How Can Anyone Like The Pilot Metropolitan!

[RyanM]

I'd heard that the Pilot Metropolitan was a good pen, and was very cheap. So I bought one, purely out of interest. Honestly. This pen is hopeless. The converter is one of those squeeze ones, which holds minimal ink, and you never know how much you have left. The body is plastic, and the pen does not post. And the nib has the largest baby bottom I've every seen on a pen. Every second letter puts down almost no ink, and when there is ink, it is so fine.... I can't stand it. I was so annoyed with this pen, I pressed down the nib hard on the page, as if I was attempting to create some serious line variation, and the nib stayed that way! Funnily enough, the nib actually works better almost on a right angle than it did straight. HOW CAN ANYONE LIKE THIS PEN? Or have I just been sold a complete lemon.

[Water Ouzel]

Did you actually get a Metropolitan, or did someone pull a quick one on you? Aside from that possibility:

 

1. My Metropolitan has a CON-50 rather than a CON-20, a piston converter instead of a squeeze. Roughly the same amount of ink, but you can see what's there.

 

2. Mine is significantly heavier than a Pilot 78g, which accepts the same nibs, seems to be at least partially metal, rather than all-plastic. Some people complain the Metro is too heavy to be comfortable to use.

 

3. Mine posts just fine. Quite securely.

 

4. The Metro uses the same nibs found on the Prera, 78g, Plumix, and several other low-end Pilot pens. None of which seem to have bad reputations, nibwise.

 

Sounds like (at least) one bad nib got out; but baby bottom is easy to fix.

 

4. Or, it would have been easy to fix if you hadn't completely sprung the nib. They're not supposed to be flexy at all, and they aren't.

[jordanjay29]

Huh? Is this just a topic of whining for whining's sake. Sounds like someone who bought a pen without doing any research on it, didn't bother to verify facts or play around with it, and was irresponsible with the pen.

From what I can tell about your other posts, OP, you're no stranger to FPs, but what I think you forget is that this is an entry level pen. Quality control and tolerances are lower than on your $500 Italian pens. Nibs aren't as smooth, and yes, the nibs are sometimes defective (but then again, take sbrebrown's video on baby's bottom, where he used a Montblanc as an example pen, so it's not like more money really gets you a perfect nib).

 

Lesson learned: you get what you pay for.

[ac12]

I take exception to your statements

• The metro can indeed post, I do with mine
• I think the body and cap of my Metro is metal
• Mine writes smoother than most other pens, right out of the box, no fussing with the pen.
• What ink are you using? Ink has a lot to do with pen performance.
• Did you bother to clean the pen first?
• What nib size did you get, if it is a Fine, then that is why you are getting a fine ink line.
• The squeeze CON20 holds quite a bit of ink, enough to keep me satisfied.
• As for wanting to know how much ink you have left, then you just need to get a CON50 screw piston converter. And not knowing how much ink you have is no different than using a FP with an ink sac.
• Why would you try to press down on the nib so hard? Applying force will get you nothing but a sprung nib.

I wonder if you are actually talking about a Metro, as the pen description does not sound like a metro.

[RyanM]

Well the pen I purchased was called a Pilot Metropolitan, and looks like the photos seen on the internet. I am wondering if I have been scammed though, as apparently it can post??

hmm.

[ian1964]

What do you all men when you say it can "Post"?

[JonSzanto]

Well the pen I purchased was called a Pilot Metropolitan, and looks like the photos seen on the internet. I am wondering if I have been scammed though, as apparently it can post??

 

I'd say so...

 

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb204/EnvoyC/20150415_233507_zpszqmht1uk.jpg

 

What do you all men when you say it can "Post"?

 

Placing the cap on the end of the barrel. Done on many pens to create a good balance in the hand, or to make the pen long enough to be comfortable. When appropriate, it can make for a perfect writing situation, but you also run the risk of wearing the barrel or micro-scratching where the cap grips it. For such a simple operation, it is a complex issue with pen owners/users and will bring a variety of opinions pro and con. Me? I'm not dogmatic - I post some and don't post others.

Edited April 16, 2015 by JonSzanto

[jordanjay29]

When appropriate, it can make for a perfect writing situation, but you also run the risk of wearing the barrel or micro-scratching where the cap grips it.

 

Really depends on the pen material for me. I only have one pen where I'm skittish to post it, but I even will post that one at times.

[JonSzanto]

Really depends on the pen material for me. I only have one pen where I'm skittish to post it, but I even will post that one at times.

 

But of course. I now assume you don't have enough pens.

[jordanjay29]

 

But of course. I now assume you don't have enough pens.

 

Or just not enough of the right pens.

[Bookman]

I take exception to your statements

• The metro can indeed post, I do with mine
• I think the body and cap of my Metro is metal
• Mine writes smoother than most other pens, right out of the box, no fussing with the pen.
• What ink are you using? Ink has a lot to do with pen performance.
• Did you bother to clean the pen first?
• What nib size did you get, if it is a Fine, then that is why you are getting a fine ink line.
• The squeeze CON20 holds quite a bit of ink, enough to keep me satisfied.
• As for wanting to know how much ink you have left, then you just need to get a CON50 screw piston converter. And not knowing how much ink you have is no different than using a FP with an ink sac.
• Why would you try to press down on the nib so hard? Applying force will get you nothing but a sprung nib.

