You Win, Pilot Metropolitan

The Pilot Metropolitan is the best fountain pen for beginners. There. I said it.

Ever since it was released, the Metropolitan has been gaining steam. I liked what I saw when I reviewed the original medium nib model, and now that the fine nib model has hit mass release I think it is the fountain pen to choose for beginners over my previous favorite, the Lamy Safari.

I still love the Safari, so what changed? The Pilot Metropolitan nib is superior. Japanese nibs are finer than their counterparts from the rest of the world, and the fine Pilot nib is amazing. I love it in the Pilot Prera, and now it is available in a pen less than half the price? I'm sold. The sharper edge on the step-down from the barrel to the grip is still present, so that flaw puts it even with the molded grip on the Lamy Safari. No pen is completely perfect, right? And while the Safari line has many more stock nib options, the Metropolitan is easily modifiable with the EF nib from the Pilot Penmanship or the stub nib from the Pilot Plumix, all for approximately the cost of the Safari.

What do I want to see next from the Metropolitan line? No more Python or Leopard patterns, that's for sure. Since it is a metal body pen and Pilot is doing some interesting colors in their Vanishing Point line, how about some colored barrels? Get on that Pilot - don't let the Kakuno line have all the fun.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)

The E+M Shaper: A Wooden Bic

I'm a sucker for strange and unique designs. So, you can imagine my intrigue when I spotted the E+M Shaper on JetPens. It's a wood-body ballpoint pen with a very low cost of entry. It was a no-brainer purchase that I tossed into my cart along with some other things. I remember thinking, "It probably won't write like anything special, but I have to see this thing in person."

The pen came in, and I was pretty impressed by the look of it. The wood appears to be raw, and the model I got – the Zebrano – has some contrasty wood grain. It's nice to look at. The only marking on the pen is toward the back – a small brand that says "e+m Germany" in silver ink.

Picking it up was my first disappointment. It's incredibly light in a way that makes it difficult to use. But, hey, I can get used to that for a couple of minutes. So I grabbed some paper and began to write. Like any ballpoint, it took a few strokes before the ink started flowing regularly, and it was just as I expected. It writes like a ballpoint. Dry, skippy, and a little scratchy.

The real hang-up I have with this pen is the way it feels in my hand when I'm writing. I just can't find a comfortable grip. Nothing I do with my grip changes that feeling. The pen also feels a bit brittle when I'm using it. That is probably just a property of the wood, but it adds to the general bad feeling I get when writing with it. To compare it with something you're probably familiar with, this pen is lighter than a new, freshly sharpened #2 pencil.

Unlike your average Bic, this pen is not very portable. It's long and seemingly fragile. I can't imagine this pen would fare well in a bag or a pocket. My guess is that it wouldn't be long before you heard an audible snap.

Also, it's worth mentioning that this pen only has one ink color option: blue. So, you better like blue ink if you plan to use this pen because you probably won't be able to fit anything else into the body.

So, how do you refill a pen with a wooden body? It's actually pretty simple. It works just like a Bic Cristal – you just pull on the tip of the refill to remove it from the body, and slip in a new one. Like all pens with this refill method, this is easier said than done. Of course, Bic Cristals aren't made to be refillable (I was once a bored kid in class where the challenge of removing the ink cartridge was entertaining) because they're dirt cheap to begin with. The Shaper is refillable because it costs a few dollars and (here's the kicker) the refill is tiny. It's just under 2.5 inches in length. This is because the shape of the pen body becomes too narrow in the middle to accommodate a longer refill. Tiny! A Bic refill is easily twice as long, with some change.

It was a fun experiment, and I'm still glad to own the pen because it's unique. Maybe I'll meet someone that really loves the pen and I can make their day by giving it to them. Who knows. It writes like a Bic, feels awkward in my hand, but looks pretty on my desk. At this price, it's still an incredibly affordable decoration.

The model I got is $4.60 on JetPens. There are 4 other colors that are all two dimes cheaper than the Zebrano. Refills are $0.80, which strikes me as a bit expensive when you consider a pack of 12 Bic Cristals or Stics for less than two dollars.

Anyway, if they look interesting to you, try one out!

(You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution, Twitter, and App.net.)

The Move Pen Review

Mini pens are difficult to get right. For a product that, by design, should be very simple, it is tough to nail all the important elements and have those elements work together as a cohesive package. Size, feel, fit, finish, refill, mechanics - all of these things have to be considered, and the small size of the pen leaves no room for mistakes. The Move, designed by Oliver Sha succeeds where others have tried and come up ... short.

The premise is simple, right? Make a small pen for pocket or keychain carry. I've tried many, such as the Fisher Space Pen, Kaweco Lilliput, Lamy Pico, and more. None are able to bring to the table what The Move can. Oliver sent me the polished Titanium Move Pen to check out and I knew it was a winner the moment I opened the package.

The feel and finish of the pen were noticeable immediately. Smooth lines, well machined seams, and one of the best bolt action mechanisms I have used highlight the design of The Move. I could really tell the time and thought that was put into this pen by the smooth grinding around the keychain attachment hole. It is silky smooth and honestly I couldn't stop looking at it I was so impressed.

To keep the profile of the pen as small as possible, Oliver chose to design it around the Lamy M22 refill. I recently picked up a Lamy Pico (review coming soon) which was my first M22 experience and I was plesantly surprised. I especially like that there is an 0.5 mm blue option which is my preferred ammo. The lines are smooth, clean, and mess free. The M22 is not a pressurized refill like the Fisher Space Pen so keep that in mind if that is a requirement for you.

From L to R: Kaweco Lilliput FP and BP, The Move, Lamy Pico, Kaweco AL Sport

When writing with the pen unattched to a keychain it is just long enough for me to use comfortably. I have average size hands and could see an issue for those with larger hands than myself. Attaching it to a keyring would probably help with that. You can see where it falls in the size spectrum compared to many popular pocket pens in the picture above, although I will say The Move is in a different product category than some of those.

Right now, Oliver is weighing his options to see if it is worth making another production run. He still has some inventory left from the Kickstarter campaign so email him at osdesignstore@gmail.com if you are interested. Prices are the same as the Kickstarter campaign: $52 for the aluminum versions and $98 for the titanium, both with free US shipping.

Thanks again to Oliver for sending me this review sample. Be sure to follow his work at OS Design Store and get in touch with him soon if you would like to pick up The Move.