Pilot Metropolitan - Fine Nib Compared To Medium Nib

[Pentulant]

I did a quick write up about the recently released Pilot Metropolitan with a fine nib.

 

I'm happy with the difference in line width ...

 

 

 

And I'm happy with the packaging change, too. The clear part is a bit thin and didn't arrive in perfect condition, but I don't care so much about that. It comes with an ink cartridge (don't care about that either..haha), and converter.

 

 

 

 

Not the best image, but I got two of the plain version (black and silver) with the fine nib. I have a bunch of the more designed versions in the original medium nib.

 

 

 

Bottom Line...it's a great writer. The price is pretty amazing at just fifteen bucks. I like the Pilot Metropolitans for new and experienced fountain pen users. The squeezie converter may be a little too fussy for some new users, but that is my only caveat.

 

Got mine from Goulet Pens. They don't pay me to love them, I just do

 

Here's a link to my blog post, if your interested...

http://pentulant.blogspot.com/2014/05/this-or-that-pilot-metropolitan-fine.html

 

 

EDIT: removed duplicate image

Edited May 2, 2014 by Pentulant

[Jamerelbe]

Hi Pentulant, thanks for getting this review up so quickly. I've been holding off on buying the Metropolitan for some time, because I wasn't sure I'd love the medium nib - given the unavailability of these pens Downunder, you have to add postage on to the $15 price tag, and I wasn't sure it was worth it. The fine nib, on the other hand - if it's as smooth a writer as the medium - sounds like it could just push me over the line...

[cleosmama]

Hi Pentulant, thanks for getting this review up so quickly. I've been holding off on buying the Metropolitan for some time, because I wasn't sure I'd love the medium nib - given the unavailability of these pens Downunder, you have to add postage on to the $15 price tag, and I wasn't sure it was worth it. The fine nib, on the other hand - if it's as smooth a writer as the medium - sounds like it could just push me over the line...

If you don't like the medium nib or the fine nib but you do like stub nibs, you can buy a Pilot Plumix and swap the nib from that with the Metro's medium nib.

[Pentulant]

Hi Pentulant, thanks for getting this review up so quickly. I've been holding off on buying the Metropolitan for some time, because I wasn't sure I'd love the medium nib - given the unavailability of these pens Downunder, you have to add postage on to the $15 price tag, and I wasn't sure it was worth it. The fine nib, on the other hand - if it's as smooth a writer as the medium - sounds like it could just push me over the line...

 

It's quite smooth, but doesn't skate across the paper. I should have added that the writing experience was good. Ink flowed well, no problems whatsoever.

 

I'm really excited about the pen

[Tina Lee]

Just purchased one from Goulet Pens! Should be in on Monday. I'm happy to see that many people are pleased with the Metropolitans. I think it's a great looking pen for its price point.

 

Edited to add:

 

What kind of paper did you use for this review? Just out of curiosity.

Edited May 2, 2014 by Tina Lee

[rockydoggy]

Thanks so much for the review.

I'm a fan of the Metropolitans and was considering picking up one with a fine nib.

I'm definitely going to do so now.

[WirsPlm]

Hi Pentulant, thanks for getting this review up so quickly. I've been holding off on buying the Metropolitan for some time, because I wasn't sure I'd love the medium nib - given the unavailability of these pens Downunder, you have to add postage on to the $15 price tag, and I wasn't sure it was worth it. The fine nib, on the other hand - if it's as smooth a writer as the medium - sounds like it could just push me over the line...

Sounds like you want the Asian version (called Pilot MR, comes with F nibs), it's available on eBay from sellers in Hong Kong so the shipping should be much better for you than from the US.

Edited May 2, 2014 by WirsPlm

[Aftermath]

I also got mine yesterday, the pamphlet inside did mention "MR Collection use and care guide"

 

I took the pen apart to wipe it down a little, but I couldn't pull the nib/feed out. I wonder if it's glued in? My older Metro's nib/feed was easily removed to be swapped out with a XF nib.

[mikehodgman]

Gotta get one of those!!!

[kronos77]

So is this nib and feed the same as the 78g? Is it just a difference in quality control or something else?

Edited May 3, 2014 by kronos77

[Kristene]

I just got my fine nib version in from Goulet Pens! I was quite surprised, as it wasn't supposed to be in until Monday, but I'm happy to be able to play with it over the weekend! I love the fine nib version. I have been studying Chinese for almost a decade now and am reluctant to use most pens because the lines they put down are usually just too dang broad – even on Chinese pens. Not this pen! It's doable if I write sort of big-ish with the medium nib Metro, but the fine is just so much better! I've gotten to the point where I've been writing so much with pretty much just .05mm mechanical pencils that I even prefer our own alphabet in a finer line than most pens lay down. I still love my medium nib version, which has been a daily driver since I got it, but now it's being pushed back to daily backup in case I run out of ink in class or something and the fine version is going to be my go-to pen.

 

Here's my own little nib size comparison, done inside of a bound sketchbook with off-white 100gsm paper inside. I seem to have a larger difference in the two line widths than the OP but that could have to do with differences in the inks or pressure put down with writing, etc. Sorry for the slightly dark picture, if I turned the flash on my cellphone camera, the whole thing gets washed out and you can't see the writing at all.

 

http://s26.postimg.org/km9x2nq55/20140503_154543_Android.jpg

[Bookman]

I also got mine yesterday, the pamphlet inside did mention "MR Collection use and care guide"

 

I took the pen apart to wipe it down a little, but I couldn't pull the nib/feed out. I wonder if it's glued in? My older Metro's nib/feed was easily removed to be swapped out with a XF nib.

