(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
The Monami 153 Neo is a modern fountain pen that features a hexagonal barrel shape and a petite nib to match the sleek aesthetic. The edges that make up the hexagonal points are smooth and rounded off so that it feels good in the hand — not too jagged. It looks great, feels great in the hand, and comes in at under $30 — so how does it write?
The 153 Neo is actually a solid fountain pen. The price tag might make some people weary about the quality and longevity of a pen that should realistically hold up to a lot of abuse. In this case, I think the Neo does a good job of providing value and ruggedness in a stylish package.
The exterior of the pen is sleek and minimal. The only branding to be found is on the top of the cap — a small logo that appears to be etched into the metal. There's also a very small "Monami" brand etched into one side of the split clip. The branding doesn't jump out at all, and you actually have to look closely to find the Monami brand name. One thing that really bugs me about this pen is how the logo isn't etched dead center on the top of the cap. It's off quite a bit, and I think this shows that Monami isn't 100% focused on fit and finish with their products. When the branding and design is so minimal, you really can't afford any mistakes without losing some of that appeal. It definitely makes the pen feel cheaper.
The clip is strong enough to be useful but still easy to use. It reminds me of the Lamy Safari and AL-Star clip, but flattened. I really like that they went with a blasted matte finish on the clip instead of something shiny and polished. It keeps the attention on the body, which is what I think is most interesting about this pen.
The hexagonal body shape isn't a new concept. In fact, on first opening this pen and inspecting what was inside, I was a little annoyed to find what I assumed to be a knock-off Caran d'Ache 849. The inspiration is undeniable, but I think that the changes that Monami incorporated make it stand apart just enough to avoid any accusations. Still, it's way too similar to the 849 in my book. I doubt there's any kind of patent on pens that have a hexagonal barrel — plenty of companies do it well — but the 153 Neo just feels like a copy cat when put side by side with a 849.
Regardless of design inspirations, it's a solid body and cap. The cap pulls off easily and posts securely. Since it's a friction fit cap, there's also a mechanism built in that ensures the lines of the pen body and cap always line up perfectly. I always try to make my Caran d'Ache 849 line up when I put the cap on, so I appreciate that I can skip that step with this pen.
The body and cap have a semi-gloss finish that provides just enough shine to attract your eyes without taking away from the color and shape of the pen. The grip section, however, is a matte color with a more tactile feel than the shiny exterior. The grip is another area where I have some complaints about quality. There are obvious seams on the grip from the injection molding process. It would be one thing if the seams were aligned to the hexagonal joints, but they happen on the flat parts of the grip section, adding an awkward line that feels out of place. I think this could have been removed with some more fit and finish, but that's not something Monami chose to do.
Another problem I have with the grip section material (and this is a big one) is how it stained immediately when I submerged the nib and section into an ink bottle. This is usually no big deal, right? Just wipe away the excess ink after you fill it and you're good to go. With the Monami, the lowest part of the section that was submerged in the ink still has an obvious blue-green stain from the Iroshizuku syo-ro ink I used. To be fair, syo-ro is a really gentle ink and I've never had any staining issues with it before. I think this is directly due to the material and finish that Monami used on the grip section. Thank goodness I didn't dip the section any further into the bottle, or it would be an even bigger stain! I'm sure I could remove the stain with some rubbing alcohol or some other kind of cleaner, but that's really difficult to do when there's ink in the pen. It's so close to the section and nearly impossible to clean without more ink spilling out onto the rag or whatever I use to clean it. This is frustrating, but the pen is still completely usable. I should experiment with other inks to see if they also stain the section, but I'm not sure it's worth it. It's already stained now, so what does it matter?
Moving down to another positive attribute of this pen: the nib! The steel nib is an EF and writes beautifully. It makes a small mark without being scratching, and the ink flow is perfect. There's a Monami brand and some minimal decoration stamped onto the nib, along with an "EF" to indicate the tip size. Unfortunately, EF is the only nib option for this pen.
I've really enjoyed writing with this pen. The size and weight are perfect for my hand, and the tactile grip section is great at providing grip without getting slippery after a few moments of use. I love how the cap always lines up with the body when capped or posted, and I love the lines that run up and down the body to create some visual interest on an otherwise plain pen.
Can I recommend it? Nope. It comes with a couple of black ink cartridges and a converter, so that's nice — but this doesn't come close to the feeling I get when opening up a new Pilot Metropolitan, Lamy Safari, Kaweco Sport, or even one of the new entry level TWSBIs. I'm not able to get over what I feel is a blatant copy of the iconic Caran d'Ache design combined with the staining issue on the grip section. If it weren't for the material choice in the grip, I'm not sure I'd mind as much. But at $26, the competition is excellent and you don't have any room for these kinds of mistakes. Plus, any of those pens listed above offer more color choices and nib sizes.
My advice? Go with one of the pens I mentioned above; if you want a hexagonal fountain pen, go with the classic 849 instead. They're almost twice the price as this Monami, but the quality is easily triple. And again, lots of colors and nib sizes to choose from!
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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