Pen Review: Montblanc Rouge Et Noir Special Edition Coral (Heritage Collection)

[Ceelo]

Below is my review on my newly received Montblanc Rouge et Noir in Coral. A more detailed review and photo's are available on my blog www.manllectables.com

 

Not for some time in recent memory has there been such anticipation around the release of a Montblanc special edition, with a sharp price point attracting much interest. I knew early on that I had to have one in the coral and these are my thoughts after a week of use:

 

Name: Montblanc Heritage Rouge et Noir Fountain Pen
Colour: Coral. Available in a Special Edition Black (cheaper), and also a Limited Edition 1906 rubber finish (expensive but worth a look). Ballpoints and rollerballs also available.
Materials: Coral precious resin cap with ivory logo, coral coloured lacquered barrel, serpent clip with vintage finish and green spinels set as serpents eyes.
Nib Size & Material: Fine. Hand crafted 14 karat gold 585, two-tone rhodium coated serpent head finish. Triangular breather hole.
Filling Mechanism: Piston filler.
Measurements: 135mm capped, 128mm uncapped, ~50mm diameter, can not post.

 

What I like
Aesthetics. he coral colour is unique and is really different to the regular swathe of safe fountain pen colours from Montblanc and other manufacturers like Pelikan & Sailor. Both the black resin and coral models are nicely adorned with the ivory Montblanc star and vintage Montblanc logo on the side. The snake clip is really the hero in the design and it does the job both aesthetically and functionally very well. Those green eyes can be mesmerizing to look at, and the two tone nib is nicely detailed, clearly engraved and really compliments the coral colour.

 

Sharp Price. It is a little bit ridiculous to call an $800USD pen 'good value' but let's not forget that this is not just something to write with but a symbol of craftsmanship and expression. There is no doubt considering what else is in the market along with Montblanc's own price laddering, that this sits comfortably in the attainable high end category. Indeed versus a writer's edition and patron of the arts model this almost looks cheap...almost.

 

Vintage References. The Rouge et Noir hits it out of the park with a number of references to the old safety fillers. The domed cap with red highlights (more evident on the black models) is a nice and authentic touch. Ivory as the Montblanc star on the top suits the pen and also give a bit of old world charm. The serpent clip is a masterstroke too with a weathered patina achieved in the manufacturing process. Upon inspection for the first time, I actually thought the clip was silver and had tarnished, such is the authenticity of the manufacturing process. Montblanc have also chosen to utilise one of their older logo's on the side of the cap and this really adds a nice touch to compliment the vintage aesthetic overall.

 

Quality & Performance. I admit, on first inspecting when I opened the box, the thin and long profile of the pen had me worried that it would feel somewhat 'plasticky'. This couldn't be further from the truth with the lacquered body quite heavy which gives you a substantial feel in the hand for such a thin item. Weight wise, the pen comes in at 35grams capped and 28grams without the cap. Filling the pen is exactly how you would expect, bulletproof. The piston operates exactly as it should too, smoothly and with no fuss drawing up ink in a predictable manner. The trim elements are very well manufactured with clear engravings, a very smooth matte metal section and threads on the cap that line up perfectly. Roughly 3 turns of the cap and the Rouge et Noir is ready to go back into your pen case.

 

What I don't like
Unbalanced Proportions. There is no question this is a slim pen. Think Montblanc 144 and you are pretty much spot on the money about the size and girth of the pen. Whilst I can certainly appreciate this design direction and the references to the historic, for me the proportions of this pen are not balanced. The ratio of length to girth are not correct and it unfairly emphasises the slim nature of the Rouge et Noir. This uneven look makes the pen awkward to look at from some angles and visually is slightly off putting.

 

Uninspiring Nib Performance. The Rouge et Noir shares a similar triangular breather hole and small size to the Heritage 1912. I was expecting big things (no pun intended) from this nib and I was left a little disappointed. There isn't anything particularly wrong with the way the pen writes. It flows well, doesn't skip or gush, and has enough spring/softness to make it stand out from the nail nib brigade. In short, it is dependable and consistent but that's just it, it doesn't do anything remarkable either.

