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Pilot Prera Medium


Monkeyboy

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I didn't see a review for the Pilot Prera in medium so I thought I would add my two cents.

 

Appearance and Design: This is a good looking pen, I like the bright neon green color.

 

Construction and Quality: I'm happy with the construction. It is a solid feeling pen. It has a smooth click when you cap it. Something I find a little annoying is if I'm not being careful when I cap it I get ink on the inside of the cap which later is transferred to the outside of the pen.

 

Weight and Dimensions: This is my only gripe with the pen. It is very light and quite small, especially unposted as the pictures show. I wish it were longer and had more heft to it but I don't really have problems using it.

 

Nib and Performance: The steel medium nib is quite smooth and lays down a crisp line in what I would consider a Fine point. The flow with all inks I've tried in it is just right - not too dry to skip or be scratchy but not too wet to bleed through any paper I've tried from cheap notebook filler to Moleskine. Sometimes it doesn't immediately start if I haven't written anything for a minute or two but it isn't really a problem for me.

 

Filling Systme and Maintenance: The Con-50 converter works well. It is glass and fills easily holding a decent amount of ink.

 

Cost and Value: I purchased the pen from jetpens.com for $40 and an extra $8 for the converter. For the price I think this is a well-made pen.

 

Conclusion: I really like the way this pen writes and for the price I think it is a good value. I wish it were larger and had some weight to it but other than that I think it's a great pen.

 

 

 

Pictures show pen along with a Lamy Safari and Lamy 2000 for size comparison.

 

 

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/4779/prera1sm.jpg

 

 

http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/8408/prera2sm.jpg

 

 

http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/4499/prera3sm.jpg

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nice review with pix!! last time i held a prera in my hand i thought it was too small for my liking. still, wrote very nicely... but, i didn't get it. i hope you enjoy yours!

 

PS. what do you mean by "glass converter"? i never seen a con-50 in glass. i thought they were plastic.

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Nice review, thanks.

And how can this be, because he is the Kwisatz Haderach.

 

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Gorgeous pictures, well done.

 

I love the Prera. I agree it is on the small side, but that's part of the reason I like it. It's an inexpensive, relatively sturdy little pen you can throw in your purse or pocket without too much worry. I love that lime green color - I got one for my daughter and sort of covet it now :)

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Gorgeous pictures, well done.

 

I love the Prera. I agree it is on the small side, but that's part of the reason I like it. It's an inexpensive, relatively sturdy little pen you can throw in your purse or pocket without too much worry. I love that lime green color - I got one for my daughter and sort of covet it now :)

 

 

True, while it is on the small size for length for a fountain pen, there is enough girth for the pen to be used by someone with large hands. I have six of these, a few at the office and two in my bag and two on my desk at home, they are a great little pen.

A gentleman is one who puts more into the world than he takes out.

 

http://clipart.usscouts.org/library/BSA_Character_Counts/thumbnails/cub_scouts_char_counts_co.giffpn_1364474496__woundedwarriorlogo03.jpg

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PS. what do you mean by "glass converter"? i never seen a con-50 in glass. i thought they were plastic.

 

It felt like glass to me but upon closer inspection it is plastic. Well made though, holds a pretty good amount of ink.

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Thank you for your review. My Prera is a very good writer and one I use often. I agree it's small and light, but this makes it a good pocket pen for me. I think it's a lot of pen for a good price, and I appreciate all those colors, too. I was reading back through some threads here and bumped into some neat info about the Pilot Plumix calligraphy nibs being interchangeable with the Prera's, so I might look into getting one of those. I hear some Targets carry them for around $6.00; not bad for an extra pen and nib :) .

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Thanks for the review. A Prera is on my list of future pens.

 

Besides the Plumix, the nibs (and feed) are also interchangeable with the 78G.

Music, verily, is the mediator between intellectual and sensuous life, the one incorporeal entrance into the high world of knowledge which comprehends mankind but which mankind cannot comprehend. -Ludwig van Beethoven

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I love the colors of the Prera. Nice pen. I have six of them, though, and may end up selling one or two since I just end up using my favorites of the colors.

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  • 1 year later...

Great review and pictures, thanks. I wonder how it compares against Safari, esp in nib performance?

 

in terms of consistency of product, IMHO Pilot will be a a better performer every day and offer you a better product every time.

 

Lamy in its own right makes a good pen, however it has its shortcomings in manufacturing consistency... more so than pilot. IMHO.... I would first buy a TWSBI

 

a pilot fine writes pretty much the same on every prera. same with the medium italics and mediums. the flows are all pretty consistent.

A gentleman is one who puts more into the world than he takes out.

 

http://clipart.usscouts.org/library/BSA_Character_Counts/thumbnails/cub_scouts_char_counts_co.giffpn_1364474496__woundedwarriorlogo03.jpg

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... wonder how it compares against Safari, esp in nib performance?

 

Ask and you shall receive (well, kind of).

