The Metro and the Kid: Pilot’s sub-$15 Wonder Duo

Fifteen dollars may not stretch as far as it once did, but it can get you a workhorse fountain pen that you’ll want to use every day, thanks to Pilot Corporation and its Metropolitan and Kakuno pens.

Many reviews have already been written about both these pens, so I’m not going to reinvent the wheel by reviewing them here. Instead, I’m going to discuss some features of interest in each pen, and point out some differences that might help you choose between them.

Pilot Metropolitan

The Pilot Metropolitan has an MSRP of $18.75 USD, but it’s easily found for less than $15. It’s a refillable pen that includes a Pilot-proprietary ink cartridge and a CON-20 squeeze-style converter that’ll allow you to use bottled ink right from the start.

The Metropolitan’s brass barrel adds some heft to a pen that’s not particularly imposing out of the box. It has plain, but classy, styling that would be suitable in a professional environment. The weight of the pen in the hand, plus its impeccable build quality, makes the Metropolitan feel like a far more expensive pen than it actually is.

But how does it write? Excellently, thanks to its fantastic nib. (It actually uses the same nib as the Kakuno, which makes choosing between these two pens mostly a matter of personal preference.) My Metropolitan wrote as smooth as silk from its first inking. The nib is stainless steel, with little to no flex, so don’t expect miracles in terms of being able to vary your line widths. If this is your first Pilot fountain pen, be aware that Japanese nibs tend to run thinner than their European and American counterparts. A Pilot fine nib creates a line approximating a 0.5mm gel pen, and a medium nib is close to 0.7mm.

The Metropolitan’s section (i.e. gripping area) is smooth, round plastic. It’s sized comfortably for smaller hands, but may not be large enough for folks with bigger fingers or those who prefer their grip higher up on a pen. The cap of the pen can be posted (i.e. slipped onto the end of the barrel) when writing.

Three Good Reviews of the Pilot Metropolitan:

• @ The Pencilcase Blog
• @ The Gentleman Stationer
• @ The Pen Addict

Pilot Kakuno

The Pilot Kakuno has an MSRP of $13.50 USD, and that’s the price point you’ll usually find them offered at. It’s a refillable pen that comes with a Pilot-proprietary ink cartridge, but it does not include a converter. You’ll need to purchase a Pilot-compatible converter separately to use bottled ink.

The Kakuno is a plastic pen with a hexagonal shaped barrel. Due to its plastic construction, it feels light and less substantial in the hand. The flat sides of the Kakuno will keep it from rolling off a table, which is helpful because the cap does not have a clip. (Instead, the cap has a small nub to further prevent accidental roll-offs.) Pilot designed this pen for the children’s market, and the available colors and styling reflect “fun” more than “professional” — there’s even a smiley face on the nib.

As mentioned previously, the Kakuno’s nib is the same as the one found in the Metro, so both pens offer a similarly excellent writing experience.

The Kakuno’s section is plastic, and it’s molded into a somewhat triangular shape intended to guide you into a proper grip. Despite being designed with children in mind, the section is fatter than the one on the Metropolitan, and those with larger hands may find it more comfortable. The Kakuno’s cap can be securely posted on to the end of the barrel.

Three Good Reviews of the Pilot Kakuno:

• @ The Well Appointed Desk
• @ My Pen Needs Ink
• @ A Better Desk

In Summary

Choose the Metropolitan if…

• you prefer a round grip section
• you need a more professional looking pen
• you prefer a pen that feels heavier in the hand
• you’d like to use bottled ink immediately without buying a separate converter

Choose the Kakuno if…

• you prefer a shaped grip section
• you like fun, bright colors
• you prefer a lighter pen
• you don’t mind if the cap doesn’t have a clip