Fountain Pen# 2 -- Pilot Metropolitan

Gear Review

Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen Review

An affordable entry point into the world of fine writing

$13

Price

1

Month Duration

7

Salvaged Cartridges

Table of Contents

• ①What's in the Box
• ②Nib Style Options
• ③Initial Impressions
• ④One Month Review
• ⑤Update (12/31/17)

 

Section I

What's in the Box

• →Pen — The base writing instrument
• →Pen Display Case — Includes a clear plastic top cover
• →Con-20 Style Converter — For bottled ink usage
• →Ink Cartridge — One (1) Blue/Black cartridge included

Section II

Nib Style Options

• →Fine (F) — Precision writing
• →Medium (M) — Smoother, broader strokes

Color / Model Numbers

Color	Fine (F) Model	Medium (M) Model
Black	MRFC1BLKFBLKP	MRFC1BLKMBLKP
Gold	MRFC1BLKFGLDP	MRFC1BLKMGLDP
Silver	MRFC1BLKFSLVP	MRFC1BLKMSLVP

Available Designs

• →Green — Marble
• →Red — Wave
• →Orange — Flower
• →Purple — Ellipse
• →Grey — Hound Tooth
• →Turquoise — Polka Dots
• →Purple — Leopard
• →White — Tiger
• →Black — Crocodile
• →Gold — Lizard
• →Silver — Python

Section III

Initial Impressions

The Pilot Metropolitan arrived from Amazon as a beautiful, high-quality writing instrument. It is widely considered an excellent starter pen, and the heft of the pen immediately suggests a quality that transcends its price point. At $13, it is a phenomenal deal.

While the kit includes a display case, converter, and cartridge, I ran into an issue with a separate order of a dozen ink cartridges that exploded in transit. Amazon provided a refund, and I managed to salvage about 6-7 of them. Comparing the writing experience to the Pilot Varsity, the upgrade is substantial and has me eager to eventually try high-end options like the Platinum Century #3776.

For now, the Pilot Metropolitan is my go-to pen, though I am debating upgrading to a proper ink converter and higher-quality bottled ink soon.

   

Section IV

One Month Review

After a month of use, I have compared the Metropolitan to the Platinum Century. The Pilot remains my preferred daily driver for work because of the screwless cap, which makes quick note-taking much more efficient. While the Platinum offers a more comfortable writing experience for longer sessions, the Pilot is the more practical tool for the office. I do, however, plan to invest in a CON-50 Ink Converter, as running the Metropolitan dry mid-meeting is a risk I'd like to avoid by having better ink visibility.

Section V

Update (12/31/17)

I have encountered one functional quirk: the snap cap. If capped and uncapped in rapid succession—common during meetings—it tends to cause minor ink splatter or potential leakage.

Out of habit, I have learned to leave the pen uncapped for extended periods during meetings or switch to a ballpoint/rollerball pen when the task requires constant capping and uncapping.

Despite this, the Pilot Metropolitan remains a highly recommended, satisfying pen for my everyday needs.

A reliable, budget-friendly companion for any fountain pen journey.