Excellent Pen! This is my second fountain pen, my first being a Kakuno with a Medium Nib. As a senior in Electrical Engineering, I have been using the Metropolitan daily for the last 9 months to take notes and complete homework. Paired with Rohrer & Klingner "Salix" ink, it stays smooth when drawing circuit diagrams and taking lecture notes quickly.It has a very elegant look, especially for the price, where the Kakuno seems a little childish (it was designed for elementary school students after all). This isn't normally a big deal in school, but the Metropolitan helps maintain a professional appearance during job interviews and other networking opportunities.The brass barrel gives the pen a comforting weight and very sturdy feeling. The cap stays clipped to the ... MoreExcellent Pen! This is my second fountain pen, my first being a Kakuno with a Medium Nib. As a senior in Electrical Engineering, I have been using the Metropolitan daily for the last 9 months to take notes and complete homework. Paired with Rohrer & Klingner "Salix" ink, it stays smooth when drawing circuit diagrams and taking lecture notes quickly.It has a very elegant look, especially for the price, where the Kakuno seems a little childish (it was designed for elementary school students after all). This isn't normally a big deal in school, but the Metropolitan helps maintain a professional appearance during job interviews and other networking opportunities.The brass barrel gives the pen a comforting weight and very sturdy feeling. The cap stays clipped to the grip section when closed and posts securely while writing. I also like the case the pen and converter come in, it's practical and lightweight while offering moderate protection. I haven't used the included squeeze converter, but used a CON-40 twist converter to try out the Salix ink. While this review isn't about the converter, it's worth mentioning that it fits the Metro nicely and is useful for flushing the feed if needed.My only quibble is the occasional hard start, but that's usually due to not cleaning it often enough, given that I use an iron-gall ink. The fact that I can still usually get it working in most cases is a testament to how reliable this pen is.I would definitely recommend this pen to anyone and would buy one again if I ever lost mine.

I received my Pilot Metropolitan "Retro Pop" pen, medium nib, about a week ago, as my daily writer is at the pen doctor. In a nutshell, at this price point I couldn't be happier.PROS:PERFORMANCE. The first time I touched pen to paper the ink started to flow and it has written consistently with nary a skip or blotch. I use Diamine "Sargasso Sea" ink and the pen seems to like it right well. I've used pens costing far more that didn't write as well, or as consistently, as this one does.APPEARANCE. The pen is easy to find, being garish purple and all... Actually it is quite attractive though probably appealing to an age group a couple of generations ahead of mine.FILLING. The pen came with an ink cartridge as well as one of those squeeze-type refillable ... MoreI received my Pilot Metropolitan "Retro Pop" pen, medium nib, about a week ago, as my daily writer is at the pen doctor. In a nutshell, at this price point I couldn't be happier.PROS:PERFORMANCE. The first time I touched pen to paper the ink started to flow and it has written consistently with nary a skip or blotch. I use Diamine "Sargasso Sea" ink and the pen seems to like it right well. I've used pens costing far more that didn't write as well, or as consistently, as this one does.APPEARANCE. The pen is easy to find, being garish purple and all... Actually it is quite attractive though probably appealing to an age group a couple of generations ahead of mine.FILLING. The pen came with an ink cartridge as well as one of those squeeze-type refillable cartridges: you unscrew the end, pinch the sides of the cartridge together, stick it in the ink jar, release and let vacuum do its work. A little sloppy but it seems to work well and it holds an adequate supply of ink. I did also order one of those "Con-40" refillable cartridges but the amount of ink it seems to hold is pretty minuscule. For now I'll stick with the squeeze cartridge.CONSPOSTING. Be sure to post the cap securely. It seems to have a habit of loosening up if you don't.LINE WIDTH. I ordered this pen with a medium nib, being fully aware of the Japanese Pens' reputation for having a line width smaller than what you'd think. True for this pen: the "medium" is about the same, maybe even a little narrower, than a couple of "fine" pens I have.BOTTOM LINE$25 is a pretty good price for a pen that performs as well as this one does. No one will ever mistake it for (say) a Sailor 1911 L or some other pen in a similar price range, but it is a good little writer. I can't speak to its durability, but for now--I'm a happy boy.

