Which Pen Should I Choose (Rb Or Bp) ? Montblanc Starwalker Extreme

[jonafly]

Hello,

 

Just to introduce shortly myself : I'm Jonathan, 21 and I'm from Belgium. I speak French so please be nice with me if I make mistakes.

 

So, this is my problem (the choice to make) : I'm looking for my first "good" pen. FP are nice but I'm looking for something without maintenance need, without potential problem. The pen has to be easy to use and easy to carry.

 

That's why I'm thinking about roller ball pens and ball point pens ! And specifically about the Montblanc Starwalker Extreme.

 

I really like writing with the roller ball, smooth, nice writing and so on. BUT I've read that this kind of pen is really expensive concerning the refills (it uses a lot of ink compared to BP's)...

The BP is very nice as well but the writing is less nice in my opinion... but it would be cheaper to use.

 

That's my question : what would you do in my place ?

 

Thanks a lot for you help !

Edited December 8, 2014 by jonafly

[Wolverine1]

First- your English is just fine, so dont worry. There are plenty of people here from Europe and India and Asia, whose native language is not English. For example, English is not my mother-tongue.

Having said that, why dont you get a Fountain pen? All the reasons you gave for not wanting a FP are essentially a bunch of hooey.

I would buy a fountain pen, and really evaluate the wrong information you have been given- that fountain pens are trouble.

[RMN]

Soyez le bievenu a FPN, Jonafly.

 

Yes, ofcourse Wolverine is right in a way.

There are good and simple fountainpens that hardly give problems. You will need to flush them a few times per year, if you keep to the same ink. "Easy" fountainpens are cartridge pens. Filling from a bottle gives a certain "je ne sais quoi" but for ease, go cartridge. Write: cartridge empty, screw open pen, take out cartridge, pop in new cartridge, screw shut, write on. Typing it is more time.

But yes, there are situations a fountainpen is not the best. When I was in university, during practice on chemistry or subjects like that you had to write down a few numbers from a read-out quickly, and you had to leave the pen open just too long. the fountainpen would dry out. Also on certain papers (newspapers, some crossword-puzzles, some glossy christmas cards) a fountainpen is a disaster.

I switched to BP (Ballpoint) then, and stayed on them for a long time, until hand cramps made me look around, first trying gel-pens and then going back to fountainpens.

 

Personally I dislike Rollerballs. I find they often smudge. Best then is a good ballpoint with a gel refill.

 

I have no personal information about those Montblancs. They look very nice. But do remember that a BP and RB, however expensive the holder, writes only as good as it's refill. So a 10 euro no-name rollerball writes as good as a very expensive Montblanc. But probably the Montblanc will look much better.

 

That is different with fountainpens, there the pen itself has the nib, and a bad nib writes badly, whatever ink you put in.

 

I cannot look in your wallet, but as a student I would say think again before you buy a very expensive ballpoint or rollerball, be it Montblanc, Pelikan, Waterman, Omas or whatever great penbrand.

Also remember that in universitiues and colleges, often pens get "borrowed" or suddenly develop little legs and vanish (especially pens like Montblanc seem to do this... strange behaviour...).

So a good but not very expensive item would be more wise, in my opinion. Also think about a good mechanical pencil!

 

Good luck with your choice.

 

D.ick.

[MCN]

Let me join my friend Wolverine1 in encouraging you to get a fountain pen instead. In fact I have just recently bought a Starwalker Extreme Steel fountain pen and it is quickly becoming one of my favorites. But this was as much as I have ever spent on a pen; perhaps this is not the place for you to start -- you would be spoiled after a pen like this!

 

Anyway, welcome to FPN!

[jonafly]

Thank you for your answers and for your welcome !

 

I was pretty sure that you'll recommend me FP's

You're probably right but I still can't see why should I prefer a FP instead of a RB or BP Yes, it's more "classy", more personal but for daily use, isn't it a more problems source ? I mean, with a RB/BP I don't have any maintenance to do. For FP's, I'll have to pay attention the pen not leaks, I'll have to clean it some times a year,...

I'm looking for something I can take potentially everywhere, quick to take notes (I think that FP's are less quick but I'm maybe wrong) and easy tu use.

 

A second thing I'm afraid of : the cost of the Rollerball : I've read that they are more expensive because they run faster out of ink. I've read that a RB has around 1km of ink and a BP around 12km This element makes me hesitate between RB and BL because of the cost of it. Again, I'm maybe wrong but I would like to know your opinions.

 

Thank you again

[inotrym]

Montblanc products always come with a steep price, be it writing instruments or refills.

 

If you need to limit the cost and still pick up a rollerball (admittedly they write smoother and have a better feeling) you 'll have to look for a pen that takes standard refills and then find a refill with an acceptable performance and a fair price.

