The resin barrel of the 163 Rollerball and the 144 Fountain Pen has a terrible knack for cracking where it meets the pen grip, even if you make sure not to overtighten it!

The issue is that Montblanc not only expects an arm and a leg to “repair” it, but also asks that you give them your pen for up to 8 weeks.

Considering it takes five seconds to replace the barrel, we consider this a much better option.