Montblanc...worth The Money?

[SamCapote]

The "black" resin of my MB 146/149's is a deep ruby red when transilluminated.

 

For reference, in each of my answers in post #12, various other quality pen manufacturer brands could have been substituted with the word "Montblanc" and still have been valid.

[SamCapote]

... I am a bonafide member of the general populace, and as a self-appointed spokesperson for that entire group, I declare that .... What else do you want to know?

 

You are doing a great job as spokesperson!

 

How's the pay?

 

There's supposed to be pay for this job? Wait....Who do I talk to about this?

[DrPJM1]

IMHO: The price of a Montblanc is due to the high expense of marketing and the company's self-declared cachet.

They are nice pens but are not better than a comparable pen. Without the white star, the same pen would cost a lot less.

I own a 149 and a 146 silver barleycorn and do declare that, on my hand, most vintage pens feel better and write better.

Others have voiced their own opinion based on their experience and I do the same. I do not use mine nor would buy another.

[tonybelding]

Simple question: are Montblancs worth the money?

 

That's not a simple question at all!

[Florida Blue]

Few objects are worth the manufacture's suggested retail price. Fortunately you don't have to pay it. Authorized retailers routinely sell Montblanc pens for less than the boutiques. Fountain Pen Hospital sells them for 20% below MSRP and Paradise Pen has them for 15% off during their annual pen fair.

 

There are many used examples available for a fraction of retail.

 

At discounted prices they are more in line with other manufacturers. However, they are priced in line with their competitors. MSRP on a Pelikan M1000 is $775 and a MB149 is $810 but I see few asking if Pelikans are worth the money.

Edited November 2, 2011 by Florida Blue

[JonSzanto]

Oh, certainly, they are worth the money. Someone else's, however...

[AltecGreen]

There is no other brand/model pen that is exactly the same as the models made by Montblanc, and trying to compare them on specific features is futile.

 

 

That's not the position Montblanc lawyers take when they sue another pen company.

[lsmith42]

I'm thinking...

 

Nope... They're worthless... You can write the same words with any pen... Including a Bic...

 

Don't waste your time... Move on to something else... Anything else...

[Glenn-SC]

To those who buy them, of course.

 

To those who don't, of course not!

[raging.dragon]

The most important question is: do you think they are worth your money? The answer varies widely, and none of us here can really answer it for you. For me the answer is a definite maybe - I like Montblanc pens, but to date I've liked Viscontis, and OMAS's and others more. The best advice I can give you is that Montblanc pens are a quality product comparable to competing luxury pen brands - none of these brands have perfect quality control, nor customer service; however, Montblanc are probably better than most. Also beware ebay and too good to be true deals, as counterfeit Montblancs are commonplace.

 

To those who buy them, of course.

 

++

 

5. 42 is the correct answer to the question "What is the meaning of life the universe and everything"

 

[ZaphodBB]

To those who buy them, of course.

 

To those who don't, of course not!

 

+1

[andybiotic]

This question can actually be answered rather objectively. Just look at the market as a whole. Is the brand / specific model survivable in the market and making a profit? If so, then that means that the majority of the target consumers think they are worth the money. Of course there are always a few people who think it is a ripped off but majorities always rule.

 

If the ratio those two groups of people were interchanged then the pen would have been long gone from the market.

To give you another example, McDonald, sure some think they are junk foods but there are a lot more people buying them than those who don't.

 

The market (formed by the target consumers of the product not every single person in the world) decides if something is worth the price tag and in this case with Mont Blanc (as well as McDonald), the market says yes.

 

There is a reason why there is a sub-forum here dedicated for Mont Blanc and has the most replies of all the brand focus forums and second most topics (just after of Parker).

Edited November 2, 2011 by andybiotic

[dickydotcom]

The value of anything is what someone will pay for it.

Some people will pay the asking price for MB pen.

Therefore they are worth the money. End of.

 

Me, I'd rather have something that doesn't scream I bought this because I want people to think I have the best. (even if it is the best and I don't know the answer to that one.)

 

Dick D

[ethernautrix]

Wait, what was the question again?

[akrishna59]

my friend,

 

montblanc has become a lifestyle brand, its focus is on exclusivity and the high cost (even for entry level pens) is one sure way of keeping it exclusive. the cost does not have much to do with how much the pen is worth, you see.

 

those who wish to be part of such a category can go ahead and buy it.

 

there was a time when they sold their pens as pens, not as a showpiece but that time is gone.

 

personally, i will never buy a montblanc, the way that company goes about disgusts me.

 

rgds.

 

krishna.

[mirosc]

I suggest that everyone answering here adds if he has a Montblanc or not :-)

 

Given the fact that almost every 5 seconds a person is starving on this planet, the answer is no.

Given the fact that a Montblanc is for some people not only a writing tool, but gives them daily pleasure and joy and makes them happy, the answer is yes.

 

I do have a MB149, but I don't like it so much (due to personal writing habits)

 

 

[Glenn-SC]

I suggest that everyone answering here adds if he has a Montblanc or not :-)

This question just reinforces the "worth the cost or not" question.

 

My answer; "No, I do not own any MB pens."

I have written with about a dozen and only one wrote "well" (some barely).

[rockspyder]

Simple question: are Montblancs worth the money?

 

Yes.

 

Does what Montblanc offers, justify the hefty price tag?

 

Yes.

 

With all the competition around, does Montblanc declare superiority?

 

Yes.

 

For example, can a simple, black Meiesterstuck declare superiority over a specificationally special pen, like the Homo Sapiens?

 

No, because pens are not able to declare. The owner of the simple, black Meisterstuk can make such a declaration. You may wish to rephrase this question.

 

Is the 149 worth the hundreds of $ extra over Dunhill's flagship Sentryman??

 

Yes.

 

I am just wondering if Montblancs have become slightly overrated, given the opinion of stylophiles, not simply the general populace.

 

I don't know what a stylophile is but I am a bonafide member of the general populace, and as a self-appointed spokesperson for that entire group, I declare that Montblancs have not become slightly overrated, nor greatly overrated. They are rated at exactly the correct amount.

 

What else do you want to know?

+1 :clap1: :clap1: :clap1: :clap1: :clap1:

[andybiotic]

Given the fact that almost every 5 seconds a person is starving on this planet, the answer is no.

 

Then there is no need to buy anything other than a single basic bic? I feel horrible owning a fountain pen...

Edited November 2, 2011 by andybiotic

[troglokev]

1. this is the first time i've seen this question around

You have, how many, 11 posts?

 

This is what is referred to on the interwebz as a n00b mistake.

 

It may well be your first time with this particular question, but it is far from the first time for the rest of us. We are fed up to the back teeth with n00bs who think that this is an original or interesting question. It is far from that.

 

If you wish to display your sophistication, I suggest that you explain the concept of hermeneutic respectability to Heidegger's English translators.

 

If you wish to make a contribution and become a respected member of this board, you need to find another topic.