Montegrappa Modigliani LE with Medium Nib

[camoandconcrete]

One of the pens on my list that I have wanted since I first saw it was the Modigliani by Montegrappa. I have always found its deep, blue swirls to be mesmerizing and the platinum trim to be an excellent choice. However, this pen was always priced just a little too high for what I was willing to pay, since I would rather get one of the other Montegrappa overlay LEs for a similar price. But, recently a brand new mint condition one came up for sale at a price too hard to resist so I took the plunge. And, after using this pen daily since I received I thought I would write a review.

 

The packaging is impressive to say the least and I will let the pictures do the talking.

 

 

Here it is and enjoy.

 

Appearance & Design - 10: The look of this pen is what attracted me at first. It is a long pen with a tapered body and a unique oval profile. Almost everything on this pen is asymmetrical (except for the nib) and this was done to reflect the portraits of Amedeo Modigliani. The clip is long, slender at ends with an upward cut to resemble the noses of his portraits. Moreover, the clips wraps around the crown to begin its descent down the barrel and the top is left open (See pics for clarity). The cap band is a thick piece of platinum that resembles an upper lip. The oval body and long end piece are supposed to represent the oval faces of the ladies he painted. The crown of the pen is topped with a topaz symbolizing the unique genius of this Italian. Modigliani, or Maudi as he was known to friends, moved to Paris around 1910 to immerse himself in the arts capital. The blue of the resin is like the dark blue skies of Paris at night.

 

Construction & Quality - 10: This an area where the pen does not fail. It is built like a tank, and is just as heavy as one. It is easily my heaviest pen yet it is one of the most comfortable, even when used all day. Everything is precisely made and fits like a glove. The cap takes about three turns to unscrew but this does not bother me like it does others. I have always preferred caps that take a couple of turns to come off. The cap threads are platinum as the lip is a solid piece and meets the resin nicely. The crown of the pen has a slight overhang, but curves gently to meet the resin. All in all, the pen is perfectly built, and I can't say that for some of my pens.

 

Weight & Dimensions - 10: As said above it is just right. The metal section is actually very comfortable. It does not get slippery when writing for long periods, and it actually has a tendency to feel like it was made for my hand. It is that comfortable. Also, since the section and end are both metal they give the pen great balance.

 

Nib & Performance - 10: Like my others Montegrappas this one has a perfect nib. It writes beautifully; wet, smooth and consistent. I would say it writes a true Western medium. It is a big piece of 18kt white gold with an inlaid yellow gold head. The head that is engraved on the nib is one of Maudi's studies of the face and its name escapes me at the moment. The engraving is true and the inlay is precise and with the lines of the engraving. Another nice aspect of the nib is that is is flexible. It can flex to almost a double broad and is nice to add slight flourishes to writing. I have a naughty plan to someday send the nib to John Mottishaw to have it transformed into a full flex nib. The feeder is Montegrappa's traditional ebonite feeder just beefed up a bit compared to other models. It performs wonderfully; easily keeping up with the ink flow requirements of the nib.

 

Filling System & Maintenance - 9: The pen is a piston filler and holds a good amount of ink, but not as much as I would like it to. I would say its comparable to a Pelikan M300. It is smooth and easy to use. Maintenance is a breeze. Not much else to say in this part.

 

Cost & Value - 10: I got my pen for a steal! Modigliani's retail for about 895 USD. My pen is new, inked once to test by seller. Compared to other pens I own, the price is definitely reflective of the quality.

 

Conclusion - 98: Overall, this pen is great and worth every penny. Plus, there is a great offer on them right now: if you purchase either a fountain pen or roller ball you get a free ballpoint. That really makes these pens even more attractive. I can definitely see this one being in my daily rotation along side my Espressione for years to come. This pen is about as close to perfect as I could want, the only thing I would change is greater ink capacity.

 

And now for the pics.

