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Pilot Metropolitan Mr // Retro Pop


tejo

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This mid summer(2015) Pilot pens came with the announcement that the Pilot Metropolitan series would be extended with the Retro Pop series and would be available in November. These models are technically the same as the current Metropolitan but feature vivid colors.

 

The first week of November (2015) the fountain pen webshop La Couronne du Comte in the Netherlands had them in stock and i ordered the one with the turquoise/light blue colour, together with a gold coloured Metropolitan MR. The Retro Pop is priced € 18.50 (equals US $ 20.09 at the time of writing). The Metropolitan MR costs € 19. Both pens come with a cartridge, no converter.

 

Unlike the US, in Europe the Metropolitan are not obtainable with Pilot’s propriety cartridges or converters. In Europe they only fit standard international cartridges/converters.

In the Netherlands these pens are just available in Medium nib size. That's okay to me because mostly Japanese M nib size are somehow thinner than European M nib size.

Because i wanted inks which matched with the pen colours i also ordered Kaweco cartridges Caramel Brown for the gold Metropolitan MR and Private Reserve’s Naples Blue cartridges for the light blue Retro Pop.

 

It all arrived solidly packed in a small brown box a few days later.

As you can see in the first picture the Retro Pop is housed in a flat metal box, while the Metropolitan MR has a larger plastic box.

 

Like mentioned earlier the Metropolitan series in Europe only fit international standard converters, however standard doesn’t always seem to be standard as i’ve already experienced. So that’s why I would like to take a little side step

 

Previously i’ve also ordered two other Metropolitan MR fountain pens. One with the Violet Leopard colour and one in White Tiger. Because i’ve several bottles of ink i need converters too. But which one, which brand?
Surfing on the net gave me some ideas and so i acquired three standard converters; a Pelikan standard converter, a Graf von Faber-Castell standard converter and an (ordinary) Faber-Castell standard converter.

 

The Pelikan and Graf von Faber-Castell converter look very much the same and fitted the Metropolitan MR rather well, though some force is needed to slide the converter into Metropolitan MR.

However the (ordinary) Faber-Castell converter couldn’t be slid into the Metropolitan MR because it didn’t seem to fit. So if you want to buy a standard converter for the Metropolitan MR or Retro Pop, order the Pelikan standard converter or Graf von Faber-Castell and do not order the (ordinary) Faber-Castell converter.

(See the second the picture from left to right: Pelikan, Graf von Faber-Castell and (ordinary) Faber-Castell converters).

 

Well so far for converters, let’s get back to the fountain pens themselves.

 

The Retro Pop is basically the same pen as the Metropolitan. Only differences are the flashy colours.

 

 

Appearance & design (6.5/10):
Certainly not ostentatious, just a simple streamlined appearance and maybe a timeless design. The Metropolitan series are available in some conservative colours like black and grey metal and some less conservative like deep purple, pearl white and copper/gold.
Now with the introduction of the Retro Pop more lively colours are available.

 

(See third, fourth and fifth pictures)

 

Construction & Quality (8.5/10):
For its price (€ 19) it is certainly well constructed. Cap and barrel are made of brass, section and feed are made of plastic and of course the nib is metal. The clip is sufficiently tight and springy and there are no discernible seams where the clip is connected to the cap. All my four Metropolitans show no manufacturing flaws.

The cap is a click-type and fastens with normal force on the barrel. With regular behavior it will stay on the barrel, but it might come loose loose accidently in your trousers or shirt pocket. This however is no flaw of the Pilot Metropolitan, but inherent to click-type system. I’ve had it before that caps of a Sheaffer Targa and a Parker Sonnet came loose in my pockets. Nowadays I don’t wear fountain pens of the click-type in my pockets, only the screw type cap like the Kaweco Ice Sport, which is also small/short enough to fit small shirt pockets.

 

(See sixth and seventh pictures)

 

The plastic section of the Metropolitan is screwed on the metal barrel and what i noticed with all my four Metropolitans is that the plastic threads on the section are somehow shallow. However, when I inspected my Kaweco Ice Sports the plastic threads were comparable shallow.
There is a difference in the circumference of the barrel and the grip section, which results in a physically distinct change over. For people with thicker fingers and the way you hold the grip section, this may become annoying in time. For me this wasn’t a problem.

Weight & dimensions (7/10):
Because it's made of brass it is certainly a bit heavier than fountain pens made of plastic in the same size. But for me this wasn't an issue after writing for longer stretches of time.
The pen is of average size and I think it will be suitable for most people.
I like to write with an unposted cap, unless the pen has small dimensions like the Kaweco Sport.
For me the Metropolitan (made of brass) writes better unposted. If I post the cap this certainly changes the balance of the pen and feels uncomfortable to me while writing.

 

(See eighth and ninth pictures)

To have some idea about the measurements, the grey dots in the eighth and ninth pictures are spaced 1cm (approximately 0.4 inch) from each other.

