When Monteverde launched their MP1 Fountain Pen earlier this year, I was intrigued. I like the style, and it lands in a price bracket that could make it an option for users looking for their second fountain pen. You know, the one when you decide that “Yes, I like this stuff!” and you want more from your next choice.
The Monteverde MP1 Mercury Orange Fountain Pen is a Goldspot exclusive release, and a perfect fit for the season. They sent it over to me pre-launch, and I’ve had some time to spend with it recently. So far, it has been a fantastic writer, although there is a minor change I’d like to see updated if there is a version two.
Packaged with a 15ml bottle of matching Mercury Orange ink. These sets are a limited edition of 300.
For starters, the MP1 is my aesthetic: Clear barrel, color anodized cap and piston knob, complimentary gold-plated hardware. This is a common barrel layout and design, and one I find myself using in other models frequently. The Mercury Orange aluminum that Goldspot chose for their pen pops off the desk, and in my hand.
The locking piston, pulled out. The two white dots line up for closure.
The piston mechanism has an interesting lock that keeps the knob in place when not actively using it. I’ve never used a pen with this feature before, and it is a simple pull to release and use the piston, and a snap back to lock it in place. Ok, maybe more than a simple pull and push - it is a two-handed operation to release - but it’s not going anywhere when locked. For those worried about carrying a piston-filling mechanism and having it twist in transit - like in a backpack, pen case, pocket, or purse - this gives you some extra peace of mind while on the go.
When you arrive, the nib is ready to write, and never stop. This Fine Steel Jowo #6 nib has been perfect from the jump, with no adjustment needed. The feed is not the normal matching Jowo #6 feed, and it flows as good or better than what I would expect from a stock setup. The product description calls the feed “Plasma-treated,” but I have no idea what that means from a technical perspective. All I know is that it works well.
With all of that good, I won’t say that there is no bad, but more of a personal nit to pick with the usage of o-rings on this pen. O-rings can be used well, but I don’t believe either of the exterior barrel o-rings add anything to the pen. In fact, they take away. The end of barrel ring, just below the piston, is assumedly there for posting. The problem is that it forces the cap to stop right there, making for an extra long pen when posted. I don’t post, so I don’t use that area, but I’m not sure it is good if you do want to post it.
Longbois.
The MP1 is just shy of 7 inches posted.
The front end o-ring, just above the barrel threads is useful in concept, but doesn’t provide a great user experience. This o-ring is there to seal off the interior of the cap from exterior air entering and drying out the nib when not in use. That’s a good, valid issue with many pens. Monteverde chose this option, and it works well - I’ve had no drying out at all - but capping the pen feels off. It’s almost like the o-ring gets in the way, and the cap is wobbly as you begin to screw it on until you force your way past it. After that, you are sealed and good to go, but capping it was noticeably odd every single time I did it.
To be fair, the TWSBI ECO is designed with o-rings in the same places. Like with the MP1, the end of barrel o-ring isn’t useful unless you want to write with a baton. The front o-ring isn’t noticeable on the ECO until the final turn of the cap, which is exactly where you want it to be. In fact, I had to go grab one of my ECO’s to verify it was even there. The MP1 doesn’t engage in the same way.
Looks awesome, but it may be difficult to see that it is a molded, triangular-ish, grip section.
One not so nitpicky consideration if you like the looks of this pen is that it has a triangular/molded grip section, so if you have a non-standard grip you might want to pass. If the MP1 continues to do well, maybe they mix in a standard grip section, like TWSBI does with the ECO and ECO-T?
The Goldspot exclusive Monteverde MP1 Mercury Orange Fountain Pen runs $63 and includes a 15ml bottle of matching Mercury Orange ink, which is only available with this pen. A wide range of other colors of the MP1 range from $52 to $60, so they are all in the same ballpark. As I mentioned up top, this pen looks and feels great to write with, and the nib/feed combo keeps the ink flowing. The main consideration is if you can work with the molded grip section, or not. I can, so I’m going to keep on writing!
(Goldspot provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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