Montblanc Starwalker Midnight Black Resin (F nib)

Appearance and Design 7/10
Overall, I like the shape of the pen and the unique swelling cap shape. The floating star is unique and instantly recognizable as a brand and as a range of product. The ruthenium plated clip and ring gives a dark and sleek complexion to the otherwise platinum shiny finish, which I find more appealing, after comparing the two. The ruthenium nib and its minimalistic design has its charm. The shiny resin looks and feels good. Fancy.

Construction and Quality 6/10
The pen feels solid, no sloppy edges and all metal and resin parts are smooth and well made. I do have an identical shell of a fine-liner/rollerball pen and the cap seals better compared to the fountain pen, so there are some minor inconsistency in the quality. The cap screw over the other end and reduces any potential scratch marks. Overall, still a well built pen compared to many other pen/manufacturer I’ve seen so far.

Weight and Dimension 6/10
The pen is rather light and you can’t really feel it in your pocket but good enough for extensive writing. Best used when capped to have the full weight of the pen for balance.

Nib and Performance 7/10
To be completely honest, I have not much of experience in writing with fountain pen, so I am just rating this based on my other 2 pens. My initial experience with this pen take a bit of getting used to like the angle of writing, applying the right pressure and maintaining a consistent composure. I had some problems initially with skips and pauses, but now that I have improved my penmanship, that has been reduced significantly and enjoying it every bit. I write tight and small and the fine nib works well for me, though MB nibs are bolder than most of its competitors, this would generally be a medium nib size.

Filling System & Maintenance. 6/10
The only complaint I have here is the cartridge system without any piston converter. If this is the only pen, I’d imagine, I’ll be changing cartridges very often and will be running out of ink before I run out of ideas to write. So far no leakage and maintains a clean pen, even in flight.

Cost & Value 6/10
I had a coupon for Mont Blanc when I bought this pen so I paind less than half of its retail price and definitely a value for me. But with that price, you are comparing it to some great writing pens out there like Pelikan, Souveran, Duofold or Sailor. With its brand name and the status it carries, it does attract more attention with its unique appearance and design.

Conclusion (6.33)
This is my everyday pen, well almost, and I’m sure to rotate this with some other pen as they come along. It is attractive but not too flashy, unique and interesting in terms of design and most importantly, it writes well enough for me.