Monteverde Monza = Jinhao 992 (First Impressions)

[Honeybadgers]

I wonder if the solid colors are a better made plastic. Bummer though, since a black one totally defeats the point in my mind, which is to eyedropper it.

[truthpil]

I wonder if the solid colors are a better made plastic. Bummer though, since a black one totally defeats the point in my mind, which is to eyedropper it.

 

It wouldn't surprise me, given that it seems to be the same case with the 992s.

[bluebellrose]

So the package is 16 dollars. Goulet Pens Sells the 90 ml for 15 dollars and The Jinhao 992 is about a buck each. So you're not getting anything free. And it's not marked up. it worth it for the nib?

Edited December 14, 2017 by bluebellrose

[jekostas]

And it's not marked up. it worth it for the nib?

 

No. I've tested a few Monzas in a local store and they had worse nibs than the 992s I had with me.

[truthpil]

No. I've tested a few Monzas in a local store and they had worse nibs than the 992s I had with me.

Although the quality control isn't so reliable, at least the last 992 I got had the smoothest nib imaginable. I think the best of both worlds would be to get some 992 nibs and put them in FPR ebonite pens.

[SteveID]

Thanks for the fine review. Knowing what I know about Jinhao, I suspect Uncial may have some accurate insight into how the two pens come to be as similar as they are.

But you are absolutely correct about this pen not being worth it without the Free bottle of Monteverde ink. And while I haven't used the 992, I took Monteverde at their word as far as it being "flexible", which it certainly is not, but I tried to use it for sketching and find that even a very light wipe of the nib results in the nib sliding out completely! Which as you might imagine is frustrating when you're trying to draw, let alone write, but also bespeaks of awful attention to Quality Control. And that in itself also suggests the possibility that this IS in fact a Chinese pen that was adopted by Monteverde, and not vice versa.

[truthpil]

I tried to use it for sketching and find that even a very light wipe of the nib results in the nib sliding out completely! Which as you might imagine is frustrating when you're trying to draw, let alone write, but also bespeaks of awful attention to Quality Control. And that in itself also suggests the possibility that this IS in fact a Chinese pen that was adopted by Monteverde, and not vice versa.

To me the slipping out of the nib is a telltale sign of a 992 that has had the nib replaced. Although the Jinhao nibs fit perfectly in the 992, they are a tad thicker than other nibs so most other nibs you put in the 992 will either fall out or be slightly loose but usable. I'm glad I never bought any Monteverde pens, but boy does that Fireopal ink look tempting!

[DasKaltblut]

To me the slipping out of the nib is a telltale sign of a 992 that has had the nib replaced. Although the Jinhao nibs fit perfectly in the 992, they are a tad thicker than other nibs so most other nibs you put in the 992 will either fall out or be slightly loose but usable. I'm glad I never bought any Monteverde pens, but boy does that Fireopal ink look tempting!

 

In the Jinhao 992 I have, with a Jinhao nib I pulled and replaced, it is nearly falling out. Like they glue them in the first time or something (not likely, I know). Still, weird.

[truthpil]

In the Jinhao 992 I have, with a Jinhao nib I pulled and replaced, it is nearly falling out. Like they glue them in the first time or something (not likely, I know). Still, weird.

I've experienced this as well, which is why I'm scared to remove the amazing nib from my ugly salmon 992. I'm willing to endure the awful color for the sake of a perfect nib.

[SteveID]

To me the slipping out of the nib is a telltale sign of a 992 that has had the nib replaced. Although the Jinhao nibs fit perfectly in the 992, they are a tad thicker than other nibs so most other nibs you put in the 992 will either fall out or be slightly loose but usable. I'm glad I never bought any Monteverde pens, but boy does that Fireopal ink look tempting!

[SteveID]

Well the Impressa in White &Blue is lovely (and frankly holds its color longer than their Gunmetal Grey with Red everyone was clucking about a while back) and a fine writer, though that otherwise OK snap-cap was definitely better suited to a jacket pocket or briefcase than trousers, where it, uh, came off far too often...

If this is par for most Monteverdes, it seems logical therefore that they would make the move into inks...

