For Those Who Hate Montblanc....why? Just Curious...

[ParkerDuofold]

Pretty deep.

It is, isn't it?

 

 

- A.C.

[Namo]

As the OP in the thread the current OP links, let me chime in with my opinions.

 

I just purchased a MB 149 yesterday and I absolutely adore it and let me explain. I necessarily wanted to buy a pen only after I tested it or at least held it in my hands, because the overall balance and grip section are crucial for me to be "right." Moreover, since I wanted an expensive pen, it had to be as close to perfection as possible.

 

Having said this, the choice for MB was natural, simply because I felt there were no alternatives to hit the most important points I was looking for in the most optimal combination. As far as I know, there are almost no alternatives to the 149 in terms of barrel and grip width, at least none I could see or try. It was a great surprise to find the M800 in a store yesterday and I have to say I was disappointed. The section looked too narrow and, sorry to say that, the overall look of the pen felt cheap, at least to me (I am NOT bashing Pelikan and would NOT want to start a rant, it's just my opinion, how things looked in my eyes, as a beholder ).

 

So having reached the MB boutique and tried the 146 and then the 149, I really felt the latter hit home. It has great balance, extremely smooth writing experience (but not too smooth -- I got an F nib), it's just perfect. It does not have a metal body and their customer service may be controversial, but as a fellow colleague (@penmanila) said, one cannot just be afraid to lose or break it... since I bought it for use, I intend to do just that.

 

Nota bene: Take everything I wrote with a pinch of salt. It's my most expensive pen and the second most expensive I have is the Parker Sonnet. So my experience may be discarded, but I just wanted to explain why I chose MB. It just hit home for writing, because that's why I bought it.

 

Honestly, I felt a bit similar to when I bought my second MacBook earlier this year. I really disliked some of Apple's policies and changes, but felt like I had no choice: I didn't have enough experience with GNU/Linux and disliked Windows for objective reasons. As for the price, it was only 200 more expensive than a similar Lenovo that I wanted (we're talking about a ~3000 laptop, so the 200 is really negligible, I think).

 

Same for the Montblanc, somewhat: yes, I dislike the fact that it is seen as a status symbol and I know it may be a bit (or more) overpriced, more in the 'jewel' category, as well as more fragile than others. But for my daily use needs, it is perfect and that's all that matters, in my books.

Congrats! Hope you did find THE pen. Until the next one of course... ;-)

 

The M800 should be compared to the 146. Pelikan's contender to the 149 would be the M1000

[amk]

I don't *hate* MB. But I don't have any, and probably never will.

 

1. I really admire the LEs, but I don't much *like* them. They are simply too blingy, there's too much metal in most of them, they're too heavy for my liking, sometimes too pretentious. So, not really interested.

 

2, There's too much faking going on. I like chasing down pens in the wild. I'm not an expert on MB and the pens are far too likely to be fakes for me to be interested. (And also, it's the one pen brand non-pen-people know, so likely to be overvalued, particularly if it is indeed a fake.)

 

3. I adore the celluloids of vintage MBs and I would love to collect them. Sadly, I have to admit it would just be too expensive. (Never mind, I have some lovely Osmias and Pelikans.)

[Donald2]

Mont Blanc is hated because they are the pen of the globalist elite.

[Bo Bo Olson]

"""""""""It's curious, but I wonder who would write with a OBBB nib in a practical situation. I can't imagine jounralling, writing a letter, or filling out a form with something that wide. I would think that if the extra nibs relative to some other Western brands were for writing, why not offer nibs more in the XXF to B range which the majority of the population are likely to write with.""""""""""""

 

OK, vintage pens are normally 1/2 a width narrower modern. I have OBB nibbed pens....two, that I seldom write with.........just a tad too big. I have a Pelikan 500 OBBB, and that nib requires 2/3ds to 3/4ths a page just to write a readable legal signature.

I do like OB quite a lot.....vintage OB or B is sort of a modern fat M.

There are a few who love the wide nibs of BB and BBB.

 

What happens.....warehousing costs some E100 a day for a cubic meter. It is the storage of the nib die, two bins somewhere near by with extra wide nibs. To a bookkeeper a huge loss of money.

Bookkeepers rule the world.

You can not prove the dollar saved, costs $40.

 

The Japanese do think 50 years in advance............Western companies are lead by those only interested in this year's bonus, and next years job (Was once stock options back in the golden age when a dividend was worth something) ............a major difference.

The top 26 managers at Toyota make $26 million together. They do have job security. They think fifty years in advance. $26 million is what a Vice President in Ford or GM makes.

