Scored on 446 verified owner verdicts, from 2,013 comments read across 5 communities
TL;DR
A famously affordable starter fountain pen with a smooth, reliable nib and substantial metal build that turns many into enthusiasts, though the sharp step-down from barrel to grip section bothers some hands.
70% of 446 verified owners recommend the Pilot Metropolitan, based on real owner verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.
2,013 comments reviewed · scored on the 446 clearest verdicts
70%
Recommend
311 owners
13%
Neutral
59 owners
17%
Don't recommend
76 owners
Last 6 months:65% recommend(31 recent verdicts)→ holding steady vs older reviews
Source
Breakdown
Score
N
Counted in the score
Reddit
72%
254
Fountain Pen Network
65%
139
YouTubeiOrdinary owner comments (not the reviewer). They line up with what owners say on Reddit and forums — within a few points — so we count them here. When YouTube comments skew too far from other trusted sources, we leave them out.owner comments
73%
51
Independent blogsiIndependent blogs with no affiliate links or paid relationship — we checked every one.no affiliate links
100%
2
Reviewed, but not counted — and why
Affiliate blogsiThese blogs earn a commission when you buy. Across our data they rate products ~35 points more positively than actual owners — shown for transparency, never counted in the score.paid commission
50%
4
No clear verdictiGood-to-know notes — setup, tips, and things to watch for. We use them for the pros, cons, and who it's for, but they don't reflect a definitive opinion on the product, so they're never counted in the score. See the 'Good to know' section below the quotes.Setup, tips & quirks
—
6
Affiliate blogs here say 50% recommend, while the owner-based score is 70%. They earn a commission on every sale — so we show them for transparency but never let them move the score.
The headline score reflects owners (Reddit, enthusiast forums), independent lab tests, blogs with no affiliate links, and YouTube owner-comments when they line up with owners. Affiliate blogs is shown for perspective but kept out here — hover the i for why.
What owners like
Smooth, buttery nib that glides across the page · 45 · 10%
Exceptional value; writes like pens many times the price · 42 · 9%
Durable all-metal body holds up for years of daily use · 24 · 5%
Best entry-level/first fountain pen recommendation · 22 · 5%
Satisfying weight and solid, substantial feel in hand · 16 · 4%
What owners flag
Sharp step-down from barrel to grip makes it uncomfortable to hold · 16 · 4%
Scratchy nib, especially the fine and extra-fine versions · 16 · 4%
Who it's for
A great fit if
Beginners wanting a reliable first fountain pen under $20
Everyday work, journaling and note-taking
Buyers who value a durable, weighty metal body
Medium-nib writers who like a smooth line
Look elsewhere if
Anyone bothered by the sharp step down to the grip
Fine and extra-fine seekers, often called scratchy or dry
Collectors wanting character or a large ink capacity
Synthesized from what Pilot Metropolitan owners say — not a spec sheet.
Common questions
Is the Pilot Metropolitan a good first fountain pen?
For most beginners, yes, and 70% of 446 owners recommend it. It writes straight out of the box without adjustment, the steel nib is smooth in medium, the metal body survives being knocked around in a bag, and it costs a fraction of what that combination usually does. The reservations are consistent: a sharp step where the barrel meets the grip that some hands cannot settle on, and fine nibs that draw complaints about scratchiness.
What is the step-down everyone complains about?
The barrel is wider than the grip section, and the two meet at a squared edge rather than a taper. Fingers that ride high on the section press against that edge; fingers that sit lower never touch it, which is why the complaint is so uneven. It is the criticism raised more than any other on this pen, and some owners call it merely annoying while others say it stopped them using the pen at all.
Fine or medium nib: which suits a first pen?
Medium, for most hands. Pilot sizes nibs by Japanese convention, so a Metropolitan fine lays a line closer to a Western extra-fine, and it is the fine that collects the scratchy verdicts, with several owners describing feedback they did not want. The medium runs smoother and wetter, at the price of a broader line than beginners expect and some show-through on thin paper. Pilot also builds the pen with a calligraphy italic nib.
How does it fill, and does it take a converter?
It uses Pilot's own cartridges, not the international standard ones, so refills mean Pilot cartridges or a converter. The box holds a black cartridge and a squeeze converter, and the squeeze converter is the weak part: it carries little ink, gives no view of the level, and is awkward to fill completely. Pilot's CON-40 piston converter drops straight in as the usual upgrade, though capacity stays modest either way.
Metropolitan or Lamy Safari for the money?
The two score almost level here, so the choice comes down to how each one feels in the hand. In the scoring it is 70% of 446 for the Metropolitan against 69% of 386 for the Safari. The Safari has a molded triangular grip that fixes finger placement, which suits some holds and rules out others, and its nibs pull off and swap in seconds across a wide range of widths. The Metropolitan answers with a plain round grip section in black plastic, under a brass cap and barrel, which is where the weight and that step come from.
Do these pens leak or crack?
