Jump to content

Montegrappa Cigar 2.0 (2017 Version)


mad_pharmacist

Recommended Posts

I bought the original version and gave it to my father as a birthday present when it came out. I absolutely love that pen and when Montegrappa released Cigar 2.0, I placed an order as soon as I learned about it. This is a very expensive pen. I would have not purchased it if I was not given a steep discount. I don’t consider myself as a collector in any capacity since I only have three other fountain pens: 20 year old Pellikan M800, 15 year old Nakaya Long Cigar and Aurora 88 Flex. I had several others which I had either sold off or given away over the years.

First impression

Compared to the first edition of Cigar, I think the quality of craftsmanship is higher. My father’s piston nob is ever so slightly misaligned from the body. It’s very hard to spot but definitely noticeable when filling the ink. No such problem with Cigar 2.0.

This version has no clip, but it has a silver cigar band. It makes a perfect sense. The pen is too long to be carried comfortably. The clip was really to prevent the cap from rolling away. The silver cigar band looks more esthetically consistent with the overall design.

One odd feature of this pen is the hidden cigar punch in the cap. The tip above the cigar band is spring loaded. By pressing it down, the hidden cigar punch is exposed. Turning the tip clockwise will lock in the exposed cigar punch. I don’t find this cigar punch very useful and generally I prefer using a cigar cutter, but it offers novelty rather than utility.

If this were a real cigar, this would be a panetela (6”, 38G) with maduro wrapper. It resembles Padron Panetela Maduro.

The presentation is very good as it should be at this price range. The textured outer cardboard box came with a cardboard sleeve with matching color and texture. A wooden box resembling a tobacco leaf contains the pen. Everything including the cardboard box was solidly built, but I still prefer the wooden cigar box presentation of the previous edition.

The Pen

The piston mechanism feels different. Unlike most other piston mechanisms including the previous Cigar, this one seems to have some sort of racket inside. I feel and hear clicking as I turn the piston nob.

It also feels much heavier than the previous one. I suspect that the added silver components increased the weight. I think the grip section is made of silver. The area, which was dipped in ink, definitely shows a sign of tarnish. It is well balanced and comfortable, but this would not be my choice for a lengthy writing session.

Mine has a fine nib. It's a usual 18K Montegrappa nib plated to match the silver parts. A custom decoration on the nib would have been nicer.

I like pens with some traction and feedback. This nib is comparable to my other pens in this aspect but less than that of Aurora 88 Flex. I found the nib to be very smooth despite being fine. I use Pelikan Edelstein Smoky Quartz. There was no problem with slow start or skipping. I tend to write very fast and the ink flow kept up with the pace without any problem.

post-138099-0-63409700-1501788125_thumb.jpg

post-138099-0-23062600-1501788138_thumb.jpg

post-138099-0-63224600-1501788146_thumb.jpg

post-138099-0-28423900-1501788163_thumb.jpg

post-138099-0-29995800-1501788175_thumb.jpg

post-138099-0-13947600-1501788183_thumb.jpg

post-138099-0-65809000-1501788191_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 12
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • mad_pharmacist

    4

  • visvamitra

    1

  • Barkingpig

    1

  • fjoly79

    1

it looks like a really nice pen, looks like it's humongous though! can you share more of the size and weight?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Weight: 57 grams (2 oz). Length 15cm (5.9"). Diameter: 1.5cm (0.6"). It's defnitely oversized. No doubt about that. I think this really is a desk pen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Wow!!! That's gorgeous. I can't say I'd ever want to write with it. But I'm certainly admiring it. I can see the appeal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is the pen fitted with a #8 nib or #6 nib? Does the cap has a camphor smell?

 

 

This pen has #6 nib. The nib size is identical to that of Pelikan M800.

post-138099-0-18589400-1503193238_thumb.jpg

Edited by mad_pharmacist
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow, finally a montegrappa that I like. It would be perfect in a matte finish, but I would still it as it is. I'll have to go do my research and find out the price.

 

Allan😀😀

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is no camphor smell. It's my understanding that camphor smell is from aging process of cellulose nitrate. If I am not mistaken, most cellulose fountain pens are made from cellulose acetate which doesn't have the camphor smell.

 

I agree completely with Four x Four. I generally find Montegrappa style not very appealing, but this pen has all the right kind of appeal to me. You shouldn't think for too long. This is a limited edition.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Just acquired the Cigar 2017 silver with broad nib. Delivered very quickly from Elmo & Montegrappa Spa in Italy. I wanted a broad nib and could not find any else with the broad nib. I bought the Cigar 1997 with a medium nib in 1997, and the 2017 is very superior with the broad nib. I have De Atramentis Tobacco ink in both pens, of course.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33494
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26624
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...