Monteverde Artista Crystal Fountain Pen - Medium Nib - Transparent Clear Body

When I first saw pictures of this pen, I was not overly enthused with the plastic look of it but I did like the idea of the pen being see-through, so I ordered it. And when I did receive the pen, I was pleasantly surprised by its looks, which appeared to be quite solid and eye catching. There are some nice classical curves with gives the pen a somewhat refined look. As for the ink inverter sitting inside of it, well, it’s quite cool. As for the twist cap, it is made of plastic but it does not feel like it’s going to strip away anytime soon.

Nevertheless, it is the iridium point on this pen that makes it what it is. With a constant, unperturbed flow of ink, it is any writers dream to write with this pen.

I didn't like this pen very much. Every single part, the nib, the grip, the plastic body, the converter and cap just felt and looked much cheapter than Lamy Safari demonstrator which costed me nearly half as much. It didn't write smooth and was skipping all over the plan. Maybe I got a bad batch because people generally rate this pen as a good, smooth writer that is also aesthetically pleasing. I tried flushing, different cartriges and converters and just couldn't get this to write properly. :(

Got this as a demonstrator to fill with the Diamine Orange ink. It looks really good, especially when the orange ink fills the feed to give it an orange color. One thing that's not so great is that when left for a few days, it's really hard to get it started again. Otherwise a well-built pen.

I love the look. Feels great in your hand. But I am puzzled.
The reviews here all say smooth writing.
Mine wrote horribly. Stiff and scratchy.
Very disappointed. I am wondering if I can get a different nib for this pen??
Everything else is perfect -- but if it scratches when it writes -- not good.
Does anyone have any suggestions?

Good, but not perfect.

The pros:
- Silky smooth nib. Hard to ask for a better feeling on the page at this price point. Much smoother than a medium Lamy nib. Runs at about a true medium in my opinion.
- Very pretty color
- Substantial plastic body, not flimsy-feeling. Has a decent amount of weight.
- Stays fairly balanced when posted
- Clear feed is a fun gimmick, allows you to see the color of your ink and whether the feed is saturated or not.
- Comfortable round grip, fingers don't slide, though it lacks a finger guard above the nib (i.e. Pilot Metropolitan grip)

The cons:
- Leaks! Agh! The converter doesn't sit completely flush in the grip section, and some ink tends to slowly leak out into the pen body and cap. It is also very finicky if the converter is twisted down too far and will leak out of the grip section just above where the feed is fit.
- Possible misprint with the body - the converter seems to sit a wee bit crooked in the pen body itself. May or may not be the cause of the leaking.
- Somewhat dry feed. Ink colors are not as vivid as they are in other pens and tend to look a little washed-out.

Despite these gripes I really like this pen, and I love the style of it. It has its ups and downs, so think carefully and study reviews. But if you like a nib that feels as smooth as silk on the page, this is worth a shot.