Monteverde Tool Pens

usdiver

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 15, 2004
Messages
1,881
Location
In the Sticks
Does anyone know about this company and has anyone seen the tool pens? They look really useful but how good are they and how well are they built plus how durable is the coating? And is copper actual copper and brass brass???
 

archimedes

Flashaholic
Joined
Nov 12, 2010
Messages
15,780
Location
CONUS, top left
Oh yeah, and I almost forgot ... I have one of these (lol)

MkqRPd7.jpg
 

usdiver

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 15, 2004
Messages
1,881
Location
In the Sticks
I was looking for that area but somehow missed it. Do you mind moving it for me?
Also can you tell me a little about it and are the ruler and scales practical?
Guessing Parker refil.. I m looking at copper.
 

archimedes

Flashaholic
Joined
Nov 12, 2010
Messages
15,780
Location
CONUS, top left
Last edited:

usdiver

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 15, 2004
Messages
1,881
Location
In the Sticks
It's not so expensive and as a novelty, ehh, it's fine.

I have better tools, though, and I have better pens :shrug:

Novelty I m not wanting. I m wanting a good quality pen I can use round the house without having to get the bigger gear out for something small and simple. And I m wanting some of those smaller bits fir the internal driver but need hardened bits not the soft metal. Perfect for HDS tail screw [emoji16]ImageUploadedByCandlepowerforums1560019314.463701.jpgImageUploadedByCandlepowerforums1560019336.366035.jpg
 

usdiver

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 15, 2004
Messages
1,881
Location
In the Sticks
ImageUploadedByCandlepowerforums1560077532.524456.jpg
Rulers yes can use, bits inside need to get more of em
Cartridge is ok, writes nice, stylus tip works on iPhone
Level bubble very useful
Yeah not bad for $22
 

usdiver

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 15, 2004
Messages
1,881
Location
In the Sticks
The ones pictured will work just they don't have the "ball" to hold them in.
It's how I removed my HDS rotary stop screw (older tail). Been told the new tails are loctited in though
 

Monocrom

Flashaholic
Joined
Aug 27, 2006
Messages
19,843
Location
NYC
Can't comment on that particular model, but one of my absolute worst experiences in the fountain pen industry was with Monteverde. They generally make decent (at best) quality pens. But sometimes it's inconsistent. Absolutely stay away from their Impressa line of pens in particular. Bought two such fountain pens. One in med. for a Dutch performance artist acquaintance of mine, and a fine point for me.

I always test out fountain pens before gifting them. And very glad I did! Her's was ridiculously defective in a weird way. Would write for a page just fine. But ink flow would become horribly unreliable after just over one page of writing. Thought the issue was the nib. Tried replacing it. Usually an easy task on a fountain pen. Nope! New nib got horribly stuck in the pen. Couldn't fix it. Got fed up, tossed the pen in the trash! Tried mine. Very same issue. Okay, limited number of parts on a fountain pen. Decided to try a more drastic fix with this one.

Ended up replacing everything on it! Nib, feed, converter. One of those was horribly defective from the factory. Nib and feed were also from Monteverde. However, from a different line. Converter was surprisingly a different issue. Standard International converters from different brands don't all fit the same inside of different pens from different brands that use such converters. Some are a bit loose inside the barrel. Some a bit tight. Some very loose. Some very tight. And others just right.... depending on which pen you have.

Ordered an army of S.I. converters from as many different brands as I could find! Got them all in the mail. The very 2nd one I tried was a perfect fit. So I use that one exclusively in my Impressa. Honestly, as a pen buyer, you should not have to resort to any of the above in order to get a working modern-day fountain pen. I have two free "Charlie" fountain pens from the Noodler's Ink Company. I have two Platinum Preppy pens. One older model for $3.96, and a newer model for $4.96; and yes they are functionally reliable right out of the box. (Well, the Preppys don't actually come with a box.)

My Impressa has an interesting story behind it, and is very memorable to me.... for literally all the wrong reasons. I'll never sell it nor give it away. Considering everything I went through to get that pen to function normally; no way am I parting with it!

So yeah, I'd recommend being very cautiously optimistic in general when it comes to buying anything from Monteverde. Ended up buying the artist a Parker Sonnet, instead.
 
Last edited:

usdiver

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 15, 2004
Messages
1,881
Location
In the Sticks
@Monocrom thanks for the story, interesting...
I really like my pens but they seldom get used now as much but I do keep the nice ones around still.
If I had another fountain pen it would be a Porsche design or caran d' ache.. they are nice but I d like a calligraphy type tip. The Microtech Siphon II is my current favorite along with the Surefire EWP-4 but the Monteverde tool pen looked really useful and relatively inexpensive as a novelty but the bits I showed are of very low quality and I needed something better so along with the included HDS driver bit I plan to get more bits of higher quality from this company (hopefully).
I m always brainstorming to the point I keep a Taylor's tape measure with me and when I put things together I need a level... then you got the stylus which works on iPhone which is useful and not many of those work on iPhones.
The cartridge is like a mini Cross cartridge which I d like to be able to put a Schmidt easy flow 9000 in but not happening.
I m extremely picky and particular about many things but given price point on this I m not complaining.
There was a video about someone having trouble with the rulers but if one were to look outside the box and improvise the rulers work just as well as trying to use a tape measure on knotted wood. It CAN be done with a little flexibility.
Black and white was easier to read but I m often leaving things or setting things down and then wind up looking for them so orange was chosen.
Copper will be next... I like copper.
 

Monocrom

Flashaholic
Joined
Aug 27, 2006
Messages
19,843
Location
NYC
Happy to help. Also a fan of copper. And, I keep a mini tape measure in my work bag despite working in Security. Ironically, it has come in surprisingly handy while on the job.
 

usdiver

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 15, 2004
Messages
1,881
Location
In the Sticks
@monocrom same for me but I m not doing security now .. that was in the UK. Sorta home improvement work now and other things
 
Top