PILOT Metropolitan Collection Fountain Pen, Black Barrel, Classic Design, Fine Nib, Black Ink (91111)

I am a shameless pen geek, and to skimp on praising the many virtues of the Pilot Metropolitan Collection fine nib fountain pen would be a sin of omission. I have carried this pen on my person for an entire month now, writing with it as often as I could throughout the day. I began with the black ink cartridge included in the handsome box the pen arrived in, and wrote voraciously -- perhaps often unnecessarily -- in order to use it up so I could fill the squeeze converter with my preferred Noodler's Blue. As a reporter and journalist, I earn my living writing, so you can imagine my amazement (and, eventually, consternation) at how long that single black cartridge lasted. Had I loved black ink, I'd have been in Heaven! But yesterday, the cartridge finally ran dry and now the pen is full of my Noodler's Blue. This is Nirvana of a conscious kind. I don't know how else to describe what the blood running through my own veins feels like as blue line after blue line appears on my fine paper with this exceptional pen. Pardon my language (or don't) but this is equal to the thrill of blossoming romance and its culmination in making the beast with two backs! I am simply beyond thrilled and I have paid far more for fountain pens in the past. I do also love my Lamy and Waterman pens. They are well-made and worth the cost. But compared with this pen, there are some little things that niggle at me concerning the quality of writing they produce. From a collector's standpoint, yes, the other pens have great sentimental value as they are the best pens of their ages. But we have arrived at a new age -- and the Pilot Metropolitan Collection, I pragmatically insist -- is a destination to which all previous efforts have long aspired to reach. I attribute this largely to technology and engineering. And to style and fashion. This pen is uniquely balanced in heft, different to the other pens I adore that were crafted in decades past. The writing is natural, with a perfectly suitable audible scratchiness on the right sort of paper, and my signature absolutely rocks while using this pen. How can it be so inexpensive then, you may wonder. Technology. Science. Art. These are how.

I was given a PILOT Metropolitan Collection Rollerball pen last year, which I absolutely love, but I enjoying writing with a fountain pen more so decided to give this one a shot. Very impressed with the quality, the comfort to hold, and how well it posts. While initially worried because my customary extra fine nib was not an option, I was extremely pleased and surprised at what the fine nib delivered... smooth ink flow with my Noodler's Inks, no scratchiness or skips, and a very nice line thickness. Plus it is one of the few fountain pens I have that is suitable in a more professional environment. Now my only "problem" is, with the caps on, I can't tell the fountain pen and the rollerball pen apart! (I wish all my problems were this insignificant!)

I've been using Sharpie Pen Stylo, Fine Point Pen, 2 Count X 4, 8 Black Pens Total (1742659) pens for a long time. I like the smoothness of their writing, and the fineness of their nibs. A friend recently let me use his fountain pen, though, and recommended the Metropolitan (this pen) as a starting place. I love this pen. It has good weight, and writes very, very smoothly. If you can, try to get a notebook with high quality paper (like the Black n' Red Twin Wire Poly Cover Notebook, 8-1/4" x 5-7/8", Black/Red, 70 Ruled Sheets (C67009) ). The ink flows a bit better, and the nib won't get caught in the roughness of the paper. I did manage to get ink all over my hands the first time I installed the ink cartridge. The first one is the hardest, as the ink flows to the end via capillary action, so if there's ink there from the last cartridge, it will help pull the ink out of the new one. So, when you're doing the first cartridge, just squeeze gently in the middle after you insert it, writing with then pen as you go. You'll know when the ink is flowing. The pen also comes with a siphon, if you're interested in using an ink from a bottle. I haven't used it yet, but it looks simple enough. The ink does seem to get used up quickly, so be sure to buy some replacements to have ready. One cartridge lasts me about 3 weeks, and I don't write a ton. The ink is quite cheap, luckily.