 

My recommendation is always the Pilot G-2 refills. You can find them around for 1-2 euros per piece, or go on ebay and buy a full 12-piece box for less than 15EUR. That's an amazingly good price, and sure enough 12 refills should last you quite a while (a year or so at my rate).

 

So, you just need to check if the Starwalker is going to be compatible with refills other than the MB ones. If so, you're good to go. If not, take a look at Waterman. They offer some really nice models and they are all compatible with standard refills like the Pilot ones.

 

Unfortunately I have no experience with Montblanc rollerball pens and therefore I can't be of more help. But sure enough, you 'll find people around here that own MB rollerballs and can confirm whether they accept standard refills or not.

 

 

 

PS. As an FPNer, it is my duty to suggest that you ALSO buy an inexpensive Pilot Metropolitan and packet of cartridges or a small bottle of ink, just to see what a fountain pen is about.

Edited December 9, 2014 by inotrym

[jonafly]

Thank you for your answer !

 

As far as I've read about this idea of using G2 refill in MB, I think it's not possible (or you have to cut the refill to fit).. but it should be nice if someone could confirm. Unfortunately because it's a nice idea!

 

That said, I'm slightly considering buying the BP or the FP. I think 6 EUR/refill is really expensive as a student.

The BP lasts longer than the RB and the FP uses cartridge (around 0,4 EUR/cartridge). I think those solutions are cheaper for daily use. But... I'm still wondering if FP are fit for daily use and taking notes... I'm afraid of having problems with it (leak..).

 

Though choice !!

[inotrym]

Spending that much on a fountain pen without knowing that you like fountain pens or even having tried a fountain pen before is pretty risky, IMO.

 

 

If you're adamant that you want the Starwalker, pick up the ballpoint.

Otherwise, look at other brands. There are plenty of beautiful and luxurious rollerballs around.

[jonafly]

I have already tried a FP and the Starwalker Extreme GP. I liked writing with it when I tried it.

My only "doubt" is about how fast I could write with it. If I have to take notes, I should have something that can write fast. I don't know if it's the case with the FP...

[inotrym]

Oh, now I see. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

 

Decent fountain pens perform flawlessly. You should be able to write as fast as you need with no leaks or skips or any other trouble. BUT you should also consider that the Starwalker has a screw on cap. I find constant screwing and unscrewing quite a tedious task when I need to quickly jot down what my teachers say.

On the other hand, most ballpoints are capless and seem more suitable in an environment where quick notes and interrupted writing is required.

 

Other than that, it's a matter of taste really. It's your choice.

 

 

If my opinion matters anything to you, after seeing pictures of the Starwalker online I think that the ballpoint looks much more pretty and elegant than the rollerball or fountain pen. With a little bit of googling I also found out that Monteverde makes gel refills compatible with the Montblanc ballpoints for about 3-4 euros a piece. So, there you go.

[jonafly]

I agree with you.

 

Of course, the ballpoint is more suitable for quick notes and I find it more pretty than the FP or RB.

 

I still have to decide now between FP or BP but I think they are complementary... Not easy to choose. I should buy the two (one day maybe)

[jonafly]

After thinking and thinking again, I find that I should eliminate the FP for the moment. If I buy it, I won't use it often because I need something quick and problem-less.

 

So, what do you think of RB and BP ? A question that can help me to decide : what's the time you keep a RB refill ?

The same question about the BP. (average use)

 

==> I really prefer writing with a RB BUT I'm afraid of the price of the refills. If it lasts months, I'll go for the RB but if it lasts a month, I'll go for a BP.

[j.a.j.]

Would it be good idea to buy first a few different kind of less expensive high end pens so you get an idea of how big pens fit your hand best? For example Caran d'Ache, Porche and Faber Castell make nice pens. Also the Japanese brands have many very functional pens - the ones from Platinum have quite classic design.

 

Pilot Metropolitan + a few cartidges is a good idea.

[agentdaffy007]

I have all 3.

MB 149 foutain pen

MB Starwalker RB rubber grid

MB 161 Legrand BP

 

I mostly use the MB149. But if i had to choose, i think the BP gets more use and the refill is much better than the RB. Less scratchy feeling as long as you get the Broad BP refill.

 

Also, Caran d'Ache makes excellent click BP. The refill is as good as MB. Also check out ST Dupont for BP, they seems great!!

[pajaro]

I have MB 164 ballpoints and 163 rollerball pens. The pens all write nicely. I prefer MB broad ballpoint refills. They last longer than the rollerball refills. The rollerballs are good while they last. Depends on what length of life you want from the refills.