I was informed that they dont sell pens online and there isnt a boutique me. i was wondering where u guys got yours from?


i just dont understand why they aren't selling them though their official website. at least list the freaking price if you're not gonna sell.

Genuine Montblancs may be found at the following locations:

Pen Shows (Melbourne, Los Angeles, London, Philadelphia etc etc etc)

Pen shops.

Montblanc boutiques.

Risky places to find Montblancs are websites and eBay. That doesn't mean that they're not there. They are, but to pick a real one from a batch of fakes is not easy.

I buy most of my user pens from eBay. I will tell you that if you take this risk, you must be discriminating with the sellers. I have found that the 144, 146 and 149 models are not generally faked, but several other models are. The Starwalker series and some particular Writers's Editions are well documented as fakes. Go to the www.fountainpen.de 'Vorshicht Faelschungen' page as a great Primer on some of the MB fakes out there.

Look for seller feedback--particularly good feedback on SALES of fountain pens, and other particulars you may find important. For me it is shipping costs. Anything over $15 for a CONUS shipping is too much.

The official MB retailers are not allowed to list the price on the open Internet. That is contractual. You can find MB Sellers who will send you an e-mail with a price quote, though. Fountain Pen Hospital is a good US MB retailer, but there are many others as well.

If you are still unsure, post here and I am positive you will receive many opinions as to your best course of action.

My regards, Eric

You can buy them from almost any reputable online pen seller, you just need to request a price quote. Technically they can't sell them online so you can just give them a call. They usually display online all the MB pens they sell. Take a look at www.worldlux.com while certainly not the cheapest place to buy pens they carry a good stock of MB and just about everything else.

You can request an automated price quote through Fountain Pen Hospital (fountainpenhospital.com, no affiliation except I send them money and they send me doodads), which will display the retail and their price for the selected pen.

I buy them used from Mora stylos.

The best places to buy MBs on Internet are worldlux.com and fountainpenhospital.com. They are authorized dealers and will stamp the warranty page, which Montblanc accepts for free nib exchange and repairs (be sure to remind them to do that, just in case). Worldlux has free 3-day shipping on Montblancs and slightly better deals than Fountainpenhospital. However, FPH sends their stunningly beautiful catalog with pictures of pens and a free FP calendar with any order. I have just got mine and am ecstatic about it. Both have discounts about 20% off the retail price. You e-mail them or follow their web link with your request for a price quote. Then you call them and make your payment over the phone.

MB Boutiques never have any sales, their price is always retail, plus you have to pay tax.

Other Internet dealers and e-bay are risky.

I just bought my second MB pen from the Fountain Pen Hospital:

http://www.fountainpenhospital.com/Index_S...1016%26MFG%3D35

There prices were good and when I got an even better price they matched it.
As authorised deallers and a VERY well known shop with excellent service I would recommend them for your MB pens.
Dont look just at there official list price.Phone them and ask them for the best price they can offer you-you just might be surprise how goof their prices are.

No affiliating just a happy customer.

Actually the Montblanc Boutiques do have private invitation sales (just go to one and request to be on their mailing list) and have incredible deals on some of their pens.

Good to know. Guess I'll be going to mine soon.

We wouldn't want the plebe buying MB pens online, would we? Such democratization of the buying process is incompatible with the MB lifestyle ;-)

You think so? I bought my last one in an alley under cloak of darkness...errr...I've said too much. (I'm joking, btw, and this is not an attempt to start a flame-war. Just working off the extra-caffeine...)

Oh, and to be helpful, I purchased my last MB from Howard Levy (on eBay). Before that, it was WorldLux in Seattle, WA. And yes, it was online -- tsk, tsk...

P.S. My first MB purchase was at one of the MB Boutiques. The whole "white-glove" thing was a bit creepy to me. I felt like I walked into a swanky restroom, if you know what I mean.

Edit: Added P.S.

There are some companies with web presences that do sell MBs they can't show their prices. Fountain Pen Hospital is one to start off with.

As for the lack of prices MB is the first but not the only one that is doing this.

Kurt

I only have one MB fountain pen, and hopefully not my last , and I got it from the boutique. It was my first ever FP, so I wanted to try it out before I bought it. I say go for internet retailers, like Joons, Worldlux, FPH, etc. A place not to go, would be somewhere like this: http://ulookbetter.net/mont-blanc-le-greta...05634911a4fa1f7

We have taken note and are working diligently to remedy this unfortunate situation. Sincerely,
The MB Management

PS As many others have noted, FPH and Worldlux are good online sources.

I was given one MB as a gift. Those I have bought, I got from fleaBay, the Classifieds here on FPN or the greenboard on Pentrace. All but the gift pen are used pens that were well cared for.

You walked in to a Montblanc Boutique without a reference or invitation?? What is this world coming to?

Fred
<sub>MB 149 PB* fine
MB 146 fine through Marketplace, but alas, writes identically to the 149
MB 144R Bordeaux medium through Pentrace
MB 344 medium semiflex (not a 342 as I'd surmised) through Philly pen show
And Others

*Pre-Boutique era. Came from the sale cabinet at the local office supply store.</sub>

99% of mine come from ebay. I have only 1 MB that came from an authorized dealer and got it with a 50% off the the retail price.
You got to be really careful though with MB and ebay....word of caution
Nikolaos

Oh, I know... But I'll admit that I did brush my hair that day...

