Another Pilot Metropolitan Review

[jonschram]

My first review. No photos, but I imagine everyone knows what this ubiquitous pen looks like. I'm coming from a newbie's perspective, and I'll try to add additional reviews for all my pens as I develop more in the hobby. Right now I've only had serious hands-on experience with maybe a dozen or so fountain pens in my adult life.

I decided a while ago to improve my handwriting, which had gradually devolved into a dreadful state over several years. I had a cursory knowledge of them because both my parents are life long users. Neither one of them really attempted to push them on me, however. I did receive a nice pen for graduation, which I suspect is a Parker 51. Unfortunately, I'm serving on a deployment to the middle-east and I'm far from that pen. I decided to order a few inexpensive examples and give them a try. The first Amazon package included a black Pilot Metropolitan MR, 1.7 oz bottle of Waterman Serenity Blue, and Con-50 converter (actually I've since learned that I received the newer Con-40).

Pilot Metropolitan M (91107)

RATING:

Initial impression/packaging: 3/5 stars

• The pen arrived in a plain grey cardboard box adorned only with the Pilot logo.
• Inside the box was a small tin with foam cut out. There is a plastic cover so one can see the pen and included squeeze type converter. Inside the pen there was also one Pilot cartridge. I haven't used either because I ordered ink and the Con-40 converter; both of which arrived at the same time.
• Overall the "presentation" tin doesn't look too bad. It's certainly not sturdy enough to actually carry the pen in, and not something I would consider displaying the pen in on my desk. I imagine it exists to make it a more presentable gift. Personally, I'd rather Pilot just knocked a couple bucks off the pen and packaged it in an envelope.
• The pen itself is pretty much what I expected: a basic black pen.

How well does it write? 4/5 stars

• Way better than I expected. After 15 years of using Pilot V5 rollerballs almost exclusively, it's been an easier transition than I expected. I'd dabbled with a Pilot Varsity (or V-pen) somebody gave me here, but that was about the only fountain pen experience I'd had prior to the Metro since grade school.
• The Metro is just an easy pen to write with. I flushed the pen with water, installed the converter, filled it with Serenity Blue, and went to writing. Easy as that.
• The medium nib wasn't nearly as fine writing as I expected. After reading about how Japanese pens tend to be much finer than western pens, I expected something close to the .5mm of the V5. After some initial disappointment, I've come to really enjoy the medium nib. It actually prompted me to order some pens with 1.1, 1.5, and 1.9 italic nibs for my next batch.
• So, so smooth! I haven't run a gold nibbed pen yet, so I don't have a terribly large number of pens to compare it against. Even so, I'm very satisfied with how smooth and well behaved the pen has been. Only bleed through problems I've had are on the cheapest of notebooks and government procured printer paper. Never had any skipping or hard starting problems, though I admit I haven't let it sit inked for any length of time yet.
• The weight of the pen took some getting used to. At first I thought it was going to be too heavy for long writing sessions, but I've discovered that not to be a problem. I started with posting the cap, but I'm gradually moving towards writing un-posted (I have pretty small hands, ymmv obviously). I think loosening up my default death-grip on my writing instrument has negated the heavier pen.
• I don't have a large ink selection over here. I've not experienced any problems in the few Waterman, Pelikan, or Noodler's ink I have gained access to so far. The Metro seems well behaved with everything I've ran through it. Not a gusher for sure, but doesn't appear overly dry either.
• My only real gripe is converter related. I can not get the Con-40 full beyond 60-70%. As a result, I'm constantly topping the pen off (I write quite a bit). From perusing the internet, I see this is a pretty common complaint...so apparently its just not me.

How well is the pen built? 4/5 stars

• The Metro certainly seems sturdy enough in the hand.
• The cap is snap on, of course. It's plenty secure and closes with a satisfying pop. I do wish it was threaded, just for the added security.
• The threads holding the section to the barrel aren't particularly well done or formed. They to thread together OK. Pretty nit picky since they can't be seen in use, perhaps. But I come from a machinist background and I tend to notice these sorts of thing.
• The cheap, stamped clip doesn't inspire confidence in it's longevity. It's probably fine for a shirt pocket, but I suspect repeatedly stretching it over jean pockets would deform it. Probably not a major consideration for most, but I was considering it for an EDC pen when I bought it.

