Monteverde Monza = Jinhao 992 (First Impressions)

[bluebellrose]

 

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

apparently Brian thinks they write well. ._.

And apparently they think it's the other way around.

Edited February 5, 2018 by bluebellrose

[DasKaltblut]

I have a Lingmo Lorelei and was not at all impressed. The body was not finished well, the threads are catchy and the nib had the worst case of baby's bottom I've ever seen. I had to pay $10 for a Kakuno to cannibalize the nib. Sorry, but they aren't that great of a pen that I would recommend any retailer carry it.

[truthpil]

I have a Lingmo Lorelei and was not at all impressed. The body was not finished well, the threads are catchy and the nib had the worst case of baby's bottom I've ever seen. I had to pay $10 for a Kakuno to cannibalize the nib. Sorry, but they aren't that great of a pen that I would recommend any retailer carry it.

 

Which model did you get, the demonstrator or opaque acrylic?

 

I agree with you about the nib...mine had a terrible case of baby's bottom as well and I too put my happy face Kakuno nib in it haha. My "blood and ice" red and white acrylic is gorgeous and apart from a little dust and shavings inside the barrel, it was finished quite well.

[DasKaltblut]

 

Which model did you get, the demonstrator or opaque acrylic?

 

I agree with you about the nib...mine had a terrible case of baby's bottom as well and I too put my happy face Kakuno nib in it haha. My "blood and ice" red and white acrylic is gorgeous and apart from a little dust and shavings inside the barrel, it was finished quite well.

 

I have same body I think, the red acrylic. The white chunks bother me since I was expecting it to be all red. The threads on mine are so rough, I dislike opening the pen.

[dapprman]

Brian really might want to consider looking into the good chinese pens out there, like the wing sung 698, delike alpha/smurfs (the bent nib is a real special writer) the lingmo lorelei acrylics, maybe the lecai acrylics, or the entire penBBS line. I am kind of worried with the direction Goulet is going - they seem to be going overly premium with their product line, and I find myself just not having the disposable income to purchase from them as much as I'd like.

 

Wouldn't make financial sense. A UK retailer has done precisely this, but by the time you add on local taxes, in-shop/warehouse overheads, staffing, etc the price of the pen increases considerably, and while still cheap will be a factor more expensive than you can get in ebay, which comparison sites will also flag up.

 

[Honeybadgers]

 

I have same body I think, the red acrylic. The white chunks bother me since I was expecting it to be all red. The threads on mine are so rough, I dislike opening the pen.

I have a red acrylic and a black aluminum and they're both superb.

 

It sucks you got a dud, but that is more the exception than the rule these days, and try not to lamblast the entire idea with one bad piece of anecdotal experience. Visconti is will known to have bad writing pens from the factory at least 80% of the time. I'd take an occasional, easy to swap steel nib over that in a $12 pen any day

 

Also, you can get another nib for five bucks without having to buy a whole pilot pen.

[DasKaltblut]

I have a red acrylic and a black aluminum and they're both superb.

 

It sucks you got a dud, but that is more the exception than the rule these days, and try not to lamblast the entire idea with one bad piece of anecdotal experience. Visconti is will known to have bad writing pens from the factory at least 80% of the time. I'd take an occasional, easy to swap steel nib over that in a $12 pen any day

 

Also, you can get another nib for five bucks without having to buy a whole pilot pen.

I'm not lambasting, it's still a cheap pen and ok for the money. I've been comparing it to the PenBBS 308 and that one makes me go "wow!" for $16. Honestly the baby's bottom on the nib bothers me the most, and that seems to be consistent with these pens. Oh well. Where do you get pilot nibs for $5? Would love to stock up!

Edited February 5, 2018 by DasKaltblut

[frankb3]

Where do you get pilot nibs for $5? Would love to stock up!

Seach ebay for "nibs for wing sung 698", they are about $7 for 4 nibs. They are the same design as the cheaper Pilots.

Edited February 6, 2018 by frankb3

[truthpil]

Seach ebay for "nibs for wing sung 698", they are about $7 for 4 nibs. They are the same design as the cheaper Pilots.

Or if you like a crisp stub you can just get a Pilot Plumix for the nib. I think they are still under $10.

 

I bought a three pack for $20 on eBay last summer. Ugly pens, but the nibs are great if you are careful with them. They don't have any tipping so it's easy to accidently make them scratchy.

Edited February 6, 2018 by TruthPil

[DasKaltblut]

Or if you like a crisp stub you can just get a Pilot Plumix for the nib. I think they are still under $10.

Thanks.

[Honeybadgers]

Thanks.

 

I will say that I personally hated the plumix stub out of the box, it was scratchy and nasty and needed a few minutes with some 1800 grit sandpaper and micro mesh, but once I did that it was much better and a true crisp italic.

[SteveID]

OK, just summing up: Bought the Monteverde Monza from Goulet's because of the free ink offer, and because it was originally being billed as a flex pen. Then I purchased, for comparison, a set of 6 of the Jinhaos (@ about $1.50US ea.). I do have to say, despite others on this thread, that the flex on the Monza Fine is definitely usable, especially since I'm using the pen for drawing and not writing, and the Jinhaos are a lot stiffer, a lot wetter, and a lot broader(there was no choice of nib size in the order that I placed for this set of 6 for pocket money). But that does not make the Monza a $20 pen, and despite Goulet NOT billing it as a flex anymore, other vendors like Fahrney's in Washington DC still sell it as a flex and for that same amount of money though without the Ink bundle.

Is it disreputable of Monteverde/Yafa? Or complicit if the vendors? Perhaps. Is it worth finding a nib that you prefer to the standard on the Jinhao and buying the pen for 2 bucks along with the new nib? Definitely. Was the original purchase more worth it for the ink than for the pen? Unfortunately, yes. And as for the Monza as even a semi-flex, it loses in comparison to a Noodler's Konrad as a drawing pen any day of the week.

Edited March 17, 2018 by SteveID

[djmaher]

I bought a Monza in a moment of delirium (before reading this post), wanting a Demo Pen to gift away, which I did.

 

I now regret my decision. How do you gift something to a total newbie, and then tell them to be super careful when using their new pen. UGH...

 

I also purchased a Jinhao 750 for me, for fun, and discovered it's just too weighty for my liking. Despite the warnings given at Goulet about the weight. It's unlikely I will ever use this pen, now. Anyone want to trade me for something? LOL

 

Indeed, both purchased in a moment of fountain-pen buying delirium.

 

I paid full price for both. Now the Monza is discounted for sale. I thought I saw an all sales final tag attached to it. Maybe more early morning delirium...

 

You would think I've learned my early-morning, late-night shopping lesson by now...

 

I'd return them, but the cost for shipping becomes prohibitive for a couple of inexpensive pens.

[Honeybadgers]

Honestly, either see if you can return it, or just pick up a wing sung 698 demo. I don't think it's a good idea to give someone a bad pen, it'll just turn them off the hobby.

 

I have a few wing sung 3059's (piston filler, demonstrator body and colored cap/piston knob, they take a standard lamy Z50 nib too) knocking around that I don't use. If you're willing to pay for shipping from Seattle I'll send you a couple. They both have had the cap sealed so they can't dry out (the only problem they had) and write well, and have been very durable.

Edited July 6, 2018 by Honeybadgers

[djmaher]

A gracious offer by any standard.

 

I live in Portland, Oregon.

 

PM me and we can figure something out....

[djmaher]

PM sent.

[djmaher]

Honeybadgers, PM #2 sent, with specifics.