Description
A resolutely modern writing instrument, the Capless pen is currently the only retractable fountain pen in the world. The seal is provided by a minuscule metal shutter which is as discreet as it is reliable.
The Capless’ barrel contains a mechanism of rare precision, which allows the nib to retract into the barrel when not in use.…
The Pilot Capless Fountain pen has an 18kt gold nib and uses a cartridge/converter filling system.
The first Pilot pens were launched in Japan in 1918. At this time, the country was opening up to Western influences and was importing European techniques. By listening to their customers, Pilot’s research has enabled them to create new standards in terms of comfort and innovative products.
Heleno Paiva (verified owner) –
This is the best retractable nib fountain pen. I tested the Lamy dialog cc and the Platinum Curidas. This one outperforms them all. the Lamy dialog has a very smooth full size gold nib, but the capless has a nib that is even smoother at 18k vs. 14k. Platinum Curidas is very nice, but its outer layout is not as sleek and comfortable as the Capless.
I thought at first that i would use the Curidas as a daily tool (EDC), and the dialog as my office pen. However, i noticed that the Capless outperforms them both on their initial assignments. I decided to go with this model bule matte as my daily pen, and i bought a beautiful Capless LS to be my office pen.
ISSUE: converter is too small. id doesn’t bother me because I use syringes to recycle cartridges: clean and straight.
Jose Ortega (verified owner) –
I was skeptical when I first saw the Capless pens, but I am very happy I decided
to try it nonetheless: it is very comfortable to use, even for writing sessions of 2 or 3 pages, although where
it excels is of course as a carry-on pen. There, the ability to use it with one
hand and not having to worry about a cap is priceless. It’s also a very
elegant pen in the matte version (I finally got the black one).
Finally, the nib, which I got in an F, is excellent. I find the M too wide
(it’s a western medium, despite being Japanese), whereas the F
delivers a really fine stroke without any hard starts or skipping. I’ve
found take-sumi to be an excellent ink for this pen.
The only drawback is the really awful converter. I’ve opted to refill a
cartridge using a syringe.
Finally, kudos to Joost, who promptly solved the little issues with my
order. Excellent customer care.
Stefan Seufert (verified owner) –
The Pilot Capless is a well known classic. This colour combination of a deep, dark blue body with black accents and a black coated nib is in my opinion both modern and elegant. The fine nib writes smooth and reliable. But I also have to give two caveats to consider. First the included converter: The Pilot CON-40 is notoriously finicky when you want to get a good amount of ink into it. You can do it, but it takes some time and trickery compared to a normal international converter. Second: Due to the construction of the pen it is very top heavy. That’s fine for ergonomics, but terrible when you drop it, as I clumsily did. It fell straight on the nib, bending it and cracking part of the feed. My fault, not that of the pen, but you should keep a firm grip using it. Which I nevertheless highly recommend.
Christopher Chamberlain –
This is my second Capless pen and it was purchased because of the colour and matt finish. This pen feels very well balanced and not too heavy. The metal body is cool initially then warms up. The finish is beautiful, smooth and finished to a very high standard. I would certainly recommend this pen or any other Capless model, there’s plenty of finishes to choose from.
Klaus –
I bought the capless with a fine, nib, which is perfect for day to day use.
I’ve been using it for about two months.
The lines are very fine (0.3-0.5 mm). There is some feedback.
My friend has a medium size, which is extremely smooth, but about twice as wide, which is a bad match for my small handwriting.
The mechanism is perfect (as should be expected from such a high-range pen).