Monteverde Walt Disney Fantasia

[TheDarkFaery]

There are many beautiful things in this world. This is one of them. I recently purchased my second “expensive” pen and my first gold nib. This pen was no disappointment. Let me just say I will be comparing this pen a lot to my Visconti because the Visconti is my only other expensive pen.

 

Packaging 8/10

The package I received was nothing special (Ordered from the Yafa Outlet) it was a simple green clamshell style box with a soft interior. Simple and effective but nothing special so I gave it an average rating.

 

 

Design and Appearance 10/10

This pen is stunning. Enough said. The beautiful Nabu art technique makes the design on the pen barrel look very three dimensional and the little snowflakes sparkle with a silver glitter. The cap is topped with a music note. On the other end it says “Limited Edition” and the number. I received 81/1940. The pen posts very securely and the cap is adorned with an agate gem in the clip. The pen has the perfect weight for me. It isn’t to light or heavy and the design fits my hand perfectly. The section is nothing special just a flat metal grip. I do prefer the little flare on my Visconti Opera Element’s section.

 

 

Quality 7/10

I guess I was spoiled by the Visconti but the build quality on this seems average. The threads for the cap are smooth but the ones for the barrel require a bit of pressure to turn. I kind of expected better quality from this pen. Otherwise everything on it seems to be great.

 

 

Filling 8/10

It uses a cartridge or converter to fill and some may say “A pen at that price should be piston filled” but I actually enjoy converters more because they are easier to clean. The converter it comes with can be taken apart for cleaning. The converter is also a screw in which I find as an added bonus.

 

 

Nib and Performance 10/10

When I first inked up this pen with J Herbin Bleu Azure I was worried. The pen didn’t write at all. I waited for a few minutes and then ink started just dripping out of the nib and wouldn’t stop. When it did I tried to write but couldn’t get through a word without it skipping horribly. I quickly cleaned out the pen and got out my bottle of Iroshizuku to try a different ink. Right as the nib touched the page I knew this pen was truly awesome. The nib is super responsive and buttery smooth. It is a 14k nib with a simple Monteverde design on it. The nib is also very springy and out springs my Visconti Opera Elements which has a 23k palladium nib.

 

 

 

Overall 43/50

I purchased this pen for $180. It was worth every penny. The pen is beautiful and it writes like a dream. It has quickly reached the ranks of my favorite pen in my collection. Thanks for reading the review and feedback would be great! (This is my first review)

 

Edited August 9, 2014 by TheDarkFaery

[The Blue Knight]

Thanks for the review. You got a good balance between photos and text, it also well written and too the point.

[DaveBj]

Just a comment on the contrast between the cap threads and the barrel threads -- the greater effort needed to unscrew the barrel may be intentional, to keep the barrel from unscrewing when you unscrew the cap. I have an Invincia, and I have to be careful when unscrewing the cap, or the barrel will come partly unscrewed as well.

 

Good review.

[plumista]

Your first review is full of details, and you mention the better and the worse. So it is useful indeed.

 

Perhaps it lacks those wonderfully detailed close-ups, sharp and perfectly lighted, that we often find here on the FPN, but I guess your case is like mine: I do not have the means, only a simple pocket kids camera! Your pics are far better than many, anyway.

 

I am completely satisfied with my Fantasia, so I understand every word you wrote.

 

But why did you receive that lower packaging? I bought mine from hisnibs.com (no affiliation, only thank you Norman), also for a steal, and the pen came in this higher packaging, a big wooden box with glass cover within outer box and card sleeve (all decorated with Disney´s Fantasia motifs) and inner space for an inkbottle. Have you asked Yafa about this difference?

 

plumista

[TheDarkFaery]

Your first review is full of details, and you mention the better and the worse. So it is useful indeed.

 

Perhaps it lacks those wonderfully detailed close-ups, sharp and perfectly lighted, that we often find here on the FPN, but I guess your case is like mine: I do not have the means, only a simple pocket kids camera! Your pics are far better than many, anyway.

 

I am completely satisfied with my Fantasia, so I understand every word you wrote.

 

But why did you receive that lower packaging? I bought mine from hisnibs.com (no affiliation, only thank you Norman), also for a steal, and the pen came in this higher packaging, a big wooden box with glass cover within outer box and card sleeve (all decorated with Disney´s Fantasia motifs) and inner space for an inkbottle. Have you asked Yafa about this difference?

 

plumista

 

Yeah I don't have the best camera

 

Interesting, I will look into the packaging situation though. That is really odd.

 

 

 

UPDATE: I contacted Yafa about the packaging and they told me that the wooden boxes are no longer available.

Edited August 15, 2014 by TheDarkFaery

[Tessy Moon]

Great review! Thank you for posting this! It is a beautiful pen!

[wobbuffet]

I got one of these. It came in a small black cloth pouch. Not sure if yours did.

It also came with an medium iridium point, not the 14k medium nib. I had some troubles with it, it skipped a lot. I retired the nib and replaced it with a 14k nib from a Monteverde Invincia. The 14k nib was buttery and smooth particularly after I changed from Parker ink to Mont Blanc ink.

I changed the nib back to the original iridium point today. it was a bit stiff but it didn't skip as much. That's the reason why I posted this. It's mercurial as heck and it shouldn't be.

[cgreenberg19]

Great pen and review!