Jump to content

Which Montblanc Would You Recommend?

Prahasaurus

By Prahasaurus
in Montblanc

 Share

Recommended Posts

Prahasaurus NOS (New Old Stock)

Prahasaurus

Posted
  • Author
Posted

 

excellent base for daily use with quality!!

 

others added for more kicking around are Pilot ProGears and Aurora Talentums....

 

and I hope you will not stop after 3, it's okay to put yourself into some level of debt to buy a true dream pen or two...

 

 

Ha, yeah. I'm sure many on this board at one time had illusions of purchasing only "a few" fountain pens...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 70
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Prahasaurus

    16

  • torstar

    5

  • zaddick

    4

  • siamackz

    4

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Posted Images

torstar Antique

torstar

Posted
Posted

 

 

Ha, yeah. I'm sure many on this board at one time had illusions of purchasing only "a few" fountain pens...

 

There are phases many of us go through, impulse buying isn't the best one for limited edition pens....

 

I had friends with impressive collections that sold off great pens for practical prices in order to buy more pens or raise some quick liquid cash.

 

Alas, they are no more in my life, but I'm quite content enjoying the purchases in this phase.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
njbcoll New

njbcoll

Posted
Posted

Great suggestions everyone! Interestingly, I was just looking at the Solitaire Blue Hour LeGrand before I read your post, Tom! Someone had listed it as a purchase from 2017 in another thread, and I love the look.

 

Quick question: is the lack of an ink window an issue for you Solitaire owners?

 

I'm not familiar with the "13x" series, can you provide a link?

 

I think the Unicef Platinum-coated LeGrand also looks quite nice. A nice take on the classic 146. And I especially like the platinum color over gold.

 

 

The Blue Hour is a beautiful pen and I'm grateful to have one. The lack of ink window doesn't bother me. While it is helpful to have one, I find myself running out of ink on regular 146s without always realising and despite the ink window.

 

One thing that is a potential issue for you is that the Blue Hour has a metal section. I have what I consider relatively dry hands but I still find writing with the Blue Hour for extended periods not as comfortable as with a resin section. The pen is also considerably heavier than the usual 146. Again, I like the heft, but it isn't for everyone.

 

I suggest a standard 146 or Ultra Black (or a 149 given your hand size) as an everyday writer as well as, perhaps, the Blue Hour. As an alternative, the white Tribute to The Mont Blanc is also very nice to write with. Maybe get an M nib on the everyday and a B on the pricier version.

 

Final comment about weight, I love my Ultra Black but it because of the finishing on the piston winder, the balance doesn't work for me and I don't find myself reaching for it quite as often as I otherwise might.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Prahasaurus NOS (New Old Stock)

Prahasaurus

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Update: I purchased the 146 Ultra Black Legrand with a Medium nib!

 

I was originally thinking I'd get an F nib, but I went to the Montblanc boutique at the Emirates Mall today in Dubai and they had one last Ultra Black on sale for 30% off, but only in M. I'm thinking I can make the work for my needs, which are mainly note taking during meetings.

 

Seemed to be a great deal I just couldn't pass up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Pravda Collectors Item

Pravda

Posted
Posted

Update: I purchased the 146 Ultra Black Legrand with a Medium nib!

 

I was originally thinking I'd get an F nib, but I went to the Montblanc boutique at the Emirates Mall today in Dubai and they had one last Ultra Black on sale for 30% off, but only in M. I'm thinking I can make the work for my needs, which are mainly note taking during meetings.

 

Seemed to be a great deal I just couldn't pass up.

Dubai nib exchanges are quite quick specially for non-limited editions. Take it for a swap if u change ur mind

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Prahasaurus NOS (New Old Stock)

Prahasaurus

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Dubai nib exchanges are quite quick specially for non-limited editions. Take it for a swap if u change ur mind

 

They told me 6 to 8 weeks minimum... !!!

 

Also, can I exchange after using the pen? I would obviously assume yes. But they weren't so clear when I asked this question at the boutique, even implying it won't happen if I use the pen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
torstar Antique

torstar

Posted
Posted

Great purchase!

 

I usually recommend being happy with the nib as you get to learn about the pen, but you are beyond that stage, so hopefully you get what you want.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Pravda Collectors Item

Pravda

Posted
Posted

 

They told me 6 to 8 weeks minimum... !!!

 

Also, can I exchange after using the pen? I would obviously assume yes. But they weren't so clear when I asked this question at the boutique, even implying it won't happen if I use the pen.

 

 

PM Sent

Link to comment
Share on other sites
georges zaslavsky Museum Piece

georges zaslavsky

Posted
Posted

Same answers from me as usual:1965-1980 MB149 and 1974-1986MB146, the best of the best

Pens are like watches , once you start a collection, you can hardly go back. And pens like all fine luxury items do improve with time

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
katerchen Vintage

katerchen

Posted
Posted

 

Having said that, I was hoping to have something that is a bit unique, not just a standard 146 or 149. Perhaps that is the way I'll go in the end, not sure.

 

Thanks for your help!

 

Well, you really shot down my suggestion with that last sentence :P

 

I really admire the simple elegance of those two -- not to mention their feel in the hand and on paper. And, since this is going to be an EDC pen I'd advise to reconsider.

 

Re: lasting a lifetime. All of mine were bought second-hand and are a minimum of 25 years old and are working perfectly still. The best part is that they can be sent back to MB for a general overhaul and unless you need a new nib, the service costs about $100.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Prahasaurus NOS (New Old Stock)

Prahasaurus

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

Just a quick update. I bought the Ultra Black Legrand. By chance, the Montblanc boutique at Mall of the Emirates had the pen on sale with a 30% discount. It was the last one they had in stock, but unfortunately with an M nib. I inked it and used it for a bit, liked the performance, but didn't like the line widths. For everyday carry, I really need an EF.

