Shortly after I wrote my original review of the Pilot Metropolitan with a medium nib, I purchased one with the then-newly-available fine nib. This pen is from the “Animal Collection” — the White Tiger, RAWR! — but aside from the nib and finish, does not differ from the original line.
The White Tiger is, like other Metropolitans, a metal-bodied pen. Unlike the black, gold, and silver pens of the original line, the finish is less matter and more of a pearlized white. The glossy accent band of the solid color pens is replaced with a white-and-less-white tiger-striped band — the darker stripes are matte, so you can feel the patterns, though there is no actual raised design. I’ll admit it’s a dopey design element, but it’s the most restrained of the animal patterns in this line and I like the overall look of the pearl-white pen. (One drawback: the inevitable ink droplets that gather in the cap, especially if your ink tends towards nib creep, end up deposited on the other end when you post the cap. It wipes off easily enough, but as with all white things, you’ll have to resign yourself to a little extra upkeep if you choose the white Metropolitan.)
The nib is every bit as excellent as the medium nibs in this line — smooth even-flowing, well-behaved. If anything, I like it better than the medium nibs, though I still love those too. I inked this pen with Noodler’s Massachusetts 54th (replacing my medium-nibbed Metro’s ink with Apache Sunset). Since fine nibs doesn’t allow for much shading or line variation, the Massachusetts 54th, which doesn’t shade much and which flows quite freely, seemed like a great choice, and it is. (You get nib creep with the Massachusetts 54th, contributing to the barrel spotting mentioned above, but I can live with that).
All in all, the fine nib is a great addition to the Metro line and shows the same commitment to quality that’s already made this pen a popular favorite.
