Montblanc Vs Pelikan Vs Namiki...!

[Rumyana]

Dear All,

 

I keep wondering which brand offers the best pens in terms of quality, beauty and options for customisation? I would like to have custom made pen and I have no idea which one of these brands offers this as an option. May you help me with some information?

 

Thank you!

 

Rumi

[jar]

MB used to offer a "bespoke" service to customize nibs. TTBOMK none of the three offer any customization beyond that and engraving. The quality of the three are comparable although Pilot (Namaki) and Pelikan have a wider range of price point offerings.

[maverink]

well do you mean buying a pen and getting it customised as per your writing preferences well you can get it done by a nibmeister or you can go the nakaya way.. these three sell pens off the shelf

[BrandonA]

Here we go again.

 

If you want a truly non-biased discussion then I don't think posting this in the MB forum is the best decision you've ever made. You should have put it in a neutral place so fans of the other pens would see it.

[Azura]

I will never tell you I vote for pel, this is mb's place after all.

[meiers]

Here we go again.

 

If you want a truly non-biased discussion then I don't think posting this in the MB forum is the best decision you've ever made. You should have put it in a neutral place so fans of the other pens would see it.

I agree wholeheartedly.

[meiers]

I'd say they are all amazing pens and also name Graf von Faber-Castell to the fountain pen pantheon.

Edited July 23, 2014 by meiers

[Rumyana]

You are right! I just have and use MB, probably this is why I posted here!

[meiers]

There are so many outstanding pen manufacturers.

[Azura]

You are right! I just have and use MB, probably this is why I posted here!

 

There are so many outstanding pen manufacturers.

Aurora 88 is also one of my favorite.

[meiers]

I forgot about Lamy pens. The 2000 series and the safari line are all buttery smooth writers. I am speaking from personal experience.

Edited July 23, 2014 by meiers

[Opooh]

If you are a MB fan and you would like a customized fountainpen with some MB bloodlines in it, go for an Astoria, a Conid or a Goldfink ( in alfabetical order ). They are concepted and made by three famous MB restorers, Horst " Max " Schrage, Francis " Fountainbel " Goosens and Tom " Penboard " Westerich, they can offer you a pen that fullfills all your desires.

[canibanoglu]

Personally, I would rate Namiki a peg or two below MB or Pelikan. Between Pelikan and MB, it is wholly personal preference, they both make arguably some of the best pens in the world. You're asking a highly personal question, what I might deem beautiful might be disgusting for you. As far as quality goes, you can't go wrong with any of the brands you listed, but as I said, I'd lean towards Pelikan and MB over Namiki, it's just that I get that "I'm sturdy as hell but still don't go rough on me" from pens of those brands.

 

When it comes to customization, you need to tell us exactly what you have in mind when you use that word. None of those brands offer custom pen building options but if you were only interested in a custom nib, then you could always go with a nibmeister. As far as custom design/materials go, I'm not going to say it's impossible with these brands, but on the remote chance that it is possible, it would cost you a *lot*.

[Mister Mont Blanc]

Yes I know Montblanc has taken custom pen orders before (handmade in Hamburg) but of course this is for the highly respected, famous, and powerful people of the world i.e. the Royal Wedding Pen. I also would like to have a little bit of options when it comes to MB pens such as mixing and changing designs, trim, MOP stars, etc. But I'm sure MB wouldn't be the same if more of their pens were one of a kind instead of a recognizable, controlled product.

[Pen Nut]

I also would like to have a little bit of options when it comes to MB pens such as mixing and changing designs, trim, MOP stars

 

On this I would say, although I share your view, dont even bother approaching MB about any form of of modification / update to any of their pens. Its stays as it was when made by them and that is that. Even if it means returning the pen to its original spec at their cost they wont allow any hybrid / one offs to be in circulation. Oh and another 'no no' is mop stars on pens that were not made with them........I tried & failed on this.

 

To the OP question, the eternal 'best' pen question will go on forever. Its all part of the fun so enjoy the journey

[Dillo]

Dear All,

 

I keep wondering which brand offers the best pens in terms of quality, beauty and options for customisation? I would like to have custom made pen and I have no idea which one of these brands offers this as an option. May you help me with some information?

 

Thank you!

 

Rumi

 

If you're looking for options for customisation, you might want really to look at Nakaya. You can have them make you a bespoke pen. For Montblanc, unless you have a lot of money, you are rather limited to what they have in their current range although you can have them make you a bespoke nib with their bespoke nib service. For Pelikan, I'm not aware of any bespoke options. You can get what is in their range, or if you have money, you have them make you a special edition series of pens, but oftentimes, they have to be made in quantity. Namiki may have a bespoke option, but I am not sure what they offer. In any case, it is going to be quite expensive. Conway Stewart does make bespoke pens if you wish. It's been a while since I contacted them about that.

 

I don't know if there is a necessarily a "best pen" then again, I believe that "best" is really relative. As long as your stay with a top tier pen manufacturer, you will often get fairly good quality. Beauty is also somewhat subjective. When figuring out what sort of pen is best for me, I look for a pen that is durable, reliable, has high quality fit and finish, looks nice, and writes well. For all your options, all of the above manufacturers have very high standards of fit and finish, so you don't need to worry about that. They are all fairly reliable as well. As for beauty, you may well have to discern that yourself and decide, depending on your preferences.

 

Dillon

[KAC]

If you are a MB fan and you would like a customized fountainpen with some MB bloodlines in it, go for an Astoria, a Conid or a Goldfink ( in alfabetical order ). They are concepted and made by three famous MB restorers, Horst " Max " Schrage, Francis " Fountainbel " Goosens and Tom " Penboard " Westerich, they can offer you a pen that fullfills all your desires.

I emphatically second this suggestion. Personally, I think the revived Astoria line looks superb. Unfortunately, I've not had the opportunity to use one...maybe someday. Prices are high, but they're unique items in a crowded market!

[logantrky]

I also would like to have a little bit of options when it comes to MB pens such as mixing and changing designs, trim, MOP stars

 

On this I would say, although I share your view, dont even bother approaching MB about any form of of modification / update to any of their pens. Its stays as it was when made by them and that is that. Even if it means returning the pen to its original spec at their cost they wont allow any hybrid / one offs to be in circulation. Oh and another 'no no' is mop stars on pens that were not made with them........I tried & failed on this.

 

To the OP question, the eternal 'best' pen question will go on forever. Its all part of the fun so enjoy the journey

 

+1

 

If you are looking for any type of customization on Montblanc pens, just save yourself the phone call. They do have a bespoke nib service that allows you to have your name engraved on the nib (for a steep fee), and you can engrave anything on the cap/body. However, that's probably the length and breadth of what MB will do as far as customization.

 

 

 

If you are a MB fan and you would like a customized fountainpen with some MB bloodlines in it, go for an Astoria, a Conid or a Goldfink ( in alfabetical order ). They are concepted and made by three famous MB restorers, Horst " Max " Schrage, Francis " Fountainbel " Goosens and Tom " Penboard " Westerich, they can offer you a pen that fullfills all your desires.

 

This would probably be the route I would take if I wanted a German/MB looking custom FP. All of these guys are really good at what they do, IMO.