My first fountain pen and it is a dream! Looks elevated and professional and is rather well priced. The ink flows beautifully and I’ve experienced no issues when writing, no matter how fast or slow I write. It has a nice weight, you can tell you’re holding a quality pen but at the same time it is light enough that you can write for extended periods of times with no issues. The only issue I’ve faced so far is nib creeping, which for aesthetic reasons is not preferred but doesn’t affect the performance of the pen. The nib creeping seems to occur when the pen stays in warmer temperatures though, so the pen may not be to blame. However all in all four stars, a pen that I am happy to have purchased and would purchase again.

An Old Favorite

I have been using Pilot fountain pens for >10 years now and have nothing but positive things to say. This particular pen replaced another Pilot MR that I misplaced--being such a clutz I always gravitate to the lower price-point end of the spectrum because there is a high likelihood that I will end up losing it somewhere. That being said, I like this model even more than the one it replaced that I had for years! The "python skin" has a tiny amount of texture that I find delightful. The fine point has the barest amount of scratchiness to it that I have come to expect but the lines are nice and thin which suits my cramped handwriting. Overall incredibly pleased with the product. As always, Pen-boutique delivered on-time and in a well-secured packaged; no complaints ... MoreI have been using Pilot fountain pens for >10 years now and have nothing but positive things to say. This particular pen replaced another Pilot MR that I misplaced--being such a clutz I always gravitate to the lower price-point end of the spectrum because there is a high likelihood that I will end up losing it somewhere. That being said, I like this model even more than the one it replaced that I had for years! The "python skin" has a tiny amount of texture that I find delightful. The fine point has the barest amount of scratchiness to it that I have come to expect but the lines are nice and thin which suits my cramped handwriting. Overall incredibly pleased with the product. As always, Pen-boutique delivered on-time and in a well-secured packaged; no complaints there either.

Didn't expect to love it, but I did!

Long story short, I bought a Metropolitan in fine and stub and liked them much more that expected! For some reason I just always had this idea of how good could such an inexpensive pen really be. I bought the plain black Metro just to see what it was like, and after writing with them, my answer is they are very good. The fine is very smooth for me. The stub gives a great italic effect and is a lot of fun to write with. I actually like the squeeze converter. It feels kind of old school to me and it does exactly what it should do, which is fill up the pen. I would say the only thing I don't love is that the taper at the back end gets pretty narrow so isn't very comfortable for me to write unposted, but posted it is very comfortable and balanced. The section is a ... MoreLong story short, I bought a Metropolitan in fine and stub and liked them much more that expected! For some reason I just always had this idea of how good could such an inexpensive pen really be. I bought the plain black Metro just to see what it was like, and after writing with them, my answer is they are very good. The fine is very smooth for me. The stub gives a great italic effect and is a lot of fun to write with. I actually like the squeeze converter. It feels kind of old school to me and it does exactly what it should do, which is fill up the pen. I would say the only thing I don't love is that the taper at the back end gets pretty narrow so isn't very comfortable for me to write unposted, but posted it is very comfortable and balanced. The section is a little narrow and the step between the grip and the barrel is noticeable, but I don't really find either of those things too unpleasant. I also wanted to put the Metropolitan a bit into context with my other pens on case that helps anyone decide. I started with a Lamy Safari in fine and liked how it wrote but never really loved the look. I then had a Nemosine Singularity that I found very boring and I had cracking issues with the cap. After a couple years of that, I bought a TWSBI Eco and it was the greatest thing I had ever written with, I loved it. I wrote with just the Eco for a year or so and then bought a Custom 74 in fine that took me a little bit to adjust to but now I really like it. Finally, I tried the Metropolitan, and it is just as enjoyable for me as the Custom 74 and the Eco. I highly recommend it, and if you're considering buying a gold nib Pilot I would suggest experimenting with different nibs on the Metro first of you aren't already familiar with Pilot nibs.

