Mega Painted

"Hello, I felt it essential that I drop you a quick note. (Of course, I should be using this exquisite pen, but I felt I should dash something off!). I am astounded by the shear jaw-dropping, stop-in-your-tracks, snort-milk-up-your-nose beauty of this instrument. Thank you for allowing me to one of the truly honoured few to acquire this heirloom. Cheers"
G. C., Winnipeg, Canada

Monteverde introduces the miracle of reverse miniature hand-painting inside the newest
MEGA Ink*Ball Limited Edition pens!

His Nibs' introduction to Nabu pens Video of NABU Flowers & Birds packaging
(6 minutes -- click the blue arrow button to play) (5 minutes -- click the blue arrow button to play)
Download Windows Media Player here

Short introductory video
(click on your 'back' button to return here after watching videos)

Long video (about 55 minutes) detailing the creation of each pen...beginning
with the fashioning of the tiny brush

Click here to see the new Mega website
(Some people have experienced poor ink flow the first time after filling the Mega. It's necessary for the tip to become fully saturated with ink in order for the pen to operate properly. Experience has shown that a good method is to fill the pen with ink from the bottle, and while the tip is still immersed in the ink, to expel the ink by reversing the piston and then to refill the pen. Then, blot excess ink from the tip, place the cap on the pen and allow it to rest point-down for 30 minutes, allowing capillary action to fully saturate the tip the first time).

"The Nabu arrived today and I'm totally speechless on the beauty of the pen! Thanks for keeping my reservation. You truly do business with a heart." L.H., Philippines

The amazing luxury of a hand-painted pen is now affordable
(compare to other hand-painted pens costing thousands of dollars -- and they're painted on the outside!)

In 1703, a new art form emerged in China known as inside (reverse) painting. Clear glass snuff bottles were hand painted from the inside out. The process is like microsurgery combined with extremely fine artwork but the hand painting is done in reverse. These have always been prized among museums and the World’s elite.

After many years of trial and error, Southern California based, Monteverde® brings the process to their latest series of limited edition pens. Monteverde’s® original art is hand-painted on the inside of special, hand-made clear acrylic resins. The process is called, Nabu™.

If there is one word to describe the Nabu™, Painting Inside process, it is “hand-made”. Before the first stroke of paint is applied, a specially designed brush is hand crafted from natural and man-made materials. The brush maker starts with a copper rod that is hand tapered to a long point. The thin point is then shaped into a small loop. A given number of hairs from a wolf or a sheep are then placed into the loop. The natural bristles are permanently held in place by melting a hardened piece of pine wax onto the brush. The brush is then hand trimmed to the desired length and thickness. The result is a finely crafted miniature paintbrush with its bristles perpendicular to the handle.

The meticulous work is completely done by hand. Highly gifted artists may take weeks to complete each Nabu™ pen. Since the painting is completely done by hand, no two pens are exactly alike.

* The choice of the name Nabu™ for the this process of inside reverse painting is derived from two sources. The first is it's approximation to the sound of the Chinese characters 內筆 (Naa Bee -- approximately), which is Mandarin for "Inside" "Writing Brush" or "Writing Pen". The second reason chosen is that Nabu was the Babylonian god of wisdom and writing. He was patron of the art of writing and a god of vegetation. Nabu's symbols were the clay tablet and the stylus, the instruments held to be proper to him who inscribed the fates assigned to men by the gods. It never hurts to have a god on your side!

Monteverde pays tribute to the natural world with Flowers and Birds. Poetically called, “nature’s voice” flowers embody the essence of physical beauty. They appeal to our senses and are the very symbol of procreation and physical pleasure.

Birds are known to symbolize grace, freedom and peace, like a dove. They command the skies and are found on EVERY continent on Earth. Birds were the inspiration for mankind’s ability to spread our “wings” and fly!

The Monteverde Design Team has chosen a classic art style to illustrate the most striking and unique features of several species of Flowers and Birds. Your pen will always remind you of the most elegant and desirable things in life. Keep your Monteverde pen nearby… it will immediately transport your mind to a place of pleasant thoughts, beauty, and promise.

MV34521 The Great Wall of China ~~$395.00~~ $319.00 (Not in stock, but can still be ordered)

Short video

Monteverde pays tribute to one of mankind’s greatest achievements; “The 10,000 Li, Long Wall”, Great Wall of China. At more than 4,000 miles long, it is the World’s longest man made structure. The Great Wall was built and rebuilt over a 2,000 year period beginning in the 5th century b.c. The section of wall built by Qin Shi Huang, (the first Emperor of China) between 220 B.C. AND 200 B.C. to protect the empire and to prevent the resurgence of feudal lords is legendary but no longer exists.