I can remember in the '60's when Toyota was just a cheap Japanese car....that all expected to fall apart when driven around the corner................instead Toyota is the most reliable car in the world, and now #2 I think....soon to be #1.

 

Personally I don't often need EF western....but some do need that in Japanese or want to scribble so tiny that none can read what they wrote. XXXF.

 

In the middle of the '60s the shoe companies decided that the 10% that took a C shoe, could wear two pair of socks and buy a D or wet and stretch out a B.

10% of the population never ever had a pair of shoes that fit after that.....bookkeeping savings.

Same with nibs.....bet the bookkeeper uses a ball point.

Edited December 30, 2017 by Bo Bo Olson

[TheRealMikeDr]

As the OP in the thread the current OP links, let me chime in with my opinions.

 

I just purchased a MB 149 yesterday and I absolutely adore it and let me explain. I necessarily wanted to buy a pen only after I tested it or at least held it in my hands, because the overall balance and grip section are crucial for me to be "right." Moreover, since I wanted an expensive pen, it had to be as close to perfection as possible.

 

Having said this, the choice for MB was natural, simply because I felt there were no alternatives to hit the most important points I was looking for in the most optimal combination. As far as I know, there are almost no alternatives to the 149 in terms of barrel and grip width, at least none I could see or try. It was a great surprise to find the M800 in a store yesterday and I have to say I was disappointed. The section looked too narrow and, sorry to say that, the overall look of the pen felt cheap, at least to me (I am NOT bashing Pelikan and would NOT want to start a rant, it's just my opinion, how things looked in my eyes, as a beholder ).

 

So having reached the MB boutique and tried the 146 and then the 149, I really felt the latter hit home. It has great balance, extremely smooth writing experience (but not too smooth -- I got an F nib), it's just perfect. It does not have a metal body and their customer service may be controversial, but as a fellow colleague (@penmanila) said, one cannot just be afraid to lose or break it... since I bought it for use, I intend to do just that.

 

Nota bene: Take everything I wrote with a pinch of salt. It's my most expensive pen and the second most expensive I have is the Parker Sonnet. So my experience may be discarded, but I just wanted to explain why I chose MB. It just hit home for writing, because that's why I bought it.

 

Honestly, I felt a bit similar to when I bought my second MacBook earlier this year. I really disliked some of Apple's policies and changes, but felt like I had no choice: I didn't have enough experience with GNU/Linux and disliked Windows for objective reasons. As for the price, it was only 200€ more expensive than a similar Lenovo that I wanted (we're talking about a ~3000€ laptop, so the 200€ is really negligible, I think).

 

Same for the Montblanc, somewhat: yes, I dislike the fact that it is seen as a status symbol and I know it may be a bit (or more) overpriced, more in the 'jewel' category, as well as more fragile than others. But for my daily use needs, it is perfect and that's all that matters, in my books.

 

Your selections are somewhat limited at that size however the Sailor King of Pen falls into that category. Of course you're not likely to be shopping for another pen for a bit after investing in your 149 but should you get the chance to try one in the future you may enjoy it. I've got the Ebonite KOP version and like it even better than my 149 - the dimensions of the KOP uncapped are very similar to the 149 and I like the warm feel of Ebonite better than resin.

 

Anyways - congrats on your purchase - may you treasure and use it for years to come!

[jar]

Why do you think I quoted a movie in my post?

 

 

- Anthony

Did you quote a movie in your post?

[ParkerDuofold]

Did you quote a movie in your post?

 

Hi all,

 

MB pens.... I want those SOB's DEAD! I want them DEAD! The 149... DEAD! The 146... DEAD! The Writer's Series... DEAD! I want them all burnt down into the ground... I wanna go back there in the middle of the night so I can urinate on the ashes!

 

 

Hhhmmmm... oh,... was that out loud??

 

 

 

 

Actually, I have no particular feelings about MB one way or the other... I just like quoting gangster flicks.

 

 

However, if you were to ask my opinion; I'd say they were overpriced for what you get, but most "ultra-luxury" items are these days,... but if you want to drop four digits on a pen that cost a low to moderate 3 to make... that's your prerogative.

 

I'm satisfied with my L2K... ... and a few others... and just for the record, this doesn't stem from jealousy... I could easily afford a MB if I wanted one... I just don't think they're worth what they cost... and just enough of my dad's practicality rubbed off on me.

 

 

- Anthony

 

Hi Jar,

 

Yes. Earlier on, I quoted Al Capone, (DeNiro), from The Untouchables; 1987, (IIRC). "I want them all DEAD!," etc., etc.

