Metropolitan Fountain Pen, Retro Pop Green, 1.0mm Stub nib

With the advent of keyboards, many people eschew the pen as unnecessarily antiquarian. I love a good keyboard, but having grown up with every kind of writing implement (the huge diameter pencils from kindergarten, ball points, mechanical pencils, felt tips, gel pens, and assorted fountain pens), I prefer to write letters, cards, and journal entries with a pen, but especially a fountain pen. I have had assorted Pilot Metropolitans (F nib, M nib), Pilot Plumix (F nib & CM nib), Lamy, Kaweco pens, and others. I am still a fan of the fantastically affordable, comfortable to hold, easy to write with, well-built Pilot Metropolitan fountain pens. They are good for beginners as well as those who use fountain pens regularly. I recently bought the Pilot Metro Pop 1.0 mm stub fountain pen (CM on the nib stands for Calligraphy Medium). It glides beautifully across the page and works every time I use it. It comes with one black Pilot Namiki cartridge, but you can also purchase other Pilot Namiki cartridges (black, blue, blue-black, red, green, and even purple) or use the Pilot CON-40 screw-type converter if you want to use your own ink. NOTE: for those of you who are new to fountain pens - please use ONLY fountain pen ink. I like dip pen inks, like Dr. Ph. Martin's Bombay inks, but they are for dip pen use not fountain pen use. Clean your pen now and then and especially when switching from one ink color to another. There are YouTube videos on how to do this. Maintaining your fountain pen will ensure that it will serve you well for years to come.

This pen is such great quality for the money. It never dry starts, the nib is smooth as silk, the flow of the ink is wet but not too wet, it's easy to clean and change inks. It's literally the perfect fountain pen. I highly recommend this to anyone wanting to try a fountain pen. Start here and branch out, trying other cheaper brands (or more expensive ones!) could leave you with a bad taste because they don't write as well or they need to be fussed with before they write as well. Pilots will write straight out of the box with no trouble and be 100% dependable.

This Pilot Metropolitan fountain pen comes with a <CM> nib, which is a calligraphic medium 1.0mm stub nib. The writing performance is quite similar to a Pilot Plumix <M> medium stub nib, but of course this pen is metal and heavier but still comfortable and well balanced even when the cap is posted. The pen comes with the normal squeeze ink converter already supplied, and one can swop the squeeze converter with a Pilot CON-40 ink converter if you need more ink. Writing with the stub nib is quite pleasant and thin and thick strokes are possible by varying the angle of the nib on the paper, and the ink flows nicely on both fountain pen friendly Rhodia paper, as well as on normal office exam pad type of paper.

I have tried 5 different types of pens from 10$-32$. So far this is the best, smooth writing with correct ink flow. I am a noobie, I might not know what i am talking about but I think this pen is super awesome.

This is my first fountain pen. It writes very smoothly and has a very pleasant look. It can be used with an ink cartridge or a bottle of ink, which I imagine is much less common. Overall good product

I'm an artist. I purchased two Pilot Metropolitan fountain pens, a fine nib and a stub nib, with the intention of using them for sketching with watercolor washes. When it works, the stub nib could easily be my most favorite pen because the thick/thin lines it creates make my handwriting look like calligraphy and I can easily get interesting variation in the lines when I'm drawing. I am currently using it with the Pilot black ink cartridge that came with the pen. The problem is that this pen frequently doesn't work. The only papers it seems to like are very smooth, but with quirky exceptions. It hates the smooth wood pulp drawing paper in my cheap sketchbook. It doesn't like the 3"x5" cardstock index cards I use to take notes. It LOVES my Neenah 110 lb cardstock and does ok in my Strathmore Visions mixed media sketchbook. I made the mistake of trying to use it on top of gouache. That made the pen stop writing for a day and a half, even after I dipped it into water and massaged the nib with a shop towel. It seems that any particles from paper or other drawing surfaces that get into the nib and prevent the ink from flowing. I did purchase some Noodler's Bulletproof Eel ink that I use in the fine point pen. The fine pen exhibits many of the annoying features of the stub nib, but not as dramatically. The fine nib also has issues writing on the papers noted above. I REALLY wanted to be able to use these pens, but it isn't practical to have to mess around after every few lines, words or couple of paragraphs. I have NEVER been able to write a full page with either the stub nib or fine point pen. This is my first experience with fountain pens. I cannot say that I'm impressed. It's much easier to use my metal nib or glass dip pens than the fountain pens. Although a lot of reviews said Noodler's inks could be used with watercolor. When I use it the ink bleeds, even after drying for 24 hours. I love my dip pens. Aside from the inconvenience of having to carry a bottle of ink, the dip pens have been great - they write on all papers without skipping (unless there isn't enough ink on the nib). I have a variety of nibs that give me a variety of lines. They're inexpensive and straightforward to use. I can use any ink I want. Even waterproof India inks & acrylic inks don't clog the nibs, so I can paint over my drawings with watercolor almost immediately and the ink doesn't bleed. I just don't see the point in having to mess with the Pilot Metropolitan pens constantly, then not being able to use them with watercolor. These pens were a TOTAL disappointment! They have been returned.

Ok nib, a bit scratchy, but makes a good line variation so you can write prettier. What I DON'T like is the bladder converter. It's hard to convince it to suck up the ink, and you can't tell how much is in it, til it runs out after a short amount of usage.

I have a number of Pilot Metropolitan fountain pens of various colors and nib sizes. All have been good, solid entry-level pens. I also use higher quality, more expensive pens but I still enjoy these. One shouldn't loan out one's fountain pen because the nib "learns" the writer's angle, etc. I don't have to worry about it with these pens and carry one in my purse in case someone needs to borrow a pen for a quick note. The stub nib gives a simple line variation without effort. These are solid, reliable, sturdy, low cost, pens for beginners and more experienced fountain pen enthusiasts who want something they don't have to coddle or worry about tossing in their backpack or bag. Things to be aware of: Because the cap simply snaps into place it is not a tight seal and the ink will dry out if the pen is left unused. Remove the nib and cartridge and clean your pen. Start with new ink if yours has dried up. It'll be fine. Better yet, use your pen daily or remove the cartridge and clean the nib before storing or if you won't be using it for a while. I have never had a pen leak into my bag (I do not travel with an inked pen when changing altitude a lot) but these can leak into the cap. If you are not looking for this possibility you can post the lid (stick it on the end of the barrel of the pen) and end up with ink all over the outside of your pen... and then your fingers and your pocket or purse or all manner of items. You can also end up with ink on your fingers from handling it near the nib. All of this is well within the range of normal and to be expected with a pen of this price point. It is not at all a deal-breaker. I own 4.