Retractable fountain pens look like an average click ballpoint pen, but are indeed a fountain pen featuring a nib. This nib hides into the barrel and isn’t visible at first sight: just one click is needed to extend and retract it. Retractable fountain pens give you therefore the smooth writing experience of a fountain pen, but also all the convenience of a normal click pen!
The benefits of this clever mechanism are many. First, the ink doesn’t dry up as there is no need to constantly cap the pen whenever you do a break, especially if you’re writing for long periods of time. Secondly, as the nib is kept inside of the barrel, it is also protected against any possible harm. Retractable fountain pens are, without a doubt, one of the greatest innovations in pen designing of the past few years.
Why aren’t then more retractable pens on the market?
Retractable fountain pens aren’t a new thing per se, but can be difficult to find. Even if it’s true that the Pilot Capless model is now several years around and it’s often considered as a truly classic among pen enthusiasts all over the world, not many brands have launched a retractable feature within its new writing lines. Why so? Apparently, developing a retractable nib isn’t an easy task to do. It is believed that the Japanese brand Platinum took at least five years to develop its Curidas line, which will be mentioned in detail below. Also, not all pen enthusiasts appreciate the capless feature for a pen, as it makes it look like a ballpoint more than classic fountain pen.
At Iguana Sell, we find retractable capless fountain pens definitely convenient and smart, so we proudly sell almost all capless models that can be found on the market.
The Pilot Capless fountain pens, also known as the Pilot Vanishing Point, are without any doubt the most famous retractable fountain pens on the market. The Pilot Capless pens are 154 mm long (6 in) and weight 43 g (1.5 oz). The 18K solid gold nib (rhodium-plated for certain models) is available in F, M and B sizes, and the filling mechanism is the usual of cartridge or converter.
The Pilot Capless Decimo pens are the lighter version of the Capless Vanishing Point. Also crafted in lacquer with chrome details, the Pilot Decimo are about half of the weight of the original Capless model (20.6 g/ 0.7 oz) and feature a lighter body (11.7 mm/ 0.46 in versus the 13 mm/ 0.5 in of the original Capless). The Pilot Decimo nib is also created in 18K rhodium-plated solid gold and it’s available in F, M and B. The Decimo pens are also available in a softer and creamier color palette.
The Lamy Dialog 3 writing models also retract, but with a twist mechanism instead of a click. To extend the nib, you’ll need to grasp opposite ends of the pen with each hand, and then give the barrel a twist so that the nib smoothly glides out or retracts. Once the nib is retracted, a protective ball valve closes over it to keep it protected. Another impressive feature of the Lamy Dialog 3 is that when the nib is advanced, the clip slightly retracts into the barrel to provide a more comfortable writing experience. The Dialog 3 pens feature a bi-color platinum-plated 14K solid gold nib and are available in EF, F, M, B, OM and OB sizes. A converter is also included.
The Platinum Curidas are our latest addition to our retractable fountain pen collection. Significantly more affordable than the other capless fountain pens, the Curidas are a very interesting option for those who are starting to discover the retractable feature in a pen and aren’t willing to invest too much for their first model. The Platinum Curidas were named combining the Japanese term Kuridasu, which refers to the act of extending the tip of a pen, and the word “curiosity”, which we believe it’s really smart. These colorful fountain pens are created in semi-translucent resin, so you can also see all the engineering that went into them without making them your typical demonstrator pen. The stainless steel nib is available in EF, F, M and B sizes, and they accept ink cartridges or Platinum converters. We would like to remind you that none of our Platinum pens include a converter, but can be used with the standard Platinum Converter 700 or CONV-500 models.
