Mont Blanc Fountain Pen Review Site

[kavanagh]

Dear Colleagues,

 

I have just found a site where curent owners of mont blanc pens have posted their comments on quality and after service - very interesting.

 

the site address is: Mont Blanc Customer Review Page

 

Quite informative, as I was thinking of purchasing a Mont Blanc Meisterstuck Legrande 146 fountain pen.

 

Tell us what you think.

 

Regards,

 

Kavanagh

[PaulK]

Yep....they're fragile. That's been posted on this 'site many times. I haven't had any problems with the four I own (but I haven't dropped them). Otherwise, I'm very pleased with their nibs (smooth; very reliable writer). Not my personal "favorite" pens but certainly part of the normal rotation.

 

My advice is for anyone that's a bit harder on their possessions in general: pass on the MB precious resin/plastic/whatever pen.

 

My best,

 

Paul

[Sparky]

Wow... what a site of unsatisfied customers. Too bad MB doesn't take the long view for their products.... There is nothing more important than a good reputation in business--- it weathers you during the tough times.....

 

Seems like a top management problem at MB....

[Ray]

There are some interesting people in the world, aren't there? Why do these people throw their pens around? And what kind of idiot do you need to be to buy 250 Montblancs before deciding you don't like them (no 53 in the list) or to decide that one leak in 15 years of use means it's time to switch to Waterman (42)?

 

I see Montblanc as the Microsoft of the pen world: the big name that everyone wants to knock. But I love my MS software, thank you very much, and my MB pens are not noticeably more fragile than any of my others, although I treat all my pens with care rather than as darts, so perhaps I just haven't tried hard enough to break them.

 

Ray

[Sparky]

Ray... you bring up some good points.

 

I think one of the issues that I gleaned through the thread was that "for the price" you pay for a MB, there should be better customer service and guarantee when normal wear and tear causes breakage, when problems do occur. I also tend to agree with that. An example of this occurred with the Parker 51 Special Edition in 2002. The barrels seemed to break/crack more easily and customer were complaining. When this happened Parker took the high road and replaced all broken barrels with a stronger one for free. The price of that pen was $350.

 

However, the newer pens from MB run around $570. For that amount of money there should be more of a "we'll fix it for you-- little to no charge" mentality.

IMHO....

[wimg]

Sorry guys, but this is Bicman´s site, so please ignore. Bicman was an infamous anti-fp and especially anti-MB poster on PenTrace a year or more ago, who was always stirring controversy on MontBlanc pens.

 

HTH, warm regards, Wim

[Michael Wright]

To add to what Wim said, the element of truth to the "fragile MB" story is that a couple of pens, the modern 144 and the basic ballpoint, were made with walls that were too thin, so they were fragile. No one has ever, to my knowledge, claimed that the 146 and 149 are more prone to damage than other plastic pens. I have allowed a 146 to roll from the kitchen table to the tiled floor ; it was a pen I'd bought in about 1980, and had then given to my beloved . The nib got bent, and the feed broke, but the body of the pen was quite undamaged.

 

The story I hear about service is that, on its own terms, it's satisfactory. For a fixed charge, they essentially replace all defective components north of the nib. This is not good if you have an early pen you want to keep authentic, but if you want to keep a writer writing, it's fine.

 

What you might think about the advertising and brand-building strategy (basically, selling visible marks of social differentiation) and the pricing policy is a whole nother matter, but the pens are at least OK. I'm no *great* fan of the modern pens, and I can't afford the really nice old ones, but I've got a 146 and hey, I'm going to start using it again.

 

That site is kind of trollish.

 

Best

 

Michael

[spacin]

I don't see what all the fuss is, perhaps the success breeds jealousy? I have tried dozens of pens, including many MB's and Pelikans before deciding on a S.T. Dupont. I did like the Kafka, but was unimpressed in general, and wouldn't pay the money. I was given a MB rollerball and LOVE it. I used it every day until my recent purchase.

I will say that I do think MB's are about 10-20% overpriced. The 149 and Chopin are a bit out of my range, and I would opt for a M1000 or M800 before paying this amount for the bird splat.

 

This all being said, I would love one as a gift, and would happily stick one in a pocket for a meeting. They are kind of like rolex watches, better quality exists elsewhere, and they have some bling factor, but altogether a good product in general with tons of neat variations (although the starwalker line is hideous in my opinion).

