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Montegrappa Opinions: What's The 'sweet Spot' In Their Line Of Pens


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I find the Montegrappa line confusing. After looking over their pens at World Lux, Nibs.com and Paradise, I'm no better off.

 

So I'm asking for your opinion. What's the biggest 'bang for the buck' in the Montegrappa line?

 

 

"One always looking for flaws leaves too little time for construction" ...

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Not sure there's an actual answer, but I'd say "Montegrappa extra 1930". I see it as their flagship pen but many different factors could come into consideration.

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No good answer there so looks like you'll have to buy all of them.

 

What is it you like? Do you like large pens of smaller pens. slimmer pens or fatter pens, lighter pens or heavier pens, steel nib or gold nib, Sterling silver or silver plate, resin or metal, modern or older?

 

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I only own one Montegrappa, the NeroUno Linea, and I am quite happy with it. Good nib, nice features. Good quality for my money. Montegrappa has a lot of bling pens not really intended for writing, but the NeroUno is a writer.

 

I am waiting till the new Ducale hits the shops here in the Netherlands. Looks good to me.

 

D.ick

~

KEEP SAFE, WEAR A MASK, KEEP A DISTANCE.

Freedom exists by virtue of self limitation.

~

 

 

 

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Thanks for the responses!

 

To clarify, if you look at things like the nibs: are they all the same, and if not, then what's the cheapest pen you can get 'X' nib on?

 

Same for filling system. If you want to go without C/C, what's the cheapest?

 

Of course, the point is; I'm kind of asking an implied "in your experience". So, "in my experience, it's worth paying more for the X but I didn't find the Y in their line added much value"

"One always looking for flaws leaves too little time for construction" ...

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Thanks for the responses!

 

To clarify, if you look at things like the nibs: are they all the same, and if not, then what's the cheapest pen you can get 'X' nib on?

 

Same for filling system. If you want to go without C/C, what's the cheapest?

 

Of course, the point is; I'm kind of asking an implied "in your experience". So, "in my experience, it's worth paying more for the X but I didn't find the Y in their line added much value"

All of the current and from about 1970 on Montegrappas are C/C. The Extra and Extra 1930 may be a captive converter or piston but I have never been able to get a definitive answer and haven't taken mine apart to find out.

 

Not all nibs are the same, they vary in size, shape and material.

 

All of my Montegrappas have the 18K gold nib but all also perform about the same. No significant difference between my 1970s models and current models.

 

I have fondled and written with some with steel nibs and they too have been wet, smooth and responsive.

 

They have pens made with precious metal bodies, resin bodies, celluloid bodies. Some resin and celluloid models have Sterling silver trim and furniture, some Celluloid bodied models also have Sterling silver sections.

 

I know you'd like an easier answer and so I'll also give you that too.

 

The Montegrappa pen you should buy is a Celluloid Classica in either Charcoal, Cinnamon or Turquoise. Anything else is simply the wrong pen.

 

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Thank you for the great answer! It's great to have the facts and your opinion.

 

It's funny how different places carry such different selections.... Colorado Pen is another...

"One always looking for flaws leaves too little time for construction" ...

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No love for the Miya? I like those very much. Appearance wise they are not a huge step away from the Extra 1930 and, I believe, the Classica (never seen one of those I think).

 

The Extra 1930 has a larger nib but is a lot more expensive than the others. Also the cap takes forever to unscrew.

 

In any case you should look out for some celluloid because those colors are just brilliant.

Read more about me, my pens, photography & so on my little blog

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Well, unless I'm reading the chart Jar linked wrong, I think the Miya falls under the Celluloid Classica line.

"One always looking for flaws leaves too little time for construction" ...

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If so I didn't know that, the shape is different and the Miyas have silver sections... but well, in any case they're pretty pens :D

Read more about me, my pens, photography & so on my little blog

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Well, unless I'm reading the chart Jar linked wrong, I think the Miya falls under the Celluloid Classica line.

 

The Miya, Classica, Historia, Extra and Extra 1930 are all similar in basic shape. They vary mostly right around where the body and section meet.

 

Remember, those diagrams are not how Montegrappa might have designated the pens, rather they are my attempts at organization so viewers might get a feel for both the progression over time and general characteristics of the pens.

