Pilot Prera Medium-Nib Fountain Pen, Slate Gray Body (FPR-3SR-SGY-M)

Product Information

Franz: As I said above, I got to play with both pens and the weight and dimensions are the same. The Prera may be in the featherweight class of pens but the feel was quite nice. Holding the pen unposted was a bit uncomfortable but once the pen’s cap is posted, it’s a nice size pen to handle. The white inner cap somewhat distracts my view of the demonstrator but I think you just accept it for what it is. Lastly, the nib on the Pilot Prera is worth every penny. It’s a true Japanese fine nib and writes wonderfully. Even better, the nibs for the Pilot Penmanship, Plumix, Kakuno and Metropolitan are all interchangeable with the Pilot Prera. This isn’t just a great beginner pen, it’s a penfeels like an upgrade tootherbeginner pens. The inkflow is reliable with a moderately wet, consistent, and solid line. I simply don’t have a problem with inkflow with the Prera until I run out.

Katherine: It’s a smooth writer that’s a touch dry. I have one with a Medium nib and while I would have preferred a Fine, the Medium is very usable and still much narrower medium than many German nibs. I’m very happy with it, and it’s the kind of nib that doesn’t make me think about it a lot, perhaps almost boring, but great for a daily driver. Pretty nice! It’s not much of a secret that I think fountain pen design has a long way to go, I think often they’re quite fussy looking, I prefer simple design. And I think this design is simple, especially given that it’s a demonstrator (meaning it’s see-through). You can choose different colours for the top of the cap and bottom of the barrel and I went for blue. I’d have happily chosen no colour, but that wasn’t an option. I’ve only used one ink in it so far – the Iroshizuki Tsuki-Yo ink that I also got from Pen Chalet – but I’d be interested to see how different it looks with a different coloured ink inside. I think it’s a brilliant pen anyway, for three reasons. It looks great, especially for a budget pen Katherine: The Prera is a tiny bit narrower and smaller than my “perfect” pen for long writing experiences. (Maybe I should just remember to cap it…). But I have no issues or discomfort at all after using this pen to draw or journal for an extended period. A very versatile size! I love my Prera demo. I have the one with the light blue. It was my first fountain pen. I only paid 40 but I had to wait about 4 weeks cause I got it mailed Sal and it took customs forever to clear (Customs actually told me it never left Japan but it actually was sitting in JFK and it never got scanned).I just got a Pilot Prera which came with a CON-20. There was a reviewer who said the CON-20 provided better ink flow than the CON-50 in their Pilot Prera. What's your experience?

As a preference, the medium nib was more to my liking because of the wider line and wetter ink flow. I myself can't go finer than a Japanese medium. I simply have a preference for medium nibs all the way, though I will go Japanese Broad if it's consistent with smaller Japanese sizings relative to European nibs. I have a love-hate relationship with Pilot’s starter level pens. The Kakuno is a great fit for any age and size as long as you don’t mind carrying a pen that looks like a child’s toy. Then they do offer the Metropolitan that has a lovely formal presentation, but with an undersized section and a cliff-like shelf separating not just the body and section, but the comfort from anyone without small hands. I got it on a lark, too -- a friend and fellow fountain pen enthusiast was selling the pens she found she wasn't using, and offered them to people she knew first. I'd been quite happy with the Varsity and Petit1 pens I'd used, and decided to get a slightly higher-tier Pilot pen to see how I liked it. No complaints at all thus far. I find my Prera Medium writes a Fine to Medium Fine european line, though my tines may be further apart than others. But I like it much better than any Jowo steel Fine nib I've tried.In the Hand: Pilot Prera (posted) — from left to right: Katherine, Pam, and Franz In the Hand: Pilot Prera (unposted) — from left to right: Katherine, Pam, and Franz I hope you enjoyed this guide. Please post any questions or comments in the box below! Additionally, there is now a "guide" tag, by which you may view all guide posts on this blog!

This hasalready been repeated but I’m gonna say it anyway. Capping the Prera was a pretty cool thing to do. I like it as much as capping the Lamy 2000. The o-ring goes at the bottom of the threading and acts as stopped. This way when you screw the body down, there is some pressure against it from the grip section and it’s less likely to loosen over time. The silicone grease goes on the threads and prevents any ink from snaking its way down the threads over time. The Best Eyedropper Fountain Pens You must fill the fountain pen from the nib. Whatever you do, do NOT fill it detached from the pen. Honestly, I got a Sailor Sapporo from Japan - with its wonderful (gold) nib - for less than the cost of a Prera in the UK, which is just crazy. The UK Pilot distributor is damned annoying. They keep prices massively inflated and uncompetitive, they don't distribute half the fountain pens Pilot makes, and they wouldn't lift a finger to help me source some different nib sizes. But those nibs are so good, and their ink is so seductive... In comparison to other pens, it is probably closest in size to the Sailor Pro-Gear Slim, and a decent amount shorter than Pilot’s other entry level model, the Pilot Metropolitan Pop. Left to right: Pilot Prera, Sailor Pro-Gear Slim Cosmos, Pilot Metropolitan Pop, TWSBI EcoAn eyedropper is a fountain pen that does not have a filling mechanism of its own, rather it uses an eyedropper (or pipette, etc.) to fill it. The body of the pen is made of plastic and the ink sits directly inside the body. This body is an empty cavity, similar to a piston-filling pen, but there is no piston. The cap simply snaps off the top of the pen and you can post that for writing. The has engraved on it Pilot, superior quality and the nib size as well.