How nice is the material the pen is made out of? 3/5 stars

 

• Brass with lacquer coating. There is also a resin section on the barrel that appears to exist entirely for ease of manufacture.
• The clip material is plated steel (magnetic). I suspect whatever this coating is will eventually wear off form finger oils and abrasion from clothing.

How nice is the filling system of the pen? 3/5 stars

• Cartridge/converter. The included squeeze bulb converter is probably fine. I elected to buy the Con-50 (actually received a Con-40) when I ordered the pen.
• The Con-40 converter is (bleep). It refuses to fill beyond 60-70% when filling through the nib. It is a big enough of a pain that I'll probably just make a better filling one when I get home to my hobby machine shop.

Is this pen good value? 5/5

• For $10 I've been blown away. It handily out performs every other pen I've ordered and used to date (keep in mind I'm still in the lower $ bracket of the fountain pen world).
• Sure, I wish it had a threaded cap. I wish the converter worked/filled better. But for the price, I can't really hold any of that against the pen.
• The Pilot Metro just plain works.

I know that the last thing FPN really needed was another Metro review, but alas, here it is. I've really enjoyed this pen. I think the best testament I can give it is that I'd buy another if I were to lose it. Might even buy another anyways, just to test drive a F Pilot nib before biting the bullet on that Vanishing point!

Edited April 7, 2018 by jonschram

[Tseg]

I was just using my Metropolitan this morning. While it works like a machine my biggest issue is how thin the section is (8.4mm). My hand cramps up with extended use. I really need a section close to 10mm. Also there is a big step between the section and barrel that is not particularly comfortable. Considering the price it is a great value but my primary complaint is purely ergonomics related.

[Honeybadgers]

my sole complaint with it is also the thin section. a more balanced grip section and some variety in nib sizes including broad, some larger stubs, and extra fine (I know a penmanship EF fits fine but it'd be nice to see it all together) would have it butting up against perfection.

 

I would say get a vanishing point from japan with the steel "special alloy" nib before trying to pull the trigger on a gold nib (which can be bought as a unit for about $80) since that pen can be had for about $70. I am glad I did, because the VP is really annoying in my hand for anything more than two sentences.

[senzen]

Interesting, we seem to arrive at the same conclusions but via different routes.

 

Packaging: don't care, so 5/5.

 

How does it write? 5/5. Smooth from the get go, I did press gently outwards to make it a tad more wet, and it worked, brings out the best of Fuyu Gaki. In its original form it would probably work for inks I prefer more subdued, like Ajisai.

 

Build. 5/5. Seems like a well put together pen. Not that heavy if you come from much larger tanks like the Le Man 100, no balance problems but I don't post. Don't use clips, except for caps not rotating on the table.

 

Material. 5/5. Feels nice, no problems so far.

 

Filling system: 4/5. Comes with a converter but never used it, I prefer clear ones, and those work.

 

+ Design: 4/5. Looks fine, very classy in black and silver trim, don't care for any of the other versions: wacky colours, weird animal details, sections in any colour as long as its black.

 

+ Reliability: 5/5. Zero starting problems, zero reliability problems. Can't say the same for my Lamy Vistas.

 

Value: 6/5. Amazing value. If I had to start over I would just get a bunch of these. To get something at the next level you need to spend seven to ten times as much, or look for unloved, discounted pens like the Lamy Studio.

 

Pilot might have understood that some of us are addicted to their Iroshizuku inks and pens are merely the delivery vehicle, so might as well build a decent and cheap one. A thicker nib option would be welcome. They should rename it the Pilot No Brainer.

