Fountain Pens
Pilot Metropolitan review
A brass-bodied pen with a nib that has no business being this good at this price, and one genuine annoyance you should know about before ordering.
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The Metropolitan is the pen that turns up in every answer to 'which fountain pen should I buy first', and the reasons are unusually concrete. It has a brass barrel where its competitors have plastic. It has a Japanese Fine nib, which runs narrower than the same letter from a European maker and therefore behaves better on the paper most people already own. And it is stocked everywhere, so replacing it or adding to it is trivial.
The nib is the reason
Pilot does not publish a millimeter width for this nib, and neither does almost anyone else at this price. What is documented is that it is a Japanese Fine, and Japanese grading runs about one step narrower than German grading: a Pilot F sits close to where a European maker would put an EF.
That narrowness is the practical advantage. Less ink per centimeter of line means less for absorbent paper to wick sideways, so the Metropolitan produces a clean line on office paper where a wetter German Medium would feather. If you write small, this is the nib you want. The full explanation is in the nib size guide.
The brass body changes how it feels, not how it writes
A brass barrel gives the pen weight and a cold, dense grip section. It is the single thing most people notice first, and it is why the pen feels more expensive than it is.
It is worth being precise, though: weight is a preference, not a quality. Some people write better with a light pen because they grip it less hard. If your hand tires quickly, the lighter Pilot Kakuno shares the same nib family and may suit you better.
The annoyance: Pilot's cartridge is its own
The Metropolitan takes Pilot's proprietary cartridge, not the international standard that fits most European pens. That means your ink choices in cartridge form are Pilot's three colors, and a pack of international standard cartridges bought by mistake simply will not go in.
The fix is a Pilot CON-40 converter, which is a separate purchase and is included below for exactly that reason. With it, the pen takes any bottled ink you like. Check the compatibility guide if you are unsure which converter your Pilot needs — the CON-70 holds more but does not fit this barrel.
Quick picks
Ranked for the beginner buying their first setup. Every pick names who it is wrong for.
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No image Pilot Metropolitan A brass-bodied pen with a nib far better than the price suggests, and the one most consistently handed to beginners. | The default first pen | Check price on Amazon #ad No live price right now. How this is funded |
| 2 | No image Pilot CON-40 converter The screw converter that fits the widest range of Pilot pens, including the ones with narrow barrels. | Bottled ink in a Metropolitan or Kakuno | Check price on Amazon #ad No live price right now. How this is funded |
1. The default first pen
Pilot Metropolitan
A brass-bodied pen with a nib far better than the price suggests, and the one most consistently handed to beginners.
#ad No live price right now. How this is funded
The brass body is the reason this pen feels like it costs more than it does. It gives the pen weight in the hand and a cold, solid grip section, which is the single thing most people notice moving up from a plastic school pen.
The nib is a Japanese Fine. That matters more than the letter suggests: Japanese grades run narrower than German ones, so a Pilot Fine lays a line closer to what a European maker would call extra fine. If you write small or on thin paper, that narrowness is doing you a favor.
The catch is filling. The Metropolitan takes Pilot's own cartridges, not the international standard ones every other brand shares, and the converter you need to use bottled ink is a separate purchase.
| Nib grades offered | Fine and Medium (stub also sold separately)Source: Pilot Metropolitan, Fine (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
|---|---|
| Nib width in mm | Not publishedPilot does not state a millimeter width for the Metropolitan nib in this listing. Japanese Fine runs narrower than a German Fine — see the nib size guide. |
| Body | Brass barrel, painted finishSource: Pilot Metropolitan, Fine (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
| Filling | Pilot proprietary cartridge, or a Pilot CON-40 / CON-70 converter (sold separately)Source: Pilot CON-40 converter (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
| In the box | Pen with one black ink cartridge and a squeeze converterSource: Pilot Metropolitan, Fine (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
What it does well
- Brass body at a plastic-pen price
- Japanese Fine nib puts down a narrow, controlled line
- Extremely widely stocked, so replacements and spares are easy
What it does not
- Proprietary Pilot cartridges, not the international standard
- Converter is sold separately
- The painted finish scuffs if you pocket-carry it with keys
Skip this if you want to use bottled ink on day one without a second purchase, or if you already know you prefer a broad, wet line.
2. Bottled ink in a Metropolitan or Kakuno
Pilot CON-40 converter
The screw converter that fits the widest range of Pilot pens, including the ones with narrow barrels.
#ad No live price right now. How this is funded
Pilot sells several converters and they are not interchangeable. The CON-40 is the small one that fits nearly everything; the CON-70 holds far more but only fits wider pens.
The CON-40 has agitator balls inside it, which look like a defect and are not — they stop ink clinging to the walls.
If you own a Metropolitan and want to use a bottle, this is the part.
| Type | Screw-type converterSource: Pilot CON-40 converter (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
|---|---|
| Fits | Pilot fountain pens that take the CON-40, including the Metropolitan and KakunoSource: Pilot CON-40 converter (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
| Capacity | Not published |
| Larger alternative | The CON-70, for pens with a wider barrelSource: Pilot CON-70 converter (retail listing, read 2026-09-01) |
What it does well
- Fits the widest range of Pilot pens
- Cheap enough to buy two
- Screw fitting will not fall out
What it does not
- Small capacity
- Not interchangeable with the CON-70
- Pilot does not publish the capacity
Skip this if your Pilot takes the larger CON-70 — buy that instead and get double the ink.
What to pair it with
- Ink: anything ordinary to start. Waterman Serenity Blue or Pilot's own blue-black cartridges if you would rather not buy a converter yet.
- Paper: a Clairefontaine 1951 removes any question of whether the pen or the page is at fault.
- Nothing else. The Metropolitan does not need a case, a stand or a cleaning kit to work.
Who should buy something else
| If | Buy instead | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You want bottled ink immediately | TWSBI ECO | Piston filler, no converter to buy. |
| You want to fix your grip | LAMY Safari | The triangular section allows one hand position. |
| You want to spend as little as possible | Platinum Preppy | A fraction of the price, and Platinum publishes the nib width. |
| You want a light pen | Pilot Kakuno | Same nib family, plastic body, much lighter in the hand. |
Questions people actually ask
Is the Pilot Metropolitan good for beginners?
Yes, and it is the most common recommendation for one. The Japanese Fine nib is narrow enough to behave on ordinary paper, the brass body makes it feel substantial, and it is widely stocked. Its one drawback is the proprietary cartridge.
What nib size should I get on a Pilot Metropolitan?
Fine, unless you write large. Pilot's Fine is narrower than a European Fine, so it produces a controlled line and copes better with thin paper. Medium is the choice if you prefer a wetter, broader stroke and have decent paper.
Does the Pilot Metropolitan come with a converter?
It ships with a cartridge and a squeeze converter, but most people replace that with a Pilot CON-40 screw converter for bottled ink. It is a separate purchase and it must be a Pilot converter — no other brand's will fit.
Can I use any ink cartridge in a Pilot Metropolitan?
No. Pilot uses a proprietary cartridge, so international standard cartridges will not fit. Either buy Pilot's own cartridges or fit a CON-40 converter and use bottled ink — see the compatibility guide.