Heya,

Just posting this new topic to celebrate my purchase of my first Mont Blanc pen, and what a wonderful pen it is. Here it is, a good condition MB 2004 Franz Kafka fountain pen.







I picked this up on ebay for a decent price, but without box or papers. It looked quite genuine in the photos, and even in my hand looks quite real. There is a serial number out of 18500, and has the special built-in piston converter inside the body.

My only concern is that the feed looks a bit cheap, not sure if it is genuine or has been replaced. Here's some pictures of the nib and feed.



So, any estimates on how much this pen should be worth? I think I got a pretty good price on it, but want to confirm whether I did well or not

Don't know how much it's worth, but it is a great writing instrument. This one has a lot of class and style to it. Congratulations.

The feed's seen better days, but other than that, it looks quite nice. I'm not an MB expert, though.

Definitely a genuine Kafka. The gills (what are they called?) of the feed to seem a little bent out of shape. Beautiful choice for a first MB.

Very nice. I'd love a transforming Kafka WE.

Thanks... yeah that's what I thought about the feed as well... the fins seem to be a bit weak, and can move quite easily when pushed.... don't think that's a good thing. Maybe old age of the plastic has caused it to soften?

I am curious about the box and papers. Does it affect the value or the authenticity (genuine or othrwise) of the pen?

I have found people want the box and papers for sure. For example about a month ago I was going to bid on an Agatha box, because mine is missing its original one. It sold for $250! So yes to value, but not authenticity...

I believe they are called the comb, but I am no nibmeister.

Allan

Very true, although the correct box and papers can go a long way to proving the pens authenticity in an auction etc. Just my two cents (which due to inflation and the devaluation of the US dollar is about .000000000001 dollars now).

Allan

I agree with Bryant and Allan. I certainly want the box and pamphlets for my WEs in my collection. Of course I generally buy them from a Boutiques or an AD, so that's really not an issue. I do think they add, or at least help maintain the collectible value of the pen. But I'm also looking for a used Dumas for a daily writer, and in that case I don't care if it's got the box or papers, and I would expect to pay less for it.

It also seems to me, although I have not rigorously researched this, that vintage MB pens with original boxes and papers also sell for far more $$$ than just the pen itself would bring. We've all seen those auctions probably.

Good topic, and I'm looking forward to hear others' opinions.

Eric

BTW, congrats on your new pen! Welcome to the Montblanc fam!
Bry

There's a good reason why one should keep the outer box and the case--I own an Aurora Tsugaru-nuri Taletum,and the
only place where there is the series # of my pen is on the outer box. Not a good thing if one throws away the outer box
and the case.......

John

A little off topic, sorry for the hijack, but what pen is that in your avatar sumgaikid and do you have other pics of it?

Allan

It's an Aurora Sole, which was a 1997 (?) LE pen. The other pens in that series are the Fuoco, the Mare, and the Primavera (so, symbols of air, fire, water, and earth).

From one of Phthalo's posts (though hers is the mini):

Hi
I'm pretty sure the highly technical term is "fins"

Steve

Congratulations for you new pen. Perfect choice. Enjoy it...

The 'comb' is the TYPE of feed. Comb feed, christmas-tree feed, lucky-curve feed, etc. I think the correct term for the little plastic fiddly bits is "FINS". (Like fish-fins).

Hmmm, I thought they were named for:

Christmas tree feed - bottom looks like a Christmas tree shape
Flat feed - because it's flat on the bottom
Lucky curve feed - has the curved tube in the sac
Comb feed - bottom looks like a comb (has your 'fins')

But as I said, I am no nibmeister. I did however get some information from Richard Binder's website at http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref_info/anatomy-lever.htm and http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref_info/feeds.htm where he says "Many of these more recent feed designs provide a collector-like reservoir within the section as well as good comb serrations under the exposed nib" which I read to call the section we are discussing as the comb with it's serrations. He shows this image next to his above quoted text:



I make mention of this because flat feeds and christmas tree feeds have no "fins" and are not "comb feeds" either. Only the comb feed has "fins" to my knowledge so it would stand to reason that the fins are actually the comb. No?

Allan

PS. I had a Lucky Curve big red with a Christmas Tree feed, so what do you call that? Lucky Curve? Christmas Tree?

A dodgy, bent Christmas tree. Buy a new one!