Highest quality Classic "Old School" fountain pen but pales in comparison to "Modern" fountain pens. A lot of reviews here will compare the Pilot Metropolitan with the Platinum Plaisir. Although I keep searching for the perfect every-day fountain pen my favorite so far as been the Platinum Plaisir and after trying the Pilot Metropolitan that hasn't changed. Seems like most users fall into either the Pilot or Platinum camp and aren't entirely fond of the other. There is a reason for that though. Both are quality Japanese companies that make fountain pens far superior to their Western counterparts (because fountain pens are still commonly used daily in every Japanese office), and outshine anything from China. However, they both have distinct differences that stem from having different design philosophies. What I do like about the Plot Metropolitan is that the barrel is solid brushed metal, reminding me of early 1980's style fountain pens. It has a very hefty weight with a perfect balance in your hands. When you pick it up you can feel the quality construction. It's Fine nib is genuinely a Fine (pretty darned close to a VF). The ink flows easy and evenly with little to no priming necessary and it hasn't once clogged on me whether using Cartridges or a Converter. What I didn't like about the Pilot Metropolitan however is that the nib is "scratchy" regardless of paper type. I know some people may like that tactile feedback as a matter of preference, as that is how Classic "Old School" fountain pens were. Me, however, I've come to prefer the way that more "Modern" pens such as the Platinum Plaisir effortlessly glides across any paper as if it were a Pen-Ninja. You certainly can't use the Pilot Metropolitan on thermal paper even with the lightest of strokes, and lighter papers may not be usable with this pen depending on the weight of your stroke. Other than that, it's a matter of personal taste. The only other issue I took with this pen is that it has a heavier-weight on the upstroke. It's been a couple of decades since I've used a fountain pen that did that. Again, not surprising for a pen that is positioning itself as the Classic "Old School" fountain pen. You honestly can't go wrong with this pen. It is a bargain at this price-point and depending on your personal preference is either the best at what it does or the second best if you prefer the Platinum Plaisir. Pros * Solid construction * All metal barrel * Fine nib bordering on VF * Excellent ink flow * Doesn't clog (or at least not from a couple days of not having being used) Cons * Scratchy nib when writing on any type of paper * Can't use on Thermal paper at all or lighter weight papers if you have a heavy hand * Thicker/heavier line on the upstroke * Proprietary Cartridge & Converter size (Platinum pens have the same issue) Again, you can't go wrong with this pen. If you already are a Platinum fan then you'll probably find this pen playing second fiddle. If you aren't a Platinum fan then you will probably find this Pilot pen to be the bee's knees. It's all a matter of personal preference.

The Pilot Metropolitan is a remarkable pen for only $15. People who are new to fountain pens will be hard-pressed to find a better introduction to the wonderful world of fountain pen writing. It's a cigar-style metal body that feels substantial in the hands without being too heavy and fatiguing. It (personally) looks much more professional than the Lamy Safari or Platinum Preppy. As far as size/weight is concerned, it can be comfortably written with the cap off or on depending on how big your hands are or personal preference. The grip above the nib is smooth plastic and flares out right above the nib. It's large enough for someone with large hands, but not too long that it needlessly extends the body. I purchased the Fine nib. Japanese nibs usually run a size smaller than western nibs, and a Metro <F> is the equivalent of an <EF> with many other brands. It probably doesn't need to be said, but this is a very fine point, and I'd recommend the <M> nib if you tend to write big or very quickly. PROS: - It flows very well with a variety of inks, and unless I'm very low on ink it won't skip at all. - Even if I store the pen nib-up for a few days at a time, it starts with very little problems. - Pilot is known for having high QA for pens/nibs so cheap. You are almost guaranteed to get a properly-functioning nib. - The nibs on the metro behave much better than most other pens at this level (Lamy~$30, Chinese~$7). - The clip on the cap is neither too tight or loose, it sticks to shirt or pocket fabric very well without being a pain to attach. CONS: - Like some other users, I found that it dried out fairly quickly if I had the cap off and didn't write for a smallish amount of time. - I wasn't a fan of the included pilot black ink and felt that it dried very grey and didn't behave the best on poor paper, but that boils down to personal taste. Most people will use bottled ink and either refill the cartridges or use the included converter. - The included sac converter is cheap, but it will work just fine until you see the light and order a nicer converter. It's difficult to know how much ink you are actually filling. However, the fact that a converter is included at all is great for a pen at this price point. TL;DR: Great-value pen, very minor cons. Writes and looks like a more expensive pen and outclasses everything at its level.

