Monteverdea Invincia Color Fusion

[tonybelding]

So, I've had my Monteverde Invincia Color Fusion a while now, I think long enough to do a fair review on it. The one I got is Spitfire Red.

 

http://zobeid.zapto.org/image/pens/invincia_color_fusion_02.jpg

 

This is the same basic pen body as the Invincia Color Fusion Ink-Ball, which is a rollerball that fills with fountain pen ink. I'm rather skeptical of the whole concept, since the rollerball tips will periodically wear out and need to be replaced, and anyhow I like my fountain pens Just Fine. Thus, I decided to get the fountain pen version with a fine nib.

 

In retrospect, I probably should have got a M. A bold pen calls out for a bold line.

 

The body is very very red, but the trim is all black. It makes an attractive contrast. Even the nib is black. It's a conventional open (not hooded) nib, and it's a BIG nib, and it's glossy black all over. It's sure a different look from anything I've seen before. This should be good for those of you who can't abide "nib creep". You won't be able to see it on this nib, and you can use all those creepy inks that you've rejected before. (However, nib creep is something I've never paid any attention to.)

 

http://zobeid.zapto.org/image/pens/invincia_color_fusion_01.jpg

 

The pen is fairly large, roughly as fat as a TWSBI 530 but about a quarter inch shorter. It's heavier than a TWSBI. When I first saw photos of the brightly colored body, I assumed ABS plastic resin. Nope. It's all metal finished with something like automotive paint. The cap and the section are metal too! It's not a super-heavy pen, but it does have heft. From a distance it might seem toy-like, but when you pick it up you'll immediately know it's no Safari.

 

You might be concerned about the big step down from the barrel to the section, where the threads are. All I can say is that it doesn't bother me, based on where and how I hold this pen. I grip the narrow part of the section, so that it doesn't feel like a fat pen at all. The little ridge around the end of the section makes a nice stop for my fingers too, which I think makes for better tactile feedback from the pen.

 

http://zobeid.zapto.org/image/pens/invincia_color_fusion_03.jpg

 

The filler is C/C, and this is my biggest gripe. Mine came with a cheap generic converter which had multiple problems. The piston didn't make a good seal, so it picked up air bubbles when filling. Even worse, it didn't make a secure seal with the nipple inside the pen section. While using and handling the pen the converter would tend to come loose and rattle around inside the pen and leak ink out. This was clearly unacceptable. I switched to a premium BluRafia (Schmidt K5) converter and am getting better results with that.

 

I've got to say, though, that the included cheap converter is a big gripe. Not everybody who buys one of these pens is going to have a better converter laying around to put in it. Monteverde are doing a disservice by packing in a cheap-and-shoddy converter. I know they have to watch their costs, but darn it. . . They could raise the price of the pen a buck or two and put in a high quality converter that won't cause their customers a lot of headaches, and it would be worth the money.

 

I also experienced one malfunction related to the BluRafia converter. After a while the pen stopped writing, which confused me at first, but I then diagnosed a bubble in the converter. Most of my C/C pens are Sheaffers, and the Sheaffer cartridges -- and converters -- are a bit too wide in diameter for a bubble to block them up. I've heard about this problem happening with the international converters, and it seems to be inherent to their design.

 

Aside from the converter problems, I'm fairly impressed. The fit-and-finish are pretty good. The threads between the section and barrel are a bit on the coarse side (I wouldn't trust it as an eyedropper filler), but at least they aren't rough. The threads inside the cap seem to be nylon, and it screws on smoothly.

 

I also have to mention the cap construction. This pen has a blow-through cap. That means it meets the European safety regulations which require air passage through the cap, so that some poor child can't get it lodged in his throat and suffocate. Some caps meeting this regulation didn't seal well, and the pens were prone to dry out. (Parker Sonnet, I'm looking at you!) Monteverde seem to have straightened out that problem, as the plastic inner cap seals around the section with a light tension, and in fact provides a pleasant feeling of smooth resistance as the cap goes on. I kept the pen inked long enough to see that it wasn't going to have a dry-out problem.

