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Pilot Capless and Capless decimo
We’re talking about two pens here – the Pilot Capless, and the Pilot Capless Decimo. I’ll just refer to them as Capless and Decimo
to keep things shorter, but the Decimo is also a Capless. Because
they’re both quite similar, I’ll cover them together for the most part,
but where they differ, I’ll try my best to describe how.
The Capless pens get around that by using a retracting mechanism, like a ballpoint. Because the nib has to be kept away from the air, though, there is also a little sprung ‘door’ that opens as you push the button, allowing the nib to side out.
With all the odd limitations they had to work with, Pilot have done a very nice job of the styling – they are definitely modern pens, and unusual looking pens, but very pretty. Looks are always a subjective thing, and I’m sure you’re drawing your own conclusions from the photos, but the finish is every bit as beautiful as it looks. The shiny parts are all very shiny, and the finish of the barrel had a subtle sparkle to it. If you’re really only into vintage-style pens, they may have no appeal to you, but if you didn’t have some interest in modern pens, you’d have stopped reading a while back, wouldn’t you?
Both pens came in very nice presentation boxes…
Another difference worth noting is the choice of finishes. In the UK, the standard Capless is available with gold or rhodium trim, each in several colours, and in Carbonesque and Raden finishes. Carbonesque is made to look like carbon fibre – it’s still a pattern hidden under a layer of laquer, so it doesn’t feel like carbon fibre, but looks pretty. Raden is the top-of-the-line finish – ten layers of Urushi laquer, hand applied, with tiny fragments of abalone shell set into it, in all different colours. The Decimo is only available in blue, grey or white. Ours is white, and it’s really quite startlingly different – not like any other pen I’ve seen – it’s a slightly creamy, pearly white, and as with the silver Capless, the white Decimo is a textured surface with layers of laquer over the top.
The white finish, only available on the Decimo…
The silver finish on the standard Capless…
Yes. Definitely.
Both pens are comfortable and well balanced to hold. The retracting mechanism is quick and easy to use, and takes away the question of what to do with the cap.
Some people have trouble with the clips. They don’t get in the way for me, but if you grip the pen in an unusual way, so there isn’t space for a clip between your fingers, directly above the top of the nib, you might have problems. Most people don’t have any trouble with it, but some do – especially left handed people. Try holding an existing pen with the clip between your fingers, and see how it would line up – you can probably tell if it will get in your way.
Left with the nib out, the ink seems to dry a bit quickly, and sometimes doesn’t start until the second stroke, but that’s less of a problem when putting the nib away is so quick and easy.
When you’re actually writing, the nib is smooth, responsive, and has a lovely feel to it. I’ve heard that these can be on the dry side, but both of the nib units we have are fairly wet.
One situation that seems to cause the Capless pens more trouble than most is when they’re held at a very shallow angle. I don’t mean by this that if you hold it quite low when writing, but when sitting up in bed making notes, with the pen almost horizontal, it can skip occasionally. Again, it doesn’t usually take much to get it going again, but most fountain pens won’t have any problem, as long as they’re pointing slightly downhill.
Both of the problems mentioned here probably have a common cause. The feed for this pen has to fit into a very narrow gap, so the nib unit can slide back and forth, and the nib and end of the feed can fit through the hole when retracting. Because of the narrow feed, there isn’t a lot of ink held right next to the nib itself. If you write with the pen pointing slightly upwards, there isn’t enough ink in the nib end of the feed to keep flowing for long, and if the pen is sitting uncapped, there isn’t as much ink there to keep the nib wet for long enough. Neither of these problems are likely to get in your way often, though, and the narrow feed is the price you have to pay for the retracting mechanism.
First of all, you don’t fill the pen, you fill the nib unit. Unscrew the pen, and take the nib unit out for filling. It’s then a fairly standard screw-action piston converter,
I usually like light pens, but the weight in the Capless is mostly towards the nib end, which feels good to me – I only object to the weight when it’s towards the top.
The other difference really comes down to the clips. The Capless clip is relatively tall, and narrows at the point where your fingers grip, just above the shiny metal part behind the nib. The Decimo clip is much shorter, and flattens more than it narrows where your fingers are supposed to grip, and the flattened part is a bit lower down, closer to the nib. I find I have to stay a little further back for the sake of a good grip. If I slip forward to the metal part, the angle is too steep, and my fingers start to slide down every couple of sentences. Fortunately, because the clip is a bit flatter, it doesn’t matter so much how far up the clip your fingers rest.
