everything in between. It's also comforting because if you lose it, it's not the end of the world. The nib is solid and it'll take a lot to wreck it.