Pilot 90010 Varsity Disposable Fountain Stick India Pen Black Ink Medium

by Pilot

• The fountain pen that is completely disposable, convenient and easy to use.
• Innovative pure liquid ink technology guarantees an exceptionally smooth stroke.
• Unique fountain pen nib writes a crisp, clean fine line.
• Visible ink supply.
• SOLD BY THE EA

Product Description

Color: BLACK

Advanced liquid ink system and unique real fountain pen nib guarantee smooth writing. Fashionable disposable fountain pen is convenient and easy to use. See-through ink reservoir lets you know when you're running low. Special Ink Type: India Pen Style: Stick Ink Color(s): Black Pen Type: Fountain.Unit of Measure : Each

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 61 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Shockingly good for a disposable! February 3, 2006

By G. A. Jandl

Color Name:BLACK

I picked up a couple Varsity pens as a lark a few weeks ago. When I removed the pen from its packaging, I immediatly noticed how light the pen is. I personally am a fan of light pens. Heavy ones may seem impressive when capped, but I find them suboptimal for actual use; they drag your pocket down and cause hand fatigue after long use, or even moderate use if the pen is not perfectly balanced. Much of the point of writing with a fountain pen, to me anyway, is their ease and expressiveness.

When I posted the cap and took the pen for a spin, I was shocked! Frankly, I was expecting a scratchy, skippy horrorshow of a writing experience. Instead, I was treated to a smooth, reasonably expressive line of dark black. The point could be a bit finer. It's marked 'M', and advertised as "fine", which is reasonably accurate, as Pilot nibs seem to run to the fine side.

My only real gripe with the pen itself is that the "clip" is quite nearly worthless. The ink window may or may not be worthless, as well ... either that, or the ink capacity is exceptional. Granted, though the pen has seen daily use, it hasn't been *heavily* used, because of the one serious gripe I have.

The ink, though dark and reasonably quick drying, isn't even permanent enough to address envelopes, let alone write anything really important. I would especially caution against writing any checks using this pen! Granted, the vast majority of fountain pen ink is about as waterproof as tissue. None the less, given that the pen is not refillable (not withstanding the hacks some have attempted), it would have been nice for Pilot to use a more durable ink.

Finally, I can't help but comment on te inDUHvidual below who gave the very low review because "they are tipped with Pilot's trademark rollerball". <sigh> This makes it clear (as if the rest of the review did not) that this person has absolutely no clue about fountain pens. Virtually all fountain pens have a small steel ball welded to the nib. This happens before the nib is split, so the "ball" is actually two halves. On a cheap steel tip like the Varsity, it's not such a big deal -- it basically makes it easier to create a smooth writing pen. But on a gold tipped pen (as most are over $150 or so), it's vital, or the point would wear in no time.

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Functional, Slightly Decorative, and Disposable May 23, 2006

By M. Allen Greenbaum HALL OF FAMETOP 1000 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Color Name:BLUE

I see that "Linda" has already laid down the exact same review for all the colors and all the nibs of this pen, so there's not much new I can tell you other than, (1) To confirm what she wrote, and (2), to add a few new details.

This is an excellent introduction to fountain pens for those with hesitancy about buying one. I've collected a few vintage and new fountain pens over the years; some of them lay in a display box, loved but unused. On contrast, you will use this pen! It's incredibly cheap for the quality, so you get a basically positive experience (smooth flowing liquid expression) without the price, or the ultimate cost...losing the darn thing. At prices ranging from $40 to $400 and beyond (Amazon.com sells a Namiki fountain pen for well over $4,000), the habitual loser of inanimate objects would be understandably reluctant to invest in a gold-nibbed, laquered objet-d'art, and would opt instead for this beautiful cheaply that even CALLS itself "disposable!"

It's a personal preference, but I'd opt for the fine nib over the medium if you're going to use this everyday--you'll write faster and use less ink. The medium is nice for big John Hancock-ish signatures and weighty thoughts, but you lose a little expression (those personal shadings and slight angles that even the untrained can't help but produce). The steel nib writes surprisingly smoothly, and as mentioned above, the ink doesn;t evaporate too quickly. You can't refill the pen (it's DISPOSABLE just because of that), but you can buy several in different colors and nib sizes, and get some idea of what kind of pen suits you.

If and when you feel like you want to purchase a re-fillable fountain pen, try for something under $50. Levenger.com's excellent "True Writer" and the "Retro" brand pens sell for about this much. Although those liquidy smooth gel pens have taken some over some of the non-ballpoint market, the mechanically-minded will enjoy the physics of bottle-filling a pen; others will simpy dig the tradition of using a pen with a rich history. When it comes to fountain pens, the "P" is for panache.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A smooth writer and a great pen! January 7, 2006

By Linda

Color Name:BLUE

I use fountain pens everyday, so I know what I am talking about: This is a great fountain pen for everyday writing -- one that you will not care gets lost or damaged due to its very low price (unlike the average (non limited edition) fountain pens, which can cost over $100 -- and sometimes much more). The Pilot Varsity pen lays down a great fine-to-medium line of ink, and the nib (IE: the writing tip) does not dry out too fast when left uncapped -- and the pen seems to write forever with its large internal ink reservoir. Fantastic buy; and with no muss-'n-fuss of having to refill the pen either!