Hi all, this is my first post here and I just wanted to share my experience of Mont Blanc and the Starwalker fountain pen.

I recently bought the Starwalker 100 year Soulmaker with a medium nib from a MB concession in an upmarket department store in the UK. When I bought the pen, the shop assistant didn't have any Starwalkers for me to try. They only had sets of Le Grand and Bohemes to try. The shop assistant stated that the nibs for all MB pens were the same. I wasn't convinced but took a chance and decided to buy the Starwalker.

I started having problems straight away with the pen skipping like crazy. I gave it 3 weeks before I decided to take it back to the shop to get the nib fixed. This time I spoke to the manager of the concession. I was horrified by the lack of knowledge of the staff. We had a conversation about the nibs and I mentioned that the Starwalker has a stiffer nib than the Chopin and Boheme. The manager (who has apparently worked for MB for years and has had extensive MB technical training) again stated that ALL the nibs feel the same irrespective of the material and shape of the nib because the tips are all made of iridium and that I must be pressing down too hard if I can feel a difference. I don't believe this for a second. Surely the shape and material of the nib are big factors in how the pen writes and feels. The Starwalker nib feels totally different from my Boheme and Chopin. In the end we agreed to disagree.

The manager even hinted that the fact that I didn't have a spare cartridge in the barrel of the pen may have been a factor causing my pen to skip! I'm not a MB hater. My Chopin is the best FP I have and writes like a dream, but the comments and lack of knowledge from MB staff left a very bad taste in my mouth.

I eventually agreed to have my pen sent to a repair centre to have the nib adjusted. Hopefully the problems will be sorted, but next time I won't be buying from a MB boutique or concession but a reputable pen shop with knowledgable staff.

I purchased mine from Sloane square MB boutique and the sales staff in there have been fantastic and wonderfully helpful. They have gone out of there way to help me.

When buying an MB in person, going to the boutique is the way to go. Boutique staff are extremely well trained in regards to the current product lineups. However, some forum members have found that there are significant gaps in knowledge of vintage products.
Since you are in the UK, and probably in a urban area, you will do much better to skip the authorized retailers and go straight to the source.

That's exactly what I thought when I went to buy this pen. I live in the NW, the closest thing to a MB boutique store here is the concession in a local department store. They sell the entire range, jewellery, leather etc. I assumed that this would be the best place to buy and with the most knowledgeable staff. Unfortunately this was clearly not the case.

What surprised me most was when they were insisting that all MB nibs feel and write the same irrespective of the shape and material of the nib because the tip of all pens are iridium. This is clearly not the case especially with regard to the Starwalker. The fact that they kept mentioning that they have been technically trained by MB is even more worrying. Sure they were pleasant and polite but knowledge wise I was very disappointed.

ETA: Actually I just realised that the place I went to was a boutique.....

I am not very happy with my Starwalker. I got the 100 Year Anniversary Starwalker with the solitaire diamond in the cap and it was my very first Montblanc and it was the worst (and still is) the worst experience ever.

The nib skips like crazy and at first I thought it needed breaking in to but no. Then I thought it might be because it is cartridge filled as opposed to the bottle filled pens because my Meisterstuck writes wonderfully, but then I got a Boheme which is also cartridge fill and it does not skip like that. And the clip start wobbling and the cap with the star moving..

I am personally content with owning one, but unless I find a friend(aquaintence) with one that writes and works perfectly I seriously doubt I would ever buy another one..

In Auckland we are lucky. There is an authorised retailer with a really knowledgeable and helpful pen enthusiast just a few hundred meters from the MB boutique.
I haven't been into the boutique and am not sure if I would if I wanted to buy a new MB; the pen salesman in the authorised retailer is really awesome to deal with and would love to order a MB from him.

Does the Starwalker 100 year even ACCOMODATE a spare cartridge? I didn't think it would.

If not, that is a blazing sign of the merchant's ignorance.

