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ST Dupont Orpheo PT Mid Sized

I don't like slip caps. I knocked off points in the reviews of the MB 644, Parker 51 and Aurora 88 for the slip cap. This one is the exception to the rule. There is something about the way Dupont does their slip caps. Maybe it is the satisfying click you hear when you cap it. Maybe it is the way when you post it, it seems like there is a felt cushion inside the cap keeping it smoothly and gingerly on the end of the barrel. I don't know. But there is something that makes me not just tolerate it, but actually like it.

Let me start with the bad. This pen does not like any ink other than Dupont. Not when it came from the store, not when it came back from warranty repair, not even when it came back from warranty repair the second time. It drives me bananas that I have to use Dupont ink to get this thing to write well. With other inks it is hard to start, hesitates, and is unreliable.

Now the good. The fit and finish is equal to, or slightly above what I expect from Montblanc. The pen caps and posts not well, but excellently. The balance is near perfect. The black surface of the pen is Chinese lacquer which is hard, shiny, scratch resistant, solid, smooth as glass, and warm to the touch. Their application of the material is flawless. With Dupont ink this is a bulletproof writer, although a tad dry for my taste. If you have never held a high-end Dupont, try it.