 

Curious Choice of Section. People will argue until they are blue in the face about the merits of a resin section versus a metal one. Sweaty fingers, prints and cheapness all come to mind when considering the debate out there. For me I can see the merits of both and whilst not overly fond of the choice for a metal section on the Rouge et Noir, I am not against it either. Over the last week of use I have yet to experience any sweaty fingers or prints that is spoken about. I have however realised that the section is not as comfortable as it could be. This is largely due to the girth of the section which tapers down to the short threads. It simply isn't large enough for regular sized hands like mine which make extended writing periods a little difficult. There is a slight taper also where the metal section joins the lacquered body which means the actual section itself is very thin.

 

Could Be More Innovative. It's a piston filler, move on nothing to see here. I do wish that Montblanc had pushed the boundaries a little and designed a retractable nib like the safety fillers it takes it's cues from. The Heritage 1912 is a great example of this, but I suppose it becomes a price tag trade off.

 

Colour Variation is Off-putting (Coral version). One of the things not talked much about with the Rouge et Noir in coral is the colour variation between the cap, barrel and piston knob. Montblanc go to great lengths to explain how they manage to get a very close colour match with the coral, and will have you believe they turned water into wine to make this possible. Whilst I certainly appreciate (having worked in manufacturing) the lengths Montblanc went to to make this happen, there is still a noticable difference in colour. The barrel is a shinier richer red, whilst the cap and piston knob is a slightly more 'faded' red. On first inspection you might not notice this, but as you live with the pen it will become very obvious to you. This difference may throw out some our OCD (it does for me), and something I feel probably isn't good enough from the manufacturer. Different strokes for different folks though, and only applicable to the coral version.

 

Overall
This is one of those pens that is likely to capture your imagination and overall I am pleased with it. I suggest a trip to the Montblanc boutique to handle the pen prior to purchase is a must before thinking of purchasing. I love mine and will be keeping it for many years to come.

 

 

[zaddick]

Thanks for the review. I had similar feelings, though I ended up not getting the pen. I think most of the boutiques sold out of the initial allottment. I completley endorse the idea of seeing it in person if you can, but call ahead as a long car trip can result at you looking at a ballpoint and hearing "We are not sure when we might get more coral fountian pens in."

Edited April 23, 2016 by zaddick

[Ceelo]

A good point and something maybe to avoid other "collateral damage" to the wallet.

[Mastiff]

Thanks for the wonderful review.

Mine has been released from the customs office and should be arriving some time next week.

Happy ANZAC weekend!

[visvamitra]

Excellent review. While I don't think of myself as MB afficionado I must honestly admit that I really, REALLY, like this pen design. I wouldn't mind having it.

[Uncial]

I love the design of the pen and can forgive the metal section. What I cannot for the life of me understand is why they didn't make it postable. I can understand that they wanted a continuous line up the whole length of the pen when capped and that they have lengthened the barrel to kind of compensate for this, but if this had of been postable I think I would have saved up for this one. Having now seen it in the flesh I was also shocked at just how slim it is. I just couldn't imagine myself writing with it; although I will say I do have slightly larger hands and tend to lean towards the larger pen. As it is, it's just another pretty pen to look at but not necessarily use, which is a shame really because I think it could have been really unique and very special. I'm glad I have my Agatha to scratch the itch.

[Raif79]

Great review! You did an excellent job of highlighting its strengths and weaknesses. I will add that I have giant hands. I haven't had any hand cramping. I find it a joy to write with for long periods of time. I was afraid it might not be a pen for me. I love the springy nib on it and the 1912. Speaking of the 1912, I would love a hybrid of the two of them. I love the cap of the ReN. The piston knob shape of the 1912 would look fantastic on the ReN.

 

I'm going to shut up now. Fantastic review! I love my black resin pen. Mine gets lots of compliments at work.

