PILOT Explorer Lightweight Fountain Pen in Gift Box, Includes CON-B Converter; Red Barrel, Fine Nib (12277)

I had originally avoided these as someone said they were very cheaply made and trash. But I pulled the trigger on one. It actually was my green one I first purchased as I love green. When it arrived I wasn't expecting much. But it may not be a 50-100 pen quality, but you don't pay that for it. It is a very light weight pen and that is nice with arthritis and carpal tunnel. The color looks really good. And the nib is pilots signature nib, they write very well. Plus the cap is a snap open/close not a twist closure so it's a quick open to use. Now the cons yes it is plastic so it has plastic limitations. It will if not careful twist loose a little (on the access to the cartridge that's threaded, it backs off a little sometimes, especially if you forget it is a snap top and twist). Again because of the plastic it's body scratches easier than the metal body, even thou it has survived my crowded purse (a feat in its own) but it has 2 small scuffs. And again if you like weight in your pens like the Cocoon or the Metropolitan (of those 2 Cocoon, if looking at metropolitan pay the extra and get the big sister Cocoon, it's the same pen just nib, click closure and threading was worked a little more making it smoother and an amazing pen to write with) sorry side note there. But yea it's not a weighted pen it is very light. To some that's good and others it's bad. But yea I don't really have much bad to say about this model of pen as I would up buying 4 of them. The green, the red, the Blue, and the grey. I love them all.

Basically, the bad reviews here are about people who haven't read the description and understood that this pen is in resin and not metal. For myself, I couldn't be happier about that. The classy look of metal without the weight? I'm sold on the design. To me, it is of tremendous importance that a pen with which I'll spend hours writing be as light as possible. This pen has a nice look and is obviously very far from being the most overpriced fountain pen out there. So why so much focus on the fact that it isn't metal? I also have the Lamy safari and the pilot kakuno and this Explorer pen is better than both of those to me. I don't know if my Lamy is defective but it just doesn't have good ink flow. Kakuno is OK but less comfortable and the nib is more scratchy. I've used fountain pens my whole life, and I'm liking this one. I don't mind the price, so long as the product holds up with time. Writing with it is quite pleasant and I have good hopes that this pen will help me cover as many pages as I want. I'm happy that have found a suitable successor to my previous 10-year old pen.

The Pilot Explorer is a wonderful fountain pen. It can be carried or stored in any position, never leaks, never clogs. It is a pleasure to use, providing the tactile feedback of a fountain pen with ink cartridge ease of use and rock-solid reliability. I prefer this pen over moch more expensive alternatives; perhaps you will too.

The pen is plastic. So what? I own pens that are metal and more expensive, and most don't write any better than the $20 Pilot. The Pilot Explorer is functional, light, easy to grip, and writes smoothly. It has a neutral aesthetic but also comes in cool colors. You can use this pen in the office or at home. I own several Pilot Explorers and fill them with inks that resemble their colors. The red pen is filled with red ink and so on. I enjoy these pens because they write well and don't fatigue my hand like the heavier metal pens do. The medium nib has an even, thick flow that I believe is ideal for anyone just getting started. At around $20, the Explorer is a good beginner's fountain pen. However, it's a solid everyday fountain pen as well. My only complaint is the excessive packaging. I wish the pen shipped with converters instead.

This pen is what most people would call a starter pen more then any other reason because it is cheaper then others. It still write extremely well, is light and can take cartridges or a converter. It does not have a gold nib but this is probably a good thing as the steel nib is more durable and for most people that is more important then any benefits an exotic softer metal will confer. The pens come in many colors and have a cheap converter that is a bit odd to use as most people will not have seen a 'bladder' type converter. These actually work well but most people will still prefer to use a normal converter as the rubber bladder is not transparent and will not allow the user to see if a refill is needed or some other issue has cause the pen to stop writing (say a bubble in the ink bladder). Over all this is an excellent pen.

When they say this pen is lightweight, they mean it. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but just be prepared. I'm used to a little heavier pen, so this one definitely feels different in the hand. At first, I was iffy about the adapter that they sent with it. but honestly, I have come to like it. The pen writes pretty smoothly (so far) and I haven't had any problems with it that would justify my marking it down by any stars. So far, so good.

Very light pen - as it should be for aluminum. Pretty tough construction, I've dropped it several times with no problems to the barrel or writing tip. One problem I've noticed is the cap securement leaves some to be desired - it's now pretty loose to come off. Writes smoothly. No problems filling the ink or getting it writing afterwards.

I ordered this as I like using a fountain pen for writing in a journal, or drawing pictures of my grandchildren. The pen is clear and precise, and allows great leeway in both writing and sketching. Paper makes a significant difference in my results. Too course, and the pen hangs up and can blot, but a fine or smooth paper gives nice results. I expected a little more heft for the money, but that's petty for what it delivers. Ink delivery is consistent, and doesn't keep flowing if you pause on the paper in the middle of a thought. I've had that happen with other pens, so that was a pleasant surprise. The other nice discovery - if you don't use it for weeks or longer, when you pick it up, it writes immediately. All in all, a good pen, and if you don't lose it, a nice writing instrument.

Esta es la segunda Pilot que compro, la primera fue una Metropolitan. La Explorer se siente más ligera y menos 'sólida' que otras plumas que tengo, pero el balance es bueno y la escritura es fluida. Nada ostentosa, es una pluma decenta para el día a día si estás acostumbrado a usar plumas fuente y no quieres cargar con algo más caro. Recomendaría una Metropolitan para alguien que quiere comprar su primera pluma fuente. Necesitas convertidor para esta pluma si quieres rellenar de una botella.

Es super liviana, muy cómoda, la calidad del plumín es excelente y escribe suavemente a pesar de ser una pluma F. ( Es una F japonesa que anda fácilmente por el 0,3). Y viene con un convertidor. Por el precio que tiene, es quizás la mejor pluma que existe, para mi gusto. Muy por encima de la safari, o de la metropolitan, o de cualquier kaweco. La única contra es que es de plástico. A mi no me importa porque eso significa que es superliviana, pero igual a alguien que prefiera algo de metal eso no le gusta. Por cierto, yo pagué por ella cerca de 20 usd. Ese es su precio. No más. Si te cobran más de 20, mejor una Kakuno. Dos Kakunos.

The pen is light and ergonomic, but the nib is scratchy.. No Con-B converter, was included. Only a cartridge. It's just okay to write with, but overpriced and different from the Amazon description. Not recommended.

Caneta extremamente leve (toda de plástico, poderia ser um ponto contrário, mas a usabilidade justifica), ergonomia ótima, postada ou não e a ponta de aço espetacular (Fina), como é de praxe nas canetas tinteiro da Pilot

Mi primera pluma de fuente Pilot, el diseño es bonito, por el precio me parece de muy buena calidad los materiales pero lo que más destaca es la suavidad de la escritura, me agradó mucho y ampliamente recomendada