Pilot Metropolitan

[Esgpipes]

As a new fountain pen user, Im thinking of upgrading from a Pilot Varsity to a Pilot Metropolitan. Suggestions on ink or reviews of metropolitan?

[LizEF]

Welcome, Esgpipes!

 

In my experience, the Metropolitan works very well with most inks. I've tried Diamine, Iroshizuku, De Atramentis, Robert Oster, R&K, Sailor, and Noodler's inks in mine, and all worked well (which isn't to say that every ink, or even every ink from those brands, will work well, just that the ones I've tried have).

 

As for reviews, I would search FPN and YouTube for "Pilot Metropolitan Fine Review" or "Pilot Metropolitan Medium Review" depending on the nib size you think you want (or leave out the nib size if not sure). For YouTube, SBRE Brown, The Pen Habit, Figboot, Pens_and_Tea, and Mike Matteson are some of the reviewers I like. No doubt there are others. You could also just google them - there are some reviewers who don't do videos.

[Bookman]

I like the Pilot Metropolitan a lot. It's a great value at its price point. I own four of them and have given several away as first-pen gifts. Before buying, however, you should read all four of the Pilot Metropolitan reviews in the Fountain Pen Reviews forum. And don't neglect to read the comments following each review. As for ink, any ink will do. Pilot Blue-Black is one of my favorite inks, and I've always got a bottle on hand and a box or two of Pilot Blue-Black cartridges. As for other brands, I'm partial to Diamine. Its inks tend to be well-behaved while offering a goodly variety of colors and shades. In any case, plan to spend quite a bit of time conning the reviews in the Ink Reviews forum. If Sandy1 has reviewed an ink you're interested in, read that review first. Also be advised that both Anderson Pens and Goulet Pens sell sample size containers of many inks. When in doubt, buy some samples first to decide whether you want a full bottle of any of them.

 

Good luck.

[Jamerelbe]

The Pilot Metropolitan is a great pen, but I'm not the greatest fan of the sac-style converter that they come with (unless this has changed)? I'd suggest upgrading to a CON-40 or CON-50 converter if you can - or just keep refilling the cartridge that comes with the pen.

 

Also be aware, Pilot has its own proprietary cartridges, so a standard international cartridge won't fit - unless you're buying from a European retailer, in which case you may wind up with a version of the Metro that's been retooled to take *only* standard internationals.

[Honeybadgers]

I highly recommend Sailor Jentle inks for price and performance. They all work great on bad paper, many have spectacular shading and insane sheen on good paper. Souten (blue - heavy red sheen) Tokiwa Matsu (dark green with amazing red sheen) Oku yama (dark red with intense gold sheen) and Yama Dori (greenish turquoise with intense red sheen) The bottles have awful ink wells in them that actually work well with the pilot nib.

 

I recommend the F nib over the M, but my personal taste is finer nibs. The stub is one of my most hated nibs out of the box, I had two and they were scratchy messes until I heavily reworked them (now they're awesome but required a lot of time with sandpaper and smoothing materials)

 

The con20 ink converter is fine for the mostpart, but occasionally will starve for ink. So once you have a little cash, pick up a CON40 or CON50 converter (whichever is cheaper, they're basically the same, I prefer the agitator of the con50, but it's been discontinued, though some are still around)

 

Overall, my only complaint about the metro is it's got just too thin of a grip section for me. I don't mind thin pens, but this is a somewhat thick pen with a thin grip, and that annoys me.

 

All that said, there's another option that uses a pilot nib and I generally consider a better pen - the Wing Sung 698. Same general price (about $14) but a piston filler, can be had in black, white, turquoise, or in various demonstrators, with an F or EF nib, and the fountain pen community has thoroughly tested them and we've really not come up with any serious complaints. If you like hooded nibs, the 618 is even better in some ways.

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

I haven't tried the Con-50 yet, I'll use it after I finished my current fill of ink, but the Con-40 is horrendous in drawing up ink and much ink remains stuck to the agitator 'block' in the converter.

When you buy the Con-40 remember to pick up a syringe and check if you have an unused paper clip too. When you have the Con-40, unfold the clip and bend the end into a tiny hook. Then, hook the clip around the agitator of the Con-40, pull it out, and use the syringe to fill the converter.

On the upside, the Con-40's plastic is perfectly clear so you can see the ink very clearly, and the ink doesn't glue itself to the inside of the converter.

