Monteverde Invincia Stylus

[kkshadow]

Hello and Merry Christmas to all.

 

I have been waiting for a capacitive stylus fountain pen for a while now, and found one in the Monteverde Invincia Stylus. So I cashed in some Amazon points, and treated myself to one for Christmas. Here's my review. Hope it's informative.

 

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8499/8308146735_b54e9a075b_b.jpg

Invincia Stylus 1 by sfkenk, on Flickr

Appearance and Design (8.5/10)

 

This is a really cool stealth pen, so if you're not into that, this is not for you. Unlike the Monteverde stealth, this is not shiny. It is a matte black brushed finish. It reminds me a lot of the Lamy 2000 in that regard. I really like the unusual retro-looking clip, fake rivets and all. May be an acquired taste. Capped, the pen seems a bit visually unbalanced, with the end of the barrel being narrower than the end of the cap. The domed conductive rubber top on the cap looks very much in place on this pen. At the other end of the cap is a tone on tone ring that says "Monteverde" on the front and "Invincia Stylus" on the rear. Well done.

 

Construction and Quality (10/10)

 

Well, the pen is brand new, but is well made and I see no reason to downgrade it. I plan to use this pen a lot, so I will see how it holds up in real life. The pen is all metal except for the section which I think is plastic. The cap is screw on, taking approx 1+1/3 turns to fully seat.

 

Weight & Dimensions (7.5/10)

 

I am a but disappointed because I did not expect the pen to be as heavy as it is. I am generally a vintage pen guy, so the 30 grams is quite heavy for me. A full 10 grams of that is in the cap. I am usually a poster, but even though the balance was not bad with the cap on, the pen was just too heavy. Unposted it is very usable. The capped length of the pen is 5.5"; uncapped it is 5", certainly large enough to write with. Strangely, the section is a small diameter, tapering in then out again. It's about 3/8" (9mm) at its narrowest point.

 

Nib & Performance (10/10)

 

Wow and double wow. That is if you like large blacked out nibs. The nib is almost 1" long itself, in black titanium coated steel. It is very nicely designed with a subdued Monteverde mountain logo, and Monteverde along the left sholder and along the bottom. I ordered mine in F, I believe they are available in F, M, B and 1.1mm stub. If you insist you can squeeze a tad of flex, but that's not what this nib is about. The nib just begs to be written with. It has a quiet whisper as you write, a distinctive sound. I cannot imagine not filling this pen with anything but black, and I chose Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black. Despite the ink being slightly dry, the pen writes wonderfully well, medium wetness, smooth on both smooth paper and cheap loose leaf paper. To me the nib is similar to a Pelikan, wide for a Fine, leaning toward medium. So far it has written first time every time. It feels as though the last 1/3 turn of the cap locks a seal against the section. The underside of the feed has a lot of very fine fins. I don't expect this pen to have any problems keeping up.

 

 

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8215/8308147357_b34f485cf4_z.jpg

Invincia Stylus 3 by sfkenk, on Flickr

 

Invincia Stylus 3

Filling System & Maintenance (9/10)

 

It's a c/c filler, and I know some people don't like that. Not an issue for me at all. It comes fitted with a piston converter, and I believe it screws into the pen. From what I have read elsewhere the pen will also take a non-screw converter. The pen also came with two standard international cartridges, one blue and one black. I honestly do not know whether the nib unit is screw or friction fit. The nib and feed appear to fit into a collar.

 

Cost & Value (9/10)

 

$76 USD street price. I got mine for some hard earned Amazon points. That's about on a par with the Monteverde prices, a bit pricey for some I imagine. However, my shirt pocket space is limited, and the ability to have both a stylus that works on my phone and my tablet, and to also have a quality fountain pen all in one instrument makes it worth while to me.

 

Conclusion (9/10)

 

If this pen holds up as I think it will I will be delighted. I do wish it were lighter weight, and perhaps the section was a but thicker, but since at work I have a 3 pen case of rotating pens and at home I have my desk pens, this is a good buy for me.

 

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8492/8308146977_feb1d6d3a8_b.jpg

Invincia Stylus 2

 

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8221/8309199714_7fcd9948f2_b.jpg

Invincia Stylus writing 2

 

edited to change nib pic size

Edited December 26, 2012 by kkshadow

[larsbj]

Nice review, thanks! I aquired the same pen a while ago but is quite satisfied with everything but the 1.1 stub nib. However I also bought a F nib and will swap it soon and reconsider my initial verdict.

[riflemusket58]

Nice Review. The Monte Verde Stealth (M)edium point was one of the 1st pens I purchased when I returned back to the "dark side". Have purchased 3 more FP's since then. I like the flat black on the Stylus and am seriously considering one in Fine Point. Its certainly a pleasure to write with. My Stealth has taken on a patina around the edges. Gives it character. I imagine the Flat Black color will wear nicely.

Happy New Year!

Kindest Regards;

Harold Adams

Florida