Pilot Metropolitan

[Bounce792]

Except it's kind of an important point that needs to be emphasized, especially for the uninitiated. The distinction between Western & Japanese Fine and Extra-Fine is rather key since many people buy Japanese pens and nibs to get those extremely fine lines which they cannot get in Western FPs. Knowing what nib size Pilot (or other Japanese brands) has labeled it makes a difference to our understanding of the line width you're referencing.

 

No one's calling you an idiot or making a personal remark about you but for some people, this can be serious stuff. Especially when you confuse them with terminology that is at odds with what Japanese FP users utilize. It's jargon and an understanding specific to Japanese pen users that you just have to accept.

[KyleKatarn]

Received my Pilot Metropolitan today (all black, M nib) and I just loved it. The weight, feel, balance and looks seems just perfect for me. Took me less than a minute to ink it up with waterman absolute brown and it is really a pleasure to write with her. It did skip a little, ocasionally, but I'm not still sure if this is related to the paper or ink. Anyway, nothing that can really bother you. This pen is just an amazing item. Classical example of value for money.

[Art]

They're nice pens. I've got 4 of them and each wrote beautifully right out of the box. Got mine on sale at Staples for $10 each. What a great deal!

[ipinkgirl]

I'm a bit of a Pilot pen junkie and I just got my second metropolitan (black body with dots, medium nib) and for me these have been some of the best pens I've ever written with. I have a pilot custom heritage 91 and it's excellent, but it's a near thing that a steel nib (on the Metropolitan) feels almost as smooth as my 14kt nib out of the box.

 

Pilot never fails me with pens and I'll always sing their praises and recommend them to new fp users.

[The Stargazer]

The Pilot Metropolitan is just a very superb Founain pen, more for beginners.

[maverink]

i have 4 pilot metros in black white silver and gold finishes nice rugged reliable daily carry pens for students wish they had more nib options

[Art]

i have 4 pilot metros in black white silver and gold finishes nice rugged reliable daily carry pens for students wish they had more nib options

 

I have exactly the same pens and feel that same about nib options. They are great pens for daily use.

[wikeh2004]

Yup, add me as a satisfied user of them. I have three, one black in M, and two in F, bronze and violet. All of them write very well, but the nib tends to dry out after a few days of non-use. However, they start up quickly after a bit, so that's forgivable. For the price, you can't beat their build quality, smooth nibs, and comfortable hold. The caps click assuringly into place, and the body and clip are solid. A great pen not only for the beginner, but the daily user as well. And, they even come with a converter and a cartridge for that price. Made in Japan. Tough to beat and an easy recommendation. :-)

[marie9999]

I have 3 Metros as well - 1 white medium, 1 black fine, and 1 purple fine.

 

Just fabulous pens - in my opinion much nicer than the Pilot Prera.

 

My disappointment with the Prera was surprising as I've always loved Pilot pens and at a Pen show this spring a vendor handed me the Metro and I tried to pass and he told me that if I didn't like it after thirty days that he'd refund my money and shipping to return to him… well that was a safe bet on his part… because although I prefer the two fine nibs that I have purchased since I am not going to part with the medium anytime soon...

[Bookman]

Walmart brick-and-mortars are selling them. I saw them at my nearby university bookstore yesterday. The display at the university bookstore was right on the customer-service counter where various gift items are sold and an employee is always right there, behind the counter. At Walmart, the pens are just hanging on pegs at the school supplies endcap, like ripe pieces of low-hanging fruit. I bought one at Walmart a couple of weeks ago just to rescue it from its seeming fate to be vandalized and neatly returned to its box or maybe stolen or maybe even bought but bought by one who had no more aesthetic sensibilty than a vandal or a thief and maybe less. I gave it to a young artist I know. He was quite pleased.

[KamenRitter]

at first, i wanted to get a pilot iroshizuku take-sumi for my collection, so i went to get one. and while i'm drooling over the nice colors that iroshizuku line offers, there's a single pilot metropolitan that catches my attention. it is black, it's matte, and it's cheap enough that i could buy it just because it looks beautiful.

 

Generally it's a really nice entry-line pen for the uninitiated. Nice build, the shape and size fits my small hand really well, i use it to write unposted. the metal felt nice to the touch, and the resin section makes a really nice contrast. the stainless steel nib feels really smooth and it doesn't skip with my fast writing speed. I could see myself writing lines and lines with this pen after i got accustomed to the medium nib.

 

and since this is an impulse purchase... i found that i have an issue with the nib size. i'm accustomed to really fine lines (my daily pen has a 0.1 mm UEF nib), so i have this urge to grind it down to needlepoint. but since grinding stainless steel nibs will take some time and commitment, i'm considering to just keep it around as a signature pen. probably gonna try to get a penmanship desk pen the next time i come to singapore.

Edited October 30, 2014 by KamenRitter

[balique]

Looks to me like the Pilot Metropolitan is now emulating Gillette (practically give away the razor to get them to buy the consumable blades). The pen is low-priced to attract new users, especially at this gifting season, and these new users can be expected to use ink cartridges. And, of course, Pilot pens require Pilot ink cartridges. When a portion of new users get hooked on using the pen, they will switch over to the converter to use bottled ink, some to save money and others for the glorious colors that are available. And no one makes high-quality ink in more glorious colors than Pilot Iroshizuku. Sound crazy to buy $30 bottles of ink for a $15 pen? Stranger things have worked, and if any pen can pull this off the Metropolitan is a potential winner. Let's see how it turns out.

 

Still loving this pen after my post from over two years ago. I wanted to congratulate nostalgic on the insight.... I have since purchased not only better converters but THREE bottles of the Iroshizuku ink in different colors, from Goulet (no affiliation, just a satisfied customer). So.... the original purchase of $20 led to an additional spend of almost $100 in supplies from the same manufacturer.

[Charlies_Mouth]

Was having trouble with my pilot metro. Skipping, hard starting, but most of all... DRY. Awful. My M nib dragged across the page leaving the barest line behind it.

 

THEN, I took it all apart and soaked it in warm soapy water, scrubbing each piece (especially the feed!!) with a soft toothbrush. I rinsed well and let dry. Popped the cartridge that came with it in.

 

Now, it writes like a CHAMPION. I understand what the fuss is all about!!

 

Just wanted to share my story because sometimes a simple pen flush isn't enough to remove all the grease from the factory.

[micalela1]

I love the Metropolitans. Wonderful pens with a great mulitple choice of colors. A good nib for the price. I use other inks in them that are much cheaper than Pilot's. Over all a great gateway pen at an awsome price.