I had the same wobbling clip problem on a Starwalker (Rubber and Platinum). I took it back to the Boutique and they fixed it for free right then and there. Didn't even want to see my paperwork (I didn't buy it at the boutique). They said that it happens occasionally because the pens are hand assembled and the individual doesn't tighten it down properly. It is about a two minute fix and I am sure they could look at the nib problems while you are there, too!

Ahh dont let one rotten apple spoil the rest for you.The attitued of this guy is clearly with his nose up,dont worry about this there are people like that all over in any proffesion.Lack of knolage is a shame but never was an issue for me as every time I get into a pen shop the "knolagable" is coming to help and explain any question I have of there pens but in 2 minutes they find themselvs standing and listening to me explaining to them about there pens.Usualy they are amazed somebody actualy is creazy about pens and takes the time to learn about it and after a while when I dont stop talking they start to get this look of "come on man this is enough and anyways I have customers to serve,this is boring look on there face" and only then I will let them go.In the pen shop close to my work place the entire staff knows me already and some will run in horror when they see me coming and some will welcome me with a smile.

The important part about pens is the pens a nice staff can be a wonderful bonus but at the end its all about the pens.

In any case I hope you will get the pens back and it will match your expectations.

It does. The barrel of the 100 year SE Starwalker is no different than the regular resin Starwalker barrel. The difference between the regular and special editions are the engraving on the nib and clip ring, and obviously the diamond. I even use a Pelikan converter in it, and it works.

That's a bit distressing, to have such a fine pen skip and have wobbly parts and... it just isn't right.

I bought my StarWalker from FPH (called them from California), and right out of the box, it was a fabulous writer. It was my daily writer for about three years, without ever any problems. Only recently did I clean and put it away, so that I could try out all these other pens all of a sudden (it felt like) (such as Parker 51, vintage Sheaffers, and so on).

Unbelievable that anyone selling fountain pens would insist that they all write the same. My StarWalker nib is a bit stiff (which I like) and my Boheme nib is a bit soft (and maybe slightly wobbly) (I'd like to get the ink flow adjusted on the Boheme, make it less wet) -- the point being, the nibs feel different.

I hope you get your StarWalker situation resolved to your satisfaction, lingc999.

Darius,

Did you say the Pelikan converter works OK in the Starwalker? I have been looking for a converter to use in mine and so far not found anything to fit.


Linqc999

You are absolutely right in thinking the Starwalker nib is stiff compared to the Chopin. I have both as well and the difference is as clear as day to anyone with anything like an appreciation of touch when writing. I love my Chopin but still cannot get to love my Starwalker.

Chris

I am a fan of MB but must speak the truth - the performance of their pens can be very hit an miss. The nibs on one out of every two MB pens I have purchased through the years has skipped and needed to be replaced or reworked. I recently bought a Starwalker Cool Blue and a 145 and BOTH needed new nibs. Each was done in the store (an authorized MB dealer) and both were perfect after that.

Starwalkers have had issues with the caps since the beginning. Early models actually had the dome containing the star separate from the pen! Bottom line - beautiful pens that when adjusted write very well but it's a roll of the dice. I agree with those who say "a premium pen should not have so many issues" but for me it's more about how the pen feels in my hand and writes when working properly.

On the converter question - I have used a Dupont converter in my Rubber Starwalker for quite some time. The converter also fits my Cool Blue. It does not fit my resin Starwalker - I use cartridges in this one.
...Vintner

As I have previously stated, my "non-anniversary" Starwalker is an excellent writer, one of my best pens. As far as having a spare cartridge in the barrel, not possible in mine. I tried putting a factory spare in mine when I first got it, and stopped screwing the pen together when I met some resistance. Then I had some trouble extracting the spare that was now lodged tightly. I won't try that one again.
Krom

Krom...
I hope this question does not offend - when you inserted the spare was it 'flipped' relative to the other cartridge? Said another way, was the part of the converter that attaches to the nib pointing toward the back of the pen?
...Vintner

I had this same problem, krom101. But... several months ago, I realized... the butt end of the barrel unscrews! Your cartridge isn't stuck! Just unscrew the end of the barrel, and voilà! (For three years... three years I thought I couldn't carry a spare cartridge...!)

