S.T. Dupont vs Montblanc - whose quality is better

[pennywise]

Can anyone compare the quality of S.T. Dupont fountain pens and those made by

Mont Blanc?

 

Thanks

[DWL]

As far as quality goes they are about the same. Personally I prefer the DuPont family of pens to MB's for their styling. Now don't get me wrong some of the LE MB's are pretty sweet but way out of my price range, as are the DuPont's but that's neither here nor there.

 

Dennis

[marklavar]

Can anyone compare the quality of S.T. Dupont fountain pens and those made by

Mont Blanc?

 

Thanks

It's basically a matter of taste. I think Dupont pens are much nicer than MB, and better quality, but you will always find a diehard MB fan. The MBs I like are the 149 and the very expensive vermeil Solitaire models, the rest are very so-so. Dupont pens have excellent build and finish quality, and they write very smoothly - more than MB pens I'd say. But, as I said before it's a matter of opinion, so I suggest you try out the pens for yourself.

[Richard]

For writing characteristics, Dupont is better than Montblanc. For build quality, they're about even -- but Montblanc made two design mistakes with the Meisterstück series, viz., the choice of "Precious Resin" ( a brittle fiberglass-reinforced resin that is prone to crack and even shatter) and the choice to include the section's flared end as part of the nib/feed collar (leading to leaks on the exterior of the section and to breakages that cause the end of the section -- a flange on the collar -- to simply fall off). I consider these two design choices inexcusable, and they are the reason I recommend avoiding these pens.

[Allan]

I tend to disagree with Richard. I have many MB pens and just aquired a new Dupont Orpheo because of all the praises I have heard, such as the ones from Richard above. The Dupont and for example my 146 are a good comparison as they retail for about the same amount.

 

The Dupont is a cart/convertor setup, and I find that a rather cheap filler while the MB is a very nice piston filler with an ink view window. In addition the rear piece does not screw correctly into the section, which leaves an obvoius misalignment which is annoying to say the least. Also I have had two 146s, and many other MB pens, and they all write very well, the Dupont on the other hand has a hard time starting and has problems with being left uncapped for even a short time. Lastly the clip is nice, but wobbles too much from side to side for a pen costing this much.

 

One problem is something to send in to have repaired under warranty, and is no big deal. This many problems in my opinion is not OK.

 

Yes, this is based on one Dupont pen, but it is much more than a single problem, and they are problems I have never experienced with MB pens.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Allan

[Richard]

Allan, either you got a lemon or you got a counterfeit. If the former, you should demand a replacement. I have never seen a Dupont that was less than perfectly fitted. If the latter, you have my sympathy!

[Allan]

Allan, either you got a lemon or you got a counterfeit. If the former, you should demand a replacement. I have never seen a Dupont that was less than perfectly fitted. If the latter, you have my sympathy!

Then you should see this one. I went and found the guide to counterfeit Duponts BEFORE I purchased this one from Paradise Pens (their pen fair gave me 20% off which made them very competitive).

 

The nib is indeed gold, magnet will not stick. The underside of the clip is indeed mirror polished. The side of the pen does have the leaf insignia indicating real laquer. Yes, the feed is ribbed instead of solid like the fakes. And lastly, the serial number is not the same one used on most or all of the fakes, so I do not think it is a fake.

 

Allan

[meanwhile]

I think any manufacturer can let the odd lemon out through quality control and the answer is to send the pen back and demand a replacement when you find one. It shouldn't be hard if you bought from a reputable dealer.

 

Mis-designing a whole family of pens, otoh, so that they function as tiny shrapnel emitting devices, is a real mistake.

 

But I do tend to expect high end pens not to be cc's or even to be unscrewed (like a 51 aero) to be refilled. It reduces the magic.

[coolman0198rdt]

With Dupont, so far those limited editions I've got has never fail as in functioning and really durable .

 

I don't mind if they charge more as long as they give me the quality that I not notice the defects, I am fine.

 

Dupont and Mont Blanc, I would say with qulity, Dupont is better as it aim for the durability and I think that's

 

why they used chinese lacquer which consume more time and costs instead of "resin", but got to admit that

 

Mont Blanc's design is better in style. I've been writing with my Dupont Samourai 288 for year and a half,

 

it still really smooth and at least you feel more comfortable that it's really solid. I was planning on one

 

step further for a prestige limited edition, at first I was planning on the Dupont "Shanghai prestige limited 50"

 

but I changed my mind after I saw those Mont Blanc models within 100 limited. Here comes the extreme shocked to me,

 

I bought one of those Mont Blanc rare limited piece (Don't want to specify the name) I can only say its within 100

 

range(so you got an idea of its price). The very first day I fill it with ink and start writing in the morning, rinse

 

with cold water afterwards. I fill it up again at night and it start to leak, and discovered a small crack to begin

 

with, I found that once the resin got a tiny crack, it will spread and get real bad within a day or so. Rang

 

Mont Blanc and told them the situation, they said post to them and have a look to see whether they can repair

 

it or not, as they might not kept parts for, that sound really scary due to its price

[John Cullen]

My experiences are limited.

 

But that won't stop me from throwing out my opinion.

 

I have used one Fine point 146 and three Fine point 149s. All were made within the last fifteen years. The Fine points were less smooth than the 8 Fine points I have tried on extra large Olympios. All nibs were stock.

 

 

So if you want a very smooth Fine point, my limited experience suggest that Dupont is a good bet.