Edited December 15, 2017 by SteveID

[katerchen]

Nothing could convince me to buy a POS Monteverde pen -- or anything else from a company that YAFA absorbed, for that matter.

 

They strike me as dishonest people ... not sure why Brian is all over them

 

They fill out the lower-priced categorey nicely, I guess.

 

-k

[DasKaltblut]

Well as has been mentioned their inks are really nice, made in Europe, and I will continue to purchase those but not the pens. I'm not going to punish the company for the one thing they do right. Anyone is free to boycott anyone for any reason. I personally prefer to show them that their ink is great and their monza pens not so much by purchasing one but not the other. The minute the ink promotion is over, we all know the sale of the monza will drop significantly, which will send a message.

[TSherbs]

Well as has been mentioned their inks are really nice, made in Europe, and I will continue to purchase those but not the pens. I'm not going to punish the company for the one thing they do right. Anyone is free to boycott anyone for any reason. I personally prefer to show them that their ink is great and their monza pens not so much by purchasing one but not the other. The minute the ink promotion is over, we all know the sale of the monza will drop significantly, which will send a message.

Yeah. B Goulet knows this too.

[SteveID]

As someone who bought a Monza earlier--- to my incredible disappointment, especially after seeing essentially confirmation that it is repackaged jinhao --I'm not sure it's worth paying an inflated price for one of the Monteverde pens just to get a free bottle of what still remains a really nice ink. My question is, if they'e retrofitting Jinhao's with their own name for a markup, whose ink are they selling?

I'm such a cynic. Shame on me.

[TSherbs]

As someone who bought a Monza earlier--- to my incredible disappointment, especially after seeing essentially confirmation that it is repackaged jinhao --I'm not sure it's worth paying an inflated price for one of the Monteverde pens just to get a free bottle of what still remains a really nice ink. My question is, if they'e retrofitting Jinhao's with their own name for a markup, whose ink are they selling?

I'm such a cynic. Shame on me.

 

I no longer believe that most of these ink brands actually make their own ink and only their own ink exclusively. You just have to buy what you like at a price you like and let go of the idea of brand individuality. Several/many inks appear to be made in shared ink plants. It's like food products these days: we'd be surprised about the number of false assumptions we make about brand individuality.

[Honeybadgers]

As someone who bought a Monza earlier--- to my incredible disappointment, especially after seeing essentially confirmation that it is repackaged jinhao --I'm not sure it's worth paying an inflated price for one of the Monteverde pens just to get a free bottle of what still remains a really nice ink. My question is, if they'e retrofitting Jinhao's with their own name for a markup, whose ink are they selling?

I'm such a cynic. Shame on me.

 

 

The monza is craptacular for sure. But their inks are at least very nice, unique from other brands (fireopal is spectacular) and an exceptional deal in a nice bottle.

[sketchstack]

I feel like this entire situation could have been avoided with a slight shift in marketing. Rather than sell the pen and offer free ink, I think they should have just sold a "bundle" so it's more like you're buying some nice ink and it happens to come with a pen. Kind of like Noodler's with their large bottles and the free Charlie pen.

 

If it feels like a free pen, then it's ok that it's a cheap 992. Longtime fountain pen hobbyists would buy the ink and toss the pen in a drawer. Newcomers to the hobby would appreciate a nice ink & pen bundle to get started (before realizing the Monza is cheap and it's time to upgrade).

[DasKaltblut]

I feel like this entire situation could have been avoided with a slight shift in marketing. Rather than sell the pen and offer free ink, I think they should have just sold a "bundle" so it's more like you're buying some nice ink and it happens to come with a pen. Kind of like Noodler's with their large bottles and the free Charlie pen.

 

If the Monza were the only pen they were doing the ink offer with, your idea would be excellent, However, they did the ink offer with the Conklins too, and all the other Monteverde pens. Not all of those are crappy, for example the Duragraph with a stub nib is quite nice, reasonably priced and a good value with ink included. Quite a nice beginner's package. Edited December 17, 2017 by DasKaltblut

[TSherbs]

..... Quite a nice beginner's package.

 

Yes, but primarily because of the included ink. The price alone for the pen is not a beginner's deal (why should beginners pay dozens of dollars?) And especially since many folk have reported issues with Duragraph QC.