I love blacked-out pens. And I love German pens. So when Montblanc announced the Ultra Black LeGrand, you could say they had my attention. Thankfully, I’ve had several opportunities to use one and here’s my assessment.
The texture on the cap and barrel feel great! It looks and feels remarkably similar (almost indistinguishable) to that on the Aurora 88 Satin. Montblanc went in a different direction than Aurora by retaining the polished grip section. I think this disrupts the flow and cohesiveness of the pen and much prefer Aurora’s decision to texture the section. As far as grip goes, it makes no difference to me. Textured or polished, they’re both easy to grip and control.
The ruthenium plating looks fantastic. I’ve always enjoyed the dark luster of ruthenium and like the subtlety sinister undertones it adds to the pen.
Performance was very good. This particular example was sent to me for customization, but I did use it in its unmodified state and found it to be a good writer. I don’t put too much weight on out-of-the-box performance since every pen can be adjusted so easily to suite an owner’s preference.
So, it sounds like this is a no-brainer purchase, right? Well, not exactly. Two things held me back: the size and the balance.
I used to own several Montblanc 146s, including the beautiful bordeaux that I kinda wish I still had, but sold them all during the phase where I thought oversize pens were the be-all-end-all. Recently, I’ve been using more mid-sized pens (mostly MB Writers Editions) similar in size to a 146 and was ecstatic about the thought of the Ultra Black. But the main source of indecision was the odd balance it had in my hand which I attribute to the metal filling knob. It’s hard to believe it would make that much of a difference but there’s nothing else I can come up with. It just didn’t feel as good as the other mid-sized pens I use and I couldn’t pull the trigger on a pen I wasn’t 100% gung-ho for.
Oh well, I’m sure Montblanc will have another new pen in a month or so that I think I can’t live without.
Hello Dan, what are your thoughts on the new ink they brought out with it? Did you get a chance to use it? I see a bottle of Montblanc ink in the background, and looks like the new Black ink.
The ink in the background is Einstein Grey. I haven’t had a chance to use the Ultra Black in yet, but from what I’ve heard, it’s a bit of a disappoint as far as a black goes.
Is that really all there is to it because that’d be flaanergbstibg.
Nice Spyderco Vallotton, it is stock or a “special” from Butch?
first time viewing the blog,and this was what i noticed first .a knife.
Sounds like you’ll fit right in around here, Stewart.
It’s stock. I’ve considered getting one of the modified versions but just never pulled the trigger.
beautiful combo, I really dig the matte body but the hardware contrasts so strongly its a bit jarring. Beautiful match with your Vallotton, im a spydie fiend too!
There are very very few pens that I would purchase at full retail price in any Montblanc boutique. This was the exception. After seeing this pen in person and holding it in my hand, I couldn’t wait to do what I typically do after a Montblanc store test run: go home and try to find it online at a discounted price. I picked up this pen with a stock medium nib at the full retail price + tax and am very happy with my purchase. It’s a beautiful pen. There is a slight back weight due to the metal piston nob … but the mix of materials and color was too much to resist. I would wholeheartedly recommend this pen. It is perfect.
Great review. You take some amazing pictures.
Thank you! I really appreciate that.