It's the cheapeast price I could find online for the pen. The pen comes with a squeeze converter. Buying additional converter is recommended though as the squeeze converter has few limitations.
Animal Collection: Crocodile, Leopard, Lizard, Python, or White Tiger. Nib sizes come in Fine or Medium. You may also add up to two converters for AUD $6.56/ USD $5 each.
Estimated ship date is July 12, 2017.
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Great pen, FYI Massdrop takes a while to come to Aus though.
Yeah, their shipping is one of the worst I've found. I absolutely dislike using Massdrop for that reason.
That said, I've not found Metropolitan fountain pen under AUD $35. I think unless you plan to buy tonnes from US vendors to offset the shipping a little, it's hard to beat the value of this deal.
I managed to get a metropolitan from Amazon for around $25 shipped, the shipping is quite decent too. :D
Same. Wider variety of styles and I should be getting it in 2 weeks instead of 6+ like other stuff I've bought through massdrop.
I have four of these already (Red, Green, Violet and Black, filled with the same color ink) and am very happy with them. Medium is just the right one for me.
Be warned. This hobby is a dark, long rabbit hole. The pens and ink builds up…
and never, ever look into the abyss of vintage pens. Or someone using nibs that were tuned by nibmeisters. Or that video with Pilot Falcon that has been modded for Spencerian script.
I just got a Nakaya from John Mottishaw. I lived in fear for a few days that my wife would find out how much it cost. Totally did not care once I got it and inked it, it was superb. Should be my last pen for a loooong while.
I think I've heard about John Mottishaw, his company I think was the company that sells Spencerian modified Pilot Falcon.
Anyways, I am so jealous. He examines the nibs of the pens that are bought from his place, am I right?
@Oversimplified:
Yup. www.nibs.com
You can customise the nib on checkout for L/R handedness, writing pressure and importantly (for me) wetness.
He sells Spencerian mods, US$110 for the mod, and since the metal Falcon is at least ~$300… ouch.
@Pesty: That'd probably run cheaper than buying a vintage flex pen if you count in risks, possible maintainence issues. It's on my dream list. I am not going to get it now, or soon or just willy nilly. I will probably have to save up for it and buy it for a special occasion.
@Oversimplified:
I have a Falcon metal (without Spencerian). Its not really vintage flex if that's what you're looking for. The nib is still quite stiff and whenever I try to flex it I'm scared I'll spring the nib.
@Pesty: I think spencerian modification basically increases flexibility and make the nib extra extra fine.
This video I think shows how much flex the mod adds. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRebkWHsHC0
Eh I will have to see. Besides I am not looking for a wet noodle like a lot of people delving into vintage flex pens.
Why wait for slow shipping when they sell the pens in Officeworks for $25 for one?
I've never seen Pilot Metropolitan in Officework, at least not in the store near me and not online.
From eBay I found them to cost $30+ dollars, and Australian online retailers were selling the higher than that.
US retailers sell them at around AUD $19.68 + shipping, but shipping costs around AUD $20 from US vendors I've checked at least.
Only Pilot fountain pen I've seen from Officework is Prera line which costs $50.
Amazon is also an alternative site to get pilot metro from. Price+shipping around same
Damn, I didn't think to check Amazon :( Massdrop is slightly cheaper, especially if you add the converter I think. That said, yeah, it'd probably not be worth it for a lot of people.
The converter comes standard with the Metropolitan
I know, I meant buying a converter (which is optional) instead of using the converter that comes with the pen.
I think CON-20 is bit of a hit or miss. Some people seem to love it, but I never liked the limitations it has (how you cannot see the ink inside).
@Oversimplified:
Isn't the CON-40 the new standard ? Has ball bearings to break the suface tension.
I've had 2 pens with standard european converters that don't work well with some inks, too thick and clings to the converter sides, starving the feed.
@Pesty: Pilot I think still ships the metropolitan with aerometric converter (which I refer to as "squeeze converter", I think that's more intuitive). I think the converter that comes with metropolitans looks slightly different to even normal CON-20, but people refer to it as such because the converter is functionally a striped down version of CON-20.
What am I getting myself into? As if my stationary fetish was not bad enough…
Cheers OP, ordered a White Tiger - Fine and Lizard - Medium, plus a converter.
lamy 2000 is the best entry fountain pen
Not really an entry level pen at all. It's minimum $150 aud, even on the cheapest of sites, on sale.
Its… Ok. Has a sweet spot on the nib, and with the design, its hard to know if the pen is aligned correctly. I used the twin "nubs" to get into the general direction. Finally gave up on it.
Would rather recommend the Pilot Custom Heritage 92 for an entry level gold nibbed pen. Piston filler, translucent, good looking pen. Twist cap though, not as good for writing on the run. But nothing beats a Pilot Vanishing point/Decimo for one handed use.
I think the cheapest gold nib pen available is Platinum's PTA-5000A (Platinum Standard 14K). It's been discontinued, but eBay sellers from Japan sells them for around AUD $50~70. It's a good price considering that's what you'd pay for Lamy Al-Star. It was on Brian Goulet's next level pen list on his video.
Other than that (+ Lamy 2000), Platinum #3776 Century and Pilot Custom 74 were two most talked about pens I've found as an entry gold nib pen. Probably because they are relatively cheap. I'd wish Japanese companies use more interesting design though, it's hard to find fountain pens that are not cigar shaped that reminds me of 149.
A gold nib isn't necessarily better than a steel nib. Writing experience depends on many factors and how the nib is designed.
Paper quality (and fountain pen ink) is equally important. Bad and cheap paper tends will make both an inexpensive or expensive pens mostly useless.
@trendisyourfriend: Eh, I just mentioned them because entry gold nib pens were mentioned. Also I should've wrote PTL not PTA.
I've read an article by a pen manufacturer (from Edison Pen Company) that a quality steel nib can do almost all the things that quality gold nibs can do, other than flexibility (which can give different feelings to how they write). He does add that "Gold is a better nib material" on the comment. Though I think I am going tangent to what you were saying.
The pen itself is usually recommended to be one of the best starting fonutain pen for anyone who wants to try fountain pens out. It's a Japanese fountain pen, so Fine (F) would be around Extra Fine (F) if you own fountain pens from Western brands (i.e. Lamy). Medium I assume would be similiar to Fine from brands like Lamy.