I’m relatively new to fountain pens, so did a lot of research before buying my first ones. I purchased this Pilot, a Sailor and a lower price point Lamy. I like really fine lines, so I bought all with extra fine nibs. I like how the Pilot writes the best, with the Sailor a very, very close second, and the Lamy a very distant 3rd. Nothing more to say about the Lamy...Esthetically, the Pilot is a nice, modern looking pen. If you are looking for old world elegance, then check out the Sailor; it almost shouts special!The Pilot has the most consistent ink flow, which makes for beautiful, readable writing. The Sailor has the finest line weight, but the Pilot is not that much wider. The Pilot writes first stroke every time, whereas the Sailor seems to take a little to get the ink flowing.A real plus for the Pilot retractable tip design is no cap to worry about. They still incorporated a pen clip into the barrel, and located it at the nib end, which eliminates the possibility of the pen leaking in your pocket. Because of the clip location, your grip is forced to be the same every time, and you cannot rotate the pen as you write. I don’t find this an issue, and actually think it may contribute to the pen’s ink flow consistency as the nib angle to the page is always the same. Note: I’m right handed, so this may be different if you’re left handed.I use a converter in my pens, and have not found a significant difference between the pen brands. I haven’t used cartridges with the Pilot, so can’t speak to how they work. I initially used cartridges in the Sailor, and didn’t care for the ink flow, so now exclusively use a converter.I have relatively small hands (women’s size small glove), and the Pilot feels comfortable in my hand. The barrel diameter of this pen may slightly smaller than the Sailor, as I can write with the Pilot longer than I can with the Sailor before my hand tires.The Pilot is a really great pen; looks nice, writes smoothly and is suitable for every day use. Definitely glad that I bought one!