On its own, this pen feels very durable and premium, and the bead-blasted, matte black coated treatment gives it a very “professional” vibe. The Fine nib is bouncy and smooth, very usable on the underside as well (with added feedback, but not scratchy), the ribbed steel grip is very comfortable, the feed holds a lot of ink on its own, and the reservoirs behind it will keep it in writing condition for dozens upon dozens of pages after a fill.
The cap screws open and closed smoothly, with a very satisfying click at the end when closed; it posts deeply, and it also posts securely after being pressed down slightly on the barrel. It is light enough that it does not back-weight the pen significantly when posted.
The barrel construction, along with the newly-implemented Kraken filling system, ensure a significant amount of ink is pulled in from the first try. Much like the main cap, the blind-cap screws open and closed smoothly for refills or ink transfers between reservoirs.
Compared to its predecessor:
Fewer transparent areas overall, but the Vac 2.0’s structure feels more solid than the Ultemate Vac.
The body thickness and thread profiles are different on the Vac 2.0 than on the Ultemate Vac, no mix-and-match potential here.
The matte black coating gives the pen a more refined, premium feel on the metallic parts.
The inner lining of the cap doesn’t get stuck in the barrel thread as often, and when it does, it either slips back into correct position, or it is easier to unscrew and reposition, without the metal thread eating into the cap material.
The coated, no-breather-hole design of the new Gravitas steel nib may not be to everyone’s taste, but I like it a lot, and functionally, this nib feels more bouncy and polished, with smoother writing than its predecessor.
The feed seems to pick up a lot more ink on its own from just a 5-second dip, and the small reservoir behind it looks to have more capacity to back it up before needing to unscrew the blind cap and refill it from the large reservoir.
The Kraken filling system seems to suck up significantly more ink per pump than the mechanism from the Ultemate Vac.
Overall, a very well made fountain pen, and a thorough refinement to an already excellent design. Very satisfied with this purchase!
Retro 51 - Capless Blue Rollerball Refill - Medium - single piece
€4,64
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