Gravitas - Vac 2.0 Aluminium | Black

The Vac 2.0 is hands-down the smoothest writer I have. The pen arrived with the nib tuned to perfection, with exquisite machining of every single component. The capacity is massive, yet the pen does not feel overly bulky. The balance in the hand both posted and unposted is right on. You can really tell that Ben pays the utmost attention to even the smallest detail!
Shipping to Australia was very quick and the order arrived with a wonderful hand-written note from Emy. This will certainly not be my last purchase!

I ordered this pen even though I’ve had some issues with two of my six Monster pens—which amounts to a failure rate of nearly 30%. One of my Monsters (black aluminum) suddenly started leaking after three months of regular use (with Artisan Pastellier Rose Cyclamen ink; it still leaks in small amounts, even though I haven’t used that ink in it for months and am now using the fountain pen with GvFC Viper Green; otherwise, the pen works reliably). Unfortunately, two service requests regarding this issue went unanswered.

The other one (TiSinX titanium) is now, unfortunately, completely unusable, as every time I fill it, large amounts of ink immediately ooze out in thick drops from the same spot (though this could be due to using Diamone Desert Rose—I didn’t initially know that such inks might cause problems). I may contact Pen Venture at a later date regarding the purchase of a replacement ink reservoir (if possible with Ultem).

I haven’t had any problems so far with the Ultem Monsters or the Gravitas Exclusive Rainbow Skittle Monster.

The Vac 2.0, which is what this review was actually supposed to be about, is another great pen. Unfortunately, the Diamine Lady Grey ink I bought along with it seems much too dry for this pen, so I screwed in the gold nib from my Gravitas x Kyuseido Kakari, and now it writes like a dream; ironically, the original nib now writes just as beautifully in my Ultemate Vac - so I guess I have to review the new steel nib separately.

The Kraken filling mechanism works extremely well again and feels almost a bit more powerful in this pen than it does in the Monster; and the new ink window is a joy as well.

It's extremely well balanced and although I very much enjoy the girthier (and heavier) monster, fast note taking is kind of more comfortable with this pen—although, purely for aesthetic reasons, I actually like the flat ends of the Monster a little better.

However, there’s a minor flaw (which definitely isn’t due to the new gold nib, since it also occurred with the original nib) that happens when the ink reservoir is full and you screw the Kraken mechanism shut. Sometimes a large drop falls onto the paper then, but I suspect this can be prevented by simply not letting the reservoir get completely full.

That aside, the pen is a pure delight.

The broad nib I orderd it with is pure delight as well. It's nicely soft and writes very consistently with my (fairly standard, I guess) 50° writing angle. The line width is very consistent, which is a nice experience, given that many broad nibs these days have stub-like characteristics. Interestingly, this nib has this kind of character when using it in reverse for very, very small margin notes—something I haven't come across before with round-ground nibs. I kind of like it.

All in all another great and beautifully designed pen - but only time will tell if it's prone to the same problems as some of the Monsters.

The ordering process and shipment was smooth and seamless as always with pen venture and I received my ordering within just a few days. Emy added a kind handwritten note, a Monster maintenance tool and vial of silicon oil.

That creates a kind of personal shopping experience—which is something, also given that the store appears to be expanding quite rapidly.

The construction of the Vac 2 is flawless. The textures of the materials and it's simple lines display an elegant beauty. The large steel nib delivers a pleasant writing experience and also provides a bit of flex.

Amazing Pen! Gravitas makes one of the best piston fillers out there. I dont keep the nib and normally use the pen for coustom flex nibs with Jowo #6 compatible nib units. So, i really cant speak on the nib. However, this pen is just built with high quality components. The weight, feel, and overall aesthetics are unmatched. You wont find better at this price point.

The VAC 2.0 is a great improvement to an already great pen (the original VAC Ultem). The weight and balance are spot on. The cap and the new threads engage without hesitation. No missed closures and the cap has a nice stop when threading back on. It posts securely without issue. Filling with the Kraken system is easy. I got a medium nib and it is smoooooooth. Mine is on par with my 823 medium nib The smoothness, wetness and bounce would make you think it's a gold nib. Line width is slightly narrower than the 823 medium. The pen feels solid and well built. I'm not worried about this one getting knocked around. Overall a great pen. Shipping from Pen-Venture to Colorado was five days! Great pen and service all around!