My Fountain Pen Education: The Pilot Metal Falcon

As was the case with many of my friend Thomas' pens that he sent me, I didn't know what to make of the Pilot Metal Falcon when I first inked it up. I had heard raves about its flexible nib but never having used one before, I was tentative. It didn't take long for me to get the hang of it and I discovered quickly why it is so well regarded.

It is hard to explain the feeling of a flex nib to someone who has never used one before. In a nutshell, the nib is reasonably firm and produces a fine line while using light writing pressure. When pressure is added, the tines spread and the lines become wider, giving the output on the page a little more flair.

My written review actually does a poor job of showing off the line width variation. Part of that is due to this being an SEF nib, or Soft Extra Fine. The other part is me not wanting to really lean into someone else's pen and spring the nib. If you need more variation, the Falcon nib is available up to Broad.

There were two things I did not like about this pen. One, the metal barrel felt awkward in the hand. I'm not sure if it was the added weight or that it was cool to the touch at start, but I never got used to it. Two, at nearly $250 from most US retailers it seemed expensive for what it is. I didn't find that much novelty or uniqueness to justify the price.

All was not lost though, as Thomas later pointed out to me that there is a Japanese model in black resin with rhodium trim for about $100 cheaper, which we both subsequently ordered. And you guys think I have a problem?

Look for more on my very own Falcon in the near future.

Pilot FriXion Ball Slim 0.38 mm Orange Review

If you didn't know this already I am a big fan of orange. Orange pens, orange barrels, orange inks, orange detailing, pretty much anything orange. There is no real reason why, other than the fact I am not a fan of red, so I use orange as my red replacement.

What I have never been a huge fan of is the Pilot FriXion line. They are completely fine pens, but usually not for me. They are growing on me though, especially as the product line matures. I think the turning point for me was the FriXion Biz, which is the only FriXion I use regularly, but the recently released Pilot FriXion Ball Slim may join the club.

The Slim has two things going for it: An ultra-fine 0.38 mm tip, and a slim but comfortable barrel design. I like these slim single cartridge barrels more than I ever thought I would, starting with the Uni-ball Style Fit. The FriXion Slim feels great in the hand and is very manuverable. The knock is placed subtly on the side of the barrel allowing for the eraser to be placed properly on the top of the pen.

I think the 0.38 mm tip is even finer than that. It writes more like a Uni-ball Signo DX 0.28 mm to me. That means there is some scratchiness when writing, which should be expected on a pen this fine.

Where the FriXion runs circles around other pens in this category is erasibility. No other company can hold a candle to Pilot in this area, so if an erasable gel ink pen is what you need, look no further than the FriXion.

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

Pilot Juice Gel 0.5 mm Black Review

Stop what you are doing right now, click this link (Update: No longer available), and then click on the blender icon. Trust me.

The Pilot Juice is a pen imported from Japan by JetPens. This means there are likely import taxes, customs fees, and shipping costs just to get this pen across the Pacific. After all of that, this pen only sells for $1.65. In Japan, I would guess the Juice sells for less than the equivalent of one dollar. This is about as inexpensive of a pen as you can get, and it gets the full marketing treatment with an incredibly cool interactive website.

This is why we can't have nice things in the US.

In Japan, stationery is regarded much more highly than in the US. The tradition is greater, the products are cooler, and the marketing is fantastic. The Japanese people support these products because they are an integral part of their every day life. In the US, stationery is mostly an afterthought.

Why has the Pilot Juice got me so riled up? Because this isn't just some cheap no-frills pen. It is a pen with impressive features like pigmented ink (water-resistant and fade-resistant) and 30 shades of ink. And it is $1.65. This just doesn't happen very often.

The 0.5 mm gel ink cartridge is a solid writer too. I bought the black model and the obvious comparisons to the G2 are apt. The Juice barrel is slightly thinner, especially in the grip area, and has a spring loaded clip. The tip writes very similarly as well - my lines were dark and clean.

The Pilot Juice is a no-brainer. While it may never be the best pen you ever own, it will hold its own in any pen arsenal. You aren't going to find more features at a better price than this.