Pilot Explorer Fountain Pen Review

As a Review Crew, we have shared our thoughts on the Pilot Explorer Fountain Pen on a couple of occasions in the past. In general, it gets solid marks across the board, but I personally haven’t put it to the test. Time to change that - I can’t let everyone else have all the fun!

Not to be confused with the original Pilot Explorer, or visually with the porthole-capped Pilot Precise, the Pilot Explorer Fountain Pen sits in an interesting spot in Pilot’s lineup. Their popular Kakuno Fountain Pen costs around $14, the classic Metropolitan is around $24, and I’ll even list the $64 Prera here (ouch!) since it sometimes slides into this conversation. The Explorer is around $25, putting it closer to the entry level range like the first two I mentioned.

Construction-wise, the Explorer barrel is plastic, and comes with a Steel nib. It is a cartridge/converter filling pen, and ships with a Pilot Black ink cartridge. If you want a converter, that will cost extra if you don’t already have one (mine did ship with a squeeze converter, but I don’t know that they always do.) I have many, and luckily, the barrel of the Explorer is long enough to fit Pilot’s CON-70 converter, which is my favorite of an uninspiring bunch.

Pilot’s nibs are some of the best on the market, and that includes this price point. Platinum has an argument here, but the firm feel and consistent line width combine for near-perfect performance. I inked my Turquoise Matte model with Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-budo and smile every time the Fine nib hits the page. The only other option in this lineup is Medium, which is a great choice for an all-day writing nib.

The Explorer was reimagined in this form a few years ago, and since then, I’ve wondered who it is made for? The Kakuno uses a plastic barrel and the same nib for $10 cheaper, and the Metropolitan is the metal barrel option with a classic fountain pen feel for essentially the same price. The Explorer has a different style, a very Pilot style, but where does that put it? I think it’s the best of the bunch.

Two main use cases for the Explorer are as a good choice for a beginner fountain pen user, or as an every day carry fountain pen. The beginner case is an easy one: it’s rock-solid, and simple to use. The nib is flawless, and with a pack of Pilot ink cartridges, a new fountain pen user has all they need for quite some time.

As a carry pen, this is Pilot’s answer to the LAMY Safari. As a Safari super fan, even I think Pilot has something going on here. The one knock could be the weight of the pen, and how that might affect its durability. It checks in at 11 grams, while the Safari is 17 grams, and you can feel the density difference in hand. The Explorer has a cylindrical grip section, so those who don’t like the Safari’s molded grip have an option here. Plus, the clip is much more streamlined.

The best thing I can say about the Pilot Explorer is that I get it. I wasn’t sure I did at launch, but the more I see it and use it, the more I enjoy it and appreciate it. Will it replace my beloved LAMY Safari? I’m not ready to go there yet, but the fact it is making me think about it says a lot.

(Goldspot Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Talking Stationery on YouTube

As part of last year’s St. Jude fundraising, I challenged myself to make a few YouTube videos around various stationery products. It took a while, mainly because I wasn’t sure how I wanted to do it, and honestly, I was a little nervous about it.

Once I decided to just record me being me talking about things I love, I got more comfortable with the concept. If there is one thing I can do, it’s talk about stationery. So, here are a couple of what I’m calling One Take stationery videos. No bells, no whistles, no editing - just good, clean stationery fun. Exactly how I like it.

Here are the links to the two videos, and there are at least two more on the way. Will I do more? Should I do more? Who can say. Let’s see how it goes and I’ll decide from there.

Enjoy!

Talking Stationery: The Pilot Posting (PO) Fountain Pen Nib

Talking Stationery: The Pilot Silvern Fountain Pen

Esterbrook Estie Fountain Pen - Back to the Land Button Fill Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

Esterbrook's popularity continues to grow in the pen community, and this series, Back to the Land, gives 110% energy on its retro theme. I honestly don't know how something can be this loud and still be classy at the same time. But it is.

The pen comes in a box with the series name in giant gold foil letters, and the back of the box tells you everything you could ever want to know about the inspiration for the three colors in the set. A pull ribbon opens the box like a drawer.

Inside are a few small extras. Each color comes with a different gift, and this one, Incredible Rock, comes with a car air freshener shaped like the US. That might seem like a super strange thing to receive inside a pen box, if you skipped the novel printed on the outside of the box describing its road trip inspiration.

The pen is held in place with a fuzzy faux-suede magnetic loop that can be removed from the ruler-marked backing and used as a pen clip in your notebook. The magnet clip is quite strong, so it holds securely to most notebook covers, and it holds the pen well without a risk of scratches. It is a bit thick, though, and creates a big lump in the notebook. I do like this concept, though, and it's nice to have useful, functional packaging.

The pen itself is made from smooth resin with gold-colored accents. This Incredible Rock version is an earthy clay brown with a turquoise cap band. It screams southwest 70s retro. But it screams it in a dignified, understated way. The pen is cigar shaped with a nice springy clip. The cap has Esterbrook's delightful spring-seal Cushion Closure, which keeps the pen from drying out. The grip section is smooth and slightly tapered, with a flair at the end to keep your fingers from slipping onto the nib. There is a clear ink window behind the grip section so you can see your ink level.

This is the button filler version of this series, so the end of the pen has a gold-ringed end cap that screws off to reveal a push-button piston fill plunger. So if the design itself wasn't retro enough for you, the filling system takes it up a notch. This system is based on the Parker Piston Vacumatic from the 1940s. To fill the pen, you push in the spring-loaded button, dip the nib in your ink, then release the button so the pen draws in ink. The ink fills a tube inside the pen. The tube is visible through the ink window, but it does not fill the whole inside chamber. It's not as much of an ink tank as I thought it would be, but it's a fun filling system to try, and it still holds more than a standard converter.

My favorite thing about the pen, though, is the nib. I was lucky enough to get this model with a Needlepoint grind, available from Dromgoole’s for an extra $54 (along with other specialty nib grinds like Mini Stub, Journaler, Scribe, Techo, and Fude). If you look closely, you can see the grind to the steel Jowo tip, where some of the gold finish has been removed. It writes very well. It's a nice extra-extra fine line without being too dry or scratchy. It's still not as fine as a Japanese extra fine, but it's dreamy to write with. It's crisp without ever snagging the paper, and the fine lines make the ink supply last longer.

The Back to the Land standard Estie sells for around $175, with the Button Filler edition selling for $225 (plus extra if you want a fancy nib). In today's pen market, that's a very good price. This is a very well-made pen and nothing about it feels cheap. It's all precise and balanced. Esterbrook is making some of the best pens at their price point, and I've enjoyed all the ones I've tried. If you dig a retro road trip, this series might be a winner for you.

(This product was purchased from Dromgoole’s at regular price.)

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!