Your pen pictures a section of the wall constructed during the Ming Dynasty. It is considered to be one of the most visually striking sections of the entire structure. Here, the Wall climbs extremely steep slopes. This section is almost 7 miles long. As the wall and all of its fortifications wind through the mountain pass it is 26 feet tall and measures more than 19 feet thick at its base.

“The Long Wall” is still standing and is visible from space but you can keep this monumental achievement right at your fingertips.

MV34522 Tiger ~~$395.00~~ $319.00 (Not in stock, but can still be ordered)

Short video

Monteverde pays tribute to one of the greatest images in nature. Artists and poets have celebrated the Tiger for its power, its beauty, and its unique ability to adapt and to overcome just about anything. The Tiger is revered for its awesome power, it’s dignity, and it’s steadfast ability to hunt, stalk, and overpower its prey.

There are five different types of living tigers today; the Siberian Tiger, Bengal Tiger, the South-China Tiger, the Indo-Chinese Tiger, and the Sumatran Tiger.

Your pen celebrates the Panthera Tigris Amoyensi; also known as the Chinese, Amoy, or Xiamen tiger, The South China tiger is considered to be the “stem” tiger, the subspecies from which all other tigers evolved. It is one of the most endangered animals on earth. You can enjoy this magnificent creature as easily as picking up your pen.

Long video (about 55 minutes) detailing the creation of each pen...beginning
with the fashioning of the tiny brush

Dating back perhaps a thousand years, Ne’Qwa is the name for the Chinese artistic tradition of reverse painting on the inside of glass. The technique became widely known during the Qing Dynasty, beginning in the 17th Century. The process was called inside (reverse) painting. As tobacco and snuff were introduced to China's imperial court and elite from European traders, clear snuff bottles were hand-painted from the inside-out, which yielded some of the most prized collectibles that the world has ever seen.

If painting through the small opening of a snuff bottle wasn't difficult enough, the artist also had to paint the object in reverse order, since the first drop of paint to touch the glass will be in front of subsequent brush strokes. Thus the details must be painted before the subject. Eyes first, then face, then background. The "reverse" of how typical painters work. So, unlike traditional painting techniques, where the artist starts with the background and builds outward, the inside (reverse) artist must start with the foreground first. It takes many years of highly disciplined training before an artist is allowed to work on an inside (reverse) painted object.

Monteverde's reverse hand-painted limited edition writing instruments combine the centuries-old art of inside (reverse) painting with the latest advance in pen-making. Monteverde's original art is hand-painted on the inside of special, hand-made clear acrylic resins.

Clear barrels in the pen industry have for many years been commonly known as demonstrators. These are prized by collectors and typically cost many hundreds of dollars. Taking this to the next level, Monteverde hand polishes the inside of each barrel in a very special way and then roughens it so that the paint will adhere to the acrylic surface.

The meticulous work is completely done by hand. Highly gifted artists take at least 72 hours to complete each part with a specially designed, hand-made hooded paint brush specifically designed for these pens. Since the painting is completely done by hand -- no two pens are exactly alike. Each pen is considered to be an original masterpiece and is numbered in sequence. Dealers are not given the option of selecting specific numbers, so what's included in my upcoming order will be a random selection, number-wise (and as I don't open the shrink-wrapped boxes prior to shipping, will remain a mystery until you receive it! ).Only 395 of each of the first 3 designs will be produced. Each painting is also sealed from the inside to protect it from interior scratches. The parts are hand-assembled and brilliantly presented in an exclusive gift box.

The pens are the same basic model as the oversized black Mega Ink*Ball -- to afford maximum surface area for the painting. The complete comes with three extra front sections, a bottle of Monteverde black ink, ink cartridges and an ink converter for bottled ink.

Mega™ Inkball™ point: The world's first fountain pen with a rollerball tip and tungsten carbide ball. The Mega™ Inkball™ writing system gives you the ink flow of a fountain pen with the convenience and control of a rollerball. Each Inkball™ point will last about one kilometer of writing!

Filling system: The Mega™ Inkball™ draws ink just like a fountain pen. It can be filled through the Mega™ point, used with a converter or with a standard international ink cartridge.

Clip: Mega™ specific design with heavy-duty spring-loaded, color matched jewelry-grade chromium mask.

Cap & body: Hand-turned, high-density acrylic resins, close tolerance threads for secure closing and engineered Mega™ colors for a luxurious look.

Packaging: The unique presentation box has lacquered wood accents and a magnetic closure system. An engraved velvet cover reveals the Mega™ kit, which includes: a Mega™ Inkball™ writing instrument, a bottle of highest quality MonteVerde™ ink and 3 extra point sections.