One last pen before we go back to looking at inks. The Metropolitan is a new-ish entry-level fountain pen that will compete really well with the others in that realm like the Pelikanos, Safaris, and Sheaffer VFMs. At around $15, it is the same price as a VFM, but it comes with its own converter so you don't have to refill cartridges in order to use bottled ink. The price is well below the other entry-level pens, so it's a really good place for a new fountain pen user to start with.
Aesthetics
It only comes in three colors, but you can choose from among several detail-designs for the barrel, and I suppose that spruces it up a bit. The black and silver models look pretty classy, while the gold is a bit too much for my tastes. The Metro has an aluminum body and cap with a glossy black section. The nib is tastefully engraved with little hash marks moving towards the tip. It's a smart lookin' pen.
I've been carrying mine around in my pocket for a while, and there aren't any scratches on it yet. Granted, I don't carry around a bunch of change in the same pocket, but it's still survived a couple of months without any damage.
Nib & Performance
The nib in the pictures above is the nib of my Pilot Plumix. These two nibs are interchangeable, and the Plumix is a stub, so I bought both of them specifically to make the switch. That's not because the Metro comes with a bad nib. It doesn't. It's a very smooth nib. It's also pretty stiff. In fact, if anything, it's a little too smooth. It tends to skate a little if you're using a smooth ink, but I haven't had much of a problem with it.
The pen performs well, but it is a tad dry. The first ink I used in it was Waterman Mysterious Blue, and it was not a very good match. I've been using Noodler's Dark Matter in it for a while, now, and it's working really well. I thought it was the nib that was running dry, but I've put it in the Plumix and it works perfectly well. I think the feed could be opened up a little if you want it to run wetter, but if you're using a slightly less viscous ink you won't have a problem.
Aesthetics
It only comes in three colors, but you can choose from among several detail-designs for the barrel, and I suppose that spruces it up a bit. The black and silver models look pretty classy, while the gold is a bit too much for my tastes. The Metro has an aluminum body and cap with a glossy black section. The nib is tastefully engraved with little hash marks moving towards the tip. It's a smart lookin' pen.
I've been carrying mine around in my pocket for a while, and there aren't any scratches on it yet. Granted, I don't carry around a bunch of change in the same pocket, but it's still survived a couple of months without any damage.
Nib & Performance
The nib in the pictures above is the nib of my Pilot Plumix. These two nibs are interchangeable, and the Plumix is a stub, so I bought both of them specifically to make the switch. That's not because the Metro comes with a bad nib. It doesn't. It's a very smooth nib. It's also pretty stiff. In fact, if anything, it's a little too smooth. It tends to skate a little if you're using a smooth ink, but I haven't had much of a problem with it.
The pen performs well, but it is a tad dry. The first ink I used in it was Waterman Mysterious Blue, and it was not a very good match. I've been using Noodler's Dark Matter in it for a while, now, and it's working really well. I thought it was the nib that was running dry, but I've put it in the Plumix and it works perfectly well. I think the feed could be opened up a little if you want it to run wetter, but if you're using a slightly less viscous ink you won't have a problem.
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| These two pictures are of the Metro's nib, but that nib lives on my Pilot Plumix now. That's the Plumix section you're seeing there. |
If you're reading this blog, you're probably already into fountain pens. If, for some reason, you're not already a user, you should pick up one of these. They're a great value for the price, and they're great everyday carry pens.
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