Chris,

Yes, I have two Starwalker, the 100 year resin, and a Doue. In both I have a Pelikan converter. Before using the converters I used cartridges, and in both I could drop a spare cartridge in the barrel. But I have also read here on the forum that the Starwalkers with a metal base, namely the metal rubber, and cool blue, have narrower barrels an the inside, so a converter may not fit into the barrel. If you have a converter that fits on the nib section, you could drop it into the barrel before fitting it to check if the barrel would accommodate it.

Also, I tried to use Waterman long cartridges once, but it doesn't fit. The cartridge gets stuck in the barrel.

I collected my pen from the Boutique today and I'm glad to say that it's working fine now, no more skipping. I think I still prefer my Chopin writing-wise though.

My OH wanted a Traveller but this time we went to the Pen Shop (he refuses to buy from the boutique now). The staff in there were much more helpful. They didn't give us the BS the MB staff came up with. They didn't insist that all the pens write the same and they even let us try out the different pens to get a feel of the nibs.

You would hope so but some airport stores I have been in have been a little light in the quality or experience of the salespeople. Everyone has to start somewhere I guess.

K

I'm going with Titivillus on this one. I disagree. I've been to several boutiques (left unnamed) whose salesfolks exhibit less than satisfactory knowledge of pens or watches or leather goods. I'm sure this is much to the dismay of Juergen Caesar, an old aquaintance of mine who used to work at the MB facility at Hamburg.

This is the thread that began by mentioning a manager who thought any MB FP nib should write the same as another is evidence of this lack of knowledge. That doesn't mean they don't want to learn.

Eric

edited for grammer and spelling. I wish I could type!

I'm not at all offended, and no, I did not "flip" the spare cartridge. Perhaps that is where I went wrong. But, if not, it was a fortunate mistake, as the only easy way to get the spare out of the barrel was by inserting a dental type pick into the "throat" of the spare cartridge. Somewhat messy, but it popped right out.
Krom

The attitude displayed by the manager in question would suggest that learning is not at the top of his priorities.

Fortunately, not all are like that. I have had good experiences with the people in the Sydney boutique (not that it helps someone in London).

Krom...
Glad to hear you were able to avert a bigger problem and dislodge your stuck cartridge. The "flipping" of the cartridges is not intuitive but once you know it it's actually a nice feature. I carry my Starwalker or 145 anytime I'm away from the house for an extended period and can't bring an ink bottle. Also find this set up works well on planes since you can carry an empty pen and two full cartridges ready to go when you land.

Best to you with your pens.
...Vintner

That was also what I thought. When I had decided to buy an MB Le Grand Platinum, I went to one of the well-known jewelry and watch boutiques in Copenhagen. They are an authorized MB dealer, and I would have thought that they had the whole line, and that the staff were well trained in the product lines they offer.
I was disappointed. They knew nothing about any pens in the MB lines (I spoke to several different persons while I was in the shop) and it became clear to me that they had a very limited range of MB pens - and certainly not the one I wanted.
After leaving the shop I went straight over to one of Copenhagen´s two big malls with a wellassorted office equipment shop (also an authorized MB dealer), and found that they had precisely the pen I wanted. I bought it on the spot.

This just confirms my experiences with brands generally: the store can even carry the brand name in a big sign on the store front - if the store is not actually run by the people behind the brand, you can be pretty sure that you as a customer know more about the products of the brand than the staff in the store.

Umm, just to clarify, are we talking about the standalone boutiques that only sell MB items, or is this about outlets that are authorized dealers.
My comment was based on my boutique experience, which I hope was not an anomaly.

PRAG

Why thank you, I'll try that suggestion out!

I was referring to a Mont Blanc boutique. It's located in a department store but according to the Mont Blanc website it's a boutique. They sell the entire MB range including leather goods and jewellery.

Thats too bad. Better luck at other places I guess.

EDIT: rephrase.