Capless of old - CL-300

My history with Pilot Capless pens has been a very difficult love story.
I've had a Pilot Decimo for almost three years now, at first I didn't care for the M nib that came with the pen but I swapped it for an F with a fellow FPNer, by then though I was more interested  in vintage pens so I use it a lot less than I'd like.

Last week I was strolling a local flea-market, almost ready to go back home as it was cold and rainy and here it was, like waiting for me, a vintage Pilot Capless, wishes I didn't know I had went answered: Vintage and Capless!

Look at this baby! It's in a great shape besides a few light scratches that I'd expect on a nearly fifty year old pen.

It's a Pilot CL-300, which apparently was released in the early 60's and the colour scheme reflects those years (Aurora 88 anyone?).

Compared to a Decimo it's much, much lighter, the clip positioning isn't as awkward and very comfortable to write with.

Even if the Decimo is the smaller of the current line of Capless pens (or Vanishing Point in the US) it's clear to see the difference in size compared to the smaller older CL-300. 

The CL-300 came with an assembly that at a very quick glance looks similar to an ink converter, instead it's a cover that fits two small cartridges, called "double spare", that Pilot has stopped making years ago.

In more recent years Pilot has also made a converter that fits old pens like the CL-300, it's named Con-W, but it's not easily available anyway.

I could have refilled the old cartridges that came with the pen but I preferred to save them and give a try with a Sailor ink converter that I had lying around instead (learned from here).
The Sailor converter fits the size of the cartridge opening but it's too long for the pen, so I cut and filed down the turning knob so it could fit inside the cartridge sleeve, the inner piston rod though cannot be extended all the way because it would be again too long, it loses a little of ink capacity but much better than the original tiny cartridges!

my old ladies

I took this photo for a fellow pen-addict in a rush and only later I noticed I made a few mistakes. Actually the correct age order is 1, 3, 2, 5, 4, 6, 7 .

Decimo - continued

I’ve received the Decimo on Saturday, I haven’t talked about it yet because I’m somewhat disappointed because the seller said it was an F nib while it sports a M nib. I contacted the seller and he offered a refund if I sent the pen back but I decided to keep it as I know I'll never find another this cheap!

The finish is called pearly white, I’d call it sparkly white though, looks like they mixed mother of pearl with the paint, very sleek and stylish all right,  it would only be better if it had a "raden" finish but it isn't available for Decimos.

The Decimo has the right weight and width, it’s not too heavy though I still have to get used to it.
As an M nib it still writes finer than Aurora’s M but it’s still a little too wide for my taste. I’m trying to decide if I want to keep it as it is or if I should find a replacement nib unit, I’ve already put an ad on the FPN forum but nobody answered so far and a fine nib was sold just a few days before, my usual luck.

I’ve loaded it with Noodlers Prime of the Commons which is a nice blue-black and it lays down a quite wet line, I should try El Lawrence next which is usually much drier and see how it behaves in such nib.

Do I like the pen? Yes, but not as much as my Myu, perhaps the disappointment about the nib tainted my opinion about the pen.
Would I purchase another? No, one is more than enough, and I won't find another for the price I paid, though if they made Decimos in sparkly raden finish I'd try to sell this one to finance buying it.

Let's start with the Decimo's story

I fell in love with Pilot Capless pens reading reviews all over the web. I already love Pilot pens because I own a lovely 1974 Myu and two little Birdie(s), but the sleekness of the Capless really intrigues me, only sour note the price.
Capless (or Vanishing Point in the US) are very expensive here, the cheaper I saw in shops in Milan are well over 200 euros, buying online won't help much, especially ordering overseas where they are a lot cheaper because of high import duties. So I decided to wait and see if one popped up on FPN market or eBay.

Last week I found on eBay a white Decimo mislabed as a simple Capless (Decimos are lighter, slimmer, and cost a lot more than Capless), and I won the auction for a very fair price, only problem the pen is in Switzerland and between Italian postal services and customs I fear not receiving it for ages (and so begins the agony of waiting).

Please Mr. Postman, hurry up and bring me my pen!