Montblanc Starwalker Black Mystery Fountain Pen

[fpupulin]

Since my first encounter with a Montblanc 149 when I was still a teenager, I have been irresistibly drawn to the range of black and gold pens that Montblanc proudly call his Meisterstück line. My two Writer Editions pens are, in fact, grossly built on a Meisterstück 139 body, and they share the same nib of my modern 149s.

The only Montblanc outside the range of Meisterstück (and siblings) that I own is a Bohéme Big Size, a great pen that I amazingly and quite incredibly find in Costa Rica and that I previously review on this same forum (http:/www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/206497-montblanc-boheme-big-size-another-review/).

It has been therefore a double pleasure when two of my dearest friends, coming back from a journey to Europe, surprised me with the gift of a Montblanc Starwalker Black Mystery, still in its pristine package as prepared at the Champs-Elysées Montblanc boutique in Paris.

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Montblanc%20Starwalker%20capped%20%20watch_zpsly6bypkz.jpg

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Montblanc%20Starwalker%20uncapped%20%202%20watches%201_zpsxoukmmdy.jpg

I confess that the Starwalker range was quite a mystery (but not a black one…) for me, even though I superficially appreciated the modern shape of the pens and the fantastic idea of the star floating within the transparent acrylic dome of their cap’s top. But here I am, with my shiny new Montblanc Starwalker between the fingers, and as I found not so many discussions and reviews of this fountain pen, I thought it was worthy presenting my beautiful example to my “friends in pens”.

The Starwalker collection (including fountain pen, fine liner, ballpoint pen, and mechanical pencil) was originally introduced in 2003 and aimed to a younger target than the Meisterstück line, interested in a “chic” writing instrument made out of extraordinary materials, but pushing the boundaries of traditional design beyond the old-school look of classic fountain pens. I think that Montblanc was successful in making its Starwalker range immediately recognizable for its cutting-edge design, a synthesis of ergonomics and futuristic shapes, and to set it to the highest standards of quality in terms of materials and finishing details, which buyers are actually expecting from the brand.

Within the Starwalker line, the Black Mystery design was launched in 2010 and, according to Montblanc, the linear pattern engraved by laser on the body and the cap of the pens was inspired by the lights of Manhattan at night. The abstract graphic motif is indeed quite discreet but unquestionably modern and distinctive enough to become a brand contemporary classic. The urban, hi-tech Black Mystery pattern was eminently intended for a men public, and in the last years it has become an emblematic motif among Montblanc collections. Besides the writing instruments, the Black Mystery motif has been embossed in the leather of the 4810 Westside Black Mystery goods and, more recently, it inspired the lightweight products of the 4810 Westside Black Mystery Canvas line.

The fountain pen

At 14 cm when capped, 12.5 cm uncapped, and 15 long cm when posted, the Black Mystery is a full sized pen that you can easily compare to a Meisterstück 146 in general size. The two pens are exactly the same length when uncapped, but the 146 is about 1 cm longer when capped. I usually do not post my pens, but the Starwalker has been designed with the cap posted in mind: between the body of the pen and the cone there are threads (treated with ruthenium) to securely screw the cap.

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Starwalker%20and%20Mesiterstuumlck%20closed_zpsocrqft2m.jpg

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Starwalker%20and%20Meisterstuumlck%20uncapped_zpstpkmvyvh.jpg

When the size of the pen puts it in the range of the Legrand instruments, its weight is very different and distinctive to this line. Whilst a Meisterstück 146 (I have at hand a single-colored nib example of the ’80s for comparison) weights just 25 gr, the Starwalker is almost the double at 43 gr, actuallly a five grams more than the much larger and thicker Meisterstück admiral, the iconic 149.

​http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Starwalker%20and%20Meisterstuumlck%20posted2_zpsfc4didne.jpg

This makes the pen feeling very substantial in the hand, and I have no doubts that its weight and the quality of the materials to the touch largely contributes to its perception as the product of a high-end brand craftsmanship.

The laser engraving on the body and the cap is impeccable. The lighter parts of the motif consist in bold and fine lines, narrow rectangles, and some empty rectangles, filled with a pattern of perpendicular lines. The laser etching is not white or silver, but rather a warmth, matte, light grey, similar to the color of titanium. The contrasting black is quite deep and shiny, but with some qualities of transparency which I hope to have been able to capture in the photographs. All the metal details, including the nib, are plated with ruthenium, and for this reason they appear very light and highly polished. They are, in fact, much lighter than the details engraved on the body.

