Pilot Metropolitan

[David John]

I needed to acquire a pen that I wouldn't worry about losing or misplacing while i am out and about. My better pens stay home. For the money, the Pilot is pretty amazing in my opinion.

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[nemo]

... For the money, the Pilot is pretty amazing in my opinion.

Yeah, they're pretty amazing. I like to use them as gifts to newbie fountain pen writers. Solid pens.

My better pens stay home.

I still carry my good stuff -- if you got it, use it. These are the "good old days".

 

[Doc4]

For years, the Pilot 78g was my "go-to" for both personal use and recommendation to others, where "good, cheap, don't-really-mind-if-I-lose-it" pen required. They were available from reliable Hong Kong ebay sellers for $10 (USD) including worldwide shipping.

Alas, the 78g appears to have been discontinued a year or two ago, and those available on ebay are now sporting silly prices.

I have, however, heard that Pilot has introduced a "78g+" at least in the Chinese market, which appears to be a reinvigorated 78g ... I have heard little more about it though.

 

[kcore]

The metropolitan is one of my favorite pens to travel with. It's reliable, affordable, and looks professional. Also if I lose it or it gets stolen due to the price I wouldn't be to heart broken I would just pick up another

 

[Whiskey Badger]

I love my Metropolitan with a 1.0mm Pilot Plumix nib. I think you can order them already formatted like that now, but its a great writing pen, with a substitute nib that was necessary after an unfortunate mishap.

 

[magu2k]

I am with you on this. My black Metropolitan is the only pen I keep inked day in and day out, and the only one I use on a daily basis. I've been using Noodler's heart of darkness, it goes so well with that pen. I love the reasonably sturdy construction.

My first one, I had in a jacket pocket and didn't zip it closed. Grabbed my jacket to put it on and woosh out it went- into a mirror. Broke open. The pen was *fine* but it always leaked just a little bit after that. Then, a few months later, it got lost on a hunting trip. I have a feeling it was when the truck got stuck in about a foot and a half of mud, that thing is now likely buried underground in some remote part of Canada.

So I bought another, and have been careful so far about throwing it at mirrors. The mirror was fine, by the way.

Just this evening, I switched from using Noodlers to Diamine Majestic Blue. I love these pens. I Recommend them to anyone. The nice, hardy brass construction of the barrel makes it pretty tough, the weak point, however, is the plastic thread and grip.

 

[tankerjohn]

I'm about as green as greenhorn can be with this fountain pen stuff. But there I am, reading through the backlog of Nib threads to try to learn a little, and here I come upon a thread on the one thing that I do know since I received one of these fine pens for Christmas. As a disclaimer, I have to say that my previous EDC pen was whatever half-used up disposable with a chewed-on cap that I could scrounge from the office. So needless to say, the Metropolitan, even at its rather paltry $15 price point, is a quantum leap ahead. It might as well be a Mont Blanc to me. But I tell you what. Its the perfect size - not too big, not too small. It has the heft that I want a "nice" pen to have. I plugged in the black cartridge, and it works. No fuss, no muss. Its a joy to write with.

The two pens I see most often recommended to newbies are this one and the Lamy Safari. I can see how the Safari might be a better pick for the hobbyish aspects of fountain pens like journalling and letter writing, since it has interchangable nibs and other fancy features. But it looks more like it belongs in a canvas bag of art supplies than a suit jacket. For a classy professional pen, I like the Metropolitan better. And its cheap enough, I might even grab another with the stub nib to write fancy thank you cards and such. And that's really it from my newbie perspective.

 

[Doc4]

It has the heft that I want a "nice" pen to have

But it looks more like it belongs in a canvas bag of art supplies than a suit jacket. For a classy professional pen, I like the Metropolitan better.

Having a Safari in among my pen collection, and wearing suits often, I tend to agree ... and its plastic tends not to have that “heft” you admire in the Metro.

 

[ThatDaveCh]

*Clicks checkout on Amazon*

 

[gwsmallwood]

I enjoy mine as well. It just works. No hard starts, the nib doesn't dry out, and it's smooth with all of the inks I've tried so far.

 

[bray144k]

Just checking in to say I Love my Metro as well.

 

[Frozenshades]

Still my first and only fountain pen and works great for me. I lose pens too often to be using more expensive ones, but left at home they probably won't see the love they deserve.

 

[H4nk]

I bought a Metro yesterday and filled it with Monteverde Horizon Blue. I like this ink...but not in this pen. It's a medium nib and I think it is too medium as opposed to my Online Switch which has a fine nib that I think is too fine and feel scratchy on most stock paper. The Horizon Blue does well in the fine nib. I may swap out the Horizon Blue for the Amethyst which is quite naughty in a fine nib.

 

[tankerjohn]

I bought a Metro yesterday and filled it with Monteverde Horizon Blue. I like this ink...but not in this pen. It's a medium nib and I think it is too medium as opposed to my Online Switch which has a fine nib that I think is too fine and feel scratchy on most stock paper. The Horizon Blue does well in the fine nib. I may swap out the Horizon Blue for the Amethyst which is quite naughty in a fine nib.

Hey, all right H4nk! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I've also got a bottle of Monteverde Horizon Blue and rather enjoy that color. So I think you might be the first person describe a medium nib as too medium. LOL! My Metro has the fine nib, which I ordered without knowing that Japanese fine nibs are quite a bit finer than Western nibs. Really, it’s too fine for my handwriting. I don’t really get these people who oogle over Japanese UEF nibs, except I guess it serves their purpose. But I do like the pen and break it out on occasion.

 

[Frozenshades]

Hey, all right H4nk! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I've also got a bottle of Monteverde Horizon Blue and rather enjoy that color. So I think you might be the first person describe a medium nib as too medium. LOL! My Metro has the fine nib, which I ordered without knowing that Japanese fine nibs are quite a bit finer than Western nibs. Really, it’s too fine for my handwriting. I don’t really get these people who oogle over Japanese UEF nibs, except I guess it serves their purpose. But I do like the pen and break it out on occasion.

I like the fine nib but Pelikan and J. Herbin (the only inks I had for a while) didn't seem to flow great with it. I've found it to be better with wetter inks like the Monteverde (love that California Teal) or Iroshizuku. They all write just fine in the medium I think.

 

[H4nk]

I replaced the Blue with the black cartridge that came with the pen. The charger had not absorbed the ink so it was easy to do. The black appears to be better behaving if not dull and unimaginative. I work for a university so professionalism is...meh. The guy two cubes down has Star Wars aircraft hanging from the ceiling.
Teal sounds perfect because I am having trouble find a decent maroon.

 

[nortac]

Daily carry is a Metro with the Plumix stub nib. Inked with Noodler's Sequoia, which was supposed to be green, but is actually a brown. Anyone else use Sequoia? Is yours green or brown?

 

[captp]

How did I miss this thread for so long? The Metro is one of my favorite inexpensive FPs. I have 4 and may get a couple more.
@tankerjohn
You will probably like the Metro in 1mm stub, I like the way they write.

 

[tankerjohn]

How did I miss this thread for so long? The Metro is one of my favorite inexpensive FPs. I have 4 and may get a couple more.
@tankerjohn
You will probably like the Metro in 1mm stub, I like the way they write.

Thanks. Yeah, I probably would. I wish Pilot sold nib units separately. I hear that the Plumix is the cheapest way to go as far as harvesting a stub nib. I might try that when I get bored of futzing with the Esterbrooks.

 

[volsquackhead]

I just ordered a Metro...very excited!

Any recommendations for ink (I prefer black) and ways to carry/use to get the most of this edc pen?


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