At first glance, the Pilot Cocoon looks like nothing more than a Pilot Metropolitan in a fancy box. It does bear a striking resemblance to the Pilot Metropolitan in its outer appearance, though the lovely midnight blue anodized color is not something spotted in the Metropolitan line. In its fancy box is an ink cartridge and a CON-50 converter which is a nice treat. But the big news is hidden under the friction-click cap. Its hides a beautiful little fine nib. If you prefer your fountain pen nibs on the slender-to-hairline side of the range, than this little discovery will be of particular interest to you.
Out of the box, I loaded the Cocoon with Caran D’ache Storm and set about testing if this nib was worth the price bump. Turns out, it glides just as smoothly on paper as its wider cousin but with a fine delicate line which is much more to my tastes.
The Metropolitan is definitely the better deal, pricewise, especially if you prefer the medium nib. Actually, the Metropolitan is a ridiculously good deal at $14.50. But even at the $40-ish price point ($25 higher than the Metropolitan), I do not feel cheated or ripped off. Its easy to compare the Cocoon (and the Metropolitan) to the Pilot Prera as well, though the branding on the Prera nib say “super quality” suggesting it may be a slightly higher quality nib. In the end, the Cocoon is a beautifully simple fountain pen with a great quality, steel nib and an ink converter.
Is it worth the price difference to the Metropolitan? That’s a personal preference. I still believe that if you find a good quality fountain pen under $50 that you like using everyday, you have yourself a good pen and a good deal. This is just one of those cases where it doesn’t feel like there should be a $25 discrepancy between a medium nib fountain pen and a fine nib.
PS: A big thank you shout-out to Yvonne (@Woosang on Twitter and ADN) for sending me this lovely pen in a fabulously Aussie-centric care package. I am truly touched by your generosity and I do love this pen.
(J Stationery stocks the fine nib Pilot Cocoon for $39.95 in five different colors. JetPens carries the Pilot Cocoon in the medium nib in four colors or the silver body with a fine nib for $45)