This thread delivers! Woohoo!

My wife got me a Montblanc last year for my graduation, and at the time she couldn't comprehend it (she's big on disposable pens). Well, this year she's graduating and has expressed interest in one of her own. And this thread saved me a lot of $$$ compared to going to my local MontBlanc store! Thanks all!!!!

BTW I love my 145 fountain....

Based on my thorough research and 5 Montblanc purchases, I can say that Fred Rosenthal, at Bromfield Pen Shop in Boston usually has the best prices on new, officially-sold, retail MBs. Fountain Pen Hospital in NYC has the second best prices.

QM2

I have been getting some very good quotes from Altmann Luggage in New York....no tax and usually no shipping. I know, I know, a luggage store?

Sometimes they have an addidtional discount although that has gone with the climb in the euro.

Best of Luck
Ross

ebay or pentrace all the way... except a Fitz at a MB boutique after getting burned on fleabay with a fake $450 one (that one was the only time and it was a long time ago). The prices and selection on ebay or pentrace are unbeatable given a little patience - and that's an understatement.

Swisher Pens is also an authorized dealer and a good source both online and they have a B&M store are well. Prices are competitive with FPH. http://www.swisherpens.com/

Does anyone know of a Canadian online source - authorized US resellers are not allowed to ship outside of the US

My first MB came from a boutique. I enjoyed the buying experience and how they filled out and stamped the warranty in the back of the user's guide. Subsequent purchases have come from a local jewelers who gives my family a deal on the pens. So far, I have never had a problem with purchasing MB's and have been looking for an authentic 144 on ebay--easier said than done, unfortunately.

Generations RB: boutique
Starwalker cool blue: here
342 (black): pentrace
Mozart-sized Ramses & Nikolai: boutique
342 (blue): ebay

Of them, I have the first, second and last; I sold the others here and on Pentrace.

Try www.stylo.ca. They have very nice prices

I have bought most of my MB pens from fountain pen hospital (search for them online, they have a nice website). Although, all pens I bought from them were always from a visit to their store in downtown Manhattan. But I do know that they ship because I have shipped pens from them in past (gift to someone). They are also an authorized MB dealer, so if you need to exchange nib etc., buying from FPH would count. (Don't forget to ask them to stamp the warranty).

They have a nice collection down there. It's always a pleasure to visit FPH. Its a good shop. They have good customer service. And price wise, I found them pretty competitive. (I am just a satisfied customer).


I would also add that although there are a lot of people buying though EBay... And it probably makes sense for vintage or used pens, but I would be more careful doing that for a new pen. The reason is that MBs tend to vary so much in terms of their personality (smoothness on paper etc.) even within the same model, that I would want some one who stands behind what they sell. If you don't like a product, you should be able to exchange it for another (provided you haven't inked it etc.).

If a boutique was the only place to get a MontBlanc then I would have none as the retail for these pens it way too high to me. I buy here at FPN in the Market Place, from trustworthy sellers at pen shows or from Ebay (I know it's a coin toss on Ebay on getting a real one).

First pen purchased in John Lewis.
MY second pen was purchased by my wife at the Sloane street MB boutique. I will be going there tomorrow to buy another

Here is an online resource with list prices for many MB models. Enjoy!

I don't believe heirloomwriting.com is an authorized MB dealer. Their website certainly doesn't mention anything about it, and they don't appear to even have a phone number to call and check. The prices there also seem a bit low for MB's list prices.

As far as I know, authorized dealers aren't allowed to list their prices for current MB pens on the internet, list prices or not. This would likely be a condition of their dealership agreement.

Here is another - http://www.cityorg-pdq.co.uk/acatalog/Montblanc.html - UK based. Gives prices which are the full retail price in the UK. Can order via email/telephone but not online.

I've compared a few of their prices with the list prices from an authorised MB dealer and they matched. I think they can give you an idea of what to expect when entering a MB dealership.

My most recent MB is from the 1980s so I am buying only vintage MBs.

The first three MBs came from a pen seller at the local flea market about 15 years ago. The others had been ebay purchases. I think it is pretty save to buy vintage pens from ebay. You have to be a little bit more careful with the 144, 146 and 149. Especially the modern pens. I would not buy a LE pen from ebay. They are most likely to be faked. Fortunately I am not interested in LE pens at all. I am buying user pens.

I had to send my 1980s 146 ebay purchase in for repair. For the service fee of 58 Euros I know at least that the pen is the real thing .... and hopefully it will come back soon in full working order ....

1. pen shows (Cologne, Tilburg,...)
2. Tom Westerich and Axel Hübener (I think I only bought one ot two so far from Axel and Tom, but would buy from them anytime again)
3. Montblanc boutiques
4. ebay
5. stationary stores (last option; sometimes they have older models which are not available from boutiques. Mostly I avoid them as they have no idea about the products they sell and don't have a large selection anymore - there are only few exeptions to this )

Whenever the price is right I would buy "anywhere" (price always needs to reflect the risk of getting a bad pen).

I'm willed to pay more from a reliable seller or list price from a Boutique if I plan to have a nib exchange done,...

Michael