 

I returned the pen to the Montblanc boutique at the Dubai Mall, on the advice of Pravda, to exchange nibs. He told me when to go, to whom I should speak, etc. Very detailed advice. The Dubai Mall boutique said they had a new EF nib in stock in the UAE, and so they would have it exchanged for me in 5 working days! So it seems I got the best of both worlds, the exact pen I wanted new at a nice discount, and now the exact nib I require with only an additional week of wait time.

 

A huge thanks to Pravda for his help!

 

And the shop at Dubai Mall is fantastic. Lots of rare pens on display. Really worth a visit if you are in Dubai.

Edited by Prahasaurus
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Tom Kellie Donor Pen

Tom Kellie

Posted
Posted

Just a quick update. I bought the Ultra Black Legrand. By chance, the Montblanc boutique at Mall of the Emirates had the pen on sale with a 30% discount. It was the last one they had in stock, but unfortunately with an M nib. I inked it and used it for a bit, liked the performance, but didn't like the line widths. For everyday carry, I really need an EF.

 

I returned the pen to the Montblanc boutique at the Dubai Mall, on the advice of Pravda, to exchange nibs. He told me when to go, to whom I should speak, etc. Very detailed advice. The Dubai Mall boutique said they had a new EF nib in stock in the UAE, and so they would have it exchanged for me in 5 working days! So it seems I got the best of both worlds, the exact pen I wanted new at a nice discount, and now the exact nib I require with only an additional week of wait time.

 

A huge thanks to Pravda for his help!

 

And the shop at Dubai Mall is fantastic. Lots of rare pens on display. Really worth a visit if you are in Dubai.

 

~ Prahasaurus:

 

Congratulations on your Ultra Black Legend.

The rapid turnaround for the EF nib is great to hear.

Personal guidance from Pravda is the best. His knowledge, down-to-earth attitude and gracious helpfulness is impressive.

Enjoy your lovely new pen! Thank you for sharing this update with us.

Tom K.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Prahasaurus NOS (New Old Stock)

Prahasaurus

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

Update:

 

So I took my Ultra Black to the Montblanc boutique at the Dubai Mall to exchange nibs. The purchased M nib was a bit too much for the intended purpose: taking notes during business meetings and bullet journaling. So I decided to switch to an EF. While I purchased the pen new at a nice discount from Mall of the Emirates, I wasn't really happy with how they approached a possible nib exchange. Basically discouraging it, and then quoting 8-9 weeks... Dubai Mall had a different approach, seemed very accommodating, and after checking their database of nibs in stock, quoted just 5 working days. Quite a difference.

 

Yesterday I picked the pen up, exactly one week from when I dropped it off. They inked it up for me in the shop to test, and it worked perfectly: not scratchy, nice ink flow, very manageable line width. Exactly what I need for this pen, so I'm very happy.

 

I have 2 more 146 pens on the way, both pre-owned, and will update with pictures when they all arrive. Thanks once again to everyone's help here. And especially Pravda, who is quite the celebrity at the Dubai Mall Montblanc shop...

Edited by Prahasaurus
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Tom Kellie Donor Pen

Tom Kellie

Posted
Posted

Thanks once again to everyone's help here. And especially Pravda, who is quite the celebrity at the Dubai Mall Montblanc shop...

 

~ Which is nice to know and unsurprising, given his sophisticated Montblanc collection.

Tom K.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
niksch Donor Pen

niksch

Posted
Posted

I'm always a fan of a MB146 in OB or BB or OBB. I love those nibs!

Hard times don't last, but hard people do.

 

Thank a Veteran.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Moose Mint

Moose

Posted
Posted

I'm always a fan of a MB146 in OB or BB or OBB. I love those nibs!

 

Based on your profile pic, you have a few. I'm on the hunt for a MB 146/149 Stub currently (separate post in the classifieds), but I have heard that the BB writes somewhat "stubbily". I don't tend to rotate my nib, so the obliques might not gain me much.

 

Any comparison you could provide between a MB BB and something like a Binder CI 0.8 (it's one of my favorite nibs)?

Well for you, if you wrestle on, for in persistency lies victory, and with the morning may come the wished-for blessing. But not always; there is a struggle with defeat which some of you will have to bear, and it will be well for you if you have cultivated a cheerful equanimity. Remember, too, that sometimes 'from our desolation only does the better life begin.' Even with disaster ahead, it is better to face them with a smile, and with the head erect, than to crouch at their approach. And, if the fight is for principle and justice, even when failure seems certain, where many have failed before, cling to your ideal, and, like Childe Roland before the dark tower, set the slug-horn to your lips, blow the challenge, and calmly await the conflict.

 

 

--"Aequanimitas" William Osler

Valedictory Address, University of Pennsylvania, May 1, 1889

Link to comment
Share on other sites
SpecTP Collectors Item

SpecTP

Posted
Posted (edited)

I would recommend a platinum 149. it won't be a 'show off' if your superiors also use fountain pens. but also distinctive from other 149s.

Edited by SpecTP
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

Announcements

  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33584
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
    5. jar
      jar
      26105

  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      Links to web pages or articles about Chinese typesetting, signwriting, etc.

      By Shanghai Knife Dude · Posted

      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By A Smug Dill · Posted

      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By adamselene · Posted

      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By A Smug Dill · Posted

      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By adamselene · Posted

      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o

  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More

  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...