The Monteverde Rodeo Drive Iridescent Fountain Pen ($85) is a pretty, opalescent white with silver tone hardware.
Like all Monteverde pens, it ships in the evergreen box with padded, ivory vinyl interior. The packaging is functional. I wish it was more recyclable or reusable but it protects the pen so it accomplishes its task.
The end of the pen is rounded and silver tone. The cap has a rounded top with the logo and lines etched into the opal material. The clip is silver tone. All the pearlescent parts have a matte finish which is a nice contrast to the shiny chrome appearance of the sliver hardware. The cap band is silver tone and is etched with “Monteverde” in their standard architect-style font.
The grip section is also chrome silver. There is a severe step between the opalescent body and the threads and grip section that I found noticeable when writing. The threads were also noticeably sharp.
The nib is etched with the Monteverde logo and was a medium steel nib.
The pen is heavier than I anticipated weighing 28gms unposted and 39gms posted or capped and filled. The Rodeo Drive is heavier than a lot of other pens since the barrel is constructed over a brass base. Posting it makes the Rodeo Drive much too top heavy for me.
The pen is 6.25″ capped and 5.125″ unposted. The pen will post and is 6.25″ long posted. Compared to other pens, left to right: Lamy AL-Star, Pilot Metropolitan, Aurora Style, Pelikan M605, the Monteverde Rodeo Drive and Faber-Castell Grip 2011.
Posted, these pens are similar in size, color and/or price. Obviously, the M605 is considerably more expensive and the Lamy and Pilot Metropolitan are considerably less expensive but provide a comparative size range.
I forgot to actually write down the length and weight information while doing my writing sample but I’ve included it above in the actual type review. In writing, the nib felt smooth overall but I did have occasional skipping issues. When I posted the cap, however, the skipping issues were minimized so I think someone who wrote with a heavier hand may not experience the same issues. Whether that is indicative of a tine misalignment, I am not certain. I would have to inspect it more closely. I do still love using Monteverde California Teal though.
Overall, the pen has a few quirks that makes it a bit difficult to recommend at this particular price point. While it’s a very pretty color, the harsh step down on the grip section and the finicky nib give my pause to recommend it without caveats. I also find the amount of logos and branding on Monteverde pens to feel a bit excessive. The nib itself has the brand on it twice.
Tools:
- Paper: Rhodia Uni-Blank No. 18 with 6mm guide sheet
- Pens: Monteverde Rodeo Drive Iridescent Fountain Pen with Medium Nib ($85)
- Ink: Monteverde California Teal ($13.50 for 90ml bottle)
DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by Monteverde for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.
It honestly looks like a kit pen with that massive step and the large finial on the barrel.
I think it’s so odd that the style or looks of fountain pens have ‘upgraded’ yet the boxes are so ridiculously old fashioned! Of course this is not across all brands but I do agree with not being able to do much with certain brands and their packaging.
As always interesting to read a fountain pen fan’s reviews of these types of pens.
I have this with a fine nib and I had to tune my nib a bit. Get better flow and then I had to seal the cap with wax. After that, it performed a whole lot better.
Rodeo drive just looks like a flat capped Invincia rebadged. That’s not a bad pen but the Rodeo drive isn’t new or different.