Pilot Prera

[Sailor Kenshin]

I love the way this pen is made and the looks, but mine (ivory, M) is kind of a hard starter, and I used the cart that came with it. Anyone else find this to be the case?

[daniel123]

thanks dave..

ive got a few cross pens with very hard gold/rhodium nibs, but i usually use a pilot m90 (nib part of the pen so very stiff)...

i write quite fast and for long periods so i noticed that the nib gets a little warm to the touch after which it bends easily whichever way i press down!!maybe this pen is not made for pressure??!?but i honestly feel the nib is a bit flimsy on the prera..well u get what u pay for...

daniel

[rollerboy]

I love the way this pen is made and the looks, but mine (ivory, M) is kind of a hard starter, and I used the cart that came with it. Anyone else find this to be the case?

 

Yep. I've a fine point grey Prera that was a hard starter. I switched from storing it nib up in my pen cup to storing it horizontally. That did the trick for me.

[dwong]

KCat, after reading your review I bought the Prera in Slate Grey. My initial impressions on the pen were great. It comes nicely packaged in clear plastic box which I was not expecting. The pen itself looks much classier than it's price tag suggests, and the slate grey color is great! It's a bit tinier than I expected, but it certainly does not look like a toy pen.

 

Unfortunately it hasn't been as smooth as I had hoped, being very scratchy when I put down a line with any bit of pressure. When I put down a line without any pressure at all the color comes out looking gray and skips heavily (I am using the standard Pilot Black cartridge that it came with). I can apply more pressure so that ink appears darker, but it doesn't get as dark as I would like and it feels like I'm pushing a sharp object across the page. It writes dry and has been scratchy at all writing angles I have tried. I have had very limited experiences with fountain pens, but compared to my EF Lamy Safari the line width on my Prera looks about 1/2 as thick. Also, the more I try to "break it in" by writing with it, the less consistent the line is coming out (the scratchiness hasn't gone away either). Any suggestions to get it to write wetter and smoother?

[SarahS]

It seems there is a quality control issue. I have a recently-pruchased Prera with a fine nib and it starts immediately and is very smooth, using the cartridge that came with the pen.

Edited April 3, 2010 by sfs6205

[rdh]

KCat, after reading your review I bought the Prera in Slate Grey. My initial impressions on the pen were great. It comes nicely packaged in clear plastic box which I was not expecting. The pen itself looks much classier than it's price tag suggests, and the slate grey color is great! It's a bit tinier than I expected, but it certainly does not look like a toy pen.

 

Unfortunately it hasn't been as smooth as I had hoped, being very scratchy when I put down a line with any bit of pressure. When I put down a line without any pressure at all the color comes out looking gray and skips heavily (I am using the standard Pilot Black cartridge that it came with). I can apply more pressure so that ink appears darker, but it doesn't get as dark as I would like and it feels like I'm pushing a sharp object across the page. It writes dry and has been scratchy at all writing angles I have tried. I have had very limited experiences with fountain pens, but compared to my EF Lamy Safari the line width on my Prera looks about 1/2 as thick. Also, the more I try to "break it in" by writing with it, the less consistent the line is coming out (the scratchiness hasn't gone away either). Any suggestions to get it to write wetter and smoother?

 

There are a number of ways to smooth a pen. I would first get a magnifying glass and look at the nib. Compare it to your Lamy. If all looks okay, I would simply get a piece of coarse cardboard, like the kind that is the backing of a pad of paper. Draw several circles in one direction and then do the same in the opposite direction. Then draw lines right to left and then left to right; up to down and down to up. Now try the pen and see if it is smooth on normal paper. If not, it might call for something more, but I would try the coarse cardboard several times before you try anything else. Obviously, if the nib looks different from the Lamy, it will call for more drastic measures. The first thing I would do is call or email the seller and ask them what to do. They will usually ask you to send it back to them and they will either fix or replace it. When I got mine, I had to do this, since the cap was cracked. This was something that clearly happened during shipping and was not at all the fault of Pilot.

 

I hope you get it working well. They are really nice pens.

 

Dave

[dwong]

KCat, after reading your review I bought the Prera in Slate Grey. My initial impressions on the pen were great. It comes nicely packaged in clear plastic box which I was not expecting. The pen itself looks much classier than it's price tag suggests, and the slate grey color is great! It's a bit tinier than I expected, but it certainly does not look like a toy pen.

