Review of the Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen #Pilot #Jetpens #MetropolitanFountainPen

Have you often looked at fountain pens and wondered what the fuss was about?  Wanted to buy one, but was put off by the price tag?  Already have fountain pens, but want a workhorse you don't have to fuss with? Then the Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen may be the fountain pen for you.  With a price tag of $14.50, it's a nearly all metal, it's elegant, and it takes both cartridges and come with a converter for using bottled inks.

Specs
Weight: 3.71 oz
Body Color: Gold
Body Metal: Brass
Grip: Plastic
Clip Material: Metal
Cartridge-Compatible: Yes
Converter-Compatible: Yes
Grip Diameter: 9.8 mm/Max-13.2 mm
Pen Length: Capped-13.8 cm, Posted-15.3 cm, Uncapped-12.5 cm
Tip: Length-18.0 mm, Material-Stainless Steel, Size-Medium

Look and Feel

The medium-sized nib gives a bold, steady line which can be good, but doesn't give you the sweep and flourish of a more flexible nib.

The pen is metal, so it is also heavy.  I use it uncapped and unposted because, otherwise, it is too heavy for my small hand and weak wrist.  It is a satisfying weight, though, to hold in your hand.  It feels solid because it is, and this makes it seem a more expensive pen than it is.  The grip is plastic, but it is a sturdy plastic in keeping with the rest of the pen.

It comes with an easy-to-install cartridge of black ink and a squeeze-bulb converter that you can use if you prefer to use bottled inks.  I'm not a big fan of this kind of converter, especially one like this that is opaque so that you can't see how much ink it has.  It's an easy converter to use though.  You place the nib in the ink, and squeeze.

The pen currently comes in gold, silver, black, white, violet and taupe with a variety of decoration. The decoration is subtle, a band of pattern just above the grip.  There are animal prints, and some basic designs, such as the diamond pattern on mine.  I'm told by the man in my life that even this subtle pattern is too fancy for some people, so you'll be relieved to know that the black, silver and gold versions also come in a plain body with no decoration at all.

Performance
I wanted to try the cartridge that came with the pen, so my examples are all done in that ink.

Writing
If you want flourishes and calligraphic-style lettering, this is not your fountain pen.  Writing with it produces a similar line to that of a fine ballpoint or gel pen.  The act of writing itself, differs, however, and this is where it become difficult to explain.  The feel of the pen in your hand is different.  The sound of the pen while writing is different.  To me, this is the essence of the fountain pen and it means more to some people than to others.  At it's finest, a fountain pen should seem like an extension of your hand.  That won't happen with the Metropolitan, but you'll get a  whisper of what it is that distinguishes the fountain pen from all others.

Drawing

I prefer the Metropolitan for writing over drawing because I prefer a variety in line width.  That is a personal preference however, and many will feel the opposite, or like it for both.  The line quality is bold, not too thick and not too thin.  You might say the Metropolitan is the Goldilocks of beginner pens.

Overall
Altogether, this is a great pen for the beginner.  It looks more expensive than it is, and gives a solid performance.  While, it doesn't have anything truly unique that might appeal to the fountain pen aficionado, it's a relatively cheap pen if you want several pens inked up at all times.

Disclaimer
I bought this pen because I wanted it.  It wasn't given to me.  I paid full price.  I'm reviewing it because I think my readers should know about it.  All opinions are my own.

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