MontBlanc Meisterstuck Platinum Line Classique Ballpoint Pen – Black

Rating

When we received the pen,it was beautifully presented in a lovely gift box along with a leather storage case and two refills. The nicest touch was the handwritten note in case we should need assistance. As this was a gift from me to my husband, I was most delighted for the presentation.

Rating

I purchased this pen as a gift for someone who admires my pens from a distance. This is a very sophisticated writing instrument, and this particular pen is very masculine, definitely a man’s pen. Great value for the money, and this Amazon seller was very attentive and excellent to work with. If you have the opportunity or desire to acquire a pen of this magnitude, you won’t regret it. It’s very light weight, sleek and handsome. That person in your life who would love to own this pen but wouldn’t spend that much money on themselves will greatly appreciate that you did. Would also make a very nice Father’s Day gift for someone special.

Rating

I am not a pen collector, but am enthusiastic about quality pens. I decided to write this review because many of the other reviews did not explain their rating other than referring to prestige or price, and I actually spent couple of months last year going to stores trying out pens just to see which pen I rated to be the best. This is a review of the Mont Blanc Meisterstuck Platinum Classique Ballpoint Pen.

I define quality in a pen in a number of ways. 1st is the performance in how the ink glides from the pen to paper, with no skips, and even lines. 2nd is that the ink comes out dark, but not to the point that it runs. I prefer ballpoint pens as rollerball (gel) and fountain pens are scratchy, are more at risk running, and do not dry as quickly in comparison. 3rd is the overall comfort in terms of weight, balance, and feel. 4th is build of the pen. 5th is the design. This is just a review according to my experience and I hope it helps those who are in the market for a quality pen.

Performance: The MB and Waterman broad tip ballpoints are the smoothest pens that I experienced, with no skips and even lines. I went through a couple of office supply stores and a couple of high end stores to try out cheap, moderate, and expensive pens. After the two brands of pens is the Fisher Space Pen, the Uni Jetstream, and then the Schaeffer and Cross pens. I purchased Uni Jetstream pen. Other pens were tested but are not mentioned as they are not up to par with the performance of these pens.

Ink: The MB had dark, true shade of black, but not the darkest. The Cross pen’s ink was a little more blue, the Parker was more purplish, and the Uni Jetstream had the darkest ink and came the closest to true black, however, I do find that the ink does not dry as quickly.

Comfort: I prefer light to medium weight pens with medium length and girth. Many of the Schaeffer and Cross pens are too thin for my comfort. Pens that are too bulky throw my penmanship off. Metal pens were too heavy and they do not have a pleasant feel in the hand. I thought the MB Etoile De Montblanc was one of the most beautiful pens, but when I tried it, the pen was top heavy and completely unbalanced. I am not a fan of metal, exaggerated (MB Starwalker), geometric, or rubber grips. The MB Classique Ballpoint appears to be the most comfortable pen in my experience as it is lighter than the many of the other higher end writing instruments but felt solid when compared to the cheap pens, has great balance, medium girth and length which is just right, and the resin is comfortable. The Waterman model with the plastic body was also extremely comfortable and had great balance as well, but it is noticeably heavier in weight.

Build: The MB Classique Ballpoint appears to have great fit as everything lines up between the top and bottom half, the finish to the pen is nicely detailed, the MB refill fits snugly, the threading appears to be an exact fit, and the twist mechanism works great. Many of the Waterman, Cross, Parker, and all of the cheaper pens do not have the fit and finish like this pen. The twist mechanism appears to work really well and feel solid in place, unlike other twist pens that appear to move its position while writing. I am unable to speak on the pen’s durability as I do not own one. Based on a visual examination, I can imagine this pen developing cracks if dropped on a hard surface from a good enough height. However, this appears to be true for most of the pens with exception to the cheap and ultra-light Bic and Papermate pens which are durable. Even the metal pens would end up having scratches or dents if dropped.

Design: The MB Classique Ballpoint has a classic, simple design, with a few precious metal details to add elegance. Overall, the fact that the MB Meisterstuck has an iconic design that is copied by numerous pen makers attributes to its timelessness. Also important is the design of the refill, which appears to hold a considerable amount of ink when compared to Cross refills.

Conclusion: Overall, the Mont Blanc Meisterstuck Platinum Classique Ballpoint Pen appears to be the best ballpoint pen based on performance, comfort, fit, finish, and design that I would rate a 4.9 out of 5.0. The score was not a perfect 5.0 as it does not appear to be the most durable pen. Many people judge Mont Blanc on prestige and price, which are both considerable. I understand that there are other pens out there that perform very close to this pen, but are much more affordable, and therefore more practical. However, it does not appear that those pens hold as much value over time as they do with MB. But again, the focus of this review is on performance, function, and form. I do hope and plan on getting one of these pens one day.

On another note, I am also curious if there are others who have done comparisons using ballpoint pens and if there are people who have owned authentic Mont Blanc Meisterstuck Ballpoint Pens for a significant period of time and can speak on the durability of these pens.

Rating

This is a very special pen for a very special person. I bought it for my father for his 84th birthday. It is the 3rd one he has owned – having lost the other 2 over the years. He was pining for it and was tickled pink to receive this gift.

It is a handsome black with real gold trim and smooth mechanical action to expose the writing point. The top of the pen has the signature “mont blanc” (white mountain)embedded. My father says that he writes better with it and feels more authoritative signing things with it. Whatever makes him happy makes me happy!

Rating

I’ve owned this pen for two years now, and has never failed on me. Writing is a pleasure and it’s also a very beautiful pen. Featherlike, sober, resistant (I’ve dropped it several times and shines like new), and great service.

Te best pen I’ve owned.