Pilot Prera fountain pen review

I bought the Pilot Prera from Jetpens, along with a couple of inks and a bunch of other stuff. See my previous post titled 1st Jetpens haul. I fell in love with the Prera the moment I lay eyes on it. The Prera has such a premium look that it can easily fool one into thinking it costs a lot more than it does. All told, this fountain pen isn't too cheap either. If you also buy a converter (which I recommend because it allows you to easily experiment with various inks), it sets you back almost $50. But you know what? It is worth every penny.

I wanted a very brightly colored fountain pen to use with an equally bright ink. So I got a yellow Prera and I'm using it with Noodler's Navajo Turquoise, which is a very vibrant and punchy blue, as you can see from the writing sample. Yellow and blue might not match but I love the combination.

The Pilot Prera is a short and rather delicate looking pen and for that reason I always write with the cap posted. This gives it sufficient length, weight and balance to write comfortably.

The Prera can take 2 types of converter, both from Pilot: the CON-50 which is a piston-type converter, and the CON-20 which, apart from being cheaper, is also an aerometric design. Personally I prefer the action of a piston especially since I can see the remaining ink.

I struggled with whether I should get a medium nib or a fine one. In the end, I decided on an M nib because I knew that Japanese pens have finer pens than European ones. Oh, the Pilot Prera is Japanese in case you're wondering. It turns out that the M sized nib was a good choice. The thickness of the line is close to perfect for my needs.



Moving on to the writing experience, the Pilot Prera is amazing. Right off the bat it became the smoothest fountain pen I've ever used, but then again, that's not saying much since I haven't had the chance to use high end pens before. The Prera glides effortlessly across the paper and it lays a thin but consistent line, never skipping or scratching. The ink flow is constant and it starts within a few seconds even after it's been uncapped for several minutes (like the time I was taking photos of it).

I've had the chance to use this pen with 2 different inks. The first ink was the included black cartridge. The ink itself was a very dark and saturated black so if you're thinking about using cartridges, I'd say go for it. The second ink that I'm using currently is Noodler's Navajo Turquoise. The Prera handles this ink with aplomb. It lays a thin and saturated line and the flow is excellent.

I mentioned a few paragraphs ago that I write with the cap posted. The cap itself has a very satisfying "click" sound when capping the pen and it posts nicely without scratching the body.

That is, then, the Pilot Prera: a very smooth writer, even on cheap photocopier paper, with premium looks and a decent price. The only mildly negative thing I could complain about is the fact that it doesn't include a converter and that the CON-50 converter is expensive compared to converters from other manufacturers.