It's funny how Montegrappa wasn't really on my radar much (if at all!) in the past years, yet as of late I find myself looking at almost all the new products they put out! Admittedly, the Montegrappa Elmo was probably at the bottom of my personal watchlist, but having it in hand now, thanks to Appelboom, it's undoubtedly a pen that's hard to miss... for obvious reasons!
The design of the Elmo gives me a vague Montblanc M (review HERE) vibe, which is not the kind of pen I want to be reminded of, to be honest. I think the resemblance in the overall shape of the Elmo and Montblanc M isn't too hard to see: a cigar-shaped pen that tapers lightly towards two perfectly round finials on top and bottom. The overall profile is quite streamlined, very uncluttered (not very Montegrappa-like?). In terms of looks, there's also a fair comparison to be made with the Esterbrook Estie (review HERE), in my opinion.
As someone who's sometimes a bit unreasonably picky about clip designs, I like how the slender, concave shape of the Elmo's clip contrasts the slightly bulky appearance of the pen itself.
Ok, to be honest, I find the 'regular' edition of the Elmo a tad bit boring. This particular 'Iris Yellow' colorway though - part of the 'Fantasy Bloom' collection - can hardly be called boring in its appearance. The mad combination of vibrant, pearlescent yellow, green, purple, and brown swirls is an absolute eyecatcher for sure - some sort of oddly intriguing, shimmery barf? Ok, that may not sound too enticing... Montegrappa dares to experiment with their materials, which is something I can certainly appreciate. Talking about experimental materials, I'm especially intrigued by the new Elmo Ambiente, made from recycled plastic packaging!
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| L to R: Platinum #3776, Montegrappa MIA, Montegrappa Zero, Montegrappa Elmo, Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000 |
The Elmo is an average-sized pen, measuring 14.2 cm/ 5.6" closed, and 12.7 cm/ 5" uncapped. The section has a diameter just over 1 cm/ .40" which is typically what I find a good sweet spot for me. The pen as a whole isn't too wide, especially compared to the more stubby MIA I reviewed a few weeks ago. The Elmo weighs 30 grams in total, which isn't anything out of the ordinary. But it does have a very apparent center of gravity, with a lot of weight coming from the metal threads on the barrel. It's not a heavy pen by any means, but you'll immediately notice the balance, which lies nicely in the middle of the pen. I quite like the way it balances in the hand. The cap can be posted but it's not as secure as I'd like.
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| Watch your step! |
The cap has lovely threads - the Montegrappa-kind of smooth, which is really something they have down to a science over in Bassano Del Grappa! But the problem with the threads is that they don't hold the pen closed particularly securely. I think that's in part because there's no inner cap to provide a positive stop for the section to tighten up against. It's not a huge deal-breaker, but I found it apparent on this pen, whereas other Montegrappa's I've tried don't have the same issue.
The step behind the threads is SUBSTANTIAL. The section has a slightly concave profile, but not enough to really draw your grip closer towards the nib and away from the step. Luckily the threads are at least smooth and unobtrusive. That step is definitely a weak spot as far as comfort goes, and it's again eerily reminiscent of my experience with the Montblanc M.
The Elmo uses a standard international screw-in converter that is Montegrappa-branded - functional, but nothing particularly special. It has a coil agitator inside to keep the ink from sticking - which is nice - but I was surprised to see it started rusting already after the first fill - not so nice!
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| One of the better nib designs around IMHO |
Montegrappa switching to JoWo nibs has probably been their best decision in years because they're definitely a massive improvement in writing performance and consistency over the old nibs! If you like JoWo nibs, you'll like this nib. It's not a super-special steel nib, but at least you generally get a smooth and reliable writer. This B was a joy to write with, buttery smooth, very wet, and it lays down a properly wide line.
Certain things in life are still a given, and Montegrappa's premium pricing is one of those things. So even as one of - if not the - most affordable Montegrappa pens currently available, the Montegrappa Elmo will still cost you a pretty penny! The starting price of 175€ or 170$ (without VAT) isn't too bad, but realistically you'll want the more interesting 'Fantasy Blooms' colorways, which end up at 210€/ 200$. At that price, it finds itself in the territory of pens like the Leonardo Momento Zero (review HERE) or Esterbrook Estie. Those are difficult pens to compete against, especially since the Elmo -while a good pen - maybe isn't a memorable one, and it isn't without its flaws either!
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