From left to right you see Lamy Vista (Safari demonstrator), Parker Sonnet, Metropolitan MR Retro Pop, Kaweco Ice Sport and Platinum Preppy

Nib & performance (7/10):
In my country the Netherlands the Metropolitan / Retro Pop are only available in Medium. But compared to European (German) Medium nibs this Japanese Medium nib writes a bit thinner.
The nib is made of plain steel and has some engraving as you can see on the close up pictures.

After a day or two of running-in the with cartridge fitted Retro Pop writes smooth and moderate in terms of wetness. The Metropolitan Violet Leopard, which I have longer and is fitted with a Pelikan converter writes a bit wetter, but of course this also depends on the used ink. Don’t know if this all makes a valid difference.

(See the tenth, eleventh and twelfth pictures for how it all looks like)

Filling system & Maintenance (7/10):
Well i'll be short about it, because i already mentioned that the Metropolitan MR uses standard cartridges or converters and in the introduction have taken a side step about which converters to use.
Normally when I get a new fountain pen, i disassemble the feed section and the nib and give it a thorough rinse and flush. Dry it with kitchen tissue and let it air dry for a day.
When inking, i mostly use converters already fitted on the pen and dipping the nib in the inkbottle. While filling it up the nib already gets saturated with ink, so after wiping off excessive ink from the nib the pen writes immediately.
Now however with the Retro Pop I was so anxious that I didn’t bother to disassemble and clean the nib. I inserted the ink cartridge right away, dipped the pen in water hoping this would enhance the ink flow and tapped and shook the pen gently. Gradually the ink flow started and the colour became saturated. So it takes a bit more time.

Cost & Value (9/10):
Like said in the introduction the Dutch penshop La Couronne du Comte was one of the first who had the Metropolitan MR Retro Pop in store at the retail price of € 18.50 which at time of writing this review is approximately US $ 20.
Reason why i reward the cost & value a 9 out of 10 is that for this price I get a well constructed fountain pen which writes the way I expect from a decent fountain pen. What has also influenced my opinion is the consistency of the product. All four Metropolitans I have are of the same quality and write smoothly. This is not common because with certain Chinese brands if you buy four of the same model, it is not guaranteed that they are all flawless.

Conclusion (final score 7,5)
When fountain pens in the sub € 25 or sub $ 25 price range are reviewed it is unavoidable that they are compared to the popular LAMY Safaris or Kaweco Sports series. I have three Safaris and three Kaweco Ice Sports but i can say the Pilot Metropolitans surely can cope with them on all relevant aspects.

 

As a matter of a fact i'm a bit surprised that there are far fewer reviews of the Metropolitan in the fountainpennetwork site than there are of the Safaris or Kaweco Sports. The Pilot Metropolitan doesn't deserve that, it's really a nice pen for the price. But maybe now with the merry colours of the Retro Pop that will change.

Being November at this moment the Pilot Metropolitan Retro Pop would also make a great Christmas present!

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Edited by tejo
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I've never heard of the Metropolitan/MR's taking standard cartridges and converters. In the US, they take proprietary cartridges and come with a squeeze converter. Did all of your MR's come with standard international cartridges?

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I received two of the new Metropolitan / Retro Pop pens (one in gray with houndstooth design, and one in green with a leaf design). Both came with a cartridge and a squeeze converter (not the CON-20, but a version that has come with all of my Pilot Metropolitan pens). I got both of mine from Goulet Pens for $15 each.

 

The cartridge/converter are not standard international, but the normal proprietary Pilot.

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I believe the OP is correct: for whatever reason, the Pilot MR that's marketed and sold in Europe is designed to take standard international cartridges. My Metros (bough online from the US) take the proprietary cartridges (or converter). Great pens - wish they were more readily (and inexpensively) available in Australia...

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Indeed, in Europe the Pilot Metropolitans are only available with standard international cartridges / converters.

 

Maybe I should emphasize that a bit more. I’ll update the review this evening.

 

In the next link of the European Pilot website, you can see that the European version is fitted with an international standard connection.

 

http://www.pilotpen.eu/en/must-have/pilot-mr/pilot-mr-fountain-pens-medium-nib-c/pilot-mr-fountain-pen-medium-nib.html

Edited by tejo
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I have three Metros--plain black F, white with tiger stripe F, and black with dots M. I've just ordered two of the Retro Pop in grey in M, one for a gift and one for myself. I love the Metros and enjoy having them inked up with different inks! I purchased one from amazon and the others from Goulet Pens.

 

Mine came with one Pilot cartridge and a squeeze-type converter. I use the converter and have had no problems with them. I can't imagine a better value than the Metro. Mine all write very smoothly and consistently.

 

Thanks for your review and the photos!

Edited by crescent2
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Nice review.

Yes Metropolitan is seen a lot less on FPN.