I wonder if you are actually talking about a Metro, as the pen description does not sound like a metro.

 

I sign on to your list and adopt it for myself with the following amendments:

 

• The CON-20, for anyone adept at filling a squeeze-bar converter, holds as much ink as a Pilot cartridge, probably twice the amount of the CON-50
• During the initial-new-pen cleaning it might be necessary to pull the nib and feed from the section and scrub them with a toothbrush and some dish-soapy water (I recommend one drop of Dawn® in 8-12 oz of water)

Edited April 16, 2015 by Bookman

[Mr. JW]

Can you post a picture of the pen? From your description, I don't think you have a Metropolitan/MR and I have my doubts as to whether it is a Pilot because even the Plumix and 78g will post.

[hbdk]

Mine is metal - it does post nicely, but apart from that it is one of the most irritating pens I own (it is in my gift box now - hope someone will take it home soon); the grip is awful and despite it being well made it just feels cheap - weird, I know...

[ISW_Kaputnik]

Mine is metal - it does post nicely, but apart from that it is one of the most irritating pens I own (it is in my gift box now - hope someone will take it home soon); the grip is awful and despite it being well made it just feels cheap - weird, I know...

 

You're not the only one, a number of people find that abrupt step between barrel and section to be uncomfortable to hold. I don't like mine. I think it's well made, though, and probably okay for people with not terribly big hands who hold the pen with their fingers closer to the nib than I do. I'm questioning whether the O.P.'s pen is a genuine Metro.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I'd heard that the Pilot Metropolitan was a good pen, and was very cheap. So I bought one, purely out of interest. Honestly. This pen is hopeless. The converter is one of those squeeze ones, which holds minimal ink, and you never know how much you have left. The body is plastic, and the pen does not post. And the nib has the largest baby bottom I've every seen on a pen. Every second letter puts down almost no ink, and when there is ink, it is so fine.... I can't stand it. I was so annoyed with this pen, I pressed down the nib hard on the page, as if I was attempting to create some serious line variation, and the nib stayed that way! Funnily enough, the nib actually works better almost on a right angle than it did straight. HOW CAN ANYONE LIKE THIS PEN? Or have I just been sold a complete lemon.

 

Neither defending nor attacking the pen. However, the Pilot Metropolitan is metal, not plastic, unless they've introduced a new model. Can you post pictures, please?

 

For the record, I have one, but as I am moving away from metal pens...well, if it wasn't for the smooth nib...

 

Oh...and you say you've sprung the nib, and it writes better? You've created an 'accidental fude.' So now I really want to see pictures!

Edited April 16, 2015 by Sailor Kenshin

[cellmatrix]

 

You're not the only one, a number of people find that abrupt step between barrel and section to be uncomfortable to hold. I don't like mine. I think it's well made, though, and probably okay for people with not terribly big hands who hold the pen with their fingers closer to the nib than I do. I'm questioning whether the O.P.'s pen is a genuine Metro.

+1, the abrupt step off is something which turns me off with this pen too, although I agree some of the other claims by the OP concerning writing performance may be out of step with the experience of many others here.

 

A side note: Has anyone else noticed how it always the unrealistically negative claims about pens and inks which get questioned, while unrealistically positive claims are not only tolerated, they almost seem to be encouraged on FPN? Just my observations....

[egretsrus]

My new met arrived yesterday, silver-colored metal like the photo above. I'm delighted with it (a fine nib) but I have small hands. Once I squeezed the cartridge to prime the feed, it took off writing smoothly and never looked back.

[arcadeflow]

You destroyed a pen instead of learning from it. You cannot come to a conclusion of baby's bottom if you don't study all the possibilities. Sometimes the ink you chose does not flow well, or the angle you write is not adequate for that nib design. Sometimes the nib was not made well and the tines are too tight and the ink can't flow unless you use force to open the tines while writing. Most of these problems can be dealt with. And all pens might come defective, not only cheap ones. I am not a Pilot fanboy, even though I liked their pens for a while until I started having trouble with different inks. What I figured out is that there are right styles of nibs and pens for every person, sometimes you can't use a pen but other people can and love them. Try different pens and figure out what you like. You tried the Metropolitan, try a Safari now. Those are among the safest cheaper pens available.

[jordanjay29]

+1, the abrupt step off is something which turns me off with this pen too, although I agree some of the other claims by the OP concerning writing performance may be out of step with the experience of many others here.

 

A side note: Has anyone else noticed how it always the unrealistically negative claims about pens and inks which get questioned, while unrealistically positive claims are not only tolerated, they almost seem to be encouraged on FPN? Just my observations....

 

Reasonable critique is always reasonable.

 

Reasonable praise is always reasonable.

 

Outside those bounds exists suspicion. At least for me.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Still awaiting photos of the New Plastic Metropolitan.