Pilot Decimo, Fine Nib

The Decimo is Pilot's slimmer take on the Vanishing Point. It's a capless, retractable fountain pen with a real gold nib. Click it open like a ballpoint and you're writing. Mine is this soft lilac pearl finish, and it's genuinely pretty in the hand.

The nib is the reason to buy this pen. It's not a true flex nib, and I wouldn't pretend it is. It's just a really lovely, pleasant give. A light softness that makes everyday writing feel a little special. That's the "bounce" I keep coming back to.

Honesty time: it feathers a bit for me. I've got Pilot Iroshizuku Shin-kai in it, so that could be the ink as much as the pen, but it's there, so I'm telling you. And the shape won't suit everyone. The Decimo is slim, and even with my small hands it gets a little uncomfortable after a long writing session. The clip placement is the other thing. Because it's a capless design, the clip sits right where your fingers want to go, and it's obtrusive. Larger hands will feel both of these more than I do.

So who's it for? Someone who wants to splurge a little on a gold nib but doesn't want to spend multiple hundreds. If that's you, and you don't mind a slim pen, the Decimo delivers a gold-nib writing experience that punches above what you paid.