Compiled from 13 sources; we haven't tested these products ourselves yet. How we research
Quick answer
Both are steel-nib starter fountain pens in our $$$ band. The Pilot Metropolitan is brass (26 g), with F, M or 1.0 mm stub nibs that run finer and a converter included. The LAMY safari is plastic (17 g), with swappable EF to B and left-hand nibs. Pick the Metropolitan for fine lines, the safari for nib choice.
On this page9 sections
Both posted, to scale at 1 mm = 3.4 px, from Goulet Pens measurements.
Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen: Made by Pilot Corporation (Japan); sold in the US by Pilot Corporation of America. Made in Japan: per Milligram's listing (made in Japan). Pilot's Japanese catalog page for the Cocoon (read in full on October 20, 2026) doesn't state a country. eBay and Rokomari listings cited earlier blocked our access on that date, so we dropped them. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Pilot's Japanese site says the Cocoon, the Metropolitan's Japanese sibling, went on sale in 2012; Wikipedia gives 2012 for the Metropolitan. We found no Pilot page dating the Metropolitan itself.
LAMY safari Fountain Pen: Made by C. Josef Lamy GmbH, Heidelberg (part of Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd.). Made in Germany: LAMY's own product listing (India storefront) gives Germany as the country of origin and names C. Josef Lamy GmbH, Heidelberg, as the manufacturer, and also says made in Germany. LAMY's German page names no country. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Museum Boijmans and LAMY's India listing give 1980; LAMY's German page says the safari was introduced in the 1980s.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43 = CZK 21.7; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).
Key takeaways
Weight: Goulet Pens measures the Metropolitan at 26.0 g and the safari at 17.0 g, a 9 g gap from the brass body.
Nibs: the Metropolitan comes in F, M and a 1.0 mm stub, with a Pilot F writing about like a Western EF; the safari in EF, F, M, B and LH, swappable by hand.
Ink: the Metropolitan takes Pilot cartridges and ships with a CON-B or CON-40 converter; the safari takes T10 cartridges, and its Z28 converter (about 0.8 ml) is sold separately.
Size: 138 mm capped and 153 mm posted for the Metropolitan, 139.5 mm and 163.9 mm for the safari (Goulet Pens).
Pilot Japan lists the sibling Cocoon at ¥4,400 (about US$28) and LAMY Germany the safari at €22.90 (about US$26); both sit in our $$$ band.
Which is better for beginners, the Pilot Metropolitan or the LAMY safari?
Both are proven first fountain pens; the Metropolitan suits small handwriting and a heavier pen, the safari suits nib experiments and left-handers. They cost about the same and both have steel nibs, cartridges and an optional converter.
The Metropolitan is heavier and finer; the safari is lighter, longer posted and has more nibs.
Pilot Metropolitan
LAMY safari
Body
Brass (painted)
ASA plastic
Weight
26.0 g (17 g body, 9 g cap)
17.0 g; LAMY: 16 g
Steel nibs
F, M, 1.0 mm stub
EF, F, M, B, LH; 1.1 and 1.5 mm italics
Nib sizing
Japanese (runs finer)
European
Cartridges
Pilot proprietary (one black included)
LAMY T10 (one blue included)
Converter
CON-B or CON-40 in the box
Z28, sold separately
Grip
Slim section: 8.4 mm (Goulet; JetPens 9.8 mm)
Molded tripod flats
Capped / posted
138 / 153 mm (5.4 / 6.0 in)
139.5 / 163.9 mm (5.5 / 6.5 in)
Made in
Japan (Milligram)
Germany (LAMY)
Price band
$$$ ($20–75)
$$$ ($20–75)
Measurements are Goulet Pens’. LAMY’s own site gives the safari as 144 mm and 16 g.
Almost the same length capped; posted, the safari is 10.9 mm longer.
Which writes a finer line?
The Metropolitan, size for size. Pilot uses Japanese nib sizing, so a Metropolitan Fine writes about like a Western Extra Fine, according to The Journal Shop. That suits small handwriting, planners and thin paper.
The safari’s European sizes run broader, but LAMY offers EF through B plus 1.1 and 1.5 mm italics, and its nibs push on and off by hand. Our Japanese vs Western nib sizes explainer shows how the scales line up.
Which is easier to keep inked?
The safari’s cartridge holds more per fill; the Metropolitan comes ready for bottled ink. The Metropolitan’s box adds a converter, a CON-B squeeze type per The Journal Shop or a CON-40 twist type per Goulet Pens; Unsharpen lists the CON-40 at 0.4 ml.
The safari ships with a T10 cartridge, which JetPens lists at 1.1 ml, so each cartridge lasts longer than a converter fill. For bottled ink you’ll buy a Z28 converter, about 0.8 ml. Neither pen takes standard international cartridges; our guide to how to fill a fountain pen explains the systems.
Which feels better in the hand?
It’s personal: the Metropolitan feels solid and heavy, the safari light with a shaped grip. At 26.0 g, the brass Metropolitan is about 9 g heavier, which some writers like and others find tiring.
The safari’s grip has molded flats for a tripod hold, which Wikipedia notes; if you hold a pen differently, try one first. The Metropolitan’s section is slim: Goulet Pens measures 8.4 mm and JetPens lists 9.8 mm.
Which should you buy?
Pick the Pilot Metropolitan if you have small handwriting, want a converter in the box or like a weighty metal pen; pick the LAMY safari if you’re left-handed, want to try different nibs or prefer a light pen.
Pilot Metropolitan: fine Japanese nibs and brass heft. For something lighter from Pilot, the Pilot Kakuno weighs 11.0 g.
LAMY safari: the widest nib range of the two and swaps without tools.
Want bottled ink only? Our TWSBI ECO vs LAMY safari comparison covers a piston filler holding about 1.76 ml.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Pilot Metropolitan or the LAMY safari better for beginners?
Both are good first pens. The Metropolitan comes with a converter and writes a finer line for small handwriting; the safari is lighter, offers a left-hand nib and lets you swap nibs by hand.
Does the Pilot Metropolitan write finer than the LAMY safari?
Usually, size for size. Pilot uses Japanese nib sizing, so a Metropolitan Fine writes about like a Western Extra Fine, per The Journal Shop; LAMY uses European sizing.
Do LAMY cartridges fit the Pilot Metropolitan?
No. The Metropolitan takes Pilot's proprietary cartridges and converters, and the safari takes LAMY T10 cartridges or a Z28 converter. Neither takes standard international cartridges.
Which is heavier, the Metropolitan or the safari?
The Metropolitan, at 26.0 g with the cap against 17.0 g for the safari, per Goulet Pens. The difference comes from the Metropolitan's brass body.
Is the Pilot Metropolitan sold in Japan?
Not by that name. Pilot Japan sells a close sibling, the Cocoon (FCO-3SR), at 138 mm and 24 g, for ¥4,400 (about US$28) including tax.
Where are the Metropolitan and safari made?
The Metropolitan in Japan, per Milligram's listing; the safari in Heidelberg, Germany, per LAMY's own listing.
Can you post the cap on both pens?
Yes. Posted, Goulet Pens measures the Metropolitan at 153 mm and the safari at 163.9 mm.