[Honeybadgers]

the penmanship was my first pilot FP that got me back into the hobby. I honestly think it's a more comfortable pen to write with and would take it any day over a metro in any setting apart from a formal one. the metro looks classy, but the penmanship writes like a madman (and for $5 no less)

[TheDutchGuy]

I've tried a dozen high-end pens the last two days in the hope of finding a grail pen, but none of them were worth the extra money compared to my current "grail" pen. So I didn't buy anthing. Except a Metropolitan. Irresistible at that price point and beating the (bleep) out of several pens costing twice or even thrice as much. I've got a M and writes like a F. The nib is obviously steel, but very well cut and a joy to write with. Pilot really hit it out of the park with this one.

[Gloucesterman]

the penmanship was my first pilot FP that got me back into the hobby. I honestly think it's a more comfortable pen to write with and would take it any day over a metro in any setting apart from a formal one. the metro looks classy, but the penmanship writes like a madman (and for $5 no less)

Where can you get a Penmanship for $5.00? I would definitely buy several just to have the nibs to swap into my other Pilot pens.

[MomoShinChan]

Glad to see another person enjoying the Metropolitan. You cannot go wrong with this pen

[Honeybadgers]

Where can you get a Penmanship for $5.00? I would definitely buy several just to have the nibs to swap into my other Pilot pens.

 

Huh, used to be on amazon, but I can't find it for a reasonable price anymore.

[akrohn2010]

Latest price I found for a Penmanship was about $12 - incidentally about the same for a Metro.

 

I am still rocking my first FP - a gold Metro, even with a hairline crack down the barrel it hasnt failed me yet! I swapped in the Penmanship EF nib and now its a machine for writing on bad paper when paired with Noodlers Black!

 

Glad you enjoy it!

[alexwi]

After reading all the rave reviews, I took the plunge (hah!) and ordered a Metropolitan Medium, which felt and looked great in my hand, but I found it to be scratchy, which was quite surprising, considering how highly everyone talks about this pen.

 

Thinking that it must be a fluke, and being close to Fountain Pen Hospital, I stopped by. They were having a pen fair that day, so they had a lot of Pilots on display, so I had a chance to try a few out and, like mine, they all felt the same (kudos for consistency!).

 

But then I tried one with an italic nib and liked it so much that I purchased it on the spot. The owner couldn't believe that I didn't want a new one. I liked how that one felt, regardless of the mileage, and took it.

 

Since the Metropolitan's so cheap, I figured that the M that I didn't find as fantastic as the reviews say it is, would be a perfect candidate for learning how to grind a nib, so I went into a pharmacy and bought one of those nail files that have three different grades of abrasive and took the pen to it until I got it to write exactly the way I wanted. So now I'm really happy with this pen.

 

This also gave me the confidence to grind a Parker 75 nib that I wasn't crazy about, and that too writes great now, so, in the end, that cheap Metropolitan turned out to be quite a good investment.

[MomoShinChan]

After reading all the rave reviews, I took the plunge (hah!) and ordered a Metropolitan Medium, which felt and looked great in my hand, but I found it to be scratchy, which was quite surprising, considering how highly everyone talks about this pen.

 

Thinking that it must be a fluke, and being close to Fountain Pen Hospital, I stopped by. They were having a pen fair that day, so they had a lot of Pilots on display, so I had a chance to try a few out and, like mine, they all felt the same (kudos for consistency!).

 

But then I tried one with an italic nib and liked it so much that I purchased it on the spot. The owner couldn't believe that I didn't want a new one. I liked how that one felt, regardless of the mileage, and took it.

 

Since the Metropolitan's so cheap, I figured that the M that I didn't find as fantastic as the reviews say it is, would be a perfect candidate for learning how to grind a nib, so I went into a pharmacy and bought one of those nail files that have three different grades of abrasive and took the pen to it until I got it to write exactly the way I wanted. So now I'm really happy with this pen.

 

This also gave me the confidence to grind a Parker 75 nib that I wasn't crazy about, and that too writes great now, so, in the end, that cheap Metropolitan turned out to be quite a good investment.

