Pilot Plumix Fountain Pen - Medium Flat Italic Nib - Black Body

I've had this FP for about six month. It's a very versatile pen, great for calligraphy and applicable for everyday writing. The grip is ergonomic and the pen is light.
Have not been gentle with this pen, writing on coarse surfaces and accidentally dropping it a few times. No problems. It's a work horse no doubt, very satisfied. Would recommend this FP to anyone interested in having a little fun with a versatile flat nib.

My handwriting had gotten so terrible when notetaking I'd reverted to using ALLCAPS so I might have some chance of reading it at a later date - then I got this pen. I hold it so the itallic nib creates broad down strokes, amazingly the thicks and thins this creates make my handwriting in cursive legible - even to other humans!
The line variation also adds expression to sketching, the Plumix being such a joy to use is the first implement I reach for.
Acquired the CON-20 converter when I purchased the pen and have been using J.Herbin inks and have had no troubles with either.

Very lightweight, which is a plus for me. It writes very smooth, I use the J. Herbin Gris Nuage with this pen and it writes beautifully. I am happy with the medium nib but need to write a little larger than normal to accommodate.

I have 2 of these and to differing degrees, they have the same problem. They constantly skip each time I pick up the nib to start a new letter. And sometimes they skip during the letters themselves. I ordered a Lamy Safari at the same time, and it is a great example of how a fountain pen SHOULD write. Of course, it costs four or five times as much as the Plumix. BUT--I also ordered a Pilot Petit, and it costs half as much and writes much more smoothly than the Plumix. Perhaps it is the fact that the Petit, like the Safari, has an actual rounded tip at the end. In any case, I'll probably buy more Petits, especially when JetPens gets in some decent ink colors, but I feel like I wasted my money on the Plumix.

I've tried several inks in these pens, including iroshizuku (tsuki-yo), and have not been pleased with any of them. They felt scratchy on several papers, flow was intermittent, and, though this is far more subjective, they were too light-weight for me. I also am not thrilled with the lack of a clip. I tend not to carry a briefcase or man-purse, so they were not great choices for the coat pocket, and that was my own short-sightedness in buying them.

Now, as regards cartridges and their availability, one of the reasons I tend to like most Pilot-Namiki products is the refill-ability of the cartridges. I'm partial to the dental irrigator for this purpose, but there are any number of syringe-like options. The mouth of the cartridge is so wide that even another pen with a converter can be used to refill them.