I think it’s pretty safe to say I like Pilot fountain pens. I even own another I haven’t written up yet. I bought the Pilot Metropolitan Violet Leopard (with a medium nib) on sale mostly on a whim (it was on sale and purple). It is available where fountain pens are sold – Goulet Pens, JetPens, Amazon.

 

I’m not a huge fan of leopard print, but it looks pretty much like a spot pattern ring more than a jungle pattern to me. It’s metal, very solidly built and probably strong enough to use to bust out a car window if you’re trapped in a slowly sinking vehicle in some body of water. I can’t guarantee this, but it feels sturdy enough.

I opted for a medium nib… well, because the fine nibs weren’t out yet when I bought it and I hadn’t yet tried the Pilot Penmanship. I kinda wish I’d gotten the fine nib now… but maybe I’ll just be forced to buy another in the future (oh noes!).

This is a really sturdy metal pen. Because of this, it feels a little heavy in my small hands. Not bad, but enough that I know using it for long periods of time will tire my hand.

 

The Good

• comes in various styles and patterns
• comes in fine and medium nibs
• sturdy
• very nicely made pen for price
• writes nice
• writes fast

The Bad

• hard grip
• proprietary cartridge
• a little heavy
• not a huge fan of the jungle pattern options
• tends to roll without the cap when set down

Overall grade: B+