Currently I have three "Pocket" pens (ones I actually put naked into my pocket).
I have a Pilot Metropolitan (Black Crocodile with Fine Nib) in the photos for size comparison.
From Top to Bottom
- Kaweco AL Sport (Raw, Medium Nib)
- Pilot Petit1 (Blue-Black, Fine)
- Pilot Elite Mini (18K Soft Fine)
- Pilot Metropolitan (Black Crocodile, Fine)
Shown are the lengths capped, uncapped, and posted.
I purchased the Kaweco from a member on here selling both a AL Sport and Clear Classic Sport (immediately sold the clear one to a friend before I even got the two). The AL Sport is going to take some getting used to, especially without a clip (and as I understand it the slip on clip doesn't work very well with the Raw finish), but it's great how secure that screw on cap is. It's one of the kind of pens that I could just throw in my pocket without much of a problem, I just don't care for it's cartridge-only approach (currently got Akkerman Shocking Blue syringe filled into a cartridge). I really like feeling up the raw finish though, and to most people it just looks like a tool, like a screw driver or something. I'll probably order a clip, since they're only like $3, can't hurt to try.
The Petit1 is nearly identical in capped and posted size to the Kaweco, nearly the same thickness too. Very easy to pocket (though it's one that MUST have that clip, otherwise I wouldn't put it into my pocket). It's the one I like handing to people, if the nib springs, oh well, it was $3. Oddly the nib is just as smooth as my other pens. Looks like a "cutie pie" type of pen, but it works and easy to carry. I got it with a 3-pack of ink refills, which look like shortened pilot cartridges. No converter either, but it's much easier to refill those wide top cartridges, but I would likely just keep using the blue-black refills, they dry pretty quickly for most practical purposes. I mainly got it because I needed to hit $20 to get free shipping on a Uni Kuru-toga mechanical pencil and some NanoDia refills from JStationery.
My favorite everyday carry pen, especially directly into my pocket, Pilot Elite Mini with an 18K Soft Fine nib. Very smooth, not too thin, decent size capped, and nice feel when posted. It was way too wet with Noodler's Blue-Black (which is partially bulletproof), but with Liberty's Elysium it's just the right wetness to flow well, and dries quickly on paper, where as with the Blue-Black smeared way too easily for up to a minute. But with Elysium I'm looking at excellent flow, and around 3-5 second drying time on most everyday paper. It was sort of an upgrade from my nearly identical Korean Made (same era too) Pilot Elite with a steel extra-fine nib that I got from speerbob (that one was around $22 shipped, the Elite Mini ran me $36 shipped).
The Pilot Metropolitan isn't bad, but it's slightly too tall for comfortable pocket use. Since it doesn't have that long metal cap like my Elite does, I just don't really feel comfortable carrying that one around, it has a different "feel" to my elite when used regularly, I like the long grip on my Elite compared to it.
The Petit1 and Elite Mini are excellent in a shirt pocket, around the perfect height and clips on just right (The Elite has a nicer thickness to me). Where as the Kaweco AL Sport isn't as nice to use in a shirt pocket without a clip, falls over and lays horizontally which is uncomfortable for me.
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