Guest review: Pilot Petit 1

Well, how about something a little different? I had a friend run this great idea by me, for a two part guest/blogger review. That's what we've got going on here today.

I'm really excited about this - It's going to be a great way to take a look at a pen from the eyes of two people who view it rather differently.

I'll explain how this is going to work out in just a minute.

Okay, so here's how this is going to work: I'm posting up the guest review today. In two days, after we've all read it, I'll post up my review of the pen. This way, they'll be back-to-back, and easy to compare. What this will do, is allow you folks to see the pen in two different lights. My friend loves this pen, and thinks it's a great buy, especially for the price. I think along those lines, but I see more of it's faults perhaps.

Either way, this is going to be a fun way to compare notes so to speak, and then let you all draw conclusions on the pen!

Lastly, before we dive in: A special thanks to Freddy for writing the awesome review which you're about to read, as well as coming up with the grand idea for a guest review on the blog!

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The Pilot Petit 1 Fountain Pen (white)

with an Apricot Orange cartridge

I was given this pen/cartridge combination by a friend and have been using it for a couple of months now.  While certainly not a fancy pen by anyone's standards, I must admit to being quite impressed with it.

Because of its diminutive size, this is known as a pocket, or purse, pen.  Its measurements are 103 mm (4.05 in.) capped, 127 mm (5.0 in) posted, and 13 mm (.51 in.) in diameter at its widest point.  It's weight is 9g (.4 oz.) with a cartridge inserted and 8g (.3 oz.) empty.  I like this type of pen for carrying with me because I tend to wear polo shirts with short pockets and it fits comfortably and completely when clipped in the pocket.  When posted, I find it quite easy to use without tiring my hand as I write.  The pen is really not meant to be used unposted.

The pen is really nothing more than molded plastic and that includes the clip.  However, it is reasonably sturdy and the clip is easy to use on my pocket and holds the pen firmly in place.  There are no rough edges anywhere on the pen giving it a clean smooth look and feel. 

The nib is steel, as one would expect on such an inexpensive pen, and is marked as a Fine.  The feed is clear so one can actually see the ink running from the cartridge right down to the tip of the nib.

Writing on fountain pen friendly paper, I found the nib smooth with the ink drying in a reasonable amount of time, certainly less than 10 seconds.  The line that is put down is neither too wet nor too dry so is quite pleasant for letter writing or note taking.  There is absolutely no shading, at least with the Apricot Orange.

The ink cartridges come in traditional blue, black, and blue-black as well as some fun colors like Baby Pink, Apricot Orange (seen here), and Apple Green.  Frankly, these little pens call out for the fun colors more than the traditional blues and blacks but it's nice to know that the choice is the writer's.  Indeed, though my pen is the translucent white, they also come in other translucent colors, like green, pink, and purple so one can actually match pen color to ink color in some instances.

One downside to the cartridges is that they are proprietary so standard international cartridges cannot be used.  I would imagine, though, that once the ink in one of these cartridges is used up and cleaned out, a syringe and your favorite bottled ink can be used to refill them.  I have also read of some people successfully making eyedroppers out of the pens themselves.  As a pocket pen, that does not appeal to me because I can throw an extra cartridge in my pocket and if I should run out of ink while away from home I'm still good to go for a quick refill.  That cannot be done if the pen is converted from cartridge to eyedropper.

I have seen these pens range in price from $3.30-$4.50.  The cartridges are priced from $1.95-$2.50 for a package of three, which I find on the high side.

Overall, I think these are amazing little pens for the cost and certainly worth a try.  If you end up not liking them then you are out very little money.  If you like them then they are a great around town pen without the worry of losing an expensive writing instrument.

Pen Construction: ★★★★

Nib Construction: ★★★★

Nib (smoothness of writing): ★★★★

Comfort when writing (posted): ★★★★

Ink Cartridge: ★★★

Ink Color: ★★★★

Ink Dry Time: ★★★★★

Cost Of Pen: ★★★★★

Cost of Cartridges: ★★ 

Overall Score: ★★★★

Freddy's Rating System:

★★★★★: Outstanding

★★★★: Excellent

★★★: Good

★★: Fair

★: Poor (Don't waste your money.)

Pilot Petit 1 with writing sample

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Well I hope you enjoyed this guest review! Please leave a comment below, and let me know how you like the pen, the review, and the idea of guest reviews. Would you like to see more guest reviews like this on the blog? Let me know!

What do you think of pens like the Pilot Petit 1? Before I used the one given to me, I'll admit that they hardly qualified as fountain pens in my mind. Though I'm still working out my own opinions, I'll say that I am personally impressed so far, and my mind has been changed.

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Have a great week everyone.