PILOT MR Retro Pop Collection Fountain Pen in Gift Box, Turquoise Barrel with Dots Accent, Fine Point Stainless Steel Nib, Refillable Black Ink (91436)

Caitlin B United States

FANTASTIC PEN that is great for fountain pen beginners! Instructions are a little unclear though

I've only had this pen for a few days, but I'm already in love with it! This is the first fountain pen I've ever owned, but it's easy to use, writes well, and looks excellent. My ONLY complaint is that the instructions provided were NOT clear. My pen came with the converter (the thing you use to use this pen with an ink bottle) already inserted, and the sealed ink cartridge separate in the case. None of the parts were labelled clearly, and the pictures in the instructions weren't clear either, so inserting the cartridge involved a bit of guess-work on my part. So, here are my instructions for you: -The converter (see pictures) comes already inside the pen. You will need to remove this to insert the cartridge -To remove it, unscrew the body of the pen from the nib (the metal part unscrews from the black part -- see picture) -Gently pull on the converter (there's no ink in it, or at least there shouldn't be since you haven't used it, so don't worry about messes). It should come out without needing you to twist or turn it, just pull. -To insert the ink cartridge: HOLD THE NIB SO IT IS POINTING UPWARDS (this will prevent messes from the ink). The ink cartridge has 2 ends: a tapered one and one that's got a little hollow section. Insert the cartridge with the hollow section first, and push it into place (DO NOT TURN OR TWIST IT AS YOU INSERT IT, JUST PUSH IT GENTLY). The instructions say you "may feel or hear a slight click when the cartridge is fully inserted," but I did not feel this click -- if you don't feel a click, you may carefully remove the ink cartridge and check if there is ink in the hollow end. If there is ink in the hollow end, it was inserted correctly, and you need to carefully push it back into place (again NIB UP!). Be careful -- if the cartridge was inserted correctly, there WILL be ink in that hollow end, and if you tip it the wrong way you might end up with ink everywhere. -Try writing! It might take a second for the ink to start flowing, but it should work just fine! Again, that's just how I personally inserted the cartridge, it seems pretty straight forward but if you are a newbie and don't know anything about fountain pens (like me), having the instructions (and pictures) clearly laid out might help. My advice to Pilot -- in the instructions, include pictures of each part of the pen so we know what each part is! Also, including better pictures for the instructions will help make things clear, the black and white illustrations are only helpful if you already know what the different parts of the pen are. I have yet to try the converter, so I can't comment on that part yet. But overall, the pen writes GREAT, the nib is a nice fine tip, and the barrel of the pen is completely gorgeous. If you love to write, or you have a friend/family member who loves to journal, or is just passionate about nice pens, this is a great gift! Perfect for someone who's never had a fountain pen before!

Carlie Canada

***Great, Affordable Fountain Pen for Writing & Drawing!***

I have been using this pen for a couple months now and I am really enjoying it. - Came in a timely manner and in good condition. - The case it came in, with instructions for use and maintenance, was a nice touch by PILOT. Helps keep everything together in a classy, clean way. - This pen writes smoothly and ink flows well for a fine nib - not scratchy on the paper at all. There is minimal line variation (thick and thin) with different pressures, as expected. This should not be purchased with the intentions of using it for calligraphy or hand lettering, just handwriting/writing/drawing. - The colour of pen housing/body is accurate to photos - nice and bright teal/turquoise, and weighted well - it's aluminum, I believe, so it doesn't feel cheap in your hand. If teal isn't your colour, it comes in a lot more styles/colours to choose from! - If your prefer cartridges, buy some more (or cheat and buy a syringe to refill cartridges with the appropriate bottled ink), as it only comes with one cartridge. If you write/draw lots like me, you'll go through ink fairly quickly. I bought some Pilot Namiki Standard Pen Ink in Black (Pilot Namiki Standard Fountain Pen Ink, Black -69200) to refill the converter in this pen after using up the provided cartridge and it works just as it should. Be sure to buy the correct kind of ink (no pigments that will clog the feed). - This pen is SUPER EASY to fill (converter) and with minimal mess. Just compress the little vacuum converter a few times while in the ink bottle, remove from the ink, give it a quick wipe, and go. - The cap posts fairly well on the end of the pen, although it did fall off on me a couple times. It does not have a satisfying 'snap' on/off of the end of the pen to make you feel it will stay. - I recommend capping the pen between long periods of not using it, as it will dry out otherwise (just a good fountain pen practice). I have not experienced anything truly negative since using this pen (no leakage, no explosions). I would say that only the poor posting of the cap has been mildly uncool - otherwise, an excellent starter fountain pen (or even for experienced users) that will likely last a long time if taken care of properly (and it doesn't break the bank!)

Kiltedview United States

PILOT MR Retro Pop Turquoise

The Pilot Metropolitan series of fountain pens are an expectional value. It will be difficult to find another example of a fine writing instrument that performs as well and is as nicely constructed for so little money. This is my third Pilot MR fountain pen, and, like the others, it performs flawlessly. The Pop series with their delightful colors especially appeal to those just starting out with fine writing, and with this they won't be disappointed. The writing is very smooth, and the fine nib (although not quite as fine as I prefer) is suitable to everyday tasks around the home and office. Even on less than quality paper, the pen is still quite useable. It has a nice weight, and can be used with the cap posted or not. The included Pilot/Nimiki inks are consistent and dry quickly. The pen comes with an ink cartridge and a converter, so you can dive right in. If you are interested in trying the extraordinary experience of writing with fountain pens, this will be a great starter pen. And if you are already smitten with fine writing, this pen makes a great EDC pen that works impressively well, and you need not worry should you lose it. Highly recommended.

Anne United States

Perfectly Balanced, Writes Beautifully

My review is for the Metropolitan Pop Fine Nib in Turquoise. I have small hands so appreciate that this cigar shaped pen is relatively narrow and easy to hold. The Pilot Metropolitan is available in several solid colours along with a beautiful retro inspired collection with fun designs and bright colours that Pop. The fine nib with these pens is finer than other brands definition of fine but it still suits my writing style. The fine nib may not suit beginners though, the medium nib may be better for those new to fountain pens. The nib can feel a little scratchy at first, especially on cheaper paper but it does bed in. If you need to accelerate that process use the brown paper grocery bag trick where you scrub the pen lightly from side to side and the abrasive nature of the bag gently smooths out any harshness on the nib. A converter is included but if you prefer to use ink cartridges you need to be aware that Pilot have their own proprietary cartridges, their pens do not use the International standard cartridges. My purchase was under $20 which represents an excellent value for such a beautiful and well made pen.