Durability Issues

When I first got this pen, I was thoroughly impressed. The metal body feels great in the hand and has a good weight to it. I have the stub nib and really enjoyed writing with it. It also looks very attractive and I love showing it off. However, I don't think this pen really held up. I know, it's a $25 pen, so maybe I'm expecting too much, but I have owned it for 6 months, written about 200 pages, and the signs of wear range from noticeable to problematic. The clip on the lid has loosened somewhat, even though I rarely use it. It also rubbed off the finish under the clip, leaving a scratched mark of bare metal. The retro pop design near the grip is also starting to rub off, though less concerningly so. The threads on the body of the pen seem to be made from a soft or ... MoreWhen I first got this pen, I was thoroughly impressed. The metal body feels great in the hand and has a good weight to it. I have the stub nib and really enjoyed writing with it. It also looks very attractive and I love showing it off. However, I don't think this pen really held up. I know, it's a $25 pen, so maybe I'm expecting too much, but I have owned it for 6 months, written about 200 pages, and the signs of wear range from noticeable to problematic. The clip on the lid has loosened somewhat, even though I rarely use it. It also rubbed off the finish under the clip, leaving a scratched mark of bare metal. The retro pop design near the grip is also starting to rub off, though less concerningly so. The threads on the body of the pen seem to be made from a soft or brittle plastic, as there are little plastic shavings in the grooves. I know I don't overtighten the pen, because the pen sometimes comes undone on its own, even while writing.Most worrisome of all, however, is the fact that the nib came loose. It almost fell out of the pen while I was writing. When I pushed it back in, the tip got ever so slightly bent and the already somewhat finicky stub nib now catches on the paper. For this reason, I am retiring this pen.Overall, I think it did the job for a cheap pen, but don't be fooled by the good looks and the hefty metal body to believe that this is a high quality pen. I now started writing with a Lamy, which feels less premium, but I expect will last a while longer. My last Lamy did 8 years of daily writing in school and it didn't cost any more than this Pilot Metropolitan.

Get A Kakuno Instead

I'm fairly new to fountain pens but I do have over a dozen different entry-level pens and for the amount of praise that this pen gets and it's price, I'm disappointed with the Metropolitan.The Pilot nibs are nice and smooth, I'll give them that, and the metal body provides a good weight to the pen, but these positives are not enough to overcome the other shortcomings.Their proprietary converters are terrible. The included bladder-style converter doesn't allow you to see how much ink is in it and holds less ink that most converters. Do yourself a favor, if you're buying any Pilot pen, and get a syringe if you want to use bottled ink. Use that to refill the supplied cartridge or bladder converter. I've purchased CON-40 converters and they are the worst converters ... MoreI'm fairly new to fountain pens but I do have over a dozen different entry-level pens and for the amount of praise that this pen gets and it's price, I'm disappointed with the Metropolitan.The Pilot nibs are nice and smooth, I'll give them that, and the metal body provides a good weight to the pen, but these positives are not enough to overcome the other shortcomings.Their proprietary converters are terrible. The included bladder-style converter doesn't allow you to see how much ink is in it and holds less ink that most converters. Do yourself a favor, if you're buying any Pilot pen, and get a syringe if you want to use bottled ink. Use that to refill the supplied cartridge or bladder converter. I've purchased CON-40 converters and they are the worst converters that I've used.The design of the grip section leaves something to be desired as well. There's a sharp step down from the pen body to the grip that makes it uncomfortable and the diameter of the grip section itself is rather small compared to most other pens.I'm also not a fan of the way the Metro cap posts. It doesn't feel like it posts securely and if you don't press it on hard enough, I will come off while you're writing.I have a Pilot Kakuno and prefer that over the Metro and, from what I understand, they use the same nibs.

In Search of Economical Stub Pen

I am quite satisfied with the 1.0. Stub with this metropolitan Have a fine nib in a different model that is very reliable and predictable. Regarding experimenting with Stub Nibs: I Have tried a Twsbi MINI 1.1 Stub, a Lamy 1.1, and Kaweco 1.5 stub..with mixed results the Kaweco is too broadmy purchase error.Not surprisingly each is different for me the Lamy doesn't have much variation, the Twisbi is quite wet/broad and the Pilot nib is better for my line shape desire. The pilot nib is 'scratchier' than the others but works better for me. I have ordered a Kaweco 1.1mm so will see how it stacks up.. seems it had solid reviews from some. I appreciate all the reviews published here at Goulet as helps in figuring out what to experiment with. Of course manufacturing and ... MoreI am quite satisfied with the 1.0. Stub with this metropolitan Have a fine nib in a different model that is very reliable and predictable. Regarding experimenting with Stub Nibs: I Have tried a Twsbi MINI 1.1 Stub, a Lamy 1.1, and Kaweco 1.5 stub..with mixed results the Kaweco is too broadmy purchase error.Not surprisingly each is different for me the Lamy doesn't have much variation, the Twisbi is quite wet/broad and the Pilot nib is better for my line shape desire. The pilot nib is 'scratchier' than the others but works better for me. I have ordered a Kaweco 1.1mm so will see how it stacks up.. seems it had solid reviews from some. I appreciate all the reviews published here at Goulet as helps in figuring out what to experiment with. Of course manufacturing and ink flow variations between companies can make the purchase activity a bit more complex. Welcome to the world of fountain pens I suppose. Glad to have Goulet to help support my interests and enjoyment.