 

I saw this post and just happened to have my Lamy Vista and Pilot Prera inked at the same time, so I thought I'd do a quick writing sample to show you the nib comparison.

 

First picture: On top is writing from the Lamy, with a steel 1.1 CI nib, which I sent to Pendleton Brown to have smoothed, as I prefer a smoother stub nib to the crisp CI edge it came with. On bottom is writing from the Pilot Prera, which came with a Medium nib that seems quite stubbish to me, but has never been modified in any manner other than to widen (very slightly) the tines to provide for better ink flow, as I usually write on the fast side.

 

Second picture: I took a closeup of the nibs, with the Pilot Prera on top and the Lamy Vista on bottom. All photos with my iPhone so not the best quality, but you get the idea. The Lamy has a wider nib and is smoother than the factory Prera, but only by a small margin.

 

fpn_1303342649__img_0794.jpg

 

fpn_1303342700__img_0795.jpg

How small of all that human hearts endure,
That part which laws or kings can cause or cure.

— Samuel Johnson

 

Instagram: dcpritch

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  • 9 months later...

Thank you so much for the writing samples along with the photos -- I've been contemplating a Pilot Prera for a while and am now trying to decide between an F and M nibs. Your pictures really helped!

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The Con-50 converter works well. It is glass and fills easily holding a decent amount of ink.

 

Thanks for the review. The CON-50 converter is not made from glass. It is plastic. Prera shares the same nib and feed with Pilot 78G and they are great.

“Be nice to people on your way up because you meet them on your way down.” Jimmy Durante quotes (American Comedian, Pianist and Singer, 1893-1980)

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Great review and pictures, thanks. I wonder how it compares against Safari, esp in nib performance?

 

in terms of consistency of product, IMHO Pilot will be a a better performer every day and offer you a better product every time.

 

Lamy in its own right makes a good pen, however it has its shortcomings in manufacturing consistency... more so than pilot. IMHO.... I would first buy a TWSBI

 

a pilot fine writes pretty much the same on every prera. same with the medium italics and mediums. the flows are all pretty consistent.

I agree with you. Quality and consistency are the two best features of Pilot pens.

“Be nice to people on your way up because you meet them on your way down.” Jimmy Durante quotes (American Comedian, Pianist and Singer, 1893-1980)

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Thank you so much for the writing samples along with the photos -- I've been contemplating a Pilot Prera for a while and am now trying to decide between an F and M nibs. Your pictures really helped!

 

I'm not sure thats a true M nib, it looks like the one I have here which is from the Plumix and is a Medium Flat Italic. When I get time I can take a picture of the Prera M, Prera MI and Lamy 1.1, samples below.

 

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7167/6408265159_c9ef5e1fbf.jpg

20111126_72-2 by myyrkezaan, on Flickr

 

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6408265105_9a8a8f44c5.jpg

20111126_65-2 by myyrkezaan, on Flickr

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@dcpritch,

 

The first photo shows the Pilot Medium Italic(left) and Lamy 1.1, second showing Pilot Medium(left) and Lamy 1.1. Comparing these photos, my previous MI photo and your nib photo it is the Medium Flat Italic. If you look at the previous picture you can see Medium Flat Italic is stamped with the same <M> as the Medium, so you can't go by the stamp.

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7035/6814252657_97db1a287f.jpg

MI-1.1 by myyrkezaan, on Flickr

 

 

Pilot Medium and Lamy 1.1

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7167/6814252595_d9c4b286a9.jpg

M-1.1 by myyrkezaan, on Flickr

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The Preras are great pens. Hands down my favourite pen below 50 bucks. Even though I own several "nicer" more expensive pens, the Prera with a medium nib is the one I tend to use the most for notes and everyday writing. It's compact, lightweight, reliable and a delight to write with.

 

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p202/Apollo3000/PreraSage1.jpg

 

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p202/Apollo3000/PilotPrerasoftblue2.jpg

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p202/Apollo3000/es-canary-islands-flag1s.gif Bendita mi tierra guanche.
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The Preras are great pens... It's compact, lightweight, reliable and a delight to write with.

 

and all colours available are very pretty indeed

In my current rotation:

Pelikan 400 Brown Tortoise/14K Fine/J. Herbin Cafe des Iles

Lamy 2000/14K Medium/Lamy Blue-Black

Sailor 1911 Large burgundy/21K Naginata Togi Medium/Diamine Oxblood

Montblanc 146/14K Fine/Montblanc Racing Green

Rosetta blue/Steel Pendelton cursive italic/Pelikan Royal Blue

Delta Passion/18K Broad/Diamine Syrah

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Ah, thanks for the review! I too wanted to purchase one of these off of Jetpens, but decided not to after doing a bit of snooping about it. I am very comfortable with longer pens, and I heard that the Prera might feel awkward for those with larger hands or those that are not keen on a "stubbier" pen. I still haven't quite decided if I should bite the bullet or not.

Edited by keepitfresh

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/606/letterji9.png

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind -Romans 12:2

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