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Best Pilot Fountain Pen?


aussielondon

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I wouldn't say it's the "best" pen in Pilot's lineup but I am consistently impressed by my Lucina, it has a slightly springy steel nib, much like the Pelikan 200 nibs, but finer and perhaps a touch smoother out of the box, size, shape and colour are nice too, my coral red looks a bit like a small Duofold but a lot less precious and more fun. It writes really well too.

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My favourite is my one and only Pilot....a Pilot Prera Clear Demonstrator (Medium Nib, which is more like a fine), and I use it daily.

Edited by GTVi
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I could write a long text about different FP models, but others have already done that here.

 

So I'll just add some info about a ballpoint: my favorite is Acroball for its hybrid (something between classic BP and gel) ink. Also available in three-colored version (in Japan they even have 2- and 4-colored).

http://imageshack.com/scaled/large/16/k6ic.png

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$15 - 30 On the low end I would go with a Metropolitan

$150 - 170 Middle of the road cost the VP

$200 - 300 Justus 95 (my favorite!)

 

++ 1 On this advice!

I have had two Namiki/ Pilot Vanishing Points for some time. Great writers.

1 Namiki/ Falcon a little more recent. Beautiful nib and simple design.

 

They are my favorite pens of many brands.

The Vanishing point(s) for it's versatility carrying in a pocket or case and being ready to write at once. Always work.

 

The Falcon for it's soft fine nib that is a great and unique nib. Fun to use and great owner "value" in it's refinement. I use it for precise notes (especially in small pocket notebooks.that take advantage of it's fine nib). Never skips or dries out until empty.

 

Just got two Pilot Metropolitans from Staples on sale $10.50 in June. I was so surprised how well they wrote I bought two more to put in the "pen locker". Love how they write so well!! How can you go wrong even at $15?

I use the first two every day. I put one in the wire spine of a notebook. I never have to worry about scratches or loss at their price. Never skip or refuse to start until they are bone dry.

 

Bottom line - you would have to "hunt" to find a bad Pilot fountain pen. I don't know of one.

Even those Metropolitans perform as well as $200 pens. Just don't have the gold nibs and "precious resins".

 

They are like the Ford Model T of the pen world - they just WORK. Every time.

I love Pilot pens.

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For me, the best value pen has to be the Pilot Elite 95S, (E91S in the States). The long/short format makes for the ideal size for everyday carry in your shirt pocket. Plus, for the price, (eBay around $90 USD if ordered from Japan), you get a 14K, springy nib for under $100....can't beat that. For peace of mind, buying from an authorized dealer like Goulet Pens, you get the advantage of having someone you can turn to if problems with the pen, (they sell the E95S for $136 USD). I also like that it has a slip on/off cap for easy deployment.

 

Things to be aware of:

 

1) It is a light weight pen, meaning if you like heavier pens, this may not be for you. For me, the weight is perfect for long writing sessions and nib control. Also, being lighter in weight makes it more convenient for EDC. Being light in weight does not mean fragile. This is a well made pen.

 

2) Ink capacity is not great. Using a proprietary Pilot cartridge yields about 1mil ink. Using a CON20 convertor yields a little less. That said, depending how much writing you go through in a day, it should suffice. Plus, gives you a good excuse to regularly change colors!

 

3) The long/short format requires you to write with the pen posted. Because it is so light weight, it actually makes it ideally balanced IMO so not a problem for me.

 

Good luck and remember to always "Mind the Gap".

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... Mechanical Pencil I like to see the S20 and the usual FP body offerings... Pilot mechanical pencils are under rated IMHO

+1 to that! the S20 is such a well-rounded pencil!!

The grip is easily among the most comfortable in any pencil

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I have owned many Pilot Fountain pens, and I strive to almost never be without a Pilot G2 Ultra Fine(.38mm), Prera, or Metro. When out & about, I always have at least one on me.

 

In my opinion, in terms of utility and value, the G2 is the best writing instrument available. I have used the .38mm G2's on a daily basis for several years now, and they have always given consistent results, writing until the visible ink is gone.

 

Fountain Pen-wise, I have owned 2 Pilot Elites(one vintage, one modern), 78G, Pilot Falcon, a Custom 74, and a Custom Heritage 912 PO nib... I state with much buyer's remorse and a weeping wallet... That through all of those pens, every single time I came back to the Metropolitan. It just feels really nice in the hand, and writes exceptionally smooth with Iroshizuku ink. The same goes for the Prera, but it is far less substantial in weight than the Metro. For that reason, it's better suited for long writing sessions.

A more refined, solid colored Prera can be found on Amazon for <$35, half the price US vendors charge.

 

A $550+ lesson I've learned is, if it costs more, does NOT mean it is better in any way, maybe except for indicating wealth status. My honest opinion, it doesn't get much better than the metro in terms of performance.

