Pilot Metropolitan

The new Pilot Metropolitan is awesome. I handle a lot of fountain pens, that's no secret. And I can often see a pen and quickly judge what type of writer will enjoy the pen the most. Not all pens are for all people, though there are certainly some that are more universal than others. Often, it's the less expensive pens that are most coveted, as beginners can start using them without a great investment. Veteran users can stock up on many of them to keep them different inks and in different locations (work, desk, car, bathroom, whatever!). The type of pens I'm talking about are ones like the Platinum Preppy and Lamy Safari, the ones that everyone seems to have. It's rare that a pen will come along that I feel will become as widely popular as these pens, so I don't say the following statement lightly: the Pilot Metropolitan is a pen that has the potential to be as popular as the Preppy and Safari.

Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen black, uncapped
Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen Silver, uncapped on a notebook
Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen gold, uncapped on gold ink splatters

Now that's a bold statement, I know, and it's also going on the assumption that Pilot will expand beyond the medium nib and gold, silver, and black colors. But I bet that they will, because there will be a demand for it. Seriously, I know I'm a retailer and sell these pens so take what I say with that in mind. I'm also an enthusiast and the build quality, writing quality, and incredible value of this pen are something I just don't see every day. This pen is such a great value…I honestly don't know how they do it.

I was excited about these as soon as I saw them, and had to double- and triple-check with our distributor that the price was only $15 because I just couldn't believe a pen this good could be so inexpensive. Whatever you're doing Pilot, keep it up! Reviews of the pens are coming in now that they've been available in the US for a few weeks, and I'm not the only one swooning over these pens. The biggest drawback with the Metropolitan is that it's only available with a medium nib right now. But it's a Pilot medium, so it's as fine as most Western fine nibs (like Lamy), or maybe even finer .

LAMY steel nib writing sample
Pilot metropolitan writing sample
LAMY nib writing sample
Platinum Preppy writing sample
Photo of a Pilot Metropolitan. Showcasing its nib sizes and color options.

I think this pen is really something, and I'm absolutely thrilled it's here.