This is a short review about the Montegrappa Extra and the inks I like to use. The pen is in blue kind of marbled celluloid and with sterling silver trim, quite classic, I think. Although I have several pens, a Waterman Edson, Mont Blanc 146, Pelican M800, Townsend and Century form Cross and about 11 Pilot Capless in the old model. Eight of the Capless are a collection: al the colours which have been made. The other three I use in the office, on the kitchen table, everywhere. But the Grappa is something special and it is the pen I take with me to write interviews (some of the older businessman just don't like a laptop in front of them), write difficult short descriptions of technical processes and products in a way everyone (as well technical as non-technical) understands and is not offended by intricate descriptions or by technical stupidities. I use in a good week about 70 to 150 sheets of lined letter format paper for writing draft versions. All this is done with the Grappa. It has a medium point and a excellent flow. The ink I use is Herbin blue/black or black. The blue/black can only be used if you write almost al day. It takes about a sheet to get the ink boiling by your blood, but then the flow is exactly as I like and the ink doesn't smother out. When I write difficult letters (to relatives or an accidental ex, the text on a mourning card etc. etc.), which requires a lot of thinking I like to use the black ink, it is easier flowing and it takes more than two hour before the ink starts to dry noticeably. It is a bit annoying to change ink two or three times a week, so I bought two Extras. The blue one is the one filled with black ink and used as a business pen, the second is a marvellous red pen filled with the blue/black ink. So far the ink. Technical the pens are ok. It is not the German quality I was used to: it seems to be a bit loose, not made at a 1/1000th of a mm, but more hand made. Both Pelican and Mont Blanc are more precise made, but this is made up for by the Sterling, the beautiful celluloid and the attractive design. The Extra is very nice made, the two colour semi-flexible nib. It also takes for full turns of the barrel before the cap gets off, it is a kind of a ritual: the interview or the writing starts now, attention please! The weight of the pen is (for my hand) very well balanced. The sterling grip is nice cool and prevents a sweaty feeling. Besides the feeling, a funny extra of a silver grip is the hygienic aspect, caused by the disinfecting qualities of silver. The piston filler is large enough to let me write between 15 and 20 pages. After that I need to fill up myself with coffee and the pen with ink. To summarise this pen: it is a pen out of the ordinary Mont Blancs and Pelicans and Bics which I see with a lot of business people. In a rare case you see something else like a Delta Bella Vita or a Grappa. It is an expensive pen, the MRP is  €690 in the Netherlands. But it will last a life time and serve you well. Last but not least, the Montegrappa brand and production facilities have been bought by Richemont (also owner of Mont Blanc, Dunhill, Cartier and several other luxury brands) and the after sales service has improved to a very high level, quite a difference to the usual indolent Italian after sales service.

Montegrappa Symphony reviewed by KT Wong

I purchased my Symphony from Christian Fricke who will give you a very attractive price. The pen arrives in a green cardboard box covered in faux leather green PVC. The top of the box hinges upwards to reveal the pen nestled in some nice soft white velvet, and there is a small drawer below it which contains the manual, warranty, and a catalogue. I also received a velvet pen “sock”, a converter, and two black ink cartridges. I own several other “luxury” pens, and none come as nicely presented as this Montegrappa.

My pen is made from marbled blue celluloid, and measures 13.8cm capped, 17.1cm posted. Trim is solid silver. The inscription on the cap band reads “1912 Montegrappa”. The celluloid has a gorgeous luster and feels warm to touch. I had a lot of difficulty choosing between blue, red, black and parchment. To make your decision even harder, the Symphony also comes in a wood version (“Brier and Sterling”) which is slightly more expensive but also very attractive.

The clip is a wheeled design. The cap screws on both when you cap and when you post it. There are a LOT of threads – you have to rotate the cap 4 x 360 degrees to uncap and post it! This is surely excessive and makes taking your pen out to use like a little ritual. It attracts a lot of attention though … while everybody else pulls the cap off their FP’s, I have to methodically unscrew it, and then screw it on again …

The pen is one of the best writers I have come across. My F nib lays down a very wet line with a moderate amount of line width variation. When examined with a loupe, the gold plating on the two toned nib is laid down accurately with little bleeding. It is not fussy with inks, and I am currently using Omas Roma 2000 blue ink in it. It has never leaked, and starts first time … every time.

As for the cons, my main gripe is that the pen is too heavy. Sure, it feels very substantial but it is uncomfortable for writing long letters. The threaded sections pick up dirt … but you can clean it off easily with a toothbrush.

Overall, I would say this pen is best suited for occasional writing and impressing people. It is much too heavy for a shirt pocket, and daily use would make it look old very quickly.

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