 

http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy224/jckrr24/P10003773.jpg?t=1270333902

http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy224/jckrr24/P10003782.jpg?t=1270333917

http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy224/jckrr24/P10003792.jpg?t=1270333946

http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy224/jckrr24/P10003882.jpg?t=1270333982

http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy224/jckrr24/P10003912.jpg?t=1270334002

http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy224/jckrr24/P10003922.jpg?t=1270334016

http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy224/jckrr24/P10003822.jpg?t=1270334046

Wait a minute! That's not my Modigliani!

http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy224/jckrr24/P10003852.jpg?t=1270334079

http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy224/jckrr24/P10003872.jpg?t=1270334104

http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy224/jckrr24/P10003932.jpg?t=1270334131

http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy224/jckrr24/P10003942.jpg?t=1270334149

http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy224/jckrr24/P10003952.jpg?t=1270334166

http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy224/jckrr24/P10004042.jpg?t=1270334184

http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy224/jckrr24/P10003752.jpg?t=1270334215

http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy224/jckrr24/P10004062.jpg?t=1270334265

http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy224/jckrr24/P10004052.jpg?t=1270334283

http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy224/jckrr24/P10004082.jpg?t=1270334298

http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy224/jckrr24/P10004072.jpg?t=1270334310

http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy224/jckrr24/P10003712.jpg?t=1270334334

http://i794.photobucket.com/albums/yy224/jckrr24/P10004112.jpg?t=1270334348

 

Thank you for looking!

Edited April 4, 2010 by MiamiArchStudent

[offbase]

Nice pen & review!

[irbyls]

That blue is gorgeous! Great job on your pen choice!

[SarahS]

What a luscious pen! Beautiful!

 

Very nice review.

[fabiorr]

The etching on the nib is really nice, and the eyes kind of fill up with ink ....very neat!

 

Fabio

[lecorbusier]

Thanks for this wonderful review! This is one beautiful pen.

[Mr_Dirt]

Wow! That really looks like it belongs in Vatican city. Very classical looking almost reminiscent of the architecture of Rome.

[Abhik]

Excellent photographs of this beautiful pen. Do you find metallic section comfortable to hold & write for long period?

I liked your special attention to it's clip details.

Enjoy your pen!

Abhik

[Ed Ronax]

Great looking pen and nice review, thanks.

[camoandconcrete]

Excellent photographs of this beautiful pen. Do you find metallic section comfortable to hold & write for long period?

I liked your special attention to it's clip details.

Enjoy your pen!

Abhik

 

Thank you! I do find the section comfortable and adjusted the weight & dimensions category to tell why.

[georges zaslavsky]

very nice pen :clap1: I was wondering about the piston, is a true piston filler like the 149 or is it a captive converter?

[camoandconcrete]

very nice pen :clap1: I was wondering about the piston, is a true piston filler like the 149 or is it a captive converter?

 

Sadly, its a captive converter.

Edited April 4, 2010 by MiamiArchStudent

[PigRatAndGoat]

very nice pen :clap1: I was wondering about the piston, is a true piston filler like the 149 or is it a captive converter?

 

Sadly, its a captive converter.

I'm curious to know how you've come to conclude this. Last year I contemplated buying this pen, but I couldn't figure out if was a piston filler or a captive converter.

[salduchi]

Great review. Very nice pens.

[camoandconcrete]

very nice pen :clap1: I was wondering about the piston, is a true piston filler like the 149 or is it a captive converter?

 

Sadly, its a captive converter.

I'm curious to know how you've come to conclude this. Last year I contemplated buying this pen, but I couldn't figure out if was a piston filler or a captive converter.

 

I took the pen apart.

[PigRatAndGoat]

very nice pen :clap1: I was wondering about the piston, is a true piston filler like the 149 or is it a captive converter?

 

Sadly, its a captive converter.

I'm curious to know how you've come to conclude this. Last year I contemplated buying this pen, but I couldn't figure out if was a piston filler or a captive converter.

 

I took the pen apart.

I had not expected that answer. Another silly question: how does a captive converter really differ from a piston filler? Isn't one just bigger than the other?

 

Thanks.

[camoandconcrete]

The converter inside the Modi is metal encased and about twice as big in diameter and length compared to the normal converters in Montegrappas.

[PigRatAndGoat]

That's quite interesting. Thanks!

 

PRAG

[camoandconcrete]

You're welcome PRAG!

[camoandconcrete]

Thanks everyone for the comments! I do have a question for the moleskine users: do you notice certain pens skip on the paper? My Modi handles beautifully on all papers but when writing in my moleskine it skips every now and then. Strangely, when drawing it does not skip at all. None of my other Montegrappas show this tendency. Maybe my nib isn't best suited for this paper?