 

I've gotten a number of pens recently that don't post too well. My Gate City New Postal Junior and my TWSBI Diamond 530 can both be posted, but they're quite awkward about it, with the cap hanging way off the end of the blind cap. Not so the Invincia! The cap slides way down over the barrel, and the plastic inner cap sort of latches -- very lightly -- onto the little ridges at the rear of the barrel. The result is nicely balanced. Also, the nylon threads inside the cap are unlikely to scuff the finish. If you're in the habit of posting, this ought to please you.

 

The clip has a nice round ball and firm tension. Yes, quite firm indeed. It's so stiff that it often takes a very deliberate effort to get it clipped onto a shirt pocket or into a carry pouch. Once there, it's going to stay put.

 

As for writing. . . This nib meets my expectations of a true fine point, and it's FIRM, with a precision feeling and very little variation in ink flow. The flow was reliable from the outset, with no skipping. I had a gripe with the dryness, though. As so often happens with new production modern pens, I found it drier than I like.

 

After a while I gave in and did what I've done with several other steel-nibbed pens: I forced the blade of a small utility knife between the tines, just once, and then removed it. This is a quick and dirty, and somewhat risky (though I've had good luck so far), maneuver that worked wonders on the Invincia. It was like suddenly the pen could breath; it threw off its shackles and could run free. Where before it had been servicable, now it became fun to write with.

 

I tried a few different inks, but Private Reserve Invincible Black turned out to be a good match for this pen. I didn't get a good impression of this ink when I first tried it. Maybe I just tried it in the wrong pen the first time around. I should have guessed invincible ink would work best in an Invincia!

 

When considering the two problems I had with this pen -- the cheap converter, and the dryness of the nib -- it's worth noting that these aren't even close to being unusual problems in the fountain pen market these days. I do think it's a shame, and that pens should work well as soon as you take them out of the box, and that pen makers could fix these problems if they really wanted to. At the same time it would be a bit unfair to single out Monteverde as the only culprit. For example, I had to use the utility knife on two of the three TWSBI nibs that I've got.

 

One thing that irks me slightly: the pen body and nib both have MONTEVERDE USA written on them. This might mislead somebody into thinking the pen is made in the USA. I searched the pen, searched the box and instructions, and even searched Monteverede's website, and I was unable to find any clue to where it's actually assembled. I emailed Monteverde and asked them, but never got any response. It feels like talking to a brick wall. I think they're missing out by not having somebody talk with their customers and the community: run a blog, post on FPN, answer emails. Join the rest of us in the 21st Century, Monteverde!

 

http://zobeid.zapto.org/image/pens/invincia_color_fusion_04.jpg

 

Anyhow. . . I like the style of this pen; I think it's clean looking and fun. It's not trying to push the bling or jewelry aspect the way a lot of modern pens do, and it's not trying to be a copy of classic pens from the Old Ages either. I'd put it in a category with pens such as the TWSBI Diamond 530 and Taccia Merit. It's affordable, good quality (let's say clearly a step up from a Safari), fun and modern. The Invincia's big black nib, the heft, the nice way that it posts, and of course the very nifty color scheme are all reasons to give the Invincia consideration.

Edited March 25, 2011 by tonybelding

[Drone]

Nice review. It is interesting your pen caps and posts securely. Most reviews I've seen regarding the Invincia line say the caps are intermittently loose and insecure - not to be trusted.

 

Your dry nib problem seems to be endemic in these pens. I read one review where the distributor instructed the owner to spread the tines with a razor blade!

 

I believe the Monteverde pens are made in China and distributed in the U.S. by Yafa (someone correct me if I'm wrong).

 

This isn't the first time I've seen complaints about the quality of the converters in Monteverde pens. It is good to know a Schmidt K5 converter works. Now I know what converter to buy should I decide to roll the dice and buy one of these pens.

 

In summary; aside from the cap working properly on your Invincia, you seem to echo the same problems everyone else is having with these pens - poor ink flow and bad converters.

