The topic of acquiring the original writing instrument of your desire versus getting by with a similar looking pen has been a deep rabbit hole of the fountain pen community; and of course it would be a topic for another day, but I would like to draw your attention to the two pens in question: my beloved 1980s Montblanc 146 and the contender from China - Moonman P136. TLDR: the modern Moonman won, against a vintage.

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The good

I received the pen two weeks after placing the order on eBay (as a typical shopper would do by choosing the "Lowest Price + Shipping" filter of course). There are several colors to pick from and I couldn't have better been torn apart between choosing a burgundy and a green, as those were the two colors I'd been wishing Montblanc had released them for my guilty pleasure.

The P136 came in a surprisingly sturdy paperbox, as per usual from Moonman. Without a vial of silicon grease or the pistol wrench we usually see from other pens, the  whole package still looks presentable.

I said it before on previous reviews and I'd say it again - I've had mixed feeling every time I pick up a chinese made writing instrument, and this one doesn't differ from my previous encounters.

The metal parts are made in the same vein as the pen it is giving homage to, and to a lesser degree - nickel plated brass with a touch of polishing. These parts have that sort of sharp unrefined edges and will dig into your hand but a bit of time and use could fix that.

The P136 is made from casted resin and typically speaking it's nothing out of the norm for pens in this price range. The plastic parts are pretty well finish but they did not stay shiny for long - the first scratches started to show after just a few hours of hanging outside my pen case. I wouldn't expect otherwise to be completely honest, but its sole goal has only been a decently usable pen and it stays at that.

The bad & the ugly

The exterior looks decently good alright, but let's get into the nitty-gritty. The "originals" gave that bit of "german engineering" in them, hence the firm solidity in every touch; unfortunately this homage falls a bit short.

Threads and edges are ofcourse expected to not to be at the level of a $800 pen, but for a $40 tag on ebay, they get the job done.

The piston filling mechanism works well and this one holds quite a lot of ink as intended. Operating it is not the best experience among the pens I've tried, there is that little sound of creeking at the back of the brass threads inside the piston; in time, the threads wear one another out and that problem will somewhat go away, but I can see this being a huge problem for picky users.

The nib and feed modeled in the same vein as a modern 146, not like that's a bad thing in and of itself.

The writing experience is also something that bothers me... it's good. Other than the fact that it cannot be capped, the pen produces a consistently wet line and there was nothing stopping me from writing it until dry in my first use. To put it into perspective, instead of driving a brand new Mercedes or any of their old models and enjoying that sense of reliability and steadfastness, you have with you a Chinese domestic model, with a gorgeously looking exterior, yet when you actually sit in one, there are those little wobbly creaks waiting for your touches. Both would get you there, yet one will last a further mileage. One more thing that I have to give it credit for is that, the P136 fixes the only drawback vintage Montblancs have, is that the connecting threads inside the collar of the nib unit has this bit of pink silicon, that in due time will make the pen leak - I don't see mine leaking anytime soon, but I would definitely give an update in the future if that happens.

Conclusion

Overall, if you are not ready to shell out $800 for a new release Montblanc 146, getting one of these is actually not a bad idea. The P136 will give you an above average experience of writing with a cigar shaped fountain pen with a consistent ink flow, despite the “not-so-german-engineered” finishing and quality. It would certainly stay in my collection, as an everyday pen, it can certainly meet my needs and I do not mind losing it or breaking it during one of my future experiments - stay tune for that though.

Thank you for watching and I’ll see you in the next review.