Review: @MonteverdePens Monza Fountain Pen @GoldspotPens

Thanks to Goldspot Pens for sending the Monteverde Monza for a review! I was quite curious about it after having used the Lingmo Lorelai (gifted by a friend), which I rather liked for its style and appearance.

ABOUT

Body material: Plastic
Trim: Metal
Cap: Screw on
Posts: Yes, friction
Nib material: Steel
Filling system: Standard international cartridge/converter
Length (capped): 135.20 mm/5.32"
Length (uncapped): 118.38 mm/4.66"
Length (posted): 145.14 mm/5.71"
Length (section): 19.50 mm/0.77"
Diameter (barrel): 8.09 - 12.21 mm/0.32" - 0.48"
Diameter (section): 9.29 - 10.2 mm/0.37" - 0.40"
Weight (all): 16 g
Weight (cap): 7 g
Weight (body): 9 g
Price: $16.00USD
Where to buy: Goldspot Pens

PACKAGING

The Monza is presented in a frosted clear plastic snap case. A small outer sleeve is printed with the pen details and refill instructions on the inside. I like this idea because they reused the sleeve instead of adding another pamphlet inside. However, it is very basic - black and white - and seems a little dull. The box is branded with Monteverde USA in the bottom right corner. There is a removable bed inside that houses the pen, two ink cartridges, and a converter.

Decent presentation (but I have seen this exact box before with the Lingmo Lorelai). The belly band is a little plain, but can't complain at this price I guess.

APPEARANCE

The Monteverde Monza is the kind of pen that appeals to me - torpedo shape, clear, silver-colored trim, clear feed! Woo hoo! This is why I already have the Lingo Lorelai. There are a few small differences between the pens but at first glance, they sure look like the same pen, down to the packaging.

Anyway. The Monza I have is the Crystal Clear color. There is nothing on the finial, it's just a clear dome. The clip is attached externally to a ring around the top of the cap. The clip is a simple metal clip with a rounded end and no markings on it. The end of the cap has a wide center band laser engraved with Monteverde USA Monza.

The cap, section, and barrel are all polished clear plastic. The cap has a translucent inner sleeve around the nib. The section is round and smooth, ending with a small flared ridge before the nib. There are several ridges inside the clear barrel but they are not ugly. I love the clear section and feed. Seeing my ink color is so much fun and adds to the experience of using different colors of ink!

Overall, I like the design and appearance of the pen. It also reminds me of a clear Sailor 1911. I can see this Monza appealing to many fountain pen lovers out there.

NIB & PERFORMANCE

The Monza is equipped with its own steel nib and clear plastic feed. The nib is a fine point. It has a single slit and a large, round breather hole. It is engraved with F, some flourishes, and the Monteverde logo is laser engraved on it. If you are wondering, Monteverde has used their own nib and feed in the pen, so the nib and feed unit is different to that of the Lingmo Lorelai. One thing I found odd about the nib was it looked really scuffed up, even when it just arrived and was not even inked yet.

The nib performs quite well. It is a fairly smooth writer, medium to wet ink flow, average drying times, and it offers a firm writing experience. With pressure, you can squeeze out some line variation but be careful with it as the tines can spread too far. It performs well for long and fast writing. It can be used for reverse writing but is sharp and dry. I actually have no complaints about the nib.

Unfortunately, my issue is with the provided converter. I can't say it's a deal breaker because I have other converters at home that fit, but the one that came with the pen did not fit easily into the pen. The converter is not branded and it is just a simple standard international. My converter kept falling out, leaking ink all over the inside of the barrel. It was messy and a waste of ink, especially cleaning it up on the go. While I appreciate I get a converter with a $16.00 pen, it's annoying when it doesn't fit. I shared a picture of my leaky converter online and Brian (Goulet) actually told me to try to jam the converter into place. Lo and behold! I jammed it in place (fearing I might crack the pen, which did not happen), and the converter snugly held in place, and since then, no leaks. It's not a huge deal, obviously, but it's not ideal.

IN HAND

The clip is snug and springy, easy to operate one-handed, and slides on and off pockets, pouches, and pages without issue. The section is on the slim side because the pen is not that big; I found it comfortable and not slippery.

Top to bottom: Monteverde Monza, Faber-Castell WritINK, Lamy Safari.

Unposted, the pen is small but comfortable for me. Those with larger hands might find it uncomfortably small. The cap does post snugly by friction, which makes it a little longer and heavier. I found the pen comfy to use both unposted and posted.

PROS & CONS

OVERALL

Cute pen, great price, performs well. You may get a wonky converter that you'll have to jam in place so I'm not sure what that will do for the structure of the pen. It's a pen that feels like plastic (and it is plastic) so I don't know if it's going to crack down the road. So far, mine has not cracked in many months, but I do keep it in a pouch. I do love the shape and design, the all-clear feed and section, all that good stuff.

I do wonder about its relation to the Lingmo Lorelai...





I received this item free of charge for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated monetarily for my review. Everything you've read here is my own opinion.