Figure 1: The Pilot MR1 Silver Ballpoint Pen
I’ve been trying out the Pilot MR1 Silver Ballpoint Pen (Figure 1) – it’s very similar to my fountain MR3 pen (see Figure 2).
Figure 2: Photo of MR1 ballpoint and MR3 fountain pens with writing samples.
Both MR1 and MR3 pens are part of Pilot’s Metropolitan range – these are quality stylish everyday executive pens. MR1 pens come in elegant silver, black and gold barrel colours, with a classy middle motif, with ballpoint or fountain options. MR3 pens are the Retro Pop range and are bright colours with interesting middle motifs. They make good gifts, and good pens to keep with you every day (my purple MR3 fountain pen lives in my handbag!).
When the ink runs out, the ballpoint versions can all be refilled with Pilot BRFN-10M refills in black or blue, making them long-lasting. The fountain versions can be refilled using the converter that is included, or with fountain ink cartridges – my preference is to refill with bottles of ink, making them quite eco-friendly, but the cartridges are very convenient. We supply Pilot fountain ink and Herbin writing ink.
The first thing I noticed about these pens, besides how cool they look, was how nice they are to hold. They feel really satisfying and comfortable in my hand, with nice weight distribution. They’re a whole different experience from writing with a narrow, cheap, non-refillable pen.
The MR1 ballpoint pen came in a box with a tiny blue plastic point protector on it, and opens with a (clockwise) twist, unlike my fountain pen which has a cap that pulls off. To remove the cartridge and pop in a refill, turn anti-clockwise after retracting the tip.
I enjoyed writing with this pen. The premium ballpoint pens by Pilot use a premium ballpoint ink that is indeed very nice to write with – quite smooth. Figure 3 shows a writing sample straight out of the box.
Figure 3: Writing sample of the MR1 ballpoint pen right out of the box.