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Montblanc%20Starwalker%20body_zpsivt6hijv.jpg

Interestingly, most of the pen weight is in the cap, that with its 18 grams accounts alone for almost half of the total weight. This also means that the writing experience with the pen capped or uncapped is quite different, as the cap moves the balance point of the instrument a big 2.5 cm toward the rear of the body (from 6.8 to 9.2 cm measured from the nib tip). I felt the pen comfortable to write both posted and uncapped, but I slightly prefer not posting the cap, as I like the sensation of the hand freedom when using lighter pens. Looking at the shape of the Starwalker ballpoint pen, with the ogival thickened portion lying on the grip section, I guess that the writing experience should quite the contrary, as the equilibrium point of the instrument should be very close to the tip.

The cap of the Starwalker is, as said, very substantial. It is noteworthy that the the tip of the broad clip extends beyond the lower lip of the cap, so that it can not stand up on the desk when placed on its base. The broad ring of the clip has the writing “MONTBLANC” etched, with three short parallel lines at the beginning and the end of the word, plus the engraving of the serial number. The lower ring, also ruthenium-plated, is narrow and flat. The clip is stiff and springy, and it maintains the pen firmly attached in the pocket of a shirt. I guess that it should also work great on the delicate fabric of the internal pocket of a dress jacket, but it does not seem to be designed to be clipped on thick materials. Finally, and obviously, the true masterpiece of the cap is the white star Montblanc logo floating in, and permanently suspended within the transparent resin of the apical cone. The logo can be barely seen from the side, due to its thinness, but it is perfectly shaped, like all the others Montblanc pens, when seen form the top. It is a really delicate touch, unique to the Starwalker range. When the cap is screwed on the body, the clip is aligned with the axis of the nib: another attentive touch that I very much appreciate.

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Montblanc%20Starwalker%20cap_zpskyvnvfyl.jpg

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Montblanc%20Starwalker%20floating%20star_zpsgqu475ue.jpg

Looking at the body, it is gently fusiform, tapering very gradually toward the cone, which is ogival and rounded at the apex. The cone is metallic, ruthenium-plated, with two black, shiny rings at the base, which enclose the threads to screw the cap. On the other end, the resin body steps down into the metal threads where the cap screws. The step is quite negligible, as the front end of the body and the grip just have a difference in diameter size of about half millimetre. Due to my way to hold the pen – which is pretty “normal” –, the medium finger lays directly on the metal threads, a detail that could be fastidious to others: I personally do not care about. Using the pen posted would further take out most of the weight from the fingers.

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Montblanc%20Starwalker%20cone_zpspznym8y0.jpg

Just under the grip, with a perfect and almost invisible joint, the grip is screwed within the body. It is also made of metal, but I find it not particularly slippery. Between the grip and the nib there is another ruthenium-plated ring, more than 1 mm thick, which is completely matte, with a gross sandblasted texture. The grip has to be unscrewed to charge the cartridges, as the filling system of the pen is cartridge only. I do usually prefer my pens with a piston, or having at least he possibility to be filled with a converter, which apparently is possible also with a Starwalker fountain pen. With 14 different types to choose from, including permanent inks, the range of colors that Montblanc offers in its cartridge inks is quite amazing nonetheless, and my gift of the Starwalker was actually complemented with boxes of Royal blue, Burgundy red and Lavender purple cartridges, the latter two of which I had never tried before.

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Montblanc%20Starwalker%20nib%201_zps3dlz3flh.jpg

The nib is 14K gold (585au, as engraved on the nib), plated with ruthenium to maintain the general scheme of the pen’s colors. My Starwalker has a medium nib, and it lays down a consistent, regular, and quite wet line of ink. The width of the “medium” line is very comparable to that of the medium nibs that I have on my Meisterstück 149 and on my Bohéme Big Size. The shape of the nib, however, is completely different geometrically. Whilst the nibs of the Meisterstück line are “winged”, made out of a flat and thin gold plate slightly and gently bent along the medium margins, the nib of the Starwalker is carved out from a somewhat conic shape. To be more precise, the bending of the basal and lateral margins in of the Starwalker nib is quite abrupt, making it more hemi-rectangular than hemi-circular in section. This gives to the nib its characteristically firm behaviour. Modern Montblanc nibs lack in general any true flexibility, but nonetheless due to their pretty large size, those of the Meisterstück line are quite responsive and may flexed. The nib of the Starwalker can not be flexed, even though in an expert hand the tines can be slightly opened under the correct pressure to produce a bit of line variations.

