Montblanc Rouge et Noir Tropic Brown (2017) Review

To acquire an old pen is quite a daunting task for a lot of fountain pen users; not to mention the effort and tools and replacement parts needed to maintain a pen in decent working condition. Therefore, an alternative is to go for vintage inspired pens, and one of such pens is this reissue of the famous Rouge et Noir from Mont Blanc.

The Rouge et Noir was first created by the predecessor of MontBlanc - Simplo Filler Pen Co. in Hamburg Germany in 1909. The original Rouge et Noir was made from black ebonite, a type of hard rubber made out of sulfur and linseed oil, with a red finial on the top of the cap, hence the name Red and Black. It used a “safety” mechanism to prevent spilling ink, but that’s a topic for another day, just note that for the modern user this filling mechanism is not safe at all, and for the present day working environment, a safety pen is quite a hassle to be used effectively.

In contrary to the vintage model, this example of the Rouge et Noir has a nice brown lacquer on the cap and barrel, I’m not sure what kind of metal they used for the pen but judging from the weight I’m guessing brass with resin lining on the inside of the pen. The cap still keeps all the traditional details from the red finial with the MB snowcap, the snake clip inspired from the novel “Le Rouge et Le Noir” by Stendhal, with two small synthetic garnets act as the eyes of the snake. and the vintage Montblanc logo on the side of the cap.

Inside of the cap there are also some metal parts and lining to prevent the nib from drying out. The pen has a piston filling mechanism to utilize the whole body of the pen for ink storage, and the section plus the nib are coated with this warm red-gold; it’s so distinctive of MB to do so and it gives the pen a more modern look compare to the black ebonite - steel accents combo from the vintage model.

Now let’s talk about the heart of the pen: the nib - it’s similar in size to the 144 145 models, but the shape has some minor differences, thus the nib has a bit more give to it, not necessarily as flexible as the vintage nibs, but it has some characters to it, and this really shows through in the writing sample.

The scroll work on the nib still follows the snake head motif, with the name Montblanc 14k - Au585 down below. I do like it better than the typical 4810 nib design of the modern pens.

As for the writing experience, similar to the other Montblanc pens I have used, the nib writes effortlessly and because of the minimal design, it does not distract me from the task of writing. The bouncy nib gives a tad of shading along the downstrokes and dots, which is always nice to look at after everything dries. I’d still have some issues with this pen though, mainly the slippery metal section and the lack of an ink window, but since I’d always top it up after every writing session, it’s not always something I have to worry about. Also, the glossy lacquered barrel catches fingerprints quite easily, so it’s another thing for me to wipe everyday. In the month of November, this pen completely replaced the Pilot Custom 823 and my 146 as my long form writer.

Just from glancing at the design, I think you’d agree that this pen is not something you’d clip on your shirt, but rather a pen that sits on top of your writing desk, ready to assist you with putting your thoughts on paper for hours on end. Time really flies for me personally when I sit with it, and yes I am fanboying this reissue from Montblanc.

Then there is the question: go vintage or get the new releases for your collection? In my personal opinion, by the end of the day, a pen is just a writing instrument, and it should do that one task really well first and foremost, before having extra features or novelty characters to it. It’s similar in a way to vintage cars or watches, a daily driver should get you from point A to B without much problem or hassle, and requires the least amount of care and maintenance to make sure it’s in working condition.

However on the other hand., vintage cars are there for you to ride on special occasions or for a nice Sunday morning cruise. It should be intended for creating nostalgia and excitement, not for work. When it comes to vintage pens, the same philosophy applies: I still own a few vintage pens in my collection, but they are not the pens I take out on a daily basis.

They have their places for thoughts and long form writing, but most days I tend to grab my modern pens to work more often than not, and this Rouge et Noir is a nice middle ground for both: a vintage look without the hassles that come with a vintage pen.

Hey that’s my personal opinions, and yours may vary.