 

Unfortunately it hasn't been as smooth as I had hoped, being very scratchy when I put down a line with any bit of pressure. When I put down a line without any pressure at all the color comes out looking gray and skips heavily (I am using the standard Pilot Black cartridge that it came with). I can apply more pressure so that ink appears darker, but it doesn't get as dark as I would like and it feels like I'm pushing a sharp object across the page. It writes dry and has been scratchy at all writing angles I have tried. I have had very limited experiences with fountain pens, but compared to my EF Lamy Safari the line width on my Prera looks about 1/2 as thick. Also, the more I try to "break it in" by writing with it, the less consistent the line is coming out (the scratchiness hasn't gone away either). Any suggestions to get it to write wetter and smoother?

 

There are a number of ways to smooth a pen. I would first get a magnifying glass and look at the nib. Compare it to your Lamy. If all looks okay, I would simply get a piece of coarse cardboard, like the kind that is the backing of a pad of paper. Draw several circles in one direction and then do the same in the opposite direction. Then draw lines right to left and then left to right; up to down and down to up. Now try the pen and see if it is smooth on normal paper. If not, it might call for something more, but I would try the coarse cardboard several times before you try anything else. Obviously, if the nib looks different from the Lamy, it will call for more drastic measures. The first thing I would do is call or email the seller and ask them what to do. They will usually ask you to send it back to them and they will either fix or replace it. When I got mine, I had to do this, since the cap was cracked. This was something that clearly happened during shipping and was not at all the fault of Pilot.

 

I hope you get it working well. They are really nice pens.

 

Dave

 

Thank you Dave for the detailed response, I appreciate it very much. I will give that technique a go and let you know how it works out.

[dwong]

After completing several circles and lines on the cardboard on the back of a cheap notebook, I noticed that the clockwise circles and the down to up strokes were the most inconsistent. I did a few lines of each one and the difference is literally night and day. Writing with it now is much smoother than before, with much better ink flow. I am starting to really like the pen now and I am glad that I got it to work well without sending it back Thanks very much Dave, your tips have saved my pen!

 

The only thing is is that I am not too fond of the black Pilot/Namiki cartridge it came with. I have been using strictly Noodler's Bulletproof Black in my Lamy Safari and Lamy 2000, and I find that the Pilot black is washed out in comparison. It really makes me appreciate how dark and vibrant the Noodler's black is now that I have something to compare it to.

[rdh]

After completing several circles and lines on the cardboard on the back of a cheap notebook, I noticed that the clockwise circles and the down to up strokes were the most inconsistent. I did a few lines of each one and the difference is literally night and day. Writing with it now is much smoother than before, with much better ink flow. I am starting to really like the pen now and I am glad that I got it to work well without sending it back Thanks very much Dave, your tips have saved my pen!

 

The only thing is is that I am not too fond of the black Pilot/Namiki cartridge it came with. I have been using strictly Noodler's Bulletproof Black in my Lamy Safari and Lamy 2000, and I find that the Pilot black is washed out in comparison. It really makes me appreciate how dark and vibrant the Noodler's black is now that I have something to compare it to.

 

I'm glad you got it working well. They are really nice pens. You can refill the cartridge with another ink using a syringe. You can also get one of the Pilot converters. The con 20 is a squeeze converter that I prefer and the con 50 is a piston type converter that allows you to see when you are running low on ink.

 

Noodler's is a nice intense ink, but it is what many call "high maintenance." This means you need to cap your pen right away after you stop writing and flush out the nib and feed frequently (usually about once a week). Another intense black that I like and a lot of others also like is Aurora black. It is not a high maintenance ink.

 

Enjoy your pen and enjoy finding a good ink to match it.

 

Dave

[orangeaurora]

Another vote for Aurora Black. I also use Noodler's Borealis Black and like it a lot.

 

The Prera is a great pen. I have a light blue one with a medium nib and find it a very smooth writer. I've also got an ivory Prera that had a fine nib, but I swapped the nib with the italic nib from a Pilot Pluminix. I didn't care for the fine nib on the Prera, but I love it on the Pluminix. And I love the italic nib on the Prera.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Mine is still a hard starter, though NOT scratchy in the least. And I actually like the grayish-black of the Pilot ink cart---I put it in my 78G 'stub', which is writing like a dream.

[lhl_henrylui]

What does the word "Prera" mean?