 

To be fair though - these are attractive pens, and they won't break the bank. Plus I've heard customer service through Yafa is actually pretty good.

 

Thanks & Regards, David

[tonybelding]

Your dry nib problem seems to be endemic in these pens. I read one review where the distributor instructed the owner to spread the tines with a razor blade!

 

To be fair, I have to point out that two of the three TWSBI nibs I've owned needed the same operation performed with the utility knife. It's not that uncommon.

 

EDIT: Oops, I did say that in the review, didn't I? Sorry to repeat myself. I'll add that I have also done this to a Targa and a M200. I haven't broke one yet, but it's probably just a matter of time.

Edited March 26, 2011 by tonybelding

[USMCMom]

I picked up the roller ball in red, while at the Little Rock show recently. It uses a converter and so far ... I love it! Great little writer.

 

As a side thought ... I guess this is a case of apples/oranges. LOL

Edited March 26, 2011 by USMCMom

[watch_art]

I didn't notice, or I don't remember reading, whether there's any metal in the section to barrel connection. Could you make it an eyedropper? THat always beats a poor converter in my opinion.

[tonybelding]

I didn't notice, or I don't remember reading, whether there's any metal in the section to barrel connection. Could you make it an eyedropper? THat always beats a poor converter in my opinion.

 

That's a metal-to-metal connection where the section and barrel go together. No, I wouldn't try to use it as an eyedropper pen. I think a premium converter is the way to go with this pen.

[ommoran]

I also have one of these in Spitfire Red. I've not put a blade to the tines, but find it to be a little bit of a dry writer, definitely not as wet as my Lamys or my Taccia. Are all the nibs starved, or is it intermittent? Mine really doesn't seem too bad, but in the grand scheme of things I am a newbie.

[georges zaslavsky]

very original pen, I like it thanks for sharing

[Empty Sac]

Thanks for the review.

 

I was just at my local pen shop over the weekend looking into these pens. I was a bit skeptical viewing them on the internet but when you actually get your hands on them, you're right, they have a nice feel. The sales guy there was a big fan as well.

 

Haven't purchased yet. A Monteverde Rep is going to be at my LPS this weekend answering questions & selling pens (supposedly a "private stash"). I'm definitely going to ask them about where they're made.

 

If anyone's around the Art Warehouse in Westminster, CA is having Monteverde & Taccia (local maker) reps in Friday & Saturday (16th & 17th) all day to do their thing.

 

-Mike

[tonybelding]

I have to say this pen didn't hold my enthusiasm for the long run. I've gradually come to realize that fountain pens are about attention-to-detail. My experience with Monteverde is that they just don't sweat the details like they should. If you are a tinkerer and you don't mind working over the pen and fixing all the niggling little things that Monteverde didn't attend to -- adjusting the ink flow, replacing the cheap converter, plugging the air vent in the cap -- then it's a decent pen for the money.

 

I don't consider it in the same class as even the cheapest Bexleys, though.

[IKWarren]

Nice review. I have a blue version with a fine nib and I have to say it writes very nice. The line is more like a EF and writes with no scratch at all.

[Gloucesterman]

Thanks, it was a good review and very thorough.

 

I too had a problem with the converter and ended up calling Monteverde's customer service. Spoke with Clare, who had me send the nib and converter to them. She said they did have a problem with the manufacturing process and, if I recall correctly, there was a bit of material left on where the converter seated. When it was returned it seemed to be fixed and work just fine. Now, if it gets bounced around a lot I usually open it and make sure the converter is still well seated before using it. Most of the time it is fine.

 

I like the line too and mine seems to write just right as from a wetness perspective. I like the nice weight to the pen.

 

Regarding the "Invincia Ink Ball pen, I purchased one with a fine point they had fine and medium available at the time. Although I don't use it much because it tends to be more of a medium/fine rather than a real fine, it is an acceptable writer. I checked and found out that the "nib unit" on the ink ball and the fountain pen are interchangeable so if you have an ink ball and want to make it an FP it costs $25.00/nib unit. The FP I bought is yellow and the ink ball is blue, I like being able to swap the nib and may eventually get another "F" and possible a stub as well.