 

You may not have caught it because you're used to me talking like that normally.

 

Here's the clip, (BLUE LANGUAGE WARNING):

 

http://youtu.be/UceGF3M56bE

 

 

- Anthony

 

 

EDITED to add my own quote.

Edited December 30, 2017 by ParkerDuofold

[Uncial]

Posted by Bluey:

High price can make people imagine lots of positive traits that simply aren't there. There have been many many studies to verify this.

 

There's certainly some truth in that, but it's not entirely true all of the time. There are 'luxury' items that are certainly pigs in lipstick, but I can't say I know of many that have a long life in the market. There is an element too when you buy something expensive that you just try and convince yourself that it's 'worth it' but you can only sustain that self delusion for so long. God knows I tried when I got my Nakaya 'flexible' nib. I thought to myself, there has to be something good about this nib that everyone raves about so much, but after months of perseverance not even the greatest psychological grand delusion I could possibly muster was going to change the fact that that nib just wasn't for me. I'm still debating with myself as to what to do with it because currently I don't use it despite loving the finish.

 

When I bought that 149 for 50 euros all those years ago I didn't have any high expectations, so it surprised me to be quite honest. Now I may be so psychologically malleable and easily influenced that I am completely deluded and somehow I've duped myself into believing that MB make good pens. Personally I doubt it, but of course, you may disagree. All I can say is that the MB pens in my collection get more use in rotation than any other pen brand in my collection. The only other brand that comes close for me is Pelikan. In chasing the MB's I wanted I was very fortunate most of the time. Almost all of them were bought second hand at what I consider to be good or great prices and most of them cheaper than a newly bought Visconti. I think some of the ire for MB pens comes from the marketing and I think that's fair. They started with the exclusivity thing and now it's an executive lifestyle thing; to me it's all a bit silly because it's just a pen, but my experience is that it's a very, very nice pen.

 

They are also very, very expensive pens when bought new, but my friends buy new iPads and iPhones about every two years now (sometimes even less) all with expensive contracts. They spend a fortune on something that is completely defunct within a two year period. It boggles my mind. I can see that apple is a good product, but inbuilt obsolescence is a marketing strategy that I can really get irked about more than daft 'lifestyle' marketing. But even in the pen world there are comparables. There are numerous pen brands out there that produce stupidly expensive pens and build in an even more exclusivity illusion than MB do, but strangely very few people get worked up about it on these threads, which always amuses me.

[KellyMcJ]

Brand name with a good history helps.

Made with quality materials

Good fit and finish of parts.

No flaws that are visible.

Moving parts and screw threads are smooth. No rattle or loose parts.

And most important does it write well and consistently so when using it.

And my $20.00 Cross Baily performs as well as my Montblanc 144 so price is not always an indicator of quality. I have 3 of those Cross fountain pens and they are workhorses.

One of the things I look for in addition to all you have stated, is customer service. Every brand has an occasional dud and stuff happens. How well do they stand behind their product? How assured am I that if I spend $$$ on a pen, and it's not as it should be, I'm not losing out on the deal?

 

A thought occurs to me, MB is out of reach for most people (new at least). Pilot, Sailor, Pelikan and other mentioned brands all make mid range and student pens, in addition to their luxury market pens. The fact that MB doesn't adds to their "brand exclusivity" for whatever that's worth.

[Uncial]

One of the things I look for in addition to all you have stated, is customer service. Every brand has an occasional dud and stuff happens. How well do they stand behind their product? How assured am I that if I spend $$$ on a pen, and it's not as it should be, I'm not losing out on the deal?

 

A thought occurs to me, MB is out of reach for most people (new at least). Pilot, Sailor, Pelikan and other mentioned brands all make mid range and student pens, in addition to their luxury market pens. The fact that MB doesn't adds to their "brand exclusivity" for whatever that's worth.

 

 

While it may add to notions of exclusivity and may be some kind of savvy marketing ploy, I still think they are missing out. If there was a Generations or Noblesse type mid-tier I think it would be useful for them, although I am willing to admit I perhaps don't understand their marketing ploys and I'm certainly not their actual target market. But I think most of us are probably inclined to go for a pen brand initially at their entry level or mid-tier to see how we get on with that. When we get on well with it and are pleased then I think there is at least the possibility that we might be inclined not to buy a hundred cheap pens from China and instead save for one pen at the higher level of a pen we know in all likelihood we will be much more satisfied with and hopefully own and use for a very long time. Maybe such a market is too small for MB to be bothered with though.

