By Mike Stevens
The 100 Year Special Edition Starwalker from Montblanc is an interesting take on their centenary celebration. Designed to be the "entry level" edition for a line of pens that includes such masterpieces as a solid gold skeleton pen fashioned in the the shape of the mountain itself, the use of the Starwalker makes sense. It allows Montblanc to have a special centenary celebration pen that has a price point below four figures, for one thing! For another, it gives them a model that's already pointed square at the "up and coming" market segment. Younger professionals, who while they want a Montblanc pen for "image", don't necessarily want to be seen as using an "old fashioned" fountain pen.
Enter
the Starwalker. Montblanc's most "cutting edge" model line,
the Starwalker has been a popular offering in the entry level luxury
writing instruments market. It's a clean, stylish design, with interesting
curves culminating in a crystal clear cap top in which is suspended
the Montblanc snowcap. Offered in several versions, the Starwalker is
s striking design, and a great pen if you're into the ultra-modern look.
The
Special Edition Starwalker commemorating Montblanc's 100 year anniversary
has kept the clean, simple lines of the regular model. In fact, there's
very little difference between the two at first glance. The band at
the cap top is complete with a large "100" logo for one thing.
For another, instead of a plain white snowcap logo suspended in the clear captop, there is a diamond. It definitely goes the mother of pearl logo used on the 75th Anniversary pens one better!
This
diamond is probably the main distinguishing characteristic for the Starwalker
Special Edition. It's a small detail, in terms of size, but it really
does make a big difference in the looks. You eye is immediately drawn
to the captop.
As a result, the normally somewhat understated basic black Starwalker is transformed into an almost flashy pen. It's probably not enough to get you kicked out of the regional sales meeting, but be aware that it's definitely not as low-key as their regular model Starwalker pens!
The Special Edition Starwalker is (diamond aside!) identical to the regular model. In writing terms, this means a nice smooth nib. The nib does have a different engraving, featuring a representation of the mountain, as opposed to the Montblanc logo of the regular version Starwalker. The Starwalker is a cartridge/converter fill for the fountain pen, and the ballpen has a twist activated mechanism.
In
use, the Starwalker is a nice pen. It's on the slim side when you compare
it to the 146 or 149, being more along the lines of the 144 Classique
in terms of size. While this might leave it feeling insubstantial to
those who are used to large "status symbol" pens, the Starwalker
does have a very solid feel to it's construction. It might just be the
metal section, but I always felt that I had ahold of a "serious
pen". It's not an unduly heavy pen, though.
If you're a fan of the Starwalker's looks,
you might want to consider looking into the Special Edition. If the
sales of the 75th Anniversary Meisterstuck pens are any indication,
it might not be so easy to get on in a few years!
copyright 2006 Mike Stevens
Images copyright 2005 William Riepl