 

Overall, I think it is a good pen and my experience with their customer service was very positive.

[Montblanc owner and lover]

just to say:it's red

[renpei]

I got the invincia deluxe and it was pretty bad at first.

Nib skipped like crazy, feed was crooked, feed +nib stuck in hosuing, very scratchy, the 'carbon' was chipped, etc.

 

What I did next was probably a terrible idea, especially since this was the 2nd fountain pen i owned and the only $130 pen I have ever owned at the time. But for the first time, I worked on a nib. Wasnt great as I didnt have any tools.

 

Now its very wet, still a little scratchy but a lot better.

 

Nib and feed are still stuck and cant seem to force it out.

 

Also, I have the same problem with the converter and it seems to leak just a teensy weensy bit...

[El Monstro]

_{Got the same pen - Invincia Spitfire Red a couple of weeks ago. Happy to have it!}

 

_{Weight is on the heavy side but overall balance is pretty even. I prefer using it unposted as the pen is relatively long. But definitely an eye candy pen with its deep and loud red color coupled with the black trimmings, rings and nib! Yes, the nib is black!}

Edited June 4, 2013 by El Monstro

[acolythe]

I have this pen in blue and I think the color of blue set next to the black is stunning. I find that the clip attachment to the cap seems cheap looking to me.I got mine with the stub and its a great writer. The stub is wet and juicy and while its not a Bexley or Delta Fusion stub, its otherwise the best stock stub that I have and its pretty close to the Bexley Gold Stub. Pendleton and Minuskin stubs are better and i cannot speak for the other nib meisters.

I think its a great value and I do not regret it for a second, although i got a bit of a discount at the SF Pen Show.

[Gloucesterman]

As for spreading the tines a tiny bit, there is a simple way to do it.

 

If you have bought electronic gadgets or printer ink cartridges, when you unpacked them you may have noticed a small plastic "thingy" (it's the only way I can think to describe it) stuck to one of the surfaces. This thingy contains the magnetized strips that set off the anti-theft devices at stores.

 

Anyway, remove this and open it carefully. Inside you will find a couple of very thin metal strips. Take these out and use one of them to slide between the tines. I have done this several times with dry nibs and it has worked flawlessly.

 

Good luck,

-S-

[JasonKB]

I picked-up one of these in yellow a few weeks ago. It was on sale - 50% off - couldn't resist.

 

I have to agree with OP on the feel and weight of the pen. Really enjoyable to write with. Not too wet, not too dry. I can run R&K Scabiosa through it and it flows well. I find R&K Scarbiosa is beyond dry, I classify it as arid. It almost squeaks when the nibs moves over the paper. If a pen can handle that ink it has no flow problems IMHO.

 

I too had convertor issues. When I got it home from the store the box had a Monteverde "Clear Ink Convertor" inside. It was a loose fit into the section. I did a little online research and found the pen should have come with the "Threaded" convertor. Took it back to the store and got the convertor swapped and it fits perfectly.

 

If you don't have the threaded convertor for this pen - you should get one. The weight of the section and nib is almost enough to separate it from the non-threaded convertor when filling. No such issue with the threaded one, feels very solid and reassuring.

 

 

[Ecriveur]

I have the all-black "stealth" version of that pen and, although it's not my favorite writer, it looks so awesome it almost doesn't matter.

[iamchum]

Yes, I had the same converter issues with this pen as others, unfortunately, the pen store I got mine from did not have the threaded ones, (which makes me question there sales practices... hmmm). Also, it took a good probably 40-70 pages of writing before I wore it in. After that, it was all hunky dory, but I found the yellow finish really really picks up scuff marks. I've decided just recently to take it out of my rotation, as it is a little more fiddly and less attractive than my other pens and replaced it with an M1000 (hehehe)