I am considering making this my one & only MB LE, only 'cos it looks quite elegant, from the little I can see on the website, and C.D. & I share a birthday!

What can you tell me about it....is it based on a 'regular' model, and what should I expect to pay for a mint one?

Any other advice...pros & cons would be appreciated. Thanks.

Also, what might be my 'second choice', among the less fashionable models which command ridiculous prices?
(Writers Edition, preferably....I like something distinctive/distinguished but not too 'fancy').

Thanks for your help.

I believe if you go the fountainpenhospital site, they still have some hanging around. I just got a price quote from them, and its 950 USD. Not a bad price considering how it's a 2001 LE (if you can call it that).
As for mint, I have no idea. Check some past eBay bids if you want.
I believe most of the WEs are based off of the 146 (with the exception of the Dumas, and Hemingway).

PRAG

I think it is still available in some boutiques. I have this pen and it is very nice. The size of the barrel it is more or less base on 146. Without the cap it is light and convinient. THe cap it is solid silver. The color of barrel it is fantastic. It is really an impressive pen.

Best regards

Thanks...I am not able to justify the new price, so will look for a mint s/h.

Readily available. It used to be one of MBs biggest failures in terms of design with that disproportion (not to mention dissonance) between cap and barrel. Now with time and particularly the recent modern looking WEs, the Dickens is turning into a classic, something it didn't manage to do at first, unlike the Proust. I guess if you can think of the cap and the barrell as two different designs, from two different teams and maybe two different brands, each one is very nice in itself. Put them together and you got yourself a MB frankenpen.