[SOME BACKGROUND]
Pilot Pens is a japanese company who are well known for their office supplies (mostly ballpoint/gel pens pen and mechanical pencils). What is probably less known is that they also excel in making eraser (yes they are great), wonderful inks and low -high end fountain pens (sometimes sold under Namiki brand). Unfortunately many of Pilot's great offerings are not available in US (or the shipping costs are too prohibitive).
This pen is a sort of new offering by Pilot (in US) as they do not have any other comparable fountain pen in this price range( the cheapest are Pilot Petit, Pilot Varsity (disposable) ( < $4), intermediate level Pilot 78 G (not available easily in US), Pilot Plumix (Calligraphy pens) and finally Pilot Knight, Pilot prera etc (price > $30)).
[ABOUT THIS PEN]
The construction of the pen is top notch. The barrel and the cap are metal. The nib section is plastic (but still solid). The pen feels very well balanced and if you post it, it doesn't feel (uncomfortably) top heavy. I have a black pen, the color coating doesn't feel cheap (i cannot say how long it will last).
[THE NIB] The nib is steel Pilot M (so that is like Western Fine pen). It is smooth (in absolute terms) and I would rate it better than many more expensive pens (in relative terms). From the looks of it, the nib doesn't seem to be the same one as that of Varsity so pilot is providing you a genuinely new product.
[FILLING] The pen comes with a CON 20 converter and one pilot cartridge. This is a minor concern because, CON 20 is not the best converter, CON50 is a more standard converter and pilot could've included that instead (you can buy a CON 50 converter for around $5-$8 online, but that sours the deal for me). Pilot ink cartridges are available and very reasonably priced, but I think that ability to use different inks is an integral part of fountain pen usage.
In my opinion this fountain pen is an exceptional product which is worth many times more the offering price. I highly recommend it!
[UPDATE] I bought another one within a week of the first one. Yes they are that good :)
| Manufacturer | Pilot Pen Corporation of America |
|---|---|
| Brand | PILOT |
| Item Weight | 2.39 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 5.8 x 0.5 x 0.5 inches |
| Item model number | 91105 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Color | Silver |
| Closure | Retractable |
| Material Type | Brass |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Size | 1 Count (Pack of 1) |
| Point Type | Medium |
| Ink Color | Gold,Silver,Black |
| Manufacturer Part Number | 91105 |
