Do Montblanc Pens Come With Ink?

When people talk about pens, you might think about a ballpoint, but you always think of Montblanc when people mention luxury pens. And why wouldn’t you – this brand has an excellent pedigree and is renowned for making beautiful works of art. However, the beauty of a Montblanc pen comes with a price, and its accessories do too. So, then, do Montblanc pens come with ink?

Most Montblanc pens come with ink. However, their fountain pens do not come with ink and must be refilled with an ink bottle that Montblanc sells separately. Likewise, refills for the Montblanc pens are readily available, and you can supply these pens with other brands of ink.

Now that we know that some Montblanc pens come with ink, we examine why that’s the case. This article will look at which Montblanc pens need separately purchased ink and which don’t, as well as suitable alternatives to Montblanc’s ink.

Which Montblanc Pens Come With Ink?

Whether or not a Montblanc pen will come with ink depends on its design. All rollerballs, fineliners, and ballpoints come with ink. Fountain pens come with ink if they have a cartridge mechanism, while piston converter pens need ink purchased separately.

Do Montblanc Ballpoints Come With Ink?

Montblanc ballpoint pens come with a full ink cartridge inside the pen. Branded refills are affordable and available online or in physical Montblanc stores.

Furthermore, if you want to save money, you can also buy refills from a third party. Because all Montblanc ballpoints use D1 style refills, any D1 refill will fit the pen. Remember, though, that another company’s refill might not be up to Montblanc’s quality standards.

Do Montblanc Fountain Pens Come With Ink?

Currently, Montblanc sells two different types of fountain pens under several lines. These fountain pens use either the cartridge filling mechanism or the piston convertor. If you choose the latter system, you must purchase ink separately.

That’s because piston mechanisms draw ink from an external source into the pen’s cartridge. So, the cartridge is reusable. However, that means that you can’t replace it with a standard refill cartridge.

Nevertheless, the piston mechanisms have a lot of advantages. Not only are these pens classics even among other Montblanc products, but they can use nearly any kind of liquid ink.

Unlike other pens which need their cartridges replaced with a limited selection of options, you can refill these fountain pens with any brand or color of ink you like. Although Montblanc’s ink bottles are best, their fountain pens still offer many other inks.

So, if you plan on purchasing a Montblanc fountain pen, keep in mind that you might have to buy an ink bottle for it too. Fortunately, Montblanc has a great selection of ink to choose from, and you can buy it in the same order as the pen itself.

On the other hand, you could buy a cartridge fountain pen. You can refill these options (such as the StarWalker collection) by replacing their cartridges. Depending on your budget, you could use official Montblanc cartridges or any other standard-size international ink cartridge.

Cartridge pens are easier to refill and more travel-friendly than piston mechanism fountain pens. Nevertheless, you’re more limited in your color selection.

Do Montblanc Fineliners And Rollerballs Come With Ink?

Although fineliners and rollerballs are different pen styles, they use the same liquid ink. As well as that, Montblanc fineliners and rollerballs use interchangeable refills. Because of that, both types come out of the box with ink.

Note that Montblanc rollerballs and fineliners do not accept most third-party refills, though. While you can put Montblanc’s fineliner refill in a rollerball and vice versa, neither style will function adequately with a third-party refill.

These pens have specific designs that prevent many other refills from being fitted correctly (even though the refills are technically a typical size).

Because of that issue, exercise caution when buying a third-party refill for your Montblanc fineliner or rollerball. You should ensure that the refill’s packaging mentions that it will fit in Montblanc pens.

Do Montblanc Pens Need Special Ink?

Montblanc recommends that you use their pens only with their ink. According to their official website, doing so protects these luxury pens from damage. And that’s fair – low-quality ink could ruin a Montblanc pen.

Furthermore, Montblanc’s inks are phenomenal. Their depth of color, permanency, and level of craftsmanship is top of the line. However, you pay the total cost for this quality. Other brands offer a similar level of quality for less.

However, not all third-party refills, cartridges, or ink bottles are low-quality. Montblanc isn’t the only luxury pen company either. If you use ink from a reputable brand, you won’t have any problems.

For fineliners and rollerballs, Jaymo and Monteverde offer refills that precisely fit these pens. Unlike other brands, these third-party refills have the proprietary shape required for a Montblanc fineliner or rollerball.

Similarly, Montblanc ballpoints use standard D1 refills. This refill style is ubiquitous. Nevertheless, not all D1 refills are equal. Most importantly, some use gel ink instead of ballpoint ink paste. These gel ink refills quickly deplete, so we don’t recommend using them.

However, suppose you do want good third-party refills for your Montblanc ballpoint. In that case, Zebra 4C and Uni SXR-200 Jetstream are excellent choices. They’re quick-drying and remarkably smooth.

If you’re looking variety of colors first and foremost, though, then we recommend getting Monteverde Soft Roll refills instead. Unlike most D1 refills, Monteverde offers everything from purple to brown (and the standard black and blue too).

Last, Montblanc fountain pens can also use third-party ink. Remember, though, that not ink bottles work with fountain pens. Specifically, Indian ink will stain and ruin a standard fountain pen, so avoid it.

Instead, look specifically for fountain pen ink. Its readily available, either in bottles or cartridges. For the latter, Asvine and Jinhao are good competition to Montblanc.

However, for high-quality alternatives to Montblanc’s bottle ink, consider Pilot Iroshizuku, Pelikan, or Noodler’s. These three brands have outstanding pedigrees, come in several vibrant colors, and are excellent for everyday use and special occasions.

Conclusion

To conclude, most Montblanc pens come with ink. Only piston converter fountain pens need separately purchased ink – the others all come with a refill or cartridge already inside the pen.

Refilling a Montblanc pen depends on its mechanism and design (you’ll receive instructions alongside the pen itself). You don’t need to use Montblanc ink in their pens, though, although their ink is generally top of the line. Refills from a reputable third party work fine in a Montblanc pen.