Recently took delivery of this Montblanc Turbo ballpoint. It’s a twist action design with hairline steel upper and a black plastic grip that is similar to Tombow’s Metal Dimple line. The standout is definitely the wire clip - a sleek and sporty accent that reminds me of the stick shift in classic sports cars.
Another recent purchase: Montblanc Leonardo ballpoint. What piqued my interest was the quasi pentagonal profile: it has 3 flat sides and a rounded ‘bottom’ that could have blended two facets together.
The result is a very unusual body shape that… well, honestly speaking, is actually not very intuitive to hold. I am somewhat reminded of the asymmetry of the Staedtler Concrete pen.
The finish is also very nice: hairline on the 2 opposing flat sides, glossy on the top and curved bottom. The refill is accessed from the back. The button mechanism is released by poking a small notch below, a very similar locking device to the Lamy Dialog 1 or Aurora Thesi.
A group shot with my small menagerie:
• Ballpix lever actuated ballpoint. Refills need the old style rounded ends to work smoothly.
• Carrera 590 ballpoint. The drilled out clip and color scheme are sooooo Porsche. I really should get hold of the pencil. Soon.
• S-Line duo pen. Super slim twist pen for 2 colors, finished in hairline steel.
• Turbo ballpoint
• Leonardo ballpoint
A shot of the pen finials with perfectly aligned white stars. Sailor could learn a thing or two here with the way their anchor symbols are misaligned. Details matter when you charge a higher price.