Heritage Rouge Et Noir Coral Red Review

[saverius]

Hello everyone, I'm new to this forum (I registered 3 years ago and I've been dropping by once a while but only start to sign in and post today..) Ever since I first saw the divulged photos of the new rouge et noir series in January I made my mind to purchase. After a long wait I got my coral red one in fine, however my ebonite one is still away for a nib swap to EF (to be expected to arrive in June, I prefer finer nibs). So here bring I out only review for the coral red one, hope you enjoy!

 

1. The cap

The best part of the pen is the cap, despite comparing to Agatha the size of the snake is somewhat small and it's not made of silver (Montblanc is becoming more and more stingy with regard to using precious metals on their pens!) I too had these doubts before but they all disappears the minute I received the pen! The cream-coloured Montblanc emblem, the antique-finished snake and its green spinel eyes give the pen a wonderful vintage look. Montblanc hardly use cream-coloured emblem any more (at least it seems to me to be so), as they were used more often in the 90s; also according to wikipedia the green spinel is rather rare, compared to the red, blue and orange counterparts.

A little bit complaint: (1) the snake clip is a little bit loose. No it doesn't sway but it's too elastic/flexible. Every time as I turn the cap I subconsciously push my thumb again the snake and I feel it flexes a little bit; (2) the cap isn't fully sealed as it is of heritage 1912, which could mean that if you inked it and leave if for a long time (a month?), the ink would probably dry.

 

I'm sorry I'm not familiar with posting and typesetting on fpn yet, so I'll post this review separately in case that I might lose what I've been typing...

[Tom Kellie]

~ @saverius

 

Thank you so much for the review.

Your detailed photographs are especially appreciated.

I hope that you'll enjoy both the F and EF nibs.

Tom K.

[saverius]

2. The barrel and the nib

The barrel of the pen is rather simple compared to the cap, which is good for me, as I don't want to attract too much attention while I write (and that's exactly the reason why I never use my Pompadour 4810 it's an EYE-CATCHING MAGNET!). The grip is made of brushed metal, stainless steel I suppose, and it's surprisingly anti-slipping, another great feature. The actual colour of the pen is between orange and red, more to orange but not too flippant.

It should be noted that there is a little spring inside the piston cabin as in heritage 1912, as the piston cabin is small and it's necessary to have it to overcome surface tension, which could hinter the inkflow inside the cabin. Don't think your pen is broken! The volume is around 0.72 ml as I measured. Not too small, acceptable.

The nib feels flex, but it doesn't really give much variety on my writing. That is to say, if I write lightly, I don't feel a difference between this nib and one of an 146; if I write heavily, I feel significantly different, however the writing itself doesn't tell much about it.

By the way, the nib writes exactly the same as the one of 1912 and I think they are interchangeable.

[saverius]

~ @saverius

 

Thank you so much for the review.

Your detailed photographs are especially appreciated.

I hope that you'll enjoy both the F and EF nibs.

Tom K.

 

Thank you very much as well! You are the first replier of my posts ever

[saverius]

3. Comparisons among the Montblancs

This part is pretty subjective, I'm not commenting, judge it yourself

↓with heritage 1912

↓with popular 146 and 149

[saverius]

4. Comparisons among some "small-sized" pens

↓with Parker Duofold Mini

Duofold Mini is of same width as a medium-sized Duofold International, and is obviously wider than the coral red snake, which according to Montblanc website is creatively "thin and long".

↓with Montblanc 144

In the Montblanc family 144 is the closest to the coral red snake, size-wise. Almost the same length and width.

↓with Pelikan M320

Also almost identical width and nib size, but M320 is much shorter, which makes it uncomfortable (for me) to hold on hand. Both pen are equipped with a thin grip, but that of the snake ist longer and more enjoyable as the screw thread of the M320 really hurts me when I write.

↓with Apple Pencil(...)

 

That's all, hope you enjoy!

[Tom Kellie]

Thank you very much as well! You are the first replier of my posts ever

 

 

~ @saverius

 

That's a great honor for me.

I saw and handled the Rouge et Noir pens at an event last week at the Montblanc boutique in the China World Trade Center (中国国际贸易中心), near Guomao subway (国贸站) station in Beijing (北京).

The red color was especially attractive to many of the other guests.

Your superb comparison images are such a help to anyone considering the pens.

It's truly nice of you to take the time to prepare such helpful posts.

Tom K.

[barriep]

Very helpful review, thank you. I have been pondering these pens since the announcement. I use an Agatha Christie. Do the Rouge et Noir have any advantages over Agatha?

[Mastiff]

 

 

~ @saverius

 

That's a great honor for me.

I saw and handled the Rouge et Noir pens at an event last week at the Montblanc boutique in the China World Trade Center (中国国际贸易中心), near Guomao subway (国贸站) station in Beijing (北京).

The red color was especially attractive to many of the other guests.

Your superb comparison images are such a help to anyone considering the pens.

It's truly nice of you to take the time to prepare such helpful posts.

Tom K.

Very sharply pointed out, I never thought of this. Do you think this was targetted for the Chinese market?

[saverius]

Very helpful review, thank you. I have been pondering these pens since the announcement. I use an Agatha Christie. Do the Rouge et Noir have any advantages over Agatha?

 

 

For those who consider the Rouge et Noir refreshing and want to give it a try, it's worth trying.