[holgalee]

I love the Prera, but the ink does dry out quite quickly if you don't use the pen. Even when you store it horizontally in your drawer! But the issue of inks drying out and pens being hard starting seems to be true with my other pens that have snap on caps. I suppose using wetter inks can help?

[Sailor Kenshin]

Does this mean that Pilot inks are on the dry side?

[rdh]

I love the Prera, but the ink does dry out quite quickly if you don't use the pen. Even when you store it horizontally in your drawer! But the issue of inks drying out and pens being hard starting seems to be true with my other pens that have snap on caps. I suppose using wetter inks can help?

 

You might try dipping the nib in water....especially if you didn't flush the pen when you got it. The idea is that if some small particles from the manufacturing process are in the feed, the stream of ink is much narrower and it will dry out more easily. The next time you need to fill, flush the pen a number of times with a mild ammonia solution (1:10). To be really sure, fill it with the solution and let the whole nib soak in the solution overnight. Empty it the next morning, dry it out wrapped in a paper towel and then fill it with a safe ink.

 

I think the Pilot inks will work fine. Although some call the Pilot inks dry, I don't. Other inks that seem wetter, have surfactants (detergents) in them to help things move through easily. This is needed when inks are saturated with pigment. The intense colors are very nice, but short periods of exposure to the air cause slight evaporation and the pigment starts precipitating. This requires maintenance or they will start to clog the feed. Although Pilot inks don't have the slippery feel of detergent, they should not dry out in the feed very easily. If you are still concerned, try one of the Waterman inks. I don't think anyone calls them dry.

 

Dave

[PacificCoastPen]

After reading this review, I got a Prera lime green from Jet Pens. Fine. A bit toothy and not a smooth experience I was seeking. Or maybe I just got a toothy one. How are the medium nibs? Regards, Pilot Knights...I have two, one with a great smooth nib and one with not so smooth. The toss of the dice, 'guess.

[ImNotSam]

Another vote for Aurora Black. I also use Noodler's Borealis Black and like it a lot.

 

The Prera is a great pen. I have a light blue one with a medium nib and find it a very smooth writer. I've also got an ivory Prera that had a fine nib, but I swapped the nib with the italic nib from a Pilot Pluminix. I didn't care for the fine nib on the Prera, but I love it on the Pluminix. And I love the italic nib on the Prera.

 

I have done the same thing with my Preras - swapped out their regular nibs for the italic nibs from Pluminixes (or is that Pluminices??). I really like the italic nib paired with the Prera. I usually write with my pens unposted; however, for me the italicized Prera needs its cap for optimum performance. Not a problem, because the pen is so small and light.

[calhoun tubbs]

After reading this review, I got a Prera lime green from Jet Pens. Fine. A bit toothy and not a smooth experience I was seeking. Or maybe I just got a toothy one. How are the medium nibs? Regards, Pilot Knights...I have two, one with a great smooth nib and one with not so smooth. The toss of the dice, 'guess.

 

The medium nibs are quite fine. On my Prera, the medium nib is/was buttery smooth. I swapped the nib on it with one from a Plumix. So now, the Plumix has the medium nib from the Prera and my Prera is now an italic. I also put a Con-20 converter on the Plumix which gives me a variety in ink choice.

[calhoun tubbs]

After reading this review, I got a Prera lime green from Jet Pens. Fine. A bit toothy and not a smooth experience I was seeking. Or maybe I just got a toothy one. How are the medium nibs? Regards, Pilot Knights...I have two, one with a great smooth nib and one with not so smooth. The toss of the dice, 'guess.

 

The medium nibs are quite fine. On my Prera, the medium nib is/was buttery smooth and is comparable in width to my EF Safari. I swapped the nib on it with one from a Plumix. So now, the Plumix has the medium nib from the Prera and my Prera is now an italic. I also put a Con-20 converter on the Plumix which gives me a variety in ink choice.

[churl]

Just a few notes -

Given that the nib/feed are so easy to pull in the Prera, if you have a hard starter then it may be worthwhile to give the nib and feed a thorough cleaning. I've had 3 Preras and they've all been pretty juicy for me, even the F nib.

 

I have also nib swapped with a Plumix nib, and it's a good pairing.

 

The Preras do have a tendency to dry out a bit, but for me it's never translated into a hard starter. I do notice though that my inks get darker over time due to evaporative loss.