Pilot Metropolitan...holy Cow!

[NewPenMan]

I'm kicking myself I didn't get one of these (or more) a long time ago...this pen is excellent! The fine is as smooth as any nib I've used, and the weight of the pen is beautiful..a nice heft, not too heavy, well-balanced and feels great in my hand..almost luxurious.

 

Next order, I'm grabbing a couple more of these beauties, and maybe some for family members whom I'd like to have enjoy this experience...

[httpmom]

like yea...best pen for the money on the market IMHO...the pen that got me back into using fountain pens after 40 + years without...it's a beauty and a beast...the thing's a work horse....decided it must be Pilot's equivalent of a lost lead

Edited October 28, 2015 by httpmom

[Drone]

Try a Pilot 78G, if you can find one. I used to buy 78G's from a seller in Hong Kong for around seven bucks plus a couple bucks world-wide shipping. They have essentially the same nibs as the Metropolitan (in-fact I think you can swap them), plus the caps are screw on. The 78G has the B nib, which is really a nice juicy stub. Unfortunately the 78G's have been harder to find these days, and those in the U.S. are selling them for as much as $20-$25 a-pop, which is an outrageously high price.

[erpe]

(in-fact I think you can swap them)

 

Yes, you can. I put a gold plated 78G nib on my Metro, best of both worlds.

[sharmon202]

Try a Pilot 78G, if you can find one. I used to buy 78G's from a seller in Hong Kong for around seven bucks plus a couple bucks world-wide shipping. They have essentially the same nibs as the Metropolitan (in-fact I think you can swap them), plus the caps are screw on. The 78G has the B nib, which is really a nice juicy stub. Unfortunately the 78G's have been harder to find these days, and those in the U.S. are selling them for as much as $20-$25 a-pop, which is an outrageously high price.

I love the 78G. Anyone know why they were discontinued?

[Drone]

I love the 78G. Anyone know why they were discontinued?

 

I don't think the 78G is discontinued. You can still find them on ebaY at around $10-$12 each plus shipping.

 

Here in the U.S. they're in-stock for $25 plus shipping (a rip-off IMO):

 

http://www.hisnibs.com/78g.htm

 

Here in the U.S. they're in-stock and ON-SALE $10 ea., down from $18, plus shipping.

http://www.isellpens.com/Pilot-Namiki-s/1838.htm

 

At the same site the Metropolitan pens are on-sale for $10 bucks too. Wheeee!

[Orpilorp]

And don't forget that Pilot's $8 Plumix comes standard with a 1.1 stub italic that swaps easily into the Metropolitan.

 

Two Metros are my daily carry at work, the bronze one is loaded with Visconti brown and the black with Diamine eclipse. (And I occasionally bring one of my better pens whenever I want to stop meetings.) I like the Metros very much even though the blasted caps always wobble unless I force them hard onto the barrel.

[Drone]

And don't forget that Pilot's $8 Plumix comes standard with a 1.1 stub italic that swaps easily into the Metropolitan.

 

Two Metros are my daily carry at work, the bronze one is loaded with Visconti brown and the black with Diamine eclipse. (And I occasionally bring one of my better pens whenever I want to stop meetings.) I like the Metros very much even though the blasted caps always wobble unless I force them hard onto the barrel.

 

Good point, especially if you do not want to put the 78G's gold tone B nib in a Metropolitan with Stainless Steel furniture.

[Glenn Atkins]

To me, and I know this is just a personal thing for everybody, the Metropolitans seem to write better than the 78Gs, although both are great pens for the price.

 

Glenn

[Ink Stained Wretch]

 

I don't think the 78G is discontinued. You can still find them on ebaY at around $10-$12 each plus shipping.

 

Here in the U.S. they're in-stock for $25 plus shipping (a rip-off IMO):

 

http://www.hisnibs.com/78g.htm

 

Here in the U.S. they're in-stock and ON-SALE $10 ea., down from $18, plus shipping.

http://www.isellpens.com/Pilot-Namiki-s/1838.htm

 

At the same site the Metropolitan pens are on-sale for $10 bucks too. Wheeee!

 

But you won't get a black 78G there. I got the last one of those that they had . If they'd had more I'd have gotten more.

 

I got some Pilot 78Gs years ago. Only one is in the "medium," aka western fine, configuration though. I have a "broad" nibbed 78G which, I was surprised to find, I could actually write with, but I am not really a fan of that un-tipped nib. And I agree that the prices on the 78G have gotten nuts. I guess there's a supply and demand dynamic going on here. IMO it is not a fountain pen that is worth $20 to $25.

 

I have also recently gotten a Pilot Metropolitan. I'm still cleaning it out, as I do with all new pens now, and since I've gotten more pens lately I will not get around to testing it all that soon. Glad to see it getting talked up positively.

[Larry Barrieau]

For me the 78G's are too light and feel a little cheap.

