Pilot Metropolitan vs Lamy Safari
The two most cross-shopped beginner fountain pens, scored side by side across eight dimensions — nib feel, grip, weight, value — so you can pick the right first pen with confidence.
Pilot
Pilot Metropolitan
Lamy
Lamy Safari
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The short answer.
Across the eight dimensions we score, the Pilot Metropolitan takes 7 and the Lamy Safari takes 1 — an overall 85 to 80. The Metropolitan wins on raw writing feel; the Safari wins on cap and on room to grow. They suit different buyers, not different budgets.
Buy the Pilot Metropolitan if…
- You want the smoother writer out of the box — its nib needs no tuning.
- You'd rather have a heftier brass body that reads as a pricier pen.
- It's your first fountain pen and you want the safest, most conventional pick.
Buy the Lamy Safari if…
- You want to grow into the hobby — its nib units swap by hand, including a 1.1 mm stub.
- You value the best cap in the class: firm snap, excellent dry-out resistance for travel.
- You hold a pen with a textbook tripod grip — the triangular section guides it (and fights unconventional grips).
Every dimension, side by side.
Scores aggregate owner reports and expert reviews across eight weighted dimensions — the same rubric for every pen. How we score.
What each pen does best.
Pilot Metropolitan
- Class-leading nib smoothness at any sub-$50 price point
- Substantial brass body reads as a much more expensive pen in hand
- Converter-compatible — bottled ink accessible without buying separately
- Consistent factory tuning across production runs — low unit-to-unit variance
- No stub or flex option in the standard nib lineup
- Lacquered grip section can rotate in sweaty grips
- Japanese nib sizing surprises Western buyers — order one size up if unsure
Lamy Safari
- Class-leading cap action — firm snap, secure post, dry-out resistant
- Swappable nib units across the Safari, Al-Star, and Vista lines
- Exceptional value at sub-$30 with a 40+ year reliability record
- Distinctive design that wears in rather than out
- Triangular grip section forces a fixed tripod hold — uncomfortable for non-standard grips
- Proprietary T10 cartridges — no standard international cartridge fit
- Steel nib runs slightly toothy out of the box compared to Japanese competitors