Pilot Metropolitan for a newbie

[Terie_Benjamin]

A huge thank you to all for the wonderful advice. Also I appreciate that nobody on here has "looked" down on me for not jumping straight into a high end pen. I've experienced that on other sites.

I'm sure it's going to take a while to get use to a fp. I've always preferred gel ink due to the ease of the ink flow.

I will report back as soon as I receive my pen and ink.

[VertOlive]

I've had pens for years now and only recently have I ordered a "high end" pen. It's taken that long to find out what I really like/ want.

Right now, where you're standing, is the really fun part!

[Terie_Benjamin]

I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas.

I've always been a pen addict. Searching for that perfect pen. My husband thinks I'm crazy. Ha

[Lady Onogaro]

I have pens of all kinds (not really super high end--I think the Franklin-Christoph is the highest I have gone), and some of my favorites (daily writers) are still pens like the Pilot Metropolitan (right now, I have the orange Retropop on my desk), a Parker 17 that I got on ebay for maybe $20 dollars, shipped, and a Platinum Preppy in the Hello Kitty plastic (cute, and not a bad writer at all). I also like the Sailor Clear Candy I bought ages ago (a daily carry to school).

You like what you like. I'm not searching for the perfect pen; I guess I like variety.

[Terie_Benjamin]

I have pens of all kinds (not really super high end--I think the Franklin-Christoph is the highest I have gone), and some of my favorites (daily writers) are still pens like the Pilot Metropolitan (right now, I have the orange Retropop on my desk), a Parker 17 that I got on ebay for maybe $20 dollars, shipped, and a Platinum Preppy in the Hello Kitty plastic (cute, and not a bad writer at all). I also like the Sailor Clear Candy I bought ages ago (a daily carry to school).

You like what you like. I'm not searching for the perfect pen; I guess I like variety.

Thank you, I will look at the ones that you have mentioned.

I have some favorites that I rotate depending on my mood. Lol

There is no perfect pen, just more must haves.

[Marsilius]

I usually like fine nibs, but with the Metroplitan I chose a medium, which feels fine enough for me normal tastes. The distinction can be hard to determine since the standards often differ among different pens.

[pensplash]

and then..... let the good times with bottled inks or samples roll.

I think the Pilot Metro comes with a "converter". This will intake bottled or ink from a container Right off the bat.

You will enjoy this way of writing.

[Laurie]

Like many before in this thread I find my go to pens are the cheapest. I dont really have a high end pen. The two highest would be my Platinum Century 3776 and my Pelikan 400. I got the Pelikan for a bargain price so it is a good pen that didnt cost me a lot. I have a pen case on my desk and the two pens in it at the moment are a Pilot Prera and a Pilot Plumix (with italic nib). Both these pens are around the $20 mark and I just love them. So as has been said it is a very personal thing but you cant really find that out until you have tried a few. My herd is quiet a small herd (about 15) with three more Pilot Metropolitans (via Massdrop deal). I cant see me buying too many more although I am always looking for another Parker 51 in the wild. I got my best buys from the small electronic markets (I find Ebay is too hard to find a bargain) and everytime I go past an Op shop I have a look (found a Waterman at one and got it for $40 AUD) So my advice is keep your eyes out for these bargains that sometimes come your way and enjoy the experience. It is so enriching

[brunico]

Also I appreciate that nobody on here has "looked" down on me for not jumping straight into a high end pen. I've experienced that on other sites.

There are people who wouldn't have any interest in stationery at all if the luxury goods section of a glossy magazine hadn't told them that a fountain pen would elevate them above the common herd. You can find their type on camera forums, too. This type is very different from the "ooh shiny things" enthusiasm I see here.

High-end pens can be nice. My gold-nibbed Sailor is nice to fondle and it looks spiffy, but I'd still be very happy if I just had my steel-nibbed Pilots. Fountain pens, even high-end ones, aren't high-tech, so it's possible to make perfectly decent ones for little money. Pilot and Lamy are particularly good at this.

[Terie_Benjamin]

Also I appreciate that nobody on here has "looked" down on me for not jumping straight into a high end pen. I've experienced that on other sites.

There are people who wouldn't have any interest in stationery at all if the luxury goods section of a glossy magazine hadn't told them that a fountain pen would elevate them above the common herd. You can find their type on camera forums, too. This type is very different from the "ooh shiny things" enthusiasm I see here.

