Pilot M90

[william m]

Okay I have found out what the blu gem is, its a synthetic spinel.

[pcarlson]

I can't help but keep coming back and reading this review.

 

Being new to Fountain pens, when I saw this review and saw the pictures I knew that this

would be the pen I 'd start my adventure in the world of Fountain pens with.

 

I ordered mine from Swisher Pens on May 27th. Hoping to have it before the end of June.

(Swisher is waiting on their final order of these pens.).

 

Thank You for the great review and I'm looking forward to experiencing using this fine pen.

[troglokev]

I'm glad you enjoyed the review. I hope you enjoy the pen as much as I do!

[hawki]

Calling all M90 owners:

 

Any of you having a problem with ink creeping out of that breather hole at the end of the feed/underside of the nib? I first filled mine with Noodlers HoD and was having this problem big time. So much ink was creeping out that it was getting on the barrel and getting smeared around whilst capping/uncapping.

 

I emptied out the HoD and tried the included blue Pilot ink cartridge, figuring it would be more benign. It was fine for the first few days, but now it's giving me the same problem.

 

Would you recommend a little car wax, or does it sound like a manufacturing defect?

 

I've been running bullet proof luxury blue, bp black and legal lapis from noodlers and aside from minimal amounts of nib creep haven't had any trouble. Certainly none with getting ink into other parts of the pen.

 

Maybe I'm just lucky, but I have been using it for a few months now and love the pen and Noodler's in it. The only thing I did was made sure that I had the picture of the properly seated convertor in front of me when I put mine in place.

 

Good luck.

[oceansportrait]

Calling all M90 owners:

 

Any of you having a problem with ink creeping out of that breather hole at the end of the feed/underside of the nib? I first filled mine with Noodlers HoD and was having this problem big time. So much ink was creeping out that it was getting on the barrel and getting smeared around whilst capping/uncapping.

 

I emptied out the HoD and tried the included blue Pilot ink cartridge, figuring it would be more benign. It was fine for the first few days, but now it's giving me the same problem.

 

Would you recommend a little car wax, or does it sound like a manufacturing defect?

 

I've been running bullet proof luxury blue, bp black and legal lapis from noodlers and aside from minimal amounts of nib creep haven't had any trouble. Certainly none with getting ink into other parts of the pen.

 

Maybe I'm just lucky, but I have been using it for a few months now and love the pen and Noodler's in it. The only thing I did was made sure that I had the picture of the properly seated convertor in front of me when I put mine in place.

 

Good luck.

 

 

I've been using Noodler's Bulletproof Black in mine, and there is some nib creep, but nothing major.

 

[pen2paper]

Please excuse the poor lighting in this picture, but here is a writing sample from my M90.

 

http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt270/h...13/IMG_0717.jpg

looks as though the flow is very even, and smooth.. Do you find that writing with the M90, that it's positional?

Have to hold it low or high to hit a sweet-spot?

[MYU]

For me, I find the writing position forgiving. A decent range, perhaps a little larger than with the MYU701. It's a great pen.

[Pepin]

I must admit I really like the M90 pen. Actually, it's one of the few pens that generated some excitement when I first see pictures of it here.

[bayport714]

Are each of the 9000 limited edition pens marked individually (xxxx/9000)? Sorry if this has been answered already.

[Carlitoes]

Nope. They're datestamped.

[MYU]

The date stamp is very small, almost impossible to read with the naked eye. It would look something like this:

 

 

F

908

 

The '908' is actually September 2008, the date of manufacture. The 'F' is the nib size.

 

 

These are superb pens. If you like the feel of brushed stainless steel, you'll warm up to this one. It writes beautifully, better than what you'd expect from an integrated nib. If I had to choose the M90 or the MYU701 ancestor for the only pen I'd own, it would be the M90. It is a logical evolution from the previous design. The only drawback is the somewhat meager ink supply... however, rather than using a CON-20 converter, you can refill a cartridge and end up with a solid average ink supply. The weight and balance of the pen is quite good. I could easily write with this pen for hours.

Edited June 20, 2009 by MYU

[ldmarcht]

To All;

 

I had the good fortune to purchase two of these incredible pens at the Loft store in Shinjuku, Tokyo about a month ago. The M90 has become my favorite fountain pen. I don't use the converter, the Pilot/Namiki disposable cartridges have an excellent ink.

 

In doing searches on the web for the M90 I discovered this excellent forum.

 

Thanks

 

Larry

[pen2paper]

Welcome Larry:)

Very nearly bought one of these recently..waited a few hours too long.. the last finepoint had sold.

Just recently come to the realization that finer nibs were a better choice for me.

Like the look of the M90 very much.

[mucephei]

Mine has arrived in the UK from Japan and I'll get it on Friday! I've just had to pay VAT and import duty on it and 13.50 GBP for the privilege of being taxed on it but even after that it's still cheaper than the price Cult Pens wanted.

 

It will have blue ink in it but I haven't yet decided whether to put Diamine Sapphire or Pilot Blue.

[troglokev]

Welcome to FPN, Larry. Your wallet will regret it, but you won't.

 

Good to hear you managed to get one for a more reasonable price, mucephei. It pays to shop around!

[jbaumann]

I have the M90 with a medium nib. At first I was a bit sceptical because of the small size of the pen, but I really like it now. The medium nib has a nice ink flow and the nib is very smooth. I also like the blue Namiki/Pilot ink cartridges, so I probably will not even used the converter which came with the pen. Overall, one of my favourite pens, and the standard pen I use at work right now. I am just a bit concerned about the cap - it takes a bit of force to click it into place/remove it, and I already can see very slight scratches on the section, probably from the inside of the cap.

 

 

[yellowecho]

I have an M90 with an F nib and it definitely tends towards the EF side. The seller even warned me that this would be the case, and suggested I order an M if I wanted the usual F sizing.

 

I am surprised by the above comment about scratching. For those unfamiliar with this pen, the inside diameter of the cap is significantly larger than the outside diameter of the section and barrel. The cap clicks into place on the clutch ring between the two. This pretty much minimizes contact between the cap and the body. Although there is a bit of play with the pen capped, drying out has not been an issue for me, even after leaving it for a day or two. It is possible to force the cap beyond the click point, which might give a better seal, but may also lead to scratching.

 

I wonder is this really going to be a limited edition of 9000. I am sure I read that Pilot still make 1000 of these each month, and they are snapped up immediately, many stores having quotas. When do they hit 9000, or have they already?

 

[mucephei]

I've had my M90 for a day and already it's a hit. Mine is datestamped 109 (I needed my magnifying glass to see that though).

 

It's got Pilot Blue in it but the fine line is a bit dry so the ink seems much lighter in colour. I'll see how it goes...perhaps I'll have to put in Starry Night Blue or Sapphire Blue

[Pen2009]

Is it comfortable to write with it? It looks very slippery.

[MYU]

Is it comfortable to write with it? It looks very slippery.

Looks can be deceiving. Actually, the surface is brushed with a very subtle grain that is perpendicular to the pen length. It might be a little slippery if your hands are sweating, but otherwise it's got a nice tactile feel... not something I'd call slippery at all.