[Nikolaos]

I have several montblanc pens new ones and vintage and they all perform amazingly well. I don't see what the big fuss is all about concerning materials, quality and customer service. For me the biggest parameter is the way one goes about treating his/her pens. About customer service i only had to use it once, about a month ago when i purchased the Herbert Von Karajan pen and was not given the correct packaging (the store lost it somehow). I contacted Montblanc in Amsterdam explained the situation and within 8 days i had a brand new box at my door with a hand written apologies note in it and a free bottle of ink.

Now to me that is awesome customer service!

Nikolaos

[RichardS]

I also think Montblanc get a rather harder ride than they deserve. I have an early 1970s 146 and it's a fantastic pen with a superb wet, semiflex nib.

 

When the piston finally gave up the ghost after 30 years I asked them to repair the pen, but they offered me a discount on a new 146 instead. This was no use to me as I like the nib so much, so I bought a complete secondhand barrel assembly ($35?) and asked them to fit the nib - which they did for me at no cost. This was all through their boutique in Sloane Street, London.

 

I thought that was pretty good service. Though I did find their phone calls rather weird:

 

"Are you sure you want to keep this nib Sir, it's very flexible.".

"Yes, that's the whole idea."

"But it is very flexible."

"I know, that's why I love it."

(silence)

"Ermmm"

(muffled tutting noises)

"Please ... indulge me on this ..."

"All right then Sir."

 

:ltcapd:

 

I think many of the problems stem from Montblanc being a luxury goods company and not a pen manufacturer. They don't really understand pen enthusiasts, and often, we don't really understand them. But still, some of the pens are excellent.

[Ron Z]

This is a really old site. Old news. My memory from past posts is that it hadn't been updated for a long time. No new posts.

[Ray]

When I picked up a MontBlanc which had a nonfunctioning piston, I sent it to Kevin at Pen Time. He machined a new rod and overhauled the pen for less than £20.

 

Ray

[meanwhile]

Ray:

There are some interesting people in the world, aren't there? Why do these people throw their pens around?

 

A pen dropping from a pocket on to a carpetted floor and breaking is hardly "being thrown around".

 

And what kind of idiot do you need to be to buy 250 Montblancs before deciding you don't like them (no 53 in the list) or to decide that one leak in 15 years of use means it's time to switch to Waterman (42)?

 

Half the first 10 reviews (all I could be bothered reading except for skimming for one review you single out) were of pens that leaked from day 1. The ONLY positive in those ten reports was from a Mont Blanc salesman! There was however at least one pen that cracked without being dropped - just from the "stress" of writing!

 

Really: you may disagree with the opinion some people have of MBs, or that these reports are representative, significant, or genuine - but mis-representing them by quoting one or two of the least justified as if they were typical is neither fair nor accurate. Even in the case of the guy with 250(!) - he's specific that was buying them to collect, not use, but that although they were decent investments he got sick of the poor workmanship and materials. (And he quotes a LOT of barely used but leaking 146s and 149s as reasons why he feels this way.)

 

I really don't think you have been fair to the people who posted reviews, or to people reading here. You don't have to agree with what you read, butI would suggest that you should be more careful in how you represent it.

Edited September 5, 2006 by meanwhile

[meanwhile]

Sorry guys, but this is Bicman´s site, so please ignore. Bicman was an infamous anti-fp and especially anti-MB poster on PenTrace a year or more ago, who was always stirring controversy on MontBlanc pens.

 

HTH, warm regards, Wim

You're suggesting that these reviews are mostly fictitous? Or that he's editted positive ones out?

 

Or possibly you shouldn't answer this question for legal reasons...

[Ray]

Well, since my posting, we've learned here that the page was created by a well-known anti-MB troll. But be that as it may, I stand by my points.

 

I'm not cliaiming that that ones I chose are representative, they're just the ones that particuarly tickled me. In my view, some of the posts to that page (and more than just the two I quoted) betray a certain idiocy. That's my opinion, and it's unlikely to change. I choose to share it. People can take or reject it as they see fit, just like they can a review of a book or a film; the only way to be sure is to look at it yourself.

