The Pilot Cavalier is an unusual fountain pen. It is a slender, metal barrel, snap cap that retails for about $36 (up to $58 for the marbled exterior finish).
The Cavalier line is only available in a Fine or Medium nib but does feature a snap cap and the interior of the pen is large enough to support a converter though the pen only ships with a cartridge.
The nib in different in shape compared to other lower-priced Pilot pens like the Preppy, Prera or Metropolitan. The nib shape is more similar to the nibs used in the E95 line except the Cavalier nib is a steel nib and the E95 is a gold nib.
I really appreciate the silver tone hardware on this pen, I think it accents the subtle pink shimmer barrel nicely. All the colors of the Cavalier at $36 feature silver hardware but the higher priced marbled designs feature gold tone hardware.
On paper like Rhodia, the Cavalier is a crisp fine nib. Over the past few weeks, I’ve tried the pen with various inks and papers and the line width will vary a bit depending on the wetness of the ink or the absorbency of the paper. I find on Stalogy, depending on my ink selection, the line width can skew wider. If you prefer a fine line, with the Cavalier, I recommend seeking out drier inks.
The Cavalier is a relatively light pen weighing in a 18gms capped and filled and just 10gms uncapped. That’s considerably lighter than it’s bigger brother, the Metropolitan.
(From left to right: Sailor Pro Gear Slim, Pilot Cavalier, vintage Platinum pocket pen, Kaweco Special FP, Caran d’Ache 849 and Lamy AL-Star.)
As you can see from the side-by-side comparison images above, the Pilot Cavalier is the most slender of the pens shown and I specifically chose a few pens that I consider to be the slimmer in my collection. With the added convenience of the snap cap, the cavalier is a great journal pen. It fits easily under a notebook elastic or tucked into the pen holder in many planners.
The cap posts for those who are curious.
In general, I am a sucker for small slender pens. There are not a lot available on the market so when I do find one, I am often willing to purchase it. The Cavalier is no exception. The combination of the slim barrel and snap cap puts this pen in my sweet spot for a daily writer. It’s perfect for those short everyday notes, lists and meetings when you need a pen that is quick to use and easily portable. The metal barrel makes the Cavalier feel comparable to the Metropolitan line in terms of build quality in a smaller package and with a unique nib shape.
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I like the size and look of the Cavalier, and it is one of my daily grab-a-pen selections.
I have had good experiences with budget Pilots, and I have not needed to adjust the nibs.
I find the Cavalier pen to be easier to use than the well-known Metropolitan, also from Pilot.
The Metro is fatter and slippery, and even though I have large hands, the Metro is often a
challenge for me–several times my Metros have committed nib-i-cide off of the table edge.
Not so with the Cav.
Most f-pens are wider, and some much wider, but this does not make the Cav difficult to handle.
We have become accustomed to wide pens, but I have seen that most folks can write just as
comfortably with a narrower pen. I know that I was surprised when I tried my wife’s Cavalier.