Napa

"Norman: The pen which I ordered for my daughter (in Bendigo, Australia) has arrived safely. She especially liked the special few words which you included. She loved the pen's appearance and I am sure that its writing qualities will match."
P. B., Australia

"Hi Norman, Arrived today. Very nice. I am amazed at that stub nib. Tried it tonight and I really like it. My test ink was Waterman blue-black. This pen will likely get more use than I originally anticipated. And, pictures really don't give enough credit. You have to see that pen to appreciate it. Thanks, Norman."
G. D., Huron, SD

"Hi Norman, Thank you so much for your wonderful note. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it (such fine penmanship!) and I particularly liked the wax seal - fit for a king! The pen is...quite simply... amazing. I only just realised that the entire barrel serves as a reservoir for the ink - at least I hope that’s why it has such as large clear window. It hasn’t leaked yet so I'm taking that as a good thing! I’ve never written with a stub nib before and it’s a very enjoyable experience. I will have to watch that video that you put up recently to see how I’m meant to use it because it does create some very nice differences in breadth depending on the stroke and I don’t want to ruin it! Once again thank you so much for selling me such an amazing product, and at such a good price as well! I will definitely be coming back again when the fountain pen bug return - which it invariably does after a few months! I can assure you that I will definitely be checking your page regularly for your latest amazing offer or new product! Here’s another well satisfied customer wishing you all the best and thanks again,"

"Hi Norman, just had to write and tell you I've been using the new Monteverde stub this morning and it's great! It's very smooth and nice line variation without being overly wide like some of the stubs out there. Many thanks again for the excellent service and products!"
M. W., Newberry, SC

"I bought a blue one with a stub nib - and man am I happy with it - a great writer very smooth...Thanks Norm."
P. C., Saratoga, CA

"Hi Norman, I received the Wing Sung Salmon Crest and the Monteverde Napa (stub nib) pens last Mon. & I'm very pleased with both. The Salmon Crest is an excellent jotting pen that writes fine and is reliable on all types of paper. I'm really enjoying the Napa with the stub nib. This pen is attractive and has just the right amount of heft to produce clear calligraphic lettering. It writes incredibly smooth. I must admit that I've never had so much fun writing! Thanks for these great pens."
KFG Columbus, OH

"Got it. Great pen. The clip is great and the colors really pop. Monteverde's design continues to evolve. Very nice."
M. M., Chicago, IL

MV34570 Napa Red fountain pen ~~$125.00~~ ~~$99.00~~ Discontinued and permanently sold out

MV34550 Napa Blue fountain pen ~~$125.00~~ ~~$99.00~~ Discontinued and permanently sold out

MV34560 Napa Ivory fountain pen ~~$125.00~~ ~~$99.00~~ Discontinued and permanently sold out

As you can see from the photos, these are multi-colored resin pens -- so 'Red', for instance, only speaks to the predominate color (I would have preferred 'Café au lait' rather than 'Ivory', but I've decided to use that name for one of Lai Yee's newest pen roll patterns).

The Napa oversized fountain pen is an homage to Monteverde's home state of California, and it's premier wine region (and see the new Catalina, which pays homage to the island off the coast of Los Angeles).

The fountain pen measures 5-3/4" capped, 6-1/4" posted and 5-1/8" with cap held aside. Along with the brilliant colors, the first things you notice about the Napa is the wide filigree cap band -- and the even wider ink-view window.

The Napa also introduces Monteverde's new clip design, which incorporates a wheel for easy rolling over any pocket fabric -- allowing for quick placement or removal -- coupled with a secure grip. The clip also sports the new position for Monteverde's mountain logo.

The ink-view window adds terrific functionality, allowing you to instantly gauge the amount of ink present in your pen, as well as providing the opportunity of playing with different ink color/pen color combinations. Although I haven't done so personally, the pen's design calls out for an experiment with silicone grease on the threads and removal of the ink converter, to turn the pen into a massive-capacity eyedropper by filling the barrel directly.

Ink view window with empty converter Ink converter filled with Monteverde Brown ink

The cap of the red Napa is particularly interesting, as in the examples I've so far examined (each pen's pattern is unique in all three colors), the resin used is semi-transparent in sections, allowing for an ethereal glimpse of the enclosed nib!

The barrel of the Napa is subtly engraved with the logo, Monteverde USA and Napa.

The cap is a screw type and posts securely as a slip cap. The nibs are available in B, M, F or the new stub sizes. I've found that the Monteverde nibs run about a size smaller than typical western nibs. Hence, I'd classify the B nib as a typical medium, the M as a fine and the F as an x-fine. The stub is a 1.1 mm medium. Please specify the nib size you'd like, by letter or 'stub' only, to avoid confusion when ordering.

Should you wish to order an additional nib ($24.00 each), in another size, note that the Napa doesn't have a screw-out nib unit, but rather the nib and feed can pull out, directly from the section.

The fountain pens come with a piston converter for bottled ink...but as with all new pens, I recommend to run a dilute solution of dishwashing soap (two or three drops to a small bowl of water) through a new pen a few times, followed by water only. Step one is effective at removing manufacturing oils that can tend to make the ink less than enthusiastic in heading from the converter to the nib, and step two removes the traces of the detergent you've used...which tends to have the opposite, diuretic effect.

The pen will also take International-style cartridges, such as those from Private Reserve. The Monteverde gift box and warranty are included.

IMPORTANT SERVICE NOTE: Every nib that ships from His Nibs is closely examined under high magnification and tuned or adjusted if needed. About 85% of modern nibs need some adjustment out-of-the-box from the manufacturer for an optimal writing experience. Most commonly, the tines of the nib are misaligned -- which would cause scratchiness at the minimum; the slit between the tines is partially or fully closed -- which would starve the nib of ink and at best cause skipping; or the slit between the tines is too wide -- which will either again cause skipping, or conversely, flooding. There are other factors -- such as separation of the nib from the feed -- that are inspected and repaired before any pen leaves the Palace.

The only 100% guarantee of course comes when the pen is actually filled with ink and written with for the first time, but our pre-shipping inspections and tunings have eliminated 99.99999 (my finger is getting tired) of the frustrations that a customer experiences when first using a new fountain pen. Although this can be time-consuming on occasion, it affords our customers a much more pleasant experience when receiving a fountain pen from His Nibs -- and saves us the frustration of dealing with returns!