Keep it Simple

I have read many reviews on a wide variety of manufacturers of fountain pens. Including the one I purchased a month or two ago, a pilot Metropolitan. I haven't used a fountain pen since 6th grade when you were awarded to be able to use the Schaeffer cartridge pen. Back in 1969. I looked at many video's published by Goulet pens on starter pens. I picked the pilot Metropolitan. Took me a couple of weeks to get used to using a fountain pen as I was using fine Pilor fine point gel pens. OK, here goes, if you are in the same boat as me pick the Pilot Metropolitan and pick the "fine" point. Please watch out for the cork sniffers. My Pilots writes better now than when I first started to use it. Break it in, get some samples of ink, and practice writing all you can. I had a ... MoreI have read many reviews on a wide variety of manufacturers of fountain pens. Including the one I purchased a month or two ago, a pilot Metropolitan. I haven't used a fountain pen since 6th grade when you were awarded to be able to use the Schaeffer cartridge pen. Back in 1969. I looked at many video's published by Goulet pens on starter pens. I picked the pilot Metropolitan. Took me a couple of weeks to get used to using a fountain pen as I was using fine Pilor fine point gel pens. OK, here goes, if you are in the same boat as me pick the Pilot Metropolitan and pick the "fine" point. Please watch out for the cork sniffers. My Pilots writes better now than when I first started to use it. Break it in, get some samples of ink, and practice writing all you can. I had a strong inclination to upgrade to a more expensive pen, don't! Practice first, get your style down, break in your pen, ( it will break in to your style, you will NOT be disappointed. If you have questions, ask the staff at Goulet Pens. They are there to help you. Study all of the inks and study the stationary and the variants of paper. Absolutely educate yourself. You can not go wrong with the support staff at Goulet, trust me. I may just order another Metropolitan with a different nib, or order the dip nib with a wooden handle to test my ink samples. This fountain pen endeavor can be so enjoyable so stay away from the negative reviews and make your OWN evaluations about the different offerings out there in fountain pens. I like the squeeze converter that came with the metropolitan and I like the Con 40 converter I bought. Enjoy and write on!!!

Oh wow

For years, my handwriting has been the proverbial chicken-scratch. But the second I start working with this?! Not having to put pressure in order to keep a roller-ball working, and the pen forcing me to slow down a bit, I can actually create readable script! I know practice makes perfect, but I definitely think this was a good decision for me. As for the pen, I'd say it's worth every penny and more, considering its advertised as an intro pen. Its very smooth in the hand, with a comfortable weight. The beauty band is nice but understated so it doesn't detract from the overall aesthetic. The fine tip is very fine! I'd say its close to a .5 in roller-ball. Its the first fountain pen I've ever used, so I don't have a comparison, but scratch-wise I'd say its just a touch ... MoreFor years, my handwriting has been the proverbial chicken-scratch. But the second I start working with this?! Not having to put pressure in order to keep a roller-ball working, and the pen forcing me to slow down a bit, I can actually create readable script! I know practice makes perfect, but I definitely think this was a good decision for me. As for the pen, I'd say it's worth every penny and more, considering its advertised as an intro pen. Its very smooth in the hand, with a comfortable weight. The beauty band is nice but understated so it doesn't detract from the overall aesthetic. The fine tip is very fine! I'd say its close to a .5 in roller-ball. Its the first fountain pen I've ever used, so I don't have a comparison, but scratch-wise I'd say its just a touch smoother than a roller-ball. If you're wondering if its worth it to see if you like fountain pens, I'd say yes.