If you actually use the clip a lot for keeping the pen in your pocket, it’s also worth noting the the flatness of the Decimo clip comes at the expense of some usability – it won’t fit well over thick fabric, and even sits a bit high in a shirt pocket.
Comparing the size with some other pens – click the pic to see it in Flickr, with notes to tell you what all the pens are…
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What Are They?
Retractable fountain pens. With other fountain pens, you have a cap, which you either pull off or unscrew. Some people put the cap on the end of the barrel when writing (called posting it), others keep it in their other hand, or pop it down somewhere (Sam posts, I don’t). If you’re using a pen on and off for a while, removing and replacing the cap can start to get annoying, and if you don’t post it, it’s easy to forget what you’ve done with it, or end up with it knocked on the floor.The Capless pens get around that by using a retracting mechanism, like a ballpoint. Because the nib has to be kept away from the air, though, there is also a little sprung ‘door’ that opens as you push the button, allowing the nib to side out.
Looks
Pilot had a bit of a problem when designing the Capless. The reason fountain pens have the clip on the caps is because they really should be carried with the nib pointing upwards. So, if you’re going to take away the cap, but still have a clip, the clip needs to go at the same place your fingers need to go. The result is a pen that kind of looks the wrong way round. The nib pops out near the clip, with the button for retracting it at the other end. Because the whole insides slide up and down when operated, they are also rather thick pens.With all the odd limitations they had to work with, Pilot have done a very nice job of the styling – they are definitely modern pens, and unusual looking pens, but very pretty. Looks are always a subjective thing, and I’m sure you’re drawing your own conclusions from the photos, but the finish is every bit as beautiful as it looks. The shiny parts are all very shiny, and the finish of the barrel had a subtle sparkle to it. If you’re really only into vintage-style pens, they may have no appeal to you, but if you didn’t have some interest in modern pens, you’d have stopped reading a while back, wouldn’t you?
Both pens came in very nice presentation boxes…
Differences
As far as looks go, there isn’t a huge amount in it. The difference in width and weight are quite noticeable when you’re holding the pen, but doesn’t make a big difference to the looks. The biggest difference in looks is that the Decimo is much more about straight lines, the Capless has more curves. The Decimo is a supermodel – the Capless is more of a ‘glamour’ model.Another difference worth noting is the choice of finishes. In the UK, the standard Capless is available with gold or rhodium trim, each in several colours, and in Carbonesque and Raden finishes. Carbonesque is made to look like carbon fibre – it’s still a pattern hidden under a layer of laquer, so it doesn’t feel like carbon fibre, but looks pretty. Raden is the top-of-the-line finish – ten layers of Urushi laquer, hand applied, with tiny fragments of abalone shell set into it, in all different colours. The Decimo is only available in blue, grey or white. Ours is white, and it’s really quite startlingly different – not like any other pen I’ve seen – it’s a slightly creamy, pearly white, and as with the silver Capless, the white Decimo is a textured surface with layers of laquer over the top.
The white finish, only available on the Decimo…
The silver finish on the standard Capless…
In Use
OK, so the clicky mechanism got old fairly quickly – is there enough left to the Capless pens to still love them after the clickiness loses its excitement?Yes. Definitely.
Both pens are comfortable and well balanced to hold. The retracting mechanism is quick and easy to use, and takes away the question of what to do with the cap.
The Clip
Some people have trouble with the clips. They don’t get in the way for me, but if you grip the pen in an unusual way, so there isn’t space for a clip between your fingers, directly above the top of the nib, you might have problems. Most people don’t have any trouble with it, but some do – especially left handed people. Try holding an existing pen with the clip between your fingers, and see how it would line up – you can probably tell if it will get in your way.
The Nib
Here’s the reason this pen is still so great, when the retractable mechanism gets boring – the nib is a joy to use. They’re much more flexible than almost any modern pen I’ve used. Probably not to the extent that vintage flex fans would even call ‘semi-flex’, but it’s enough to make writing feel slightly cushioned when you’re writing heavily, and enough that you can widen the line with a bit of pressure.Left with the nib out, the ink seems to dry a bit quickly, and sometimes doesn’t start until the second stroke, but that’s less of a problem when putting the nib away is so quick and easy.