 

I rubber-gloved-up and yanked like hell and finally got the nib and feed out. No harm done.

[h.farmawi]

Wow very nice.... this FP looks to be a really great writer i like how this fine nib writes i also like the price... pens like this are a daily use pens for sure i would lile to get one of these so i can give my old pens some rest

thanks for the review

enjoy your pen !

[Aftermath]

 

I rubber-gloved-up and yanked like hell and finally got the nib and feed out. No harm done.

 

I wasn't sure how hard I should pull cause I didn't want to break anything... but in the end I twisted it a little, and that loosened it enough for me to pull it out.

 

Here's my comparison, I have the medium, fine, and Vanishing Point extra fine... I left a spot for my extra fine nib from a pilot penmenship that I use at work, I'll try to remember to bring it back tomorrow. That extra fine to me is thinner than the extra fine on my VP

All the inks are pilot's Blue Black, and it's surprising the color varies that much, just proved how wet the VP is, I think.

Paper the back of some copier paper from work

http://i.imgur.com/Qm3OFcq.jpg

[Bookman]

 

I wasn't sure how hard I should pull cause I didn't want to break anything... but in the end I twisted it a little, and that loosened it enough for me to pull it out.

 

Here's my comparison, I have the medium, fine, and Vanishing Point extra fine... I left a spot for my extra fine nib from a pilot penmenship that I use at work, I'll try to remember to bring it back tomorrow. That extra fine to me is thinner than the extra fine on my VP

All the inks are pilot's Blue Black, and it's surprising the color varies that much, just proved how wet the VP is, I think.

Paper the back of some copier paper from work

http://i.imgur.com/Qm3OFcq.jpg

 

Good job all around.

[JVera]

So is this nib and feed the same as the 78g? Is it just a difference in quality control or something else?

A 78g section will fit perfectly on the metropolitan but the nibs look and feel differently, the 78g is no longer in production.

[Tina Lee]

I purchased a fine Pilot Metro the other day, but the nib is soooooo scratchy. My Platinum Preppy has a nicer nib. Not sure what went wrong here.

 

Looking at the tines with my loupe, I can't see issues -- I don't think anything is out of line. It just has scratchy spots.

 

Edited to add: I guess the more appropriate term would be feedback, not scratchiness.

 

 

Edited May 7, 2014 by Tina Lee

[Pentulant]

I purchased a fine Pilot Metro the other day, but the nib is soooooo scratchy. My Platinum Preppy has a nicer nib. Not sure what went wrong here.

 

Looking at the tines with my loupe, I can't see issues -- I don't think anything is out of line. It just has scratchy spots.

 

Edited to add: I guess the more appropriate term would be feedback, not scratchiness.

 

 

 

 

I like some feedback - scratchy, though, is a different story.

 

You might try giving the pen a good cleaning - change ink to something else - and try on a different paper - to see if those things make a difference.

 

I found my Pilot Metropolitan to be a smooth writer, but it definitely doesn't "skate" across the paper.

[Bookman]

I purchased a fine Pilot Metro the other day, but the nib is soooooo scratchy. My Platinum Preppy has a nicer nib. Not sure what went wrong here.

 

Looking at the tines with my loupe, I can't see issues -- I don't think anything is out of line. It just has scratchy spots.

 

Edited to add: I guess the more appropriate term would be feedback, not scratchiness.

 

 

My new Metropolitan F isn't as smooth as I would like either and not as smooth as I was expecting from a Pilot pen. The nibs on my Pilot Knight and Cross Solo (I am informed and believe and thereon allege this nib was outsourced to Pilot) are the smoothest I own. I don't have a loupe, and I don't know how to adjust tines anyway. I am hoping the nib will smooth itself out over time as sometimes happens. Meanwhile, I've already reseated the Knight's feed to the Cross Solo: I'm prepared to impress the Solo into Metropolitan service at a moment's notice even though the gold-plating clashes with the pen's gold paint finish. The Knight's nib fits as well, in case I need a Japanese M fix.

[Tina Lee]

 

 

I like some feedback - scratchy, though, is a different story.

 

You might try giving the pen a good cleaning - change ink to something else - and try on a different paper - to see if those things make a difference.

 

I found my Pilot Metropolitan to be a smooth writer, but it definitely doesn't "skate" across the paper.

 

Yeah, it's too much for me. I flushed it with a bulb syringe as soon as I bought it, and I've changed inks a few times again using the bulb syringe to flush thoroughly. I've tried Rhodia and Clairefontaine and Quo Vadis and copy papers, but it's all the same -- scratchy, but with tines in alignment.

 

I thought about it today, and this nib is thinner than my Platinum Preppy fine nib, and more comparable to my Lamy EF nib. And I suppose for an "EF" nib, it's pretty good. Probably better than my Lamy EF, but I haven't had the chance to compare them side by side. I just haven't found that it lives up to the hype.

 

 

My new Metropolitan F isn't as smooth as I would like either and not as smooth as I was expecting from a Pilot pen. The nibs on my Pilot Knight and Cross Solo (I am informed and believe and thereon allege this nib was outsourced to Pilot) are the smoothest I own. I don't have a loupe, and I don't know how to adjust tines anyway. I am hoping the nib will smooth itself out over time as sometimes happens. Meanwhile, I've already reseated the Knight's feed to the Cross Solo: I'm prepared to impress the Solo into Metropolitan service at a moment's notice even though the gold-plating clashes with the pen's gold paint finish. The Knight's nib fits as well, in case I need a Japanese M fix.

 

It makes me better to know I'm not the only one!