High-end pens can be nice. My gold-nibbed Sailor is nice to fondle and it looks spiffy, but I'd still be very happy if I just had my steel-nibbed Pilots. Fountain pens, even high-end ones, aren't high-tech, so it's possible to make perfectly decent ones for little money. Pilot and Lamy are particularly good at this.

Amen!!!!

I've noticed this with watch forums that have a pen section. I also notice it on a dog forum that I'm a mod on.

I don't want to own something just because of the brand. I want to use them not just look at them.

[Terie_Benjamin]

I'm so excited I just got my metropolitan. Anything I should know or do before I use it? Obviously not an expensive pen but I don't want to mess it up.

[Terie_Benjamin]

Okay,love the pen but do not like the purple namiki ink. It's too light. I want something darker

[jar]

I usually avoid Noodler's inks but if you want a dark purple then Noodler's Nightshade or J. Herbin Violette Pensee might be worth trying.

[brunico]

Cool!

No, just put ink into it and start writing.

Make sure the converter or cartridge is seated properly, though. The Pilot ones push in a little further than you might think. If you fill from a bottle, immerse the nib completely so you're not filling with air. If you're using a cartridge for the first time in a clean pen, squeeze it gently to get the ink flowing, as there's an inch or so to travel between the end of the cartridge and the end of the nib. Filling from a bottle as described already puts the ink where it should be. A bit of toilet paper is all you need to wipe the end of the section (the fancy name for the grip area).

Some people recommend flushing new pens with ammonia to get rid of residual manufacturing oils, but this is rarely a problem. There's no need to faff around unless you actually come across a problem. Millions of schoolchildren have got by with fountain pens and without ammonia, special pen cleaner, bulb syringes, ultrasonic cleaners, micromesh, brass shims, nib blocks, micrometers, loupes and all the stuff adults like to acquire...

Going back to my earlier point about camera forums, I drew back from saying people who recommend buying unnecessary stuff are crazy when I realised I have a drawer full of camera accessories I've never used...

Fountain pens are simple devices and it's difficult to mess them up (unless you ignore jar's advice and mash the nib down like a biro).

Edit. Just seen you've got it working. Maybe Sailor Shigure or Diamine Damson

[jar]

I really recommend NOT squeezing cartridges since it can lead to small cracks at the nipple. Just put the pen nib down for a few minutes or wrap a paper towel around the nib to wick ink through.

[ac12]

TB
I don't know what nib you got F or M, but in my experience, a finer nib needs to use a darker ink than a wider nib, to have similar effect on the eye. In my mind, it seems to be a F or XF nib puts down less ink, so you see more paper, and that is what is tricking the eye into thinking that the ink is light. I did an AB test with the same ink in 2 different pens. And when inspected with a magnifier, the ink line of XF nib was the same as the M nib. Hence my feeling that it is an optical illusion, but a real one that has to be dealt with. So my XF nib pens get used with DARK inks.

Also some brands of inks are indeed lighter in color, vs. other brands.

Finally the paper. I use a notebook where the drying ink is absorbed into the paper. Parker blue ink looked great when I write, but as it dries, it gets lighter and lighter. The ink, and the dyes, are being drawn into the paper, where your eye can't see it. Hence the dry ink look faded and washed out. A harder paper that does not absorb the ink will give you a darker ink line. But the ink will take longer to dry, because it is not being absorbed into the paper. I watched the ink dry thru a magnifier, and it was interesting to see the ink being absorbed into the paper.

PS, I rather like using the cheaper pens, since I am not into trying to impress others. If it writes well, I don't care that it cost only $10. I have only ME to please.

[ThirdeYe]

When I first started writing with fountain pens I tended to lean towards F and EF nibs because they were closed in size to the gel pens and ballpoints that I had previously been accustomed to. That would be my guess as to why some people tend to prefer fine nibs. That and they are better for cheap paper. As I used FPs more, I found myself drawing towards medium and broad nibs more.

[TAYLORPUPPY]

My only beef with the Metro is the squeeze converter

[Lady Onogaro]

Okay,love the pen but do not like the purple namiki ink. It's too light. I want something darker

Flush the cartridge and fill it with a purple you do like. (I happen to like the Pilot purple, but there are tons of choices.) Or you can get the converter, though it is not the greatest converter.

[Pickwick]

Why do people not like this converter? I have it in one of my pilots and it seems to work perfectly.