Comparing the Aurora 88 and Mont Blanc’s 146

Now, there are only so many ways to design a black pen with the classic torpedo/cigar shape. Many of you probably think of the Mont Blanc 149 first, but for some of us that pen is a little too big. Enter the 146. Some consider that the only option, but I disagree. There is the Sailor 1911 but it’s a not a piston filler so it has no right being in my pen wrap. Then there’s the Sailor Profit Realo, which is a piston filler but I haven’t been able to get my hands on one, yet. What else is there? Oh, yes, the Aurora 88. Some prefer to go the copy-cat route while others like to be original and innovate. I feel there are enough distinctions between the 88 and the 146 to make it a worth-while consideration for someone looking for a high end fountain pen.

Lets start with the filling mechanism, both of which are piston fillers, obviously. If I’m buying a high end modern pen it better have a piston filler if not it’s own unique design like Visconit’s Double Reservoir Power Filler. Here’s where the 88 starts to differentiate itself from other ordinary piston fillers. It has sort of a built in reserve system. When you run out of ink you can move the piston to the bottom of it’s stroke to release enough ink to get you through whatever you’re writing until you can get a refill. At first I couldn’t see the practicality of this feature and wondered why they didn’t make it like every other piston filler. Then I realized it acts s a very good reminder. When you run out of ink in other pens that’s it, you’re out, and you don’t realize it until the nib is dry, or at least I don’t. Even in pens with ink windows I fail to notice my pen is low or empty. Now, I wouldn’t consider this a feature that’s “oh my goodness!” awesome, but it is noteworthy and distinctive. WINNER: 88. The ink reserve gimmick is enough to edge out the 146.

Moving along the pen towards the nib we come to the ink window and the section. Depending on what ink you have in the 146 the ink window can seem to disappear, which actually plays very well into the sleek, simple, and elegant design of the pen. The Aurora has two metal rings outlining the ink window. It’s a nice touch and doesn’t break up the flow of the pen as much as you might think. I don’t think this design would work well on the 146 because beyond the ink window are the cap threads which transitions directly into the section that is the same diameter as the barrel. The ink window rings would interfere too much with the sleekness of the pen. The Aurora’s ink window, on the other hand, steps down from the barrel, moves to the threads, and then to a section that tapers as you move towards the nib where there is a pronounced lip. WINNER: Tie.

Lets move onto one of the more distinguishing features of a pen, the clip. I’ve never been impressed with the clips on the Meisterstück line. They’re just boring and to be honest, not all that attractive. The clip on the Aurora, however, is smooth, elegant, and flows nicely into the cap. Speaking of the cap, I love the white star on the top of all Mont Blanc’s pens. In my opinion, there is no other pen that can compete with the elegance of their cap bands either. Aurora’s is nice and I like the way it extends down to the cap lip but the way they have “Aurora” written in cursive on the band just seems to cheapen the entire pen to me. WINNER: 146. While the clip may be mediocre the cap band and the white star more than make up for it.

Now, what I consider to be the most important part of a pen…the nib. They’re roughly the same size, both made of gold, and write incredibly smooth but I much prefer the look of the Mont Blanc over the Aurora. It just plain looks better. I think I can see what Aurora was trying to do with the scroll work but it’s just not very elegant or intriguing. They should have created more detailed, intricate scroll work that flows with the shape of the nib, complementing it. I don’t understand why they used little curls with what seems like no rhyme or reason to their location. I can see how the design would look nice on paper, but on a nib it just doesn’t work. WINNER: 146. Based purely on cosmetics. They both write phenomenally.

While the Mont Blanc may have come out ahead 2-1-1 I hope I’ve made it clear that the Aurora 88 is a great pen in it’s own right and more than capable enough to compete with the 146 rather than be overshadowed by it. They’re both constructed very well, look beautiful, and feel great in the hand.