 

My Metropolitan wrote kinda dryish on copy paper, I thought mine was defective. Seeing your samples I can confirm mine is just right. 1 Question does ink flow stop randomly while writing on copy paper on a hard surface? Or is it just me ?

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To answer your question DiCHi93, i have the turquoise and golden Metropolitan just for 1.5 week. Until now they haven't stopped while writing on copy paper on a hard surface.

 

However with my Violet Leopard, which is equipped with a standard Pelikan converter and filled with Private Reserve American Blue ink i had once that it really stopped writing as if it had run of ink while the converter was still half-filled.

It turned out to be an airlock somehow in the feed. Because when i held the pen upright (nib pointing up) and tapped the pen gently and then turned the piston a bit upward, airbubbles escaped from the feed and nib. I slowly kept turning the piston until it stopped airbubbling and wiped the nib clean. After that the pen wrote every time i used it without hick-ups.

So you should take care to prevent air sucking in when you use converters and fill your pen.

Edited by tejo
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Yup, the Metropolitan (US/International name) and Cocoon (Japanese name) all take proprietary, either CON-20 or CON-50.

 

The MR takes standard international - I'm gonna guess EU regulations. Do correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Great review there! I liked it :thumbup:

 

 

 

~Epic

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A sincere man am I
From the land where palm trees grow,
And I want before I die
My soul's verses to bestow.
 
All those moments will be lost in time.
Like tears in rain.
Time to die.

 

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So you should take care to prevent air sucking in when you use converters and fill your pen.

Thanks for reminding me. I've read that a billion times but never cared to check..

Oh! BTW mine is with a sac convertor (drat! I can't see insides..)

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Hi Lord Epic,

 

Initially i also thought that the MR was solely the European version and took standard international cartridges. That's what i wrote first in my review but i had to re-edit that because when i surfed on the US Pilot website http://www.pilotpen.us/categories/pilot-fine-writing/mr-metropolitan-fountain-pen/ i noticed that the American version of the Metropolitan also uses the extension MR.

 

So i'm a bit confused now about Pilot's nomenclature.

Anyway, one thing is sure the European version takes international standard cartridges and the American version has like you said proprietary cartridges.

Edited by tejo
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One other little note -- it appears you can only get the "European Version" (which takes the standard international converter) in medium (M) nib. Here in the USA, we can get the Metropolitan with the proprietary Pilot converter in both fine (F) and medium (M).

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Personally have bought all of my Metropolitans with a fine nib and love it to pieces. It's a solid performer - the line is fina and clear with my standard pressure on the pen; was annoyed with a recent purchase of a Baoer 3018 with a 'fine' nib that my standard pressure was making the line a good deal thicker, so I either had to hold back or turn the nib upside down to get a fine line back.

 

Frankly, I feel that the Metros are marvelous, fiddle-free good and reliable pens, and I'd heartily recommend them to anyone starting out or just looking for a good, cheap pen. I bought into the recent Massdrop and got all four of the new colors in fine for about $11 US a pen.

Jim Rittenhouse

Jim@memnison.com

Pens: Pilot Metro, Lamy Safari, Baoer 388, Hero 359, Jinhao 450-750-950, Platinum Preppy

Top Inks: DA Atlantic Blue, D Woodland Green, D Poppy Red, Hero 234 Black, N 54th Mass, JHerbin Vert Olive

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I have the bronze lizard in fine and love it. I just ordered a couple of rollerballs (black crock and retro pop red); one for my lovely wife, the other for me.

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Fabulous pen with reasonable price ~ i use it to write chinese assay, beautiful stroke ~ it will not be tired even after a long time of writing ~ Hope you hv a good experience with MR pens ~

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I believe the OP is correct: for whatever reason, the Pilot MR that's marketed and sold in Europe is designed to take standard international cartridges. My Metros (bough online from the US) take the proprietary cartridges (or converter). Great pens - wish they were more readily (and inexpensively) available in Australia...

 

 

Indeed, in Europe the Pilot Metropolitans are only available with standard international cartridges / converters.

 

Maybe I should emphasize that a bit more. I’ll update the review this evening.

 

In the next link of the European Pilot website, you can see that the European version is fitted with an international standard connection.

 

http://www.pilotpen.eu/en/must-have/pilot-mr/pilot-mr-fountain-pens-medium-nib-c/pilot-mr-fountain-pen-medium-nib.html

That's interesting. I wish that the USA Metros took Standard international. Would have been better for more cartridges!

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Mine comes with international converter too. The one in current use is black. This is my spare one. Also purchase a mech pencil to go with it. Not sure what color its called but its less flashy than silver or gold which I find a little too loud for my taste.

post-126314-0-49610200-1447770669.jpg

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Hi Shea2812,

 

Seeing your picture of a Metropolitan fountainpen with also an international converter, i was wondering what brand converter you were supplied with.

 

What puzzles me too is the Pilot’s policy to supply a proprietary converter in the North American countries and a standard international converter in Europe and apparently Malaysia/Asia too.

Edited by tejo
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