When you’re actually writing, the nib is smooth, responsive, and has a lovely feel to it. I’ve heard that these can be on the dry side, but both of the nib units we have are fairly wet.
One situation that seems to cause the Capless pens more trouble than most is when they’re held at a very shallow angle. I don’t mean by this that if you hold it quite low when writing, but when sitting up in bed making notes, with the pen almost horizontal, it can skip occasionally. Again, it doesn’t usually take much to get it going again, but most fountain pens won’t have any problem, as long as they’re pointing slightly downhill.
Both of the problems mentioned here probably have a common cause. The feed for this pen has to fit into a very narrow gap, so the nib unit can slide back and forth, and the nib and end of the feed can fit through the hole when retracting. Because of the narrow feed, there isn’t a lot of ink held right next to the nib itself. If you write with the pen pointing slightly upwards, there isn’t enough ink in the nib end of the feed to keep flowing for long, and if the pen is sitting uncapped, there isn’t as much ink there to keep the nib wet for long enough. Neither of these problems are likely to get in your way often, though, and the narrow feed is the price you have to pay for the retracting mechanism.
Filling
Here’s where you pay for all that clicky convenience. If you use cartridges, the Capless pens are no harder to fill than any other – push the cartridge into the nib unit. You do have to pop a metal cover over the cartridge, to take the strain of the springs, but it’s still quick and easy. If you use bottled ink and the supplied converter, though, it’s a bit of a pain. I think it’s worth it, but if you hate filling pens at the best of times, it might be a deal-breaker for you.First of all, you don’t fill the pen, you fill the nib unit. Unscrew the pen, and take the nib unit out for filling. It’s then a fairly standard screw-action piston converter,
Differences
When I finally got to try both of these pens out side-by-side, I was hoping for some sort of insight beyond the fact that the Capless is thicker and heavier than the Decimo. Unfortunately, that really is the biggest difference. Even the Decimo, though, is on the thicker side of average – about the same as a Parker 51, for example, or a Lamy AL-star. The full Capless is only slightly thicker, and about half as heavy again, but the difference is quite noticeable in the hand. If you usually buy pens on the thicker side, and still wish they were a bit thicker, the Capless will fill your need and your hand well.I usually like light pens, but the weight in the Capless is mostly towards the nib end, which feels good to me – I only object to the weight when it’s towards the top.
The other difference really comes down to the clips. The Capless clip is relatively tall, and narrows at the point where your fingers grip, just above the shiny metal part behind the nib. The Decimo clip is much shorter, and flattens more than it narrows where your fingers are supposed to grip, and the flattened part is a bit lower down, closer to the nib. I find I have to stay a little further back for the sake of a good grip. If I slip forward to the metal part, the angle is too steep, and my fingers start to slide down every couple of sentences. Fortunately, because the clip is a bit flatter, it doesn’t matter so much how far up the clip your fingers rest.
If you actually use the clip a lot for keeping the pen in your pocket, it’s also worth noting the the flatness of the Decimo clip comes at the expense of some usability – it won’t fit well over thick fabric, and even sits a bit high in a shirt pocket.
Conclusion
These are both very nice pens, very well made, and wonderfully responsive nibs. As I said, looks are subjective, but they look good to me, and they’re unusual enough to get a second look from people, which I like.Comparing the size with some other pens – click the pic to see it in Flickr, with notes to tell you what all the pens are…
Worth the Money?
That’s a tricky one to answer – they are expensive pens. They are clearly better quality than any of the cheaper pens I’ve tried, but you can only decide for yourself if you really want to spend that much money on a pen. If you have the money to spare, and you do want to spend it on a pen, I think you could do a lot worse than these. The retractable mechanism does make a difference, but even without it, the quality of the nib, and the overall feel of the pen, is excellent.Which One?
That really is another tricky one. Considering the Decimo costs more than the standard Capless, the Capless would be my choice. If you find pens that thick uncomfortable to use, or just don’t want something so bulky, the Decimo is a great option, but if you like thick pens, and don’t mind the weight, I think the Capless is more comfortable to write with.contact--pen store b1 gf ansal plaza new delhi-49 nu..09999835897
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