Some do. Owners report the grip section cracking and ink seeping onto fingers, and ink burping into the cap so the nib sits in a pool on uncapping. Against that, the metal body is the part buyers who own one praise for survival, with one pen in constant rotation for over a year without trouble and others still working after years of daily carry. The nib and feed lift out as one friction-fit unit and push into other cheap Pilots such as the Kakuno, Prera, Penmanship or Plumix, so a spare nib unit is the part to order, not a section.
Retailers' own star averages, for comparison — separate from our vetted owner-verdict score above.
Top quotes, sourced
2,013 reviewed · 287 shown
Sentiment
Community
Sort
Reddit— neutral
“I got a Pilot Metropolitan - bronze lizard M a few weeks ago. It's very smooth to write with to my novice hand but I find medium nibs harder to take notes right on lined paper, and if I hold position too long while writing it'll seep through and be quiet apparent on the opposite side of the paper.”
YouTube▲ recommend
“I love my Pilot Metropolitan.”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“One of the things that bugs me about my Metro is how it always wants to throw itself onto the floor. The damn thing is determined to destroy itself.”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“I can't get past the big step down from the body to the grip. I've tried to like the pen, but it's just uncomfortable to hold.”
YouTube— neutral
“I love so much about the metropolitan, how it writes, how it looks, its weight. (Especially how it writes.) I've just learned i need at least a 10mm grip section for a pen to be comfortable.”
YouTube▲ recommend
“The Pilot Metropolitan was my gateway pen. Now I'm a full-fledged addict with a loooong wishlist of pens, inks, and notebooks.”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“This was my first fountain pen and it almost turned me away completely.”
YouTube— neutral
“I have one Metro with a medium nib and really like it, but it isn’t likely I’ll get another one because there are so many great choices out there.”
YouTube▲ recommend
“the Metro is a great little pen.”
Reddit— neutral
“The only pen that I have that has a tolerable EF is my Pilot Metropolitan, which is the same nib in the Kakuno.”
YouTube▲ recommend
“For me it's all about the nib. This pen write as good as my 2-3 hundred dollar pen. It's inky and the med writes like a 21k fine nib from sailor. The feedback is great too.”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“Sadly that section/barrel step down makes the Metro one of the most uncomfortable pens in my collection. The only way it would work for me is if I completely changed my grip.”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“You know what never wrote well for me? The Pilot Metropolitan.”
YouTube▲ recommend
“I got a fine and a medium nib, and they are great pens. Hard to believe they are so inexpensive, as they perform way above their price.”
Reddit— neutral
“Pilot Metropolitan is my daily driver!
I replaced the nib with an EF from another cheap plastic Pilot pen, though it still isn’t fine enough for my taste.”
YouTube▲ recommend
“I love my pilot metropolitan!”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“The Metro used to be a cheap pen with a lot of weight added on the rear for those who want it to feel higher quality, and that was fine, but the result was a hodgepodge of a basic thin section, a large and heavy body, and an annoyingly huge step between. It posted poorly too. At the prices it goes for now, it just feels too kludgy and underdeveloped to seriously consider.”
Reddit— neutral
“Probably my beloved Pilot Metropolitan/MR. It has its quirks (terrible grip, awful ink capacity), but it was my first baby!”
Reddit▼ don’t recommend
“I had a Pilot Metropolitan that cracked in the section and started leaking ink onto my fingers. Searching on this sub, I found that it was common enough that some others had posted about it.”
Reddit▲ recommend
“for sentimental reasons, my pilot metropolitan I've had since high school. that fine nib has been whittled down to needle-y, springy perfection through a decade of use 🤌🏽”
Reddit— neutral
“I tried the Metropolitan first and found the fine nib to be difficult to manage without stabbing through the paper.”
YouTube▲ recommend
“an excellent pen to buy!I have one with M medium nib it writes smoothly like a fine one.Buy one it worth money spent.”
YouTube▼ don’t recommend
“I bought the Metro as my first pen, but I couldn’t stand how uncomfortable it is to write with, which is a shame, because it’s such a lovely pen to hold, uncap and cap.”
Reddit— neutral
“My first purchase was a Pilot Metropolitan with a medium nib too. I find their nibs much smoother than Sailor's and the shape and weight make them easy to hold.
The only drawback is that the cap doesn't post securely. Otherwise I'm very happy with mine.”
Practical notes owners raise — setup, quirks, and issues to watch for. They don't say whether the person likes the product, so they're not counted in the score, but they inform the pros, cons, and who it's for.
Redditⓘ good to know
“i think the pilot metropolitan or the Prera are awesome entry level fountain pens that punch above their weight. But the solid steel nib is a bit scratchy and gives a lot of feedback.”
Fountain Pen Networkⓘ good to know
“I squeezed a drop of ink out of the pen, didn't allow it to drip off the nib, but let the feed to absorb the ink. This trick paid off and the pen is writing good now.”
Fountain Pen Networkⓘ good to know
“got tired of the weight and narrow grip, and swapped the nib and feed into the Prera”
Fountain Pen Networkⓘ good to know
“My Metropolitan wrote kinda dryish on copy paper, I thought mine was defective.”
Redditⓘ good to know
“nothing some paper towels didnt fix and i've had no issues while writing”
Redditⓘ good to know
“don't have a metropolitan but the Lamy is so easy to clean”
