I both plan and journal in a Hobonichi Techo, and I have been doing that for the past 6 years. Through the years, my Pilot Vanishing Point is the pen I keep reaching for. I have tiny handwriting and the Pilot Vanishing Point in an extra-fine, inked up with De Atramentis Document ink, is my perfect pen and ink pairing for planning and journaling in the 3.5mm Hobonichi grid size.
My Two VP Pens
If you have seen any social media content around the Hobonichi, then you have most certainly seen the Pilot Vanishing Point in use. Especially the ever so sleek looking, matte black version. That one definitely caught my eye when I first entered the world of Hobonichi and fountain pens. I decided, however, to get the Pilot Vanishing Point Decimo, the one with the slimmer body. I have small hands and I thought I would like the feel of the thinner and lighter pen. It was 2020 when I made my purchase and I relied heavily on Youtube and Reddit recommendations when making this choice since there wasn't anywhere to see and feel it in-person.
Coming from pretty much all plastic bodied pens to my Decimo felt like an incredible upgrade. The weight of the pen body was great and it felt sturdy. The 18k gold nib in the extra-fine felt smooth, yet precise on the Tomoe River Paper. I know that for some the placement of the clip can be bothersome, but I actually find it really comfortable with my grip. This pen immediately became my everyday pen for journaling and planning in my Hobonichi books. The click is wonderfully satisfying and it is so convenient to have a retractable pen and not have to fiddle around with taking a cap on and off, especially when planning. I loved my Decimo so much that a couple of years later, I decided to splurge on the Vanishing Point in matte black and I am so glad that I did because I have five years of various Hobonichi books filled with memories and plans all written with these pens.
The Pilot Vanishing Point Vs. The Decimo
The Vanishing Point pen body is noticeably thicker and heavier than the Decimo. Despite that difference in feel and weight, I still find them both completely comfortable to write with. They both have an 18k gold nib, the Decimo is rhodium plated, a silver color, and the Vanishing Point in matte black is plated in a black metal contributing to the stealth look of the pen. I have them both in an extra-fine, but my Vanishing Point writes even finer than my Decimo, which again is great for the small grids in the Hobonichi. I'm guessing that the writing differences are just individual nib variation, not necessarily reflective of a difference commonly found between the pens. So the only real differences are the colors, the thickness of the pen body, and the weight.
I currently use both pens daily in my various Hobonichi books and have them inked with different colors. I have even thought about getting a third just to keep another color of ink in permanent rotation, but I have too many other pens on my wishlist that I want to give a try. While I find both the Vanishing Point and the Decimo comfortable in the hand for writing, if I were to get another one, it would probably be the Decimo because of the colors it comes in. The gray with a nice matching ink color is definitely on my list.
Ink That Lasts
I currently have my Pilot Vanishing Point in matte black inked with De Atramentis Document Black and my burgundy Decimo is inked with Diamine Forever Red Ochre. When I first started using fountain pens and journaling in my Hobonichi I was really excited to try out different ink colors and my first bottle was Diamine Red Dragon. The color was fun, but I found that in my Hobonichi, which I was using as a daily journal, the ink kept smudging. This was the year that I really started a daily journaling practice, and it was a big year for me. I got to record my first pregnancy and the birth of my daughter, so permanence mattered. Recording these memories and pasting in pictures was incredibly rewarding and brought me so much joy that I knew I needed to find an ink that was going to last.
So far I have been really enjoying both the De Atramentis Document and the Diamine Forever. Although, I do have to clean out my pens more frequently, so I usually just give them a little bath when I need to refill them.
The Dreaded Con-40
One of my least favorite aspects of the Pilot Vanishing Point is the Con-40 converter. I spent so much time watching videos trying to get a full fill with that converter and I almost always couldn't. The ink capacity was much less than desired. Finally, I switched over to just refilling empty cartridges with an ink syringe and that has worked so much better. Refilling cartridges with bottled ink is definitely the way to go and I would highly recommend that route over the Con-40.
Some Final Thoughts
I still consider myself early in my fountain pen education and experience. I've been using my pens for about six years now, but I have intentionally kept my pen and ink collection small. I know that I haven't tried nearly enough pens to say that the Pilot Vanishing Point is the best fountain pen out there, but it is the pen that I reach for every single day.
Bianca