I had a long week at the day job: multiple depositions (via Zoom), which meant a lot of fast-paced, late night prep and rapid note-taking on whatever paper was in front of me at the time. Frankly I couldn’t be bothered with thinking about things like filling fountain pens, or even making sure I had paper good enough to use with a rollerball so I defaulted to this.
A few years ago I reviewed the Monteverde Capless Gel Refill for the Montblanc Classique ballpoint, a pen that many of us have received as a gift over the years to commemorate big events such as graduations or promotions. While I appreciate a good ballpoint refill, the standard Montblanc insert isn’t a favorite. Monteverde, however, makes a capless gel refill that fits Montblanc ballpoints, and it’s available in a fine tip that writes an approximately .5mm line. Every once in a while I like to do a brief follow-up to see whether my opinions of a product have changed over time, and since I’ve used this pen exclusively for the past several days, now seems like a good time to check in.
In short, I still love this refill for what it is. At roughly $13 for a pack of six (ordered directly from Monteverde), this Monteverde capless gel refill is an inexpensive, serviceable writer that turns an ok pen into a good one. Are these the best refills in the world? No. They can be slightly scratchy, and occasionally you’ll receive one that skips. But for what I need in an everyday office gel pen? They work just fine, and the availability of a blue-black color option isn’t something you see very often.
Monteverde for Montblanc capless gel refills come in black, blue, and blue/black ink. I’ve not noticed this before, but Monteverde also states that these refills fit Sailor ballpoint pens, which may finally prompt me to pick up a Sailor Imperial Black ballpoint and complete my set.
Disclaimer: I purchased the refills featured in this review with my own funds, for my own personal use. This post does not contain affiliate links.