[Ghost Plane]

It's curious, but I wonder who would write with a OBBB nib in a practical situation. I can't imagine jounralling, writing a letter, or filling out a form with something that wide. I would think that if the extra nibs relative to some other Western brands were for writing, why not offer nibs more in the XXF to B range which the majority of the population are likely to write with.

This would be me. I cant imagine writing with the insulin needles half the board seems to require. My daily writer I havent put down since I acquired it is an OBBB. This is why having the widest available inventory or nibs is a good thing.

[KellyMcJ]

 

 

While it may add to notions of exclusivity and may be some kind of savvy marketing ploy, I still think they are missing out. If there was a Generations or Noblesse type mid-tier I think it would be useful for them, although I am willing to admit I perhaps don't understand their marketing ploys and I'm certainly not their actual target market. But I think most of us are probably inclined to go for a pen brand initially at their entry level or mid-tier to see how we get on with that. When we get on well with it and are pleased then I think there is at least the possibility that we might be inclined not to buy a hundred cheap pens from China and instead save for one pen at the higher level of a pen we know in all likelihood we will be much more satisfied with and hopefully own and use for a very long time. Maybe such a market is too small for MB to be bothered with though.

 

I agree. I have low end Pilot (Metropolitan), mid range Pilot (Falcon) and three(!) mid range Sailor (pro gear Slim). I would gladly save up for a high end Pilot or Sailor- I love their mid range pens so much. If either of those brands STARTED their offerings at $500+ I doubt I'd look twice at them.

 

Then again, I'm not MB's target audience either.

 

This would be me. I cant imagine writing with the insulin needles half the board seems to require. My daily writer I havent put down since I acquired it is an OBBB. This is why having the widest available inventory or nibs is a good thing.

 

WOW! I love broad nibs, but they are mostly relegated to practice scribbles and cards. I found them too impractical for journalling etc. For some things, I need extra fine (forms, etc.) I've found that for comfortable, happy writing though, my "sweet spot" is in the (Western) fine-medium range. I have a Sailor B that I adore, but a western B is a bit too broad.

[ParkerDuofold]

This would be me. I cant imagine writing with the insulin needles half the board seems to require. My daily writer I havent put down since I acquired it is an OBBB. This is why having the widest available inventory or nibs is a good thing.

Hi GP,

 

If it isn't too much trouble, could you PRETTY, PRETTY PLEASE with sugar on top; post a writing sample of an OBBB next to a standard Western Medium, (or Broad).

 

I'd love to see how they compare.

 

 

- Anthony

[KellyMcJ]

Hi GP,

 

If it isn't too much trouble, could you PRETTY, PRETTY PLEASE with sugar on top; post a writing sample of an OBBB next to a standard Western Medium, (or Broad).

 

I'd love to see how they compare.

 

 

- Anthony

 

I second this. Broad nib eye candy please!!!!

[Ghost Plane]

Hi GP,

If it isn't too much trouble, could you PRETTY, PRETTY PLEASE with sugar on top; post a writing sample of an OBBB next to a standard Western Medium, (or Broad).

I'd love to see how they compare.

- Anthony

If you look for

Welcome to the B side

As well as the lengthy OBBB thread in the MB forum, you’ll find comparisons all the way down to XXXF bespoke.

 

I don’t own an M and haven’t got a phone handy, but you’ll find many of the larger nibs allow greater directional line contrast in the same amount of space, as long as they’re not simply a great ball of tipping.

[jchch1950]

The quality of the after sales service of MB is something important for someone that changes often country of residence for professional reasons.

[cat]

I don’t own an M and haven’t got a phone handy, but you’ll find many of the larger nibs allow greater directional line contrast in the same amount of space, as long as they’re not simply a great ball of tipping.

 

How can you tell if it's a great ball of tipping?

[ParkerDuofold]

If you look for Welcome to the B side

As well as the lengthy OBBB thread in the MB forum, youll find comparisons all the way down to XXXF bespoke.

 

I dont own an M and havent got a phone handy, but youll find many of the larger nibs allow greater directional line contrast in the same amount of space, as long as theyre not simply a great ball of tipping.

Hi GP, Kelly, et al,

 

If this isn't it; it should still suffice.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/265919-what-to-do-with-an-obbb-nib/?fromsearch=1

 

 

- Anthony

[OMASsimo]

 

How can you tell if it's a great ball of tipping?

 

E.g. by looking at it with a loupe. Or you write with it and check line variation.

 

Most modern B or BB nibs with or without "O" in front of it are blobs. Vintage B and BBs used to be chisel shaped and gave great line variations. My latest MB is from the 1990s, so I don't know if MB produces blobs today.