Advice On Choosing New F P

[AndyD]

So I have a couple of Tasche (£10), a Lamy studio with 14k nib(£80), and a ST Dupont large olympio black lacquer with gold trim (£450).

It seems to me that any pen costing more than £4-500 is not going to write any better, you are paying for the barrel quality finish/materials/time spent.

That said, here are the two candidates
http://www.andys-pens.co.uk/fountain-pens/montegrappa-extra-otto-fp-zebra?sort=p.price&order=DESC&limit=100
(£1k) £1.7k
And
http://www.montblanc.com/en-gb/collection/writing-instruments/meisterstueck/112889-meisterstueck-solitaire-blue-hour-legrand-fountain-pen.html?mid=1036um820549&mkwid=s_dt&pcrid=60310738381&kword=&match=&plid=&gclid=CL2KpMjOnckCFQ-3GwodzUkJSQ
(£1.7k) £1k

It is unlikely I shall be able to try these specific models before contacting the retailer, though may well try similar pens in and around London.

Any advice on buying such high-end pens would be gratefully received, especially on these two brands/models.

Thanks
Andy

Edited November 25, 2015 by AndyD

[fly_us]

I never own a MB or a Montegrappa so honestly, i couldn't talk about any of them. To me, i couldn't justify myself to purchase a mass producing pen for more than $500, even when the pen comes from the brands like MB or Montegrappa.

 

Don't get me wrong. I also have expensive pens, but they are custom-made. In my opinion, if i going to spend a large sum of money, the pen should be something that speak for me, and make for me. I know that waiting for a year to get your Hakase, Romillio or Manu Propria pen is tortured, but trust me, when you receive the pen, you are in heaven.

 

My opinion asides, if you buy a MB or a Montegrappa, it is very hard to ask other people. You should try both of them yourself, and see which one is more appealing in hand, which one you like to bring home.

[georgeb]

You have the prices assigned to the wrong pens based on the links.

 

There are some reviews available here for the two pens, just type the pen name into the search box or use your favorite search engine.

 

The Montegrappa is silver and celluloid, that seems an odd combination.

 

They seem like very different pens. Best to try them before purchasing.

[Runnin_Ute]

I don't own pens from either manufacturer. Let alone anything in that kind of price range. But if I were in the market for a pen in this range, I would lean towards the MB simply because I like the looks better. But these retailers are telling me nothing about size and weight either. My heaviest pen is about 30 grams. Have tried heavier didn't like them. Wouldn't go much above that number. But that is me not you.

 

Like others have said try if you can - especially at 1000 GBP+!

[shawndp]

Andy, I have had the opportunity to get my hands on the Blue Hour and the short answer is that pics don't do it justice. I was expecting something like the Blue Carbonesque of the Vanishing Point, but it is far more special. As a writer - it is a Meisterstuck so if you have any experience with that you can imagine a very similar experience. I have purchased a 146 and it snowballed into 3 - the M nib is thoroughly versatile - good enough for a few pages of writing and yet flows well enough to not regret purchasing a B (and I have a B nib fetish). The Montegrappa on the other hand just isn't my cup of tea design wise. I have a Memoria and it is a nice writer - M that writes like an F and sings on most nice paper but to me none of their pens really feel worth the asking price. If it were me, I'd take the 600 GBP you are going to save and buy another MB or a Pelikan 1000... All the best...

[jar]

I have several Montblanc Legrands as well as a couple Montegrappa Extras (both the Extra and Extra 1930) and so some experience with both formats.

 

The Montblanc is a very good pen and the Blue Hour certainly lovely but I still find that my Montblancs simply don't get much pocket time.

 

The Montegrappa Extra is another lovely pen. Sterling silver is a great material for sections since it feels good, does not get slippery when wet and develops a patina over time. But the cap on the Montegrappa Extra takes about a brazillion turns to put on or take off. Still, my Montegrappa Extras do get more pocket time than my Legrands and the celluloid on Montegrappas is absolutely fantastic.

 

If I were choosing between those two specific pens today I'd likely choose the Blue Hour for several reasons. First, I do not like the new designs on Montegrappas nibs and cap band and the Zebra pattern celluloid on the Otto just doesn't appeal to me. The Shiny Lines pattern or the Malachite pattern might sway me though. Second, the Blue Hour pattern really is nice, deep and hypnotizing.

 

Keep us posted on what you decide.