I'm not a professional pen reviewer, but I'm a semi-professional pen "nerd"... yeah, that's a thing. I have a few very high name pens including Mont Blanc and I got my first Fountain about 7 years ago from my wife. Though this pen Probably doesn't stand up to a Mont Blanc, it also would require that it would cost about 30 times what it does for that to be a fair fight. A lot of the fountain pens I have used are very flimsy or they have a common problem of seperation in the nib. I've had one that hasn't, and that's the 7 year old pen. This pen has the same flexibility and feel that the old one does. It's a fine pen, thus the writing style is indeed different than that medium. The all black is dead sexy. I love all black and black ink, it just makes things seem elegant. I would not put this on a pilot pen at first glance. I would actually have to look closely to find out what brand it is. After using it, I totally would not have put it as a Pilot. Don't get me wrong, Pilot makes some of the best pens out there, I mean, seriously, the F series and the Dr. Grip and the... I'll stop. This pen is heavy enough to be not light and feel great when using but light enough that you can use it well. For the price you cannot beat this pen. I personally would suggest that you go out and get this pen, a convert ink well for the back of the pen allowing you to refill the pen from a bottle and then go get you some of the best ink you can find. This is where I suggest some of the Mont Blanc ink. I do not have one of their Fountain Pens, but all of my fountain pens will eventually have their ink. This one too after the included cartridge runs out and I use the converter. WHAT IS A CONVERTER??? ---- A converter is a type of pen refill that you can place into an ink well and draw ink up into it and keep putting it back into the pen over and over. Most are just some sort of a screw that you can put the open end into the ink, screw it up and it basically sucks the ink up. You write off the ink, and then you fill it again. At the start, way more expensive than a few dollars, probably going to put 20 - 30 dollars into the converter and ink. But, the ink well could last you years and the converter will pretty much last forever. If you then put a cartridge in a couple times a month in a few months you're ahead. tl;dr - Get a converter and ink well.

I have been a fan of fountain pens since my college days and have had an assortment through the years, but eventually turned to ballpoints because I couldn't afford a good quality pen with a fine nib. I write constantly in my job and am, like others who write a lot by hand, very picky about my writing materials, so I was a little nervous about trying this pen. In the past, even when I had a very nice pen given to me as a gift, I have found that the nibs weren't fine enough, requiring me to turn the pen and use it upside down, which produced a scratchiness that users of fountain pens will be familiar with. It didn't really bother me, but I prefer a smooth flow of ink and smooth progression across the page. Well, this pen delivers both. It writes as smoothly as a gel pen and the nib is definitely fine. I'm not generous with my fountain pens, unlike gel pens, so I don't lend the pen because I don't want the nib damaged or the pen accidentally being lost. And that brings me to where I am today, preparing to order a replacement for this wonderful pen, because I made the mistake of taking it out of the office to fill out a card for a little party I was having and someone else used it for a card, and then it "got gone". I love this pen. It is easy to grip, the barrel being well balanced and thick enough for older hands to comfortably hold. The ink flows smoothly. I don't generally like black ink but the ink cartridge the pen came with produced a nice black that I didn't mind using at all. As one review said, the cartridge lasts a long time, but I ordered blue ink to refill the pen. I like the "wastelessness" of refillable pens. So after writing this review I will be reordering this pen and this time I will leave it in the office!

