Pilot Varsity - One of The Best Mistakes I Ever Made
Written: Jun 26 '03 (Updated Nov 09 '04)
Product Rating:
Pros: Strong metal tip, fat barrel design, inexpensive, disposable.
Cons: Hard to control ink flow at times, can be messy for new users.
The Bottom Line: If you are looking for the darkest shade of black ink without having to deal with refills or bottles of ink, the Pilot Varsity is one of your best options.
Freak369's Full Review: Pilot Varsity Fountain Pens Disposable Fountain Pe...
When I first purchased the Pilot Varsity I didn’t know that it was a fountain pen. Either I didn’t read the package correctly or I grabbed the wrong one off the peg. When I cracked this open the first time I was a bit puzzled with the shape of the tip. Putting pen to paper I tested it out and really liked the way that it gave off a fat line and after rotating the tip a few times I found that you could get a few different sized lines from it. If you like writing with fountain pens but don’t want to invest in one that is refillable, the Pilot Varsity is a great option. There are a few minor issues but overall this is a great writing tool once you get used to positioning and the sometimes dodgy ink flow you might experience when first using this.
Pilot Varsity
Housed inside a thick barrel, the black ink of this pen is one of the darkest I’ve seen from the Pilot family. The metal tip has a strong triangular point that allows the ink to flow at a steady rate unless you press too hard on the tip, then you might get a little extra ink on the paper. The best way to avoid this is to play around with it and write a series of lines, circles and squares rotating the tip slightly so you can see the different sized lines that this is capable of. The ink dries quickly but you will get some smudging if you move your hand or finger over it right away.
The clear ink reservoir located between the tip and the barrel is a nice way to see how much ink is left however after a few weeks of use the ink starts to get all over the inside of the chamber and it becomes hard to see exactly how much ink remains in the pen. I’ve had these pens last as long as three to four months and as little as a month, the actual amount of use you will get out of it depends on how often you use it and what you are using it for. For art projects and fine line designs you might go through these quicker than just general letter writing.
On the cap you’ll find a plastic clip, this is pretty strong and so far I’ve never had one break off. The cap snaps back on tightly and gives off a nice ‘click’ so you’ll know it’s on correctly. Since the barrel is a little fatter than standard pens, it might take you a little bit of time to get used to it, especially when you are trying to rotate it to find the right sized line. You will need to clean the tip off occasionally to remove excess ink and the dirt that will be attracted to it. If you are going to use this for art projects or design work you might end you with ink on your pointer and middle finger but if you clean off the tip and ink reservoir from time to time, this will be kept to a minimum.
Price
I started out purchasing these individually for about $2.50 a piece. As I mentioned earlier, when I first picked this up I wasn’t aware that it was a fountain pen and after I opened it I wasn’t sure if this would be something that I would use on a regular basis. Most stores sell these for $2.50 to $3.00 but if you are looking for save money you can purchase a twelve pack for about $35.00. These multi packs aren’t the easiest to come by and I’ve only seen them offered online at specialty pen stores. The only possible downside to the 12 pack is that you get all one color, if they offered this with a variety of colors I’m sure it would increase the popularity of this pen.
Things To Know
The older versions of the Pilot Varsity featured a single colored pen while the newer ones have a color indicator on the tip of the cap and back end of the pen. This is a great feature since they broadened the color line from the basic black and blue to the hipper pink, purple and teal. The colored inks are just as sharp and clear as the black and blue but over time some of the lighter colors will lose their vitality and brilliance if exposed to direct sunlight. If you are using these for artistic purposes you can protect the final product with a UV protective glass or other products that will help shield the paper and ink from damaging sunlight. Since this has a triangular or spade shaped tip with a sharp metal point, this wouldn’t be a good choice if you work with multiple layers of paper or anything that needs a fair amount of pressure to make copies or duplicates. This will rip through paper if you press hard enough and there is always the chance that you’ll press on the nib too hard and end up with a small puddle of ink.
The Bottom Line
Considering that I originally picked this up by mistake [or simply wasn’t paying attention] I am pretty impressed with the way this has held up over time. The metal tip is one of the strongest I have seen and will hold up to a lot of pressure from heavy handed writers or artists. I doubt you’ll be able to find a darker ink than this unless you branch out into specialty refillable pens that aren’t just expensive but messy and unpredictable. For a few dollars you are getting a very solid fountain pen that delivered great ink flow, is easy to learn how to use and has the capability of producing several sized lines from one tip.
Manufacturer: Pilot Corp. Of America. Sold Individually Varsity Disposable Fountain Pen Combines modern design and convenience with the smooth writing...More at Buy.com
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