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Montblanc%20Starwalker%20nib%202_zpsgu6b3iim.jpg

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Montblanc%20Starwalker%20nib%203_zpsjgmhqoo8.jpg

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Montblanc%20Starwalker%20feeder_zpsixl4buoh.jpg

At the end of this review, I include a couple of images with some quick drawings made with my new Starwalker. As the nib is pretty stiff, it is particularly good to make cross-etched drawings due its regular and consistent line.

To conclude, the Starwalker Black Mystery is in my opinion a very elegant and classy pen, with a modern design that does not pass unnoticed, realised meticulously and with care. I did not find it a pen to be considered for calligraphic purposes as the nib is too hard to be flexed at any angle, but it may prove to be a really interesting writing instrument for other applications: I just thing about architectural sketches and graphic drawings as examples. To me, the Starwalker Black Mystery looks as a very professional, hi-tech instrument, maybe with that bit of understatement that would feel perfect in a meeting or in the board room. It is a pen that makes a subtle and stylish statement, retaining the allure of Montblanc but with a very own and unique design, away from the more traditional (and sometimes too much recognizable) style of the brand.

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Montblanc%20Starwalker%20amp%20loupes%201_zpszmfterkj.jpg

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Montblanc%20Starwalker%20amp%20loupes%203_zps5xlk1kqe.jpg

Besides the Starwalker Black Mystery fountain pen, some of the photographs (as well as the drawing also features some of my watches and my magnifiers, or loupes (mostly folding models). I ask your pardon, as they are just some other of my acceptable illnesses…

Thank you for reading.

[jsolares]

Congratulations on your new pen!, good drawings as well, I'm drawn more and more to the starwalker might get one in EF or BB

[benbot517]

Excellent review all around! Very informative, very detailed, and the pictures were fantastic. The comparisons to other Montblancs were also nice. Very good review, and a very nice pen!

[Diver]

Wow. Amazing review. I also have the same fountain pen and agree on every single point.

 

D.

[sannidh]

Loved your review and ofcourse the sketch. Although I prefer the classical meisterstück nibs. Thank you

[KaB]

thanks for the nice review (and the great pics) (and the wonderfull writing)

[Dr. Saleem Ali]

Your review is excellent and honest !

[Nathanb]

I enjoyed reading and appreciate your skills on paper!

[mehandiratta]

bfuly detailed review... thank you for sharing...

[JohnNicholas]

Very fine review, thank you. Well written and illustrated, you make a gift of your time.

[FOUR X FOUR]

Since my first encounter with a Montblanc 149 when I was still a teenager, I have been irresistibly drawn to the range of black and gold pens that Montblanc proudly call his Meisterstück line. My two Writer Editions pens are, in fact, grossly built on a Meisterstück 139 body, and they share the same nib of my modern 149s.

 

The only Montblanc outside the range of Meisterstück (and siblings) that I own is a Bohéme Big Size, a great pen that I amazingly and quite incredibly find in Costa Rica and that I previously review on this same forum (http:/www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/206497-montblanc-boheme-big-size-another-review/).

 

It has been therefore a double pleasure when two of my dearest friends, coming back from a journey to Europe, surprised me with the gift of a Montblanc Starwalker Black Mystery, still in its pristine package as prepared at the Champs-Elysées Montblanc boutique in Paris.

 

 

 

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Montblanc%20Starwalker%20capped%20%20watch_zpsly6bypkz.jpg

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Montblanc%20Starwalker%20uncapped%20%202%20watches%201_zpsxoukmmdy.jpg

I confess that the Starwalker range was quite a mystery (but not a black one…) for me, even though I superficially appreciated the modern shape of the pens and the fantastic idea of the star floating within the transparent acrylic dome of their cap’s top. But here I am, with my shiny new Montblanc Starwalker between the fingers, and as I found not so many discussions and reviews of this fountain pen, I thought it was worthy presenting my beautiful example to my “friends in pens”.

 

The Starwalker collection (including fountain pen, fine liner, ballpoint pen, and mechanical pencil) was originally introduced in 2003 and aimed to a younger target than the Meisterstück line, interested in a “chic” writing instrument made out of extraordinary materials, but pushing the boundaries of traditional design beyond the old-school look of classic fountain pens. I think that Montblanc was successful in making its Starwalker range immediately recognizable for its cutting-edge design, a synthesis of ergonomics and futuristic shapes, and to set it to the highest standards of quality in terms of materials and finishing details, which buyers are actually expecting from the brand.

