Posts filed under Monami

Monami 153 Neo Fountain Pen Review

(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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Posted on October 20, 2021 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Monami, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Monami Olika Fountain Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

After spending some money on luxury fountain pens, it can be challenging to see the sub-$10 tier as anything but a stepping stone to the luxury pens that we grow to love. After all, they are works of art that work exactly as we expect. They become part of our sacred everyday carry. But, there's still something to be said for the more affordable fountain pens in this lower tier. Every time a new pen comes out in this price range, I automatically dismiss it as "junk" without even trying it. Shame on me for doing that, because there's no rule that says any pen under $75 can't write beautifully. And that's exactly what the Monami Olika has reminded me.

At first glance, the Olika is a plastic-barrelled pen that seems more like a gamble than a solid entry level fountain pen. Luckily, $6 isn't much of a gamble, and I'm really glad I tried it out.

Like other entry level pens, the color of the barrel matches the color of the ink. In the case of the transparent models, the rubbery grip section matches the color of the ink inside. I've always enjoyed the matching nature of these cheap pens, and the Olika is no different. I opted for the standard blue model, but was pleasantly surprised once I popped the cartridge in and started writing. The blue is a vibrant, exciting shade that flows smoothly and even has a bit of shading quality. It's not at all what I was expecting, but that's a good thing!

Along with the pen, you also receive three ink cartridges in the color you chose. This is a generous inclusion for such a cheap pen, especially considering the price for a five-pack of cartridges ($5.50, same price as the pen). Even though JetPens doesn't state this, the cartridges will fit most standard international sections. The only difference between this cartridge and the international short cartridges are the diameter and length.

The production quality of this pen is on par with the price. It feels better than the Platinum Preppy, but very similar to the Pilot Petit line. It can surely survive several incidents in your bag, but it will eventually break if you use it a lot. These pens aren't meant to be disposable, but they're also not heirloom quality.

Writing with the pen is comfortable. It's a leightweight pen that features a soft grip section, so long writing sessions are a breeze. The nib I chose is the fine, but you can also pick up an extra fine variant. The extra fine nib only comes on the transparent model, while the fine is reserved for the fully colored barrels.

I've used this pen a lot more than I expected I would. My only regret so far is only purchasing one color. I'll be correcting that on my next order.

The Monami Olika is available in several vibrant, fun colors, and each pen includes three cartridges and costs $5.50. These make great gifts, excellent beginner pens, and fantastic portable pens.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on March 13, 2019 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Monami, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

Monami Olika Fountain Pen Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter.)

Where were pens like this when I was still in school? I had to hunt for affordable fountain pens back then and most of what I found wasn't nearly this nice or fun.

At first glance, it looks like just another cheap "I only use this in contexts where I'd worry about my nicer pens" pen. And it is indeed perfect for those situations! But the more I play with it, the more I like about it.

The body is clear PVC, so you can easily see your ink level. The grip is textured rubber like you'd find on a lot of big-box gel or rollerball pens. It's easy to grip and comfortable to hold. It does feel a bit large for my hand, but it's so light that it's still easy to write with even for long periods of time. The whole thing looks like a plain inexpensive office pen--which sounds like an insult, but think of it as protective coloration. I can leave it on my desk in the middle of a public library and walk away, and it will still be there when I come back.

The cap snaps to close and it posts securely on the back of the pen. The clip is wide and flexible, but feels very flimsy--like it's going to break off the first time I try and clip it to too many pages or if I put it in my purse wrong. Weak clips are one of my biggest pen pet peeves. Fortunately, the pen writes well enough to make up for this offense.

The EF nib is surprisingly smooth on this pen. It writes with even the lightest pressure and lays down a wet enough line that it shows off some great character in the provided ink. Reports from the wild indicate some inconsistencies in their nib quality, but that's not surprising at this price point. Most seem to be of the excellent quality I'm experiencing with mine.

The nib is steel, and it's fed by a wick rather than a plastic feed. I worried this would cause some problems with drying out or ink starvation, but I haven't had any trouble. It does mean, though, that it's a pain if you want to switch colors--because you'll need to rinse all of the ink out of that wick. It would probably be more sensible to keep a dedicated color for each of the pans, and just collect all of the 20 different colors.

Each pen comes with three ink cartridges, and there are refills available. It also accepts Lamy cartridges, if you do decide you want a change. I also noticed that these cartridges are more rugged than the ones I've seen before, They are made of hard plastic like the pen, not the flexible plastic of most cartridges. It does mean that you can't squeeze ink through if the nib gets too dry, but they look sturdy enough that they could be refilled with a syringe and used many times over.

The Olika ink that came in the cartridges was a very pleasant surprise. The color is rich with beautiful shading and it behaves very well. I'll definitely be eyeing some other colors of both the pens and ink. The ink alone is worth the $5.50, and the pen is an added delight.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!