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+1 vpen, metropolitian, prera, cH91, 92, 823 are amazing in their respective price ranges

Pilot custom heritage 74 all nibs, 742 Fa and PO nibs, 823 F 92 F,M, 3776 FM,EF,1911F

And all indian pens

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A $550+ lesson I've learned is, if it costs more, does NOT mean it is better in any way, maybe except for indicating wealth status. My honest opinion, it doesn't get much better than the metro in terms of performance.

 

Well said.

Seems to be a wide consensus that Pilot makes great pens starting "write" at the opening price points.

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Recently purchsed a Pilot Metropolitian for under $20. Bought it because it was white. I was amazed at how nice it wrote. It is now in my case as a daily user.

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...But yeah, low budget, ... I don't want a pricey one ....

 

Yeah, that's what we all said. Just give it time....

- First Post: "But yeah, low budget - I don't want a pricey one."

- 1-year later: "I finally got a Pilot 74 and wow is it nice. It was hugely expensive, but it accepts the CON-70 which holds a ton of ink."

- 2-years later: "I finally talked myself into springing for a Pilot 143. I briefly considered the Sailor Realo, but it is terribly expensive."

- 3-years later: "I couldn't decide between the Pilot 912 and the Sailor Realo, so I decided to order both, which allowed me to save $13 on shipping."

- 4-years later: "Well guys, I finally got my first fully custom turned pen. The acrylic has a deep sheen. I don't understand why people spend crazy amounts of money on those hand-painted pens.

- 5-years latter: "Here's a picture of the latest addition to my urushi collection. On the left are my three Danitrios, and on the right my four Nakayas...."

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I'll weigh in here with another recommendation for the Custom 74 with a SF nib (beats my Montblanc 149, hands down, for a tenth of the price).

 

The Pilot Elite 95S is also a very nice pen (for a similar price).

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  • 2 months later...

My first real fountain pens were the Metropolitan and Lamy Safari - still use both as EDC and have never had an issue with either of them. When introducing ANYONE to the joy of fountain pens, I always recommend the Metropolitan. Of the dozens of them I've purchased for gifts, not one of them was a bad writer; all the recepients LOVED them.

 

LOVE my VP medium and my Falcon soft-fine and soft-medium. All three are always inked.

 

As many have said before, Pilot pens are a great place to start, a great place to grow, and a great place to invest.

 

b

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I've never yet had a Pilot pen disappoint me in terms of build quality, although I prefer the lighter (and slightly cheaper) 78G to the Metropolitan, the 78G can also be turned into an eyedropper filler so it holds a ton of ink. I use both as daily carry pens and am extremely happy with them.

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+1 to pilot metropolitan

Pilot custom heritage 74 all nibs, 742 Fa and PO nibs, 823 F 92 F,M, 3776 FM,EF,1911F

And all indian pens

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I'll have to recommend the metre, just like everyone else. It has comparable smoothness and reliability of my friend's custom heritage 92 SFM at the 8th of the price. Either fine or medium are good.

Though I'll have to recommend against getting the 78G, the fine at least. The one I got felt far too pointy for my taste and even the Kakuno fine was smoother (and the body felt more solid).

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  • 4 months later...

It depends on the price you want to pay:

 

I started with a Pilot Prera, which delivers an outstanding performance/price ratio , continued with a Custom 74 and a Custom 92, then finished ( I am not sure yet!) with a custom 823 and a Namiki Falcon metal in SEF, which I consider one of my best purchases, directly from Japan through J-Subculture!

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The Custom 74 is high for you, but it's a great pen. See comments above.

 

At the lower end I'd try a Lucina over a Prera. They are great, smooth writers.

 

Or, lower priced still a 78g or a Metro.

 

As has been said here multiple times, you really can't go wrong with a Pilot fountain pen.

Edited by Maurizio

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My only Pilot is the Elabo (Falcon), but it is one of my favourite pens. The soft 14K nib is unique and enables some expressive line variation. For the price certainly one of the best values out there. If you haven't flexed before, practice with a dip pen first to get the most out of this pen. With the right paper and ink combo, ink flow under flex can be quite reliable with no railroading.

Edited by max dog
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All pilot pens are pretty good.

 

 

A Metro in F or M if you want something that writes and well.

A Prera for a lighter pen or if chasing the CM (stub) nib.

A 74/91 or 92 to get into the gold nib territory (or piston fill). Major reason for me would be the soft nibs.

A 742/912 for one of the best medium/large pens going around. Again, the speciality nibs are great. SU, soft nibs, waverly, posting.

A 823 for a #15 nib with a huge ink capacity.

 

After that, it's workmanship in the Namiki range. Missed the VP somewhere in there as well.

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