OK, I learned the hard way about Ahab, what next?

Got it today, happy so far, metropolitan seems better made than ahab, thanks guys!

Love my metro!

Look for a Parker 45. They aren't Rolls Royces, but they're about as bulletproof as you will find. Easy to clean with only six parts and none of them particularly delicate. If you shop around you can find NOS for less than $50.

Kit Walker said:

Look for a Parker 45. They aren't Rolls Royces, but they're about as bulletproof as you will find. Easy to clean with only six parts and none of them particularly delicate. If you shop around you can find NOS for less than $50.

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Thanks!

You're welcome.

One suggestion. If you are rinsing off the parts over the sink, put the stopper or a strainer in. The nib retainer can be washed out of the bowl or your hand, and taking that trap off is such a pain.

One issue with the Parker 45 is that they can start to weep ink over time. The section slightly deforms over the years (more decades) so that the perfect fit with the screw in nib assembly is lost.

Eeyore said:

One issue with the Parker 45 is that they can start to weep ink over time. The section slightly deforms over the years (more decades) so that the perfect fit with the screw in nib assembly is lost.

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and a little silicone grease would fix that up, methinks. i'm guessing since none of my 45s have that problem.

LouSee said:

and a little silicone grease would fix that up, methinks. i'm guessing since none of my 45s have that problem.

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That may be an easy fix indeed. Just be carefull you don't get any on the feed!

I must say that I have not used a 45 in years.

An Esterbrook, would be a great choice. For under $50, you will have durable nice writing pen, the nibs are interchangeable, easily maintained.

50!? I still remember Esterbrook prices from 15 years ago .....

Ok, the metro is even better than the platinum balance I was referred to and is 3X the price, I'm sticking with the metropolitan, couldn't ask for more!!!

Pilot has value across all ranges...the Metro completely redefined the "budget" FP world. If you step up into the $80-$120 range, the fight between Pilot and Platinum becomes much closer. I still think that Pilot wins by sheer variety, though. The Custom 74, Custom Heritage 91 (like the 74 but with flat ends and rhodium trim/nib instead of yellow gold) and Heritage 92 (which is a piston filler) all have 14-15 nib options.

But the Platinum 3776 Century is a great pen in its own right, and priced right there with the midrange Pilots. Not as many nib options, but I've had it for just a few days so far and I LOOOOVE it. Its nib is bigger than Pilot's similarly-priced alternatives, and springier.