 

J

[82Greg]

I'm a huge fan of Dupont. I really like the heft of the pens. I've never had a problem with one I bought out of a store. I've bought a couple off of EBay and ended up with ones that chronically wrote bad, but a quick trip to a nibmiester, produced a butter smooth pen. My personal belief is their nib sizing is generous (i.e. a medium is closer to a medium/bold than a straight medium).

 

I've never been a fan of Montblanc. Too many boutiques in very high priced retail locations leads to a plastic pen with too high a price. At the same time, I'm always on the lookout for an inexpensive MB 149 to add to my collection as the exemplar of MB.

 

I'm not a fan of either manufacturer's styling. Your basic black pen with gold or silver trim is pretty boring. I'd really like to see Dupont bring some colors to the top of the line. A nice bright red, yellow and/or orange would be great.

[ElykNordneg]

Here is another vote for Dupont, Their pens write like nothing else I've experienced and are very sturdy. They do cost a little more than Montblanc new but it's well worth it. Also if you scan the classifieds once in awhile you'll find amazing deals on their pens.

[jar]

Resurrecting old threads can often be fascinating.

 

I would place ST Dupont and Montblanc up in the top tier modern pens category along with Yard-o-Led, Montegrappa, Cartier, Dunhill, the modern top line Sheaffers (unlike the former Sheaffer still offers entry level pens as well), top line Waterman, Pelikan and Parker, and a few other marques.

 

Of the two brands mentioned in the OP, I have found that ST Dupont pays more attention to even the most mundane of details than Montblanc but both rate very high in that area.

 

Montblanc probably gets the nod in after sales support, but since I have never had a reason to seek after sales support for any of my ST Duponts (with one exception of a nib replacement on one Gatsby where someone hit the nib on the edge of a desk and creased that sucker big time but I had a replacement nib and so just had Danny Fudge swap them) so that has been a non issue for me.

 

When it comes to sheer beauty and originality of LE versions I'd give the nod to ST Dupont. It's hard to find something from MB that shows the joy of the ST Dupont Medici or Andalusia, or Opus X.

 

MB makes prettier nibs and in greater variety of engraving.

 

http://www.fototime.com/E5E251924FCFD57/orig.jpg

Personally, I prefer cartridge/converter systems to piston systems but others will prefer the pistons.

 

Over the decades it seems that I tend towards ST Dupont over Montblanc by about two to one.

Edited March 27, 2012 by jar

[mjchuang9]

I have both neo-classique large and president Samourai. They are delicate and solid. However I really do not like the shape of the regular edition, and c/c either. I prefer the MB stubish nib and piston filler.

[rwilsonedn]

For writing characteristics, Dupont is better than Montblanc. For build quality, they're about even -- but Montblanc made two design mistakes with the Meisterstück series, viz., the choice of "Precious Resin" ( a brittle fiberglass-reinforced resin that is prone to crack and even shatter) and the choice to include the section's flared end as part of the nib/feed collar (leading to leaks on the exterior of the section and to breakages that cause the end of the section -- a flange on the collar -- to simply fall off). I consider these two design choices inexcusable, and they are the reason I recommend avoiding these pens.

Interesting. The flange issue you describe is exactly what happened (repeatedly) to my 146. After several tries at my expense, MB eventually "solved" the problem by smearing some sort of solvent all over the end of the section, leaving an irregular blob around the circumference of the section-end. Unfortunately the "solution" didn't seem to stop the leaking altogether. Eventually I decided to give up.

ron

[olivier78860]

I think In my opinion :

 

both:

- very good nibs

- very good aspect

 

pro S.T. Dupont:

- price for what you get. Details in conception.

- lacquer (sometimes chinese)

- never had to send anything back to repair

- functional nibs

 

pro Montblanc:

- piston filler (on some models)

- more beautifull nib (on the upper models)

 

contra S.T. Dupont:

- C/C

- ?

 

contra Montblanc

- advertising pushing prices up

- cheap plastic

- horribly expensive aftersales service

 

All in all, I like my EF 149, but I never use my Edgar Poe (M nib is boring). My 254 is part of family history so I don't count it in.

I love my Fidélio and my Classique, and I like my Défi.

 

I find S.T. Dupont has a good, reliable, sober brand image, when Montblanc has lost all its attractivity over the last years (Dolce Gabana-style marketing isn't synonymous of luxury to me). For me the battle would be more between S.T. Dupont and Pelikan, in modern pens.

[mjchuang9]

You can send your MB Poe for nib exchange to what you prefer. But Dupont provides LE like Samourai M nib only, and there is no nib exchange. That is also potential cost.

Edited March 28, 2012 by mjchuang9

[agentdaffy007]

S.T. Dupont is better than MB in my opinion in terms of attention to detail. The pen feels very sturdy. Love the nib and the shading that it gives. None of the MB pens i have can give me the same shading that i was getting with S.T. Dupont pens.

 

Also, the nib was very smooth. Not too smooth but a good kind of smooth. LoL

 

What i dislike about it is that it is a Cartridge Converter and also, i think the MB pens have nicer design, unless you get a Limited Edition from S.T. Dupont.

[SylvainP]

The DuPont is more robust but build quality are similar. The nib are more constant on my mb probably because of piston vs cc. I sold my orpheo because of the cc filling system more than anything.

[coolman0198rdt]

I am getting real worried now as I don't even know how much Mont Blanc would quote for repairing

a limited edition. Reason I bought the limited edition because the appearance got their own special

character and also most important I thought it would be much more durable due to better quality as

they should provide what you've paid for, never thought a limited edition at that price would only

last less than a week. If the price is acceptable, hopefully they can modify my pen a bit so it last

much longer.