Piston pens or converter systems are unproblematic in practice: ink stains on the grip can be wiped off with a cloth, and cleaning is even easier than on pure cartridge pens, since water can be drawn directly. The ink consumption of the 146 depends strongly on nib width and paper; one filling can last several days; on a wet nib or absorbent paper also only a few hours. Montblanc nibs are perceived as softer than the comparatively rigid nibs of Faber-Castell or Aurora, which increases writing comfort with heavy writing. On the 146 the Solitaire Stainless Steel is named as a high-quality choice.