 

That's nice to hear. Too much of a fountain pen is subjective to personal experience and I think everyone should experiment to see what work for them, just like you!

[displacermoose]

I'm in the camp that makes the Metro a no-go for ergonomic reasons, but the nibs are top notch. I'm now up to 3 Preras, which use the same nib but have a nice fat section with no step. They have a firm place in my office pen collection even though they are rather more expensive than the Metro (currently $32.50 on JetPens).

[bmillicent]

I have discovered an interesting trait of Pilot carts that makes the cons less of an issue. As everyone has noticed, Pilot carts have a ginormous opening compared to universals, Parker/Lamy, Sheaffer, etc. Interestingly, that neck is just the right size to accommodate the stopper on a bottle of eye drops or contact lens rewetting solution. Of course the stopper is removed - the bottle and it must be rinsed thoroughly to remove the salt and other chemicals from the eye product. When the parts are completely dry, the preferred ink is added via syringe or pipette. The stopper is then replaced and bottle is capped. Voila - a portable inkpot for times and places that pipettes and syringes are undesirable. It's a nice way to cash in on the Pilot cart capacity. The plastic bottles are portable, leak resistant, and hold at least 0.5oz/15ml of fluid. Many are translucent/transparent, preferable to the white ones often used for prescription products. The shapes vary from cylindrical to a flattened taper. Bonus points for plastic reuse and recycling!

 

Hope this method is useful for all the Pilot fans who haven't already discovered it

[Tom Kellie]

I've tried a dozen high-end pens the last two days in the hope of finding a grail pen, but none of them were worth the extra money compared to my current "grail" pen. So I didn't buy anthing. Except a Metropolitan. Irresistible at that price point and beating the (bleep) out of several pens costing twice or even thrice as much. I've got a M and writes like a F. The nib is obviously steel, but very well cut and a joy to write with. Pilot really hit it out of the park with this one.

 

 

~ The Dutch Guy:

 

What you've eloquently explained above matches my own feelings about the Pilot MR 88G fountain pen.

A pen which consistently writes so well deserves a wider market.

I'll be recommending it to students here.

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

Interesting, we seem to arrive at the same conclusions but via different routes.

 

Packaging: don't care, so 5/5.

 

How does it write? 5/5. Smooth from the get go, I did press gently outwards to make it a tad more wet, and it worked, brings out the best of Fuyu Gaki. In its original form it would probably work for inks I prefer more subdued, like Ajisai.

 

Build. 5/5. Seems like a well put together pen. Not that heavy if you come from much larger tanks like the Le Man 100, no balance problems but I don't post. Don't use clips, except for caps not rotating on the table.

 

Material. 5/5. Feels nice, no problems so far.

 

Filling system: 4/5. Comes with a converter but never used it, I prefer clear ones, and those work.

 

+ Design: 4/5. Looks fine, very classy in black and silver trim, don't care for any of the other versions: wacky colours, weird animal details, sections in any colour as long as its black.

 

+ Reliability: 5/5. Zero starting problems, zero reliability problems. Can't say the same for my Lamy Vistas.

 

Value: 6/5. Amazing value. If I had to start over I would just get a bunch of these. To get something at the next level you need to spend seven to ten times as much, or look for unloved, discounted pens like the Lamy Studio.

 

Pilot might have understood that some of us are addicted to their Iroshizuku inks and pens are merely the delivery vehicle, so might as well build a decent and cheap one. A thicker nib option would be welcome. They should rename it the Pilot No Brainer.

 

~ SenZen:

 

A firm “Yes!” to all that you've written about the Pilot MR 88G fountain pen.

The “wacky color” Green Leaf model came to my writing desk.

One of my classes is full of dedicated young environmentalists. They jocularly insist on “green” everything.

Therefore a green fountain pen is tailor-made for their preferences.

What surprised me was how impressive the F nib writes.

You've expressed the pen's virtues far better than I could. I completely concur with your evaluation.

Tom K.