PilotV Pen (Varsity) Disposable Fountain Pens, Black Ink - Set of 5

I have many high-end fountain pens and often go for these instead. They just write great and are comfortable to use. They never require the maintenance and cleaning of my high-end pens. Lastly, I am left-handed and these never smudge - gotta love 'em.

I have a love-hate relationship with fountain pens. I love the way they write, but hate that they leak, clog, dry up and leak. I've taken every piece of advice gleaned from every forum, lie them down, store them upright, never store them upright, store then in air-proof containers, keep them humid, humidity doesn't matter. Other people swear that they don't have any issues with their pens, each "well MY pens never do that" like a tiny pen nib in my heart. All the fountain pen afficionados don't know what I'm doing wrong. Neither do I. I have spent so many hundreds of dollars on pens, better pens, ink, better ink, cleaning supplies, different cleaning supplies, ultrasonic cleaners and syringes, trying to find the elusive fountain pen that didn't fail and fail and fail again, breaking my heart, leading me once again to spend more money on more pens, wondering if it's some deep unworthiness on my part. Perhaps one must have an elusive magic genetic trait to make fountain pens not stop working for no reason and then leak ink all over your hands.But these pens write. You take the cap off, and you touch the nib to paper, and then ink comes out.If that doesn't sound like magic to you, perhaps you haven't used "real" fountain pens. These pens write like fountain pens, but you can throw them out when they run out of ink and they don't leak on you. Okay, it's not a true "fountain pen" experience because they write as soon as you start writing (you don't have to lick the tip or dip it in water or write a few dry loops) and they haven't leaked on my hands or into my bag. Also, they're about $2 a pen instead of $35 or $150 or $300. Best of all, they don't make me feel like there's something deeply flawed within me that I can't get them to work properly, like somehow if I just spent enough money, bought the right kind of ink, cleaned it in perfect silence or under the full moon, or did whatever right, I'd find a fountain pen that didn't suck. Maybe it's not me. Maybe fountain pens just suck. But these pens don't suck. They're pens! They work! You can write with them! Ah, how low my standards have gotten after such long, horrible relationships with Parker, Noodlers, Waterman and the rest of those cads.So $10 for five disposable fountain pens from Japan and for free, they tack on a little bit of absolution. Sorry fountain pens, turns out it wasn't me, it was you. I'm with Pilot V Pen (Varsity) and we're very happy.

Outstanding pens, I bring them with me to places that might be inhospitable to a traditional, refillable fountain pen (such as my barn and riding arena where I frequently make notes on farm management and student progress). They never leak in my pocket or satchel. They handle altitude changes on drives into the mountains and on airline flights. They survive heat and cold. They do not fill the cap with ink if dropped. The nibs deliver just the right amount of ink and never soak paper to the point of tearing (poor paper notwithstanding). Note that while these are the fine nib models, not the more common Varsity medium nib, both fine and medium nibs in the Varsity line perform equally well. As a more seasoned fountain pen user, I simply prefer a finer nib.Keep in mind that these pens are disposable and intended to be so. While there are those who have successfully refilled them (including me), I insist that it is not worth the effort. There are too many excellent inexpensive reusable fountain pens on the market.Finally, you will be inundated by those who see you with one of these pens and think you are quite the special writer with your fancy fountain thingy. Talk up the joys of fountain pen use and explain that even the sloppiest writers will see their penmanship improve with a nice pen. Tell them how much you like to write now that you have discovered liquid ink and a nice nib. Having purchased a packet of these beauties, simply hand your pen to your admirer and say, "Take it! Enjoy!" They will argue. You will insist. Do not accept the pen back! If they keep it and use it, you will have introduced a new comrade to the union of fountain pen enthusiasts.

The pens worked perfectly right away. No messy ink cartridges and a beautiful fine tip that works well for small lettering. Also they come without any unnecessary packaging - just the pens taped in some bubble wrap. Great price too! My only negative comment is that it took a month to get here (Canada), but since I was not in a rush it didn't bother me.

These are inexpensive, and lots of people like them for cheap eyedroppers. I thought they were cheap enough that I could toy with sharpening the nib to suit my own preferences. Compared to my Kakuno EF, they write more smoothly, but not as precisely. Whatever stock ink comes in the Vpen feathers a bit more than the Pilot Namiki cartridge in the Kakuno. The Vpen also writes pretty wet. It also seems more finicky; it doesn't want to write at as many angles as the Kakuno. I'd compare to other fountain pens, but these are only my second fountain pens. I hope to update as my thoughts develop.