Pilot Capless/Vanishing Point. In 1963, Pilot released the first ever retractable fountain pen. After clicking the push button, the nib slides forward and pushes the lid down. By clicking the push button again, the nib retracts and the lid springs up, shutting the gap air-tight to prevent the ink from drying out. The nib is slim to fit inside the pen, and it folds down to grab the feed tightly to handle the constant movements. The very first version of Capless was actually a much more complicated mechanism to twist and expose the nib — and it was a result of 6 years research. It’s also worth noting that after the war in Japan, the businesses were booming, and many brands were willing to invest in product developments. Many brands we mentioned before such as Midori (Dimond Memo), Radar (SEED eraser) and Sailor (first ballpoint, first ink cartridge and first 21K gold nib) all had some notable products around this time. Pilot, too, was busy. Aside from Capless, Elite and Custom Series were introduced, and the first 0.5mm ballpoint with stainless steel tip was introduced by Pilot as well. For the past 50 years, there has been 11 different generations of Capless. The Stripes edition is particularly distinct for its polished silver Rhodium-plated body and Rhodium detailing with elegant textured stripes that run down the pen's barrel. Like all VPs, the brass material is nicely balanced and makes a comfortably weighty pen that is a pleasure to write with. It is a beautiful and unique fountain pen for a collector or enthusiast and would make an unforgettable gift as well. Pilot Vanishing Point - Stripes Rhodium plated textured stripe barrel Nib: Rhodium plated 18k gold The pen comes with a CON-40 and a cartridge Compatible cartridges can be found here: Pilot/Namiki Fountain Pens Nib replacement unit: Available in Black, Gold, and Rhodium