 

I have Parker 51, 75, duofold, lucky curve, and others. I have Scheaffer balance, touchdown, snorkle, etc. I have TWSBI mini/JPendleton, Pelikan 800 and 200 binder nib, Waterman's 52, and a number of other pens. The nibs are great on most of them. But, My best writer is the lowly Pilot Plumix. The nib is smooth and the flow is perfect and my writing looks the best with it. It starts right up after weeks of inactivity, (I have two of them).

 

So, the other pens are wonderful, beautiful and fun to write with. But for me, the Plumix beats them all for the line it puts down. And it can be had for $6.

[Ronderick]

The Pilot MR/Metropolitan/Cacoon is definitely a top work horse on my desk. It's been with me since the first month of my "dive" into the fountain pen world....

 

However, my only qualm with the pen is that the local version comes with a CON-20 squeeze converter, forcing me to replace it with the more convenient CON-50. It would be nice if the local Pilot authorized retailer can upgrade the converter, but alas, that's probably going to jack up the price.

 

PS: I like it so much that I got another one for my wife.

[dogpoet]

I got some Pilot 78Gs years ago. Only one is in the "medium," aka western fine, configuration though. I have a "broad" nibbed 78G which, I was surprised to find, I could actually write with, but I am not really a fan of that un-tipped nib. And I agree that the prices on the 78G have gotten nuts. I guess there's a supply and demand dynamic going on here. IMO it is not a fountain pen that is worth $20 to $25.

The price of the Plumix seems to be rising as well. Mind you, those have been discontinued properly, and they are hugely nice pens.

I'm assuming at this point that any Pilot with a feed that uses international cartridges rather than the Pilot ones are interchangeable? I think that's the main thing the 78G, the Metropol (or MB) and the PLumix/Pluminix have in common...

(Actually, skip that: the 78G uses Pilot cartridges.)

Edited October 28, 2015 by dogpoet

[larnivon]

I have a Metropolitan and 78G, both in fine. I like the Metropolitan more in all respects: appearance, feel, weight ... even the nib is smoother (maybe just luck of the draw). Of course others may feel differently, but at these prices, unless you are buying a new pen every time your converter runs out of ink, the difference in price should be entirely irrelevant to your decision.

[Orpilorp]

Dogpoet,

 

"The price of the Plumix seems to be rising as well. Mind you, those have been discontinued properly, and they are hugely nice pens." So the Plumix has been discontinued? I didn't know that.

 

The Plumix is so comfortable to use and writes very well, but looks like a squid. Even so, my local store has about 20 of them in inventory, and I'll buy a handful if only for the 1.1 nibs.

 

Orp

[inkstainedruth]

However, my only qualm with the pen is that the local version comes with a CON-20 squeeze converter, forcing me to replace it with the more convenient CON-50. It would be nice if the local Pilot authorized retailer can upgrade the converter, but alas, that's probably going to jack up the price.

I actually don't mind the squeeze converter -- it's a nod to semi-vintage pens like Parker 45s, IMO. I would definitely buy another Metropolitan, but when I got mine I tried both the F and M nibs and found the F a bit scratchy. If there was some way I could get a nib that was a different width (without having to buy another pen to swap it out from) I'd definitely consider it. Looking forward to some of the new colors (I have a silver colored one without all the frou-frou because I don't really like a lot of the printed designs on the band).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Algester]

http://i.imgur.com/Q0SzpSQ.jpg

maybe one day... I think this is a good idea as well I think the feed is also transparent

I'm still eluded by it's exitence

Edited October 28, 2015 by Algester

[dogpoet]

Dogpoet,

 

"The price of the Plumix seems to be rising as well. Mind you, those have been discontinued properly, and they are hugely nice pens." So the Plumix has been discontinued? I didn't know that.

 

The Plumix is so comfortable to use and writes very well, but looks like a squid. Even so, my local store has about 20 of them in inventory, and I'll buy a handful if only for the 1.1 nibs.

 

Orp

Maybe it's the odd translucent design that led to them pulling the plug on it?

A UK pen website said they were being discontinued when I bought a couple (for a fiver a pop I should have bought more, really), and they no longer seem to be on any of the websites I've looked at besides ebay, where the one seller I could find was selling them for twice what I paid for mine, plus postage.

 

Ruth: maybe they'll make individual nibs available, or somebody else might if several Pilot pens are using the same nibs?

 

Algester: is that a 78G demonstrator?

Edited October 28, 2015 by dogpoet

[Algester]

yes yes it is a 78G demonstrator and I do not know of it's origins... is it still available or not I do not know I only know solid color 78Gs

I wonder what kind of franken pen outcomes can you do with a 78G demo section with the Metro/Cocoon/MR

Edited October 28, 2015 by Algester

[Forsooth]

The Metro barrel has that gigantic step, which keeps me away in spite of its enormous following.