This pen could not be a more complete entry-level fountain pen; Solid, Stylish, and Affordable. This pen feels about as good as it writes, it has the right weight and balance whether you write with the cap posted or not, it is also long enough to do either comfortably assuming you don't have HUGE hands. I bought a bottle of Purple Pelikan ink ( Pelikan 4001 Ink, 1 fl. oz Violet (311886) ) to go with this pen and I can say that this pen writes flawlessly, it never skips and it will write with feathery or a heavy handed strokes. This pen, aside from being an attention grabber, is a solid well-constructed pen that feels much better than any fountain pen you might happen upon at Office Depot. If you are looking for a cheap fountain pen to start writing with, or to just have your friends ogle over, look no further. Now to address some complaints you might have read before buying this pen: Ink Capacity- Some people recommend buying a converter with the Metropolitan, such as CON-50. I have found that the standard CON-20 converter that comes with the Metro will survive a hefty school day with multiple essays even though I cannot see how much ink is left in the bladder, I have even made it through three days with consistent use before I needed to refill (not to mention the bottle of ink will last you an absurd amount of time). So unless you are travelling, enjoy the comfort of seeing your ink level, or can't waste the MINUTE every few days to refill it, stick with the CON-20 and put your money towards better ink. The Pen Cap - I have read complaints of the cap not securing as tightly as many would hope, however I have been using this pen for about two weeks (as a student in High school) and I have not experienced this problem yet. I carry this pen in my pocket putting constant tension on the cap, It still clicks with the same snap it did when I first took it out of the case. I cannot say that I will not experience this problem in the future, but do not worry about this pen falling apart after a few days of use, just because of the price.

Sono estremamente soddisfatto. Per il prezzo pagato, modestissimo, ho una penna eccellente. La qualità e la cura delle stilografiche Pilot è presente anche negli strumenti di fascia di prezzo basso. Ottimo il pennino F, non facilmente reperibile nelle Metropolitan; il converter in dotazione, oltre alla cartuccia omaggio, rendono la penna utilizzabile in varie modalità. La scatola di metallo completa ottimamente il set.

I bought this pen after reading a few different reviews on other websites. I had never really used a fountain pen before so I am coming at it from a complete beginners perspective. The pen comes with one ink cartridge and a converter (which is quite small and I imagine wouldn't hold much ink). It also has a sheet of filling instructions for every method with each different kind of pen that pilot sells. It also provides information on how to clean and and keep the ink pen in top condition. The pen itself is wonderful to use. The ink flows well and there is no scratchy feel to it at all. It has a nice weight to it and isn't too thick. At first I was slightly worried about the thickness if the pen as I have small hands but the size is perfect. The ink runs out fairly quickly (if you write a lot like I do) and so I was disappointed that there was only one cartridge. Packets of cartridges can be bought fairly cheaply though, or you can use the converter to fill from a bottle of your own ink so that isnt much of a problem. For the price this is a perfect pen to get you started on in my opinion, so if you have an doubts just go head and buy it!

This pen has a very sharp tines and writes smooth. It feels like writing with a knife. It has a decent ink capacity and writes upto 12 pages in a fill for me. The best part is it writes with the same color without fading even when ink goes low. Initially I felt my strokes are slightly varied due to sharp tines but after writing 60 pages i see it align my stroke. People writing small and medium letters handwriting will love it. For those who have large handwriting, i feel better to have medium nib. It's easy to hold and not very heavy, can write comfortable for hour or two with ease. I written on A4 printing sheet and it doesn't smear. The only fallback is that we cannot see how much level we have filled the ink. This is an excellent pen who are passionate about writing.

I've been using this pen nearly every day since I bought it. I thought at this point that the nib would be showing signs of some wear -- laying down a broader line, giving more feedback, inconsistent ink flow. None of that has happened. It still puts down a nice fine line on just about any kind of paper, still writes smoothly, still gives consistent ink flow with no hard start. The pen itself still looks like new. I thought I might see some wear or fading on the barrel and cap by now, or that the cap might not snap on as securely, but the pen still looks and behaves like brand new. After I got the pen, I bought a converter for it -- Con40 I believe? -- no problems with it either. The pen is made of brass, so it has some heft. My hands are neither small nor large, so the weight and size of this pen, posted, feels good in my hand. Great pen.

Amazing The line is superfine and vey smooth on paper, the pen quality itself is very high Really worth the price