[Ceelo]

Great review! You did an excellent job of highlighting its strengths and weaknesses. I will add that I have giant hands. I haven't had any hand cramping. I find it a joy to write with for long periods of time. I was afraid it might not be a pen for me. I love the springy nib on it and the 1912. Speaking of the 1912, I would love a hybrid of the two of them. I love the cap of the ReN. The piston knob shape of the 1912 would look fantastic on the ReN.

I'm going to shut up now. Fantastic review! I love my black resin pen. Mine gets lots of compliments at work.

Thank you for your kind words. I agree a hybrid would be amazing, suppose we can always dream.

[Ceelo]

Excellent review. While I don't think of myself as MB afficionado I must honestly admit that I really, REALLY, like this pen design. I wouldn't mind having it.

Go on, give in before you regret it. Can also look at the Agatha if your pockets are a bit deeper.

[thehewett]

hi, i have just bought this wonderful pen, i got the medium nib, actually i wanted broad but the sales lady told me that nib has to be ordered to he warehouse so i forgot about that idea.

 

well, i'm really happy with the pen, it writes very smooth and clear, the ink flows nicely, i just curious about posting the cap, i always do and the cap remains in place while i write..... but according to what i read, this cap is meant not to be posted on the barrel, so the question is , what would the problem be if i still posting the cap? i try to do it by aplying very light force to the cap so is barely get attached to the barrel......what do you think?

Edited November 3, 2016 by thehewett

[Uncial]

I was told by the MB folks that the cap will eventually split if it is posted. Haven't seen anyone write about this here, but perhaps very few try to post it for any length of time.

[YoungpenGeek07]

I was considering getting this one, in fact i almost bought the LE 1906 at the DC Pen show. But thinking about it i cant justify that price swing for it. I love the look but i think ill get a 146 instead.

[mongrelnomad]

I bought one of these for my youngest daughter (to be presented at some yet-to-be-defined birthday - her older sister has a Collodi awaiting her). It is gorgeous, and the captive converter notwithstanding, is an elegant, classic and very well proportioned pen for those not interested in giants. The detailing is exquisite, and it has a quiet gravity that I think really suits my daughter's personality. Her sister is more of an extrovert, so...

Edited May 6, 2017 by mongrelnomad

[Uncial]

I had to eat a large serving of humble pie on this pen. as noted elsewhere. Having written with it now for a fairly long period and the pen having been inked for the whole time that I have had it, I can now say I do very much like this pen. My version (in black) does post, and quite securely and without any pressure on the cap. There seems to be a bit of variance and I have had one in my hands that did not post at all. I still feel that it is a touch too slim - just a fraction fatter and then pen would be perfect. The silver grip section does cheapen the design a bit in my view. I understand they couldn't have put a glossy finish there in keeping with the rest of the pen (it would have made the grip very difficult to use) but I do feel they could have made some effort to make it the same colour as the rest of the pen even if not the same material.

[ravatar]

How heavy is this pen, and is most of its weight centered in the metal section?

[Uncial]

For it's size it's unusually heavy, but not a dead weight.

[ravatar]

For it's size it's unusually heavy, but not a dead weight.

 

Do you know how many grams?

[Uncial]

36g

[Lam1]

Great review of a gorgeous pen. My wife has the Coral (and I borrow it from time to time ). I do like the pen quite a bit. Despite it being very thin, it is long enough that I can write confortably with it.

 

The only thing I really don't like about it is the filling system. The captured converter feels very cheap to me and I really don't believe it will last nearly as long as a decent true piston. In fact, my wife almost passed on it because of this and it is the reason I didn't go for a black one for me.

[glennhkc]

I'd been drooling over this pen since its release and recently found a Black "Special Edition" for a good price. It's even a little thin for my small/medium hand but fine for notes at the office and short writings. I absolutely love the vintage-styled design. Others do too as it's garnered more attention than any other pen I've ever had in my pocket. While I enjoy my other MB's, this model hits all the right notes for me and is one that I expect to enjoy for a lifetime.