[Honeybadgers]

Filling the Con40 isn't hard. Fill it halfway, remove from the ink, finish drawing the converter out, invert the pen, screw the converter until it expels the air, invert, fill. Most standard internationals have the same problem. If you want the easiest filling converter out there, noodler's ahab and neponset kind of rules the roost, 3 pumps and it's 100% full due to the breather tube design.

[PAKMAN]

Check out the Japan Forum for lots of discussions on the Metro.

[dogpoet]

I've got a European M2 that uses standard international cartridges, rather than the US/Japanese Metropolitan, so I have no comment upon the converters, but it's an unfussy solid and reliable pen. Honeybadgers isn't the only person I've seen complaining about the section in here, so it'd be worth checking that before buying one, if it's possible.

[TheRealMikeDr]

It's a superb value and a hardy pen - a good starting point for many of us!

 

You can throw most any inks at it from my experience - enjoy!

Edited November 16, 2017 by TheRealMikeDr

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

Filling the Con40 isn't hard. Fill it halfway, remove from the ink, finish drawing the converter out, invert the pen, screw the converter until it expels the air, invert, fill. Most standard internationals have the same problem.

I started to laugh because the convoluted instructions sounded like a joke against the Con-40 at first, then I realized you were serious. Welp. I'm still a fan of the syringe. /pun not intended/

[ISW_Kaputnik]

Well made and reliable. Nevertheless, I don't particularly like mine, for a reason that I've seen others mention from time to time. There's an abrupt step between the barrel and the section, where the cap snaps on, and it's just where I'm holding the pen, making it uncomfortable for writing, particularly at length. This obviously doesn't bother a lot of people. Some may hold the pen really low, closer to the nib, a few may hold it very high, above that step, and of course, peoples hands are different sizes. But I think it's worth mentioning.

[akrohn2010]

Great pen and good value - if you add a CON-50 converter you're looking at a $15 investment at most. They handle just about any ink you throw at them, so get what you like. I've had the best luck with Diamine personally. I have not tried Sailor yet, but have heard great things. The only ink that didn't work well for me in my Metro was Noodler's 54th Massachusetts. Bled like crazy and turned the Metro's Japanese F nib into a B!

 

Like Kaputnik, I don't find myself using the Metro much anymore because of the harsh step and small section that makes my fingers cramp writing letters or anything longer than quick notes. But I don't regret buying it at all: very small investment that got me hooked into fountain pens.

 

~AK

[inkstainedruth]

I love my Metropolitan. But I will have a couple of caveats. Firstly, some people (especially those with with larger hands) may have the issue with the step down to the section (the way AK-47 was talking about). The other is that I wouldn't recommend getting a fine nib. I was lucky in that I was able to buy mine in a brick and mortar pen shop (Bromfield Pen Shop in Boston) and was able to test both fine and medium nibbed pens. I found the F to be fairly scratchy; the M is much smoother. I can't say about the newer stub nibs one way or the other -- that wasn't a nib option when I bought mine, which was a couple of Christmases ago.

I like some of the Retro Pop colors but think the trim designs above the section to be kinda cheesy.... Mine is one of the silver color ones, and is just plain, with no design on it). If they came out with those colors without the trim I would seriously consider buying another one (maybe with a stub nib this time).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Runnin_Ute]

I like my Metro (M), but just don't use it as often as some of my other pens. (Medium was all that was available from Goulet when I got mine) Not sure if it is the weight, the step or something else.

[gryphon1911]

I don't like the feel of the Metro. The grip just doesn't feel right to me. I didn't much like the nibs either. I like the Lamy offerings better.

 

With that being said, the 2 Metro's I've had and used are reliable writers.

The easiest way to start with a Metro, IMHO is to get some Pilot cartridges for them.

[JaysonHarrington]

Just got my 'first' Pilot Metropolitan fine point... I like it so far...

[Arkanabar]

Pilot puts the same feeds and nibs into a lot of pens. They're entirely interchangeable, between at least the Metro, the Prera, and the Plumix. The stub used in my Prera is really good; it's one of my favorite pens.

[IndigoBOB]

Definitely Sailor inks.

 

Kiwa-guro, Sei-boku, or jentle inks. They work great for finer nibs.

[mitto]

Ehat is the going price for the Metropolitan? A local store has a huge stock and is selling the pen for $10. Is that a good price?