 

However for those who struggle to choose between a Rouge et Noir and Agatha and want to draw a parallel between these two, I without hesitation think Agatha is the better one. The only advantage of the Rouge et Noir against Agatha that I can think of is the pricing. Agatha has a more proportional and vintage look and is truly a classic, while I personally deem the Rouge et Noir a trend for like one or two years and then could be left out, like many other recent works of Montblanc.

 

They share similar design elements but in essence are distinct from each other.

[Tom Kellie]

Very sharply pointed out, I never thought of this. Do you think this was targetted for the Chinese market?

 

 

~ @Mastiff

 

Montblanc's marketing strategies are far beyond my very limited understanding.

However, from the way in which the Rouge et Noir event was conducted, it was self-evident that the boutique staff was highly aware of the potential appeal of a red fountain pen.

It certainly doesn't hurt in the Chinese market to have a vibrant red pen, in a smaller size which fits in smaller hands.

Displaying in a front window showcase, it may draw in potential customers who might otherwise stroll past.

The fine comparison images by @saverius bring out the pen's qualities, which are essentially what I saw in the boutique special event.

Tom K.

[SE1980]

2. The barrel and the nib

The barrel of the pen is rather simple compared to the cap, which is good for me, as I don't want to attract too much attention while I write (and that's exactly the reason why I never use my Pompadour 4810 it's an EYE-CATCHING MAGNET!). The grip is made of brushed metal, stainless steel I suppose, and it's surprisingly anti-slipping, another great feature. The actual colour of the pen is between orange and red, more to orange but not too flippant.

It should be noted that there is a little spring inside the piston cabin as in heritage 1912, as the piston cabin is small and it's necessary to have it to overcome surface tension, which could hinter the inkflow inside the cabin. Don't think your pen is broken! The volume is around 0.72 ml as I measured. Not too small, acceptable.

The nib feels flex, but it doesn't really give much variety on my writing. That is to say, if I write lightly, I don't feel a difference between this nib and one of an 146; if I write heavily, I feel significantly different, however the writing itself doesn't tell much about it.

6.jpeg

7.jpeg

8.jpeg

By the way, the nib writes exactly the same as the one of 1912 and I think they are interchangeable.

 

 

The nib size and feed are also exactly the same as the 1912.

[saverius]

Very sharply pointed out, I never thought of this. Do you think this was targetted for the Chinese market?

From the first glance I as a Chinese myself find it plausible, as the color do resemble that of cinnabar, resource of a famous red colour in China that were used almost exclusively by the every emperor to comment on the reports of his ministers. But on the other hand I noticed that the red ones are sold out on montblanc.cn pretty soon, indicating that the quantity could be small, because Chinese customers/fountain pen fans, as I know of, tend not to purchase fountain pens on montblanc official site as other professional internet sellers usually offer pretty good discount (good discount could indicate that montblanc would get lower profit from them). Given the rumours on FPN saying that the Rouge et Noir series would be a one-time production and the boutiques would not restock, this guess could be untenable.

Edited May 2, 2016 by saverius

[saverius]

 

 

The nib size and feed are also exactly the same as the 1912.

Thank you for sharing. Do you have any idea how to disassemble the nib? I suddenly want to interchange the nibs of these two pens but can't find anywhere to get started...

[SE1980]

Thank you for sharing. Do you have any idea how to disassemble the nib? I suddenly want to interchange the nibs of these two pens but can't find anywhere to get started...

 

 

Not too sure as I'm not a technical person on fountain pens. Perhaps some experts here could shed some light.

[alfredop]

Thank you for the useful review. Since I'm considering it (the black one), and, like you, prefer finer nib, I would like to ask you to provide a writing sample, if possible.

 

Alfredo

[gerigo]

 

 

Not too sure as I'm not a technical person on fountain pens. Perhaps some experts here could shed some light.

Although the small nibs for the 144, Boheme, 1912 and the Rouge et Noire are friction fit, they still require special tools because the fins on the feed are EXTREMELY delicate. I tried to remove my Boheme nib, and only succeeded in bending them. And I routinely switch nibs for my other pens. I would caution against it, and leave it to the experts.

Some of the Montblanc stores have nib technicians that might be able to help you with the right tools.

[sny]

Thanks for this great review! Be sure to share your thoughts about the Limited edition when you receive it.

 

One more question, what made you purchase both the Coral SE and the Ebonite LE?

 

Best regards,

 

S.

[SE1980]

Although the small nibs for the 144, Boheme, 1912 and the Rouge et Noire are friction fit, they still require special tools because the fins on the feed are EXTREMELY delicate. I tried to remove my Boheme nib, and only succeeded in bending them. And I routinely switch nibs for my other pens. I would caution against it, and leave it to the experts.

Some of the Montblanc stores have nib technicians that might be able to help you with the right tools.

Thanks for the information, that's why I never thought of meddling with the nib in any way or another.

[saverius]

Thanks for this great review! Be sure to share your thoughts about the Limited edition when you receive it.

 

One more question, what made you purchase both the Coral SE and the Ebonite LE?

 

Best regards,

 

S.

At first I paid for the ebonite one, and I was told to wait 3 weeks. However later one the dealer doubled the time to 6 weeks... That's excruciating, and the coral red one is a rather good anodyne.

 

However now I kind of regret I didn't choose just a coral one and an Agstha....