It’s a gorgeous pen, but is it $1.200 gorgeous? | Montblanc Starwalker Review
Classic pens have always been a staple of the house of Montblanc - yes, they do not stop growing to adapt to the changes of the writing instrument market, and to the need of the modern audience of the brand. What we have here today is a more recent example of their “innovation” so to speak - the Starwalker.
The first Starwalker collection was released in 2003, challenged us to look deep into space and beyond. It was no surprised when the first models were made with a glossy piano black finish and a seemingly hovering Montblanc star or snowcap in the middle of a synthetic crystal. The crystal could be chipped and damaged however, so make sure you are gentle with it - and for some special editions such as the Soulmakers 100 Starwalker, the star is replaced with a synthetic diamond cut into the house’s signature symbol. Quite a nice touch I would say.
The pen has a streamlined silhouette, with a bulbous cap that would capture your attention immediately. Albeit it may not be the most adventurous design so far, but we can still pick out the aerospace inspiration of the pen. The eliptical cap does feel like the head of a space shutter, and if I were to revert to my 5yo self seeing this pen on dad’s desk, it would without a doubt being turned into my next spaceship toy with a ruler attached to the clip as a pair of wings…quite mature indeed I know.
At first grip the Starwalker feels substantial with most of its mass comprised of metal. The instrument feels heavy, almost unwieldy if capped, due to the large crystal at the top weighing everything down. The pen feels “Montblanc”, but without the classical feeling you usually get with the brand, as intended to suit the taste of the modern audience. The heart of the pen also as a tubular silhouette similar to the pens made in the late 60s. The nib is moderately ornated with a Montblanc star, minimal hallmarks of the 14k gold alloy, accompanied by a modern looking feed, and because of this nib design, you don’t have to fully dip the nib in ink to fill it up. That’s a notable thing to keep in mind, as the metal coating of the section will flake off if comes in contact with ink or other types of liquid in prolonged period of time.
The Starwalker is a stellar writer with a touch of line variation - its only flaw in the writing department is the ink capacity. The one I have for review today can lay down a good amount of ink, and because of that the converter’s capacity seems miniscule. This might be a good thing though, as more and more ink colors are released and some of us would like to change the ink everyday, just for the novelty of it all.
After a good two hours of writing with the Starwalker, I did feel a slight fatigue and I do think that it is more suited as a signature pen than a marathon writer of long hand writing. It is well tuned and somewhat balance uncapped as expected from any Montblanc, and it is also a conversational starter with that striking crystal on the cap. The true value of this pen may comes from just being a Montblanc alone, and the msrp of $1.200 of the recent models might shock many of us and would become a great obstacle for the casual enthusiasts.
What do you guys think? Have you got a chance to own or experience the Starwalker? Let me know your thoughts :)
This website, the youtube channel, and other socials are supported by the sales and commissions from @awritingguy and @awritingguy.shop on instagram. If you are looking to buy your next writing instruments, a notebook or other writing accessories, please check out the instagram @awritingguy and @awritingguy.shop for listings, with worldwide shipping and 24/7 support. Thank you!