 

Within the Starwalker line, the Black Mystery design was launched in 2010 and, according to Montblanc, the linear pattern engraved by laser on the body and the cap of the pens was inspired by the lights of Manhattan at night. The abstract graphic motif is indeed quite discreet but unquestionably modern and distinctive enough to become a brand contemporary classic. The urban, hi-tech Black Mystery pattern was eminently intended for a men public, and in the last years it has become an emblematic motif among Montblanc collections. Besides the writing instruments, the Black Mystery motif has been embossed in the leather of the 4810 Westside Black Mystery goods and, more recently, it inspired the lightweight products of the 4810 Westside Black Mystery Canvas line.

 

 

The fountain pen

 

At 14 cm when capped, 12.5 cm uncapped, and 15 long cm when posted, the Black Mystery is a full sized pen that you can easily compare to a Meisterstück 146 in general size. The two pens are exactly the same length when uncapped, but the 146 is about 1 cm longer when capped. I usually do not post my pens, but the Starwalker has been designed with the cap posted in mind: between the body of the pen and the cone there are threads (treated with ruthenium) to securely screw the cap.

 

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Starwalker%20and%20Mesiterstuumlck%20closed_zpsocrqft2m.jpg

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Starwalker%20and%20Meisterstuumlck%20uncapped_zpstpkmvyvh.jpg

When the size of the pen puts it in the range of the Legrand instruments, its weight is very different and distinctive to this line. Whilst a Meisterstück 146 (I have at hand a single-colored nib example of the ’80s for comparison) weights just 25 gr, the Starwalker is almost the double at 43 gr, actuallly a five grams more than the much larger and thicker Meisterstück admiral, the iconic 149.

 

​http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Starwalker%20and%20Meisterstuumlck%20posted2_zpsfc4didne.jpg

This makes the pen feeling very substantial in the hand, and I have no doubts that its weight and the quality of the materials to the touch largely contributes to its perception as the product of a high-end brand craftsmanship.

 

The laser engraving on the body and the cap is impeccable. The lighter parts of the motif consist in bold and fine lines, narrow rectangles, and some empty rectangles, filled with a pattern of perpendicular lines. The laser etching is not white or silver, but rather a warmth, matte, light grey, similar to the color of titanium. The contrasting black is quite deep and shiny, but with some qualities of transparency which I hope to have been able to capture in the photographs. All the metal details, including the nib, are plated with ruthenium, and for this reason they appear very light and highly polished. They are, in fact, much lighter than the details engraved on the body.

 

 

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Montblanc%20Starwalker%20body_zpsivt6hijv.jpg

 

Interestingly, most of the pen weight is in the cap, that with its 18 grams accounts alone for almost half of the total weight. This also means that the writing experience with the pen capped or uncapped is quite different, as the cap moves the balance point of the instrument a big 2.5 cm toward the rear of the body (from 6.8 to 9.2 cm measured from the nib tip). I felt the pen comfortable to write both posted and uncapped, but I slightly prefer not posting the cap, as I like the sensation of the hand freedom when using lighter pens. Looking at the shape of the Starwalker ballpoint pen, with the ogival thickened portion lying on the grip section, I guess that the writing experience should quite the contrary, as the equilibrium point of the instrument should be very close to the tip.

 

The cap of the Starwalker is, as said, very substantial. It is noteworthy that the the tip of the broad clip extends beyond the lower lip of the cap, so that it can not stand up on the desk when placed on its base. The broad ring of the clip has the writing “MONTBLANC” etched, with three short parallel lines at the beginning and the end of the word, plus the engraving of the serial number. The lower ring, also ruthenium-plated, is narrow and flat. The clip is stiff and springy, and it maintains the pen firmly attached in the pocket of a shirt. I guess that it should also work great on the delicate fabric of the internal pocket of a dress jacket, but it does not seem to be designed to be clipped on thick materials. Finally, and obviously, the true masterpiece of the cap is the white star Montblanc logo floating in, and permanently suspended within the transparent resin of the apical cone. The logo can be barely seen from the side, due to its thinness, but it is perfectly shaped, like all the others Montblanc pens, when seen form the top. It is a really delicate touch, unique to the Starwalker range. When the cap is screwed on the body, the clip is aligned with the axis of the nib: another attentive touch that I very much appreciate.

 

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Montblanc%20Starwalker%20cap_zpskyvnvfyl.jpg

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Montblanc%20Starwalker%20floating%20star_zpsgqu475ue.jpg

Looking at the body, it is gently fusiform, tapering very gradually toward the cone, which is ogival and rounded at the apex. The cone is metallic, ruthenium-plated, with two black, shiny rings at the base, which enclose the threads to screw the cap. On the other end, the resin body steps down into the metal threads where the cap screws. The step is quite negligible, as the front end of the body and the grip just have a difference in diameter size of about half millimetre. Due to my way to hold the pen – which is pretty “normal” –, the medium finger lays directly on the metal threads, a detail that could be fastidious to others: I personally do not care about. Using the pen posted would further take out most of the weight from the fingers.