 

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I find the Montegrappa line confusing. After looking over their pens at World Lux, Nibs.com and Paradise, I'm no better off.

 

So I'm asking for your opinion. What's the biggest 'bang for the buck' in the Montegrappa line?

 

 

Check out http://www.iguanasell.com/collections/montegrappa-pens . I recently bought Extra 1930 Turtle brown from them (here's more details and pictures http://forums.watchuseek.com/f221/montegrappa-extra-1930-turtle-brown-celluloid-902521.html ). First I ordered a Memoria but it skipped a lot, so I returned it and ordered Extra. I didn't find better prices anywhere and didn't have problems with return (except small inconvenience of filling customs forms – they are actually in Spain), so it worth to check out.

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Oh neat, I hadn't found that site (though I have followed that seller on eBay). Good to see they are here on FPN too: iguana-sell

"One always looking for flaws leaves too little time for construction" ...

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For me it is the extra 1930

Pens are like watches , once you start a collection, you can hardly go back. And pens like all fine luxury items do improve with time

 

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I love the feel of the Extras but honestly rarely use mine, I typically go back to one of my Symphonies. Thinner than the Extra with a much smaller nib but I still like them. There are an option I would consider, might be able to pick one up on the "previously loved" market at a decent price. For my daily use, the Cosmopolitans are definitely my favorite Montegrappa pens, but don't ask me to pick which one of the lot is my fav.

A. Don's Axiom "It's gonna be used when I sell it, might as well be used when I buy it."

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  • 1 month later...

...I typically go back to one of my Symphonies...

bugmd, do you happen to know what converter will fit the Symphony? I just purchased two Montegrappa converters from Colorado pen, but they won't fit into the Symphony's section. :crybaby: :gaah:

 

Apologies for the thread hijack!

Mark Polis, MD

"A flourishing style of chirography is nowhere less in place than on a physician's prescription."___1856, Edward Parrish, An Introduction to Practical Pharmacy

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bugmd, do you happen to know what converter will fit the Symphony? I just purchased two Montegrappa converters from Colorado pen, but they won't fit into the Symphony's section. :crybaby: :gaah:

 

Apologies for the thread hijack!

 

 

Did they send you the threaded ones?

 

The non-threaded standard international converters fit. The Montegrappa ones do seem to hold a little bit more ink but it's getting harder to find the unthreaded ones.

 

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Hmmmm... I absolutely love my NeroUno Linea and have from the moment it first came out of the box. It's a sweet spot for sure, as I've never had any issues whatsoever. I also have a Miya Argento, and while it is the prettiest pen I own (and one of my favorites), it had to go to Mike Masuyama before it wrote well. I had the issues with skipping and ink flow that many have complained about with Montegrappa. Keep in mind that I had none of these issues with the Linea. It has a different nib (still 18k) and feed altogether, and it writes a solid, juicy line every time with every ink. Now that my Miya has been adjusted, it does too, but it did need adjustment. For me, a pen that does not need work is the sweet spot, despite the celluloid and ebonite and joy that I now have with the Miya. I don't regret the Miya and would buy it all over again, but it's less sweet when it needs extra work to write well. I use my pens, so their ability to write comes first for me.

Tamara

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I don't own any Montegrappas, but I have used a good few of them. I'd say, aesthetically speaking, the Privilege Deco is the best looking followed by the Extra 1930.

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Did they send you the threaded ones?

 

The non-threaded standard international converters fit. The Montegrappa ones do seem to hold a little bit more ink but it's getting harder to find the unthreaded ones.

Thanks, jar. Yes, they sent me the threaded ones, didn't fit.

But I've found that Waterman converters are a perfect fit, so I'm smiling again!

 

Again, thanks!

 

----

 

Regarding this particular thread, my very favorite fountain pen is a red Montegrappa Emblema with a broad nib which I had reground by Mottishaw (from whom I bought the pen) to a M/B cursive italic. Heavenly to behold, hold and write with.

Edited by JazzDoc

Mark Polis, MD

"A flourishing style of chirography is nowhere less in place than on a physician's prescription."___1856, Edward Parrish, An Introduction to Practical Pharmacy

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