 

Ray

[tankahn]

I recently bought a 149. I like it a lot. But the fear of dropping it is preventing me from taking it with me more often. My friend's 10 year old MB is chipped in a few places. Can anyone share their stories of having dropped their MB and survived with little or no damage.

[wimg]

Hi meanwhile,

Sorry guys, but this is Bicman´s site, so please ignore. Bicman was an infamous anti-fp and especially anti-MB poster on PenTrace a year or more ago, who was always stirring controversy on MontBlanc pens.

 

HTH, warm regards, Wim

You're suggesting that these reviews are mostly fictitous? Or that he's editted positive ones out?

I don´t really know, or care, for that matter. Just wanted people to be aware, as this guy was a real anti-MB fanatic. I think you need to take your own conclusions, but I certainly hope the guy doesn´t show up here.

Or possibly you shouldn't answer this question for legal reasons...

Why shouldn´t I reply? This is a free, non-commercial site, essentially being made available by voluntary contributions by our members, so no special reason why I shouldn´t reply, other than to keep things nice .

 

As far as I am aware, MBs, other than the older 146, aren´t really more prone to damage from falling than any other pen. And my pen shops confirm this. Most problems with MBs are nib/feed and piston related, and considering the number of MB users who use MB Blue Black ink (iron gall permanent ink), that is understandable.

 

MB is not really my cup of tea, but I must say I do like the writer´s editions of the last few years (Kafka, Cervantes, and now the Virginia Woolf), and they seem very well crafted pens. Unfortunately well above my budget, and even more so since I am trying to get a complete set of Stipula Etrurias first .

 

Warm regards, Wim

[EricTheRed]

I have collected pens for 25 years and personally have a very high opinion of Mont Blanc pens. I have found all of their products, including their fountain pens, to be very reliable and well made. I have only had two breakages occur with their pens and both were my fault. The fractures occured to the same ballpoint pen which has sentimental value to me as I took my bar examination with it in 1990. On the first occasion, in 1991, my Boston Terrier puppy pulled the pen out of my shirt's pocket (which, having returned from an evening of bar hopping, I had left on the floor) and chewed the pen's body to pieces. I sent it to Mont Blanc with an explanatory note. They fixed it and returned it to me for FREE! A few years later, I accidentally dropped the same pen on the pavement and cracked it. This time Mont Blanc repaired it quickly and only charged me a nominal fee, something like $20. I still own and use this ballpoint pen today. I own numerous other MBs but have never experienced any problems wth these. My MB 149 is one of my favorite fountain pens.

 

My personal experience with Mont Blanc customer service has been very positive and I would highly recommend their pens to any pen aficionados.

[StanSoph]

I have collected pens for 25 years and personally have a very high opinion of Mont Blanc pens. I have found all of their products, including their fountain pens, to be very reliable and well made. I have only had two breakages occur with their pens and both were my fault. The fractures occured to the same ballpoint pen which has sentimental value to me as I took my bar examination with it in 1990. On the first occasion, in 1991, my Boston Terrier puppy pulled the pen out of my shirt's pocket (which, having returned from an evening of bar hopping, I had left on the floor) and chewed the pen's body to pieces. I sent it to Mont Blanc with an explanatory note. They fixed it and returned it to me for FREE! A few years later, I accidentally dropped the same pen on the pavement and cracked it. This time Mont Blanc repaired it quickly and only charged me a nominal fee, something like $20. I still own and use this ballpoint pen today. I own numerous other MBs but have never experienced any problems wth these. My MB 149 is one of my favorite fountain pens.

 

My personal experience with Mont Blanc customer service has been very positive and I would highly recommend their pens to any pen aficionados.

+1

[johnr55]

I've had a 144 for well over 10 years, no problem. I really can't remember the last time as an adult that I've dropped a fountain pen. I can say that, some time after I bought this pen (I want to say late 80's) I became dissatisfied with the nib. At least at that time, Koh-I-Noor was taking care of their service, and they replaced the nib with an extra-fine quickly, efficiently and courteously. While I don't use it often (I don't like the starcap advertising) I've certainly had no cracks or problems with any of the finish. It looks new.

 

I had the MontBlanc series of very slim metal bodied black pens back then also and they were great until I lost them on a business trip. No problems there, either.