 

 

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Montblanc%20Starwalker%20cone_zpspznym8y0.jpg

Just under the grip, with a perfect and almost invisible joint, the grip is screwed within the body. It is also made of metal, but I find it not particularly slippery. Between the grip and the nib there is another ruthenium-plated ring, more than 1 mm thick, which is completely matte, with a gross sandblasted texture. The grip has to be unscrewed to charge the cartridges, as the filling system of the pen is cartridge only. I do usually prefer my pens with a piston, or having at least he possibility to be filled with a converter, which apparently is possible also with a Starwalker fountain pen. With 14 different types to choose from, including permanent inks, the range of colors that Montblanc offers in its cartridge inks is quite amazing nonetheless, and my gift of the Starwalker was actually complemented with boxes of Royal blue, Burgundy red and Lavender purple cartridges, the latter two of which I had never tried before.

 

 

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Montblanc%20Starwalker%20nib%201_zps3dlz3flh.jpg

The nib is 14K gold (585au, as engraved on the nib), plated with ruthenium to maintain the general scheme of the pen’s colors. My Starwalker has a medium nib, and it lays down a consistent, regular, and quite wet line of ink. The width of the “medium” line is very comparable to that of the medium nibs that I have on my Meisterstück 149 and on my Bohéme Big Size. The shape of the nib, however, is completely different geometrically. Whilst the nibs of the Meisterstück line are “winged”, made out of a flat and thin gold plate slightly and gently bent along the medium margins, the nib of the Starwalker is carved out from a somewhat conic shape. To be more precise, the bending of the basal and lateral margins in of the Starwalker nib is quite abrupt, making it more hemi-rectangular than hemi-circular in section. This gives to the nib its characteristically firm behaviour. Modern Montblanc nibs lack in general any true flexibility, but nonetheless due to their pretty large size, those of the Meisterstück line are quite responsive and may flexed. The nib of the Starwalker can not be flexed, even though in an expert hand the tines can be slightly opened under the correct pressure to produce a bit of line variations.

 

 

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Montblanc%20Starwalker%20nib%202_zpsgu6b3iim.jpg

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Montblanc%20Starwalker%20nib%203_zpsjgmhqoo8.jpg

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Montblanc%20Starwalker%20feeder_zpsixl4buoh.jpg

 

At the end of this review, I include a couple of images with some quick drawings made with my new Starwalker. As the nib is pretty stiff, it is particularly good to make cross-etched drawings due its regular and consistent line.

 

To conclude, the Starwalker Black Mystery is in my opinion a very elegant and classy pen, with a modern design that does not pass unnoticed, realised meticulously and with care. I did not find it a pen to be considered for calligraphic purposes as the nib is too hard to be flexed at any angle, but it may prove to be a really interesting writing instrument for other applications: I just thing about architectural sketches and graphic drawings as examples. To me, the Starwalker Black Mystery looks as a very professional, hi-tech instrument, maybe with that bit of understatement that would feel perfect in a meeting or in the board room. It is a pen that makes a subtle and stylish statement, retaining the allure of Montblanc but with a very own and unique design, away from the more traditional (and sometimes too much recognizable) style of the brand.

 

 

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Montblanc%20Starwalker%20amp%20loupes%201_zpszmfterkj.jpg

http://i1311.photobucket.com/albums/s677/Franco_Pupulin/Montblanc%20Starwalker%20amp%20loupes%203_zps5xlk1kqe.jpg

 

Besides the Starwalker Black Mystery fountain pen, some of the photographs (as well as the drawing also features some of my watches and my magnifiers, or loupes (mostly folding models). I ask your pardon, as they are just some other of my acceptable illnesses…

 

Thank you for reading.

What watches? I didn't see any Omegas!

[4lex]

Great review!!! I know some people don't value Starwalker nib very much, but I find it is a very good writer. It also appeals to a younger audience, and I quite like the design. I bought one for my son as a Christmas present because he finds the design more appealing to Meistersuck's.

[Diderot]

Thank you for the review and superb photographs.

[888007888]

Excellent review. Great photography and your drawings are wonderful. The StarWalker line is my favorite of the Montblanc styles. I have a few 146s and Limited Editions, however, I'm alway drawn towards my StarWalkers. The weight of the metal versions are fantastic. The resin versions are too light for my taste and they don't have that solid build quality I find distinctive in heavy pens.