Jump to content

Mb Japanese Earthquake Donation Pen


JLS1

Recommended Posts

As indicated in the recent POA topic, Montblanc is releasing donation pen in wood made from the only tree left standing in a forest in Tohoku after the 2011 Fukushima earthquake. Price is going to be about $4400 (520K Yen) with 20% going to support the relief efforts. You can find more details here.

 

Here's a shot of the pen that's circulating with the various news stories, this one taken from Japan Today:

fpn_1425041075__japan_149_wood.jpg

 

There's no indication as to whether the pen is a 149 or 146 size, but I generally like the design that (at least to me) takes a lot from the Aubrac, which is not surprising since it's the only other recent MB pen that I know is made of wood. (and yes, I remembered the Humbolt) I'm not sure if the star is a regular resin star or an MOP star. One interesting quote from the article is:

 

 

He said the high cost of each pen -- around $4,000 before tax -- reflected the scarcity of the raw material which is "not ideal for making fountain pens."

 

This seems pretty weird, since i) I never heard about production issues with the wood used in the Aubrac and ii) Japanese pen makers have been making fountain pens for years in wood. (Pilot makes wonderful pens out of Japanese maple). You'd think that MB might have asked Pilot or Sailor for a few tips...

 

PS: Mods - I wasn't sure if this should be posted in the MB forum or the Japan forum; feel free to move if necessary...

Edited by JLS1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 7
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • s5blitzer

    3

  • zaddick

    2

  • Algester

    1

  • empty

    1

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Thanks for sharing. Looks like a LeGrand 146 just like the other MB I was very interested in - Moon Pearl. I am more of a 149 person. Both are nice to own.

 

The comment about "not ideal" is probably referring to the scarcity of the wood (only tree left standing) since I am guessing there is a lot of unplanned waste in trying to get the final product looking perfect.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It looks like the pen is the same size as the moon pearl. That pen is about the size of a 149, definitely bigger than a 146. However, and what had kept me from buying a moon pearl so far, the nib is a small looking #6.

Edited by zaddick

If you want less blah, blah, blah and more pictures, follow me on Instagram!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Moon Pearl is a LeGrand (146). Confirmed with my boutique manager who was trying to sell me the pen 6 weeks ago.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I handled a Moon Pearl at a boutique and it is based on a 146 but because of the sleeve style construction its as wide as a 149. The section tapers quite a bit and the nib is still a 146 size though. This does certainly look to be similar.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

Moon Pearl is a LeGrand (146). Confirmed with my boutique manager who was trying to sell me the pen 6 weeks ago.

You might want to take a look at the pen in person. I really liked it myself as it is quite substantial, but I am currently focusing on larger sized nibs in my acquisitions that require a significant cash outlay.

 

I am sorry if I mislead in my earlier quote. The pen is definitely from the 146 family, but it really is much wider and heavier than a standard black resin 146. The nib and section are 146 sized, but as empty noted and i was meaning in my earlier post, the body is quite a bit larger in diameter. And, for me, has a lovely look and feel.

If you want less blah, blah, blah and more pictures, follow me on Instagram!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You might want to take a look at the pen in person. I really liked it myself as it is quite substantial, but I am currently focusing on larger sized nibs in my acquisitions that require a significant cash outlay.

 

I am sorry if I mislead in my earlier quote. The pen is definitely from the 146 family, but it really is much wider and heavier than a standard black resin 146. The nib and section are 146 sized, but as empty noted and i was meaning in my earlier post, the body is quite a bit larger in diameter. And, for me, has a lovely look and feel.

 

No apologies needed. You'e right in many ways including why seeing it in person may cause an emotional surge in me to want to impulsively buy the Moon Pearl. But I like you, prefer a larger nib. Glad I don't have an unlimited budget.

Edited by thebanker
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

Announcements


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33501
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26627
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...