Monteverde One Touch Stylus Tool Pen

It's been a while since I have done any reviews, be it video or on the blog. I had issues with this review which was supposed to be posted to Youtube initially. I gave up on it and did a typed version instead. You can read the text of the entire review in this post but all the pictures will be on the blog except this one. Frank provided the pen and he has been really patient with me. I appreciate that. I still have two more reviews that should be out in the next days.

https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1964/...5e339156_c.jpgMonteverde Tool Pen by Ivan Romero, on Flickr

That’s a long title! I want to thank Frank at Federalist Pens for providing this pen for review.

The tool pen is one of those pens that at first glance peaks your interest immediately if you are into gadgets and EDC type paraphernalia. It Has an industrial look that mimics Rotring pens. The version I tested is a ballpoint but an inkball, mechanical pencil, and fountain pen are available. I own the fountain pen and now this ballpoint version. There is also a brass version that I imagine is a lot heavier than the regular version that weighs in at 35.9 grams. It feels weighty but not overly heavy in my hand. The official Monteverde literature says it weighs 38 grams. It measures 5.9 inches or 150 mm in length. I find that it sticks out a bit far in a shirt pocket but the clip manages to catch on a jean pant pocket well. The clip is flexible enough to grab on to thicker garments without bending out of shape but I would not push it too far.

The pen packs in several different tools into a small package. Obviously, the ballpoint pen is the first and main tool. It uses D1 refills. That opens up possibilities. The included refill is fine for most but when I hear D1 refill, I automatically think Zebra. The Zebra D1 refills are my favorite. It includes both a Philips and flathead mini screwdriver that I have mostly used to tighten the screws on my glasses. A ruler on the barrel of the pen also includes a metric scale. It’s been years since I have used a measuring scale so forgive me if I don’t expand on that further. A bubble level that is hard to read in low light but saved me a trip home on one occasion. Lastly, a stylus that works well with my phone and iPad Mini.

Some might think it is a bit gimmicky and I thought the same, but I have used all of the pen’s tools at one point or another. The most recent, excluding the pen, was a project where we needed to hang a wall mount rack. No one had a level. I had this pen with me and we quickly leveled it out and hung the rack without issues. At that point, the pen was not so gimmicky anymore. If you want the fountain pen version, get used to international short cartridges. A converter will not fit in the pen because of the bubble level inside the barrel. Do you want the mechanical pencil version? You will give up the bubble level for that mechanical pencil. The inkball is a rollerball that uses international short cartridges typically used with fountain pens. That opens up a lot of ink color choices if that is what you are after.

Overall, the pen is a nice option for those that like more industrial looking pens in their EDC. So far I have kept this pen in my EDC backpack and it has come in handy on more than one occasion. The orange and black version looks interesting too! Don’t hesitate to check the pen out at Federalist Pens!