So no Montblanc fans in here?

[Betty]

I've noticed that there isn't much talk about Montblanc's in here. Meanwhile in the outside world, everyone thinks the best pen is Montblanc. Personally, I don't like their pens at all.

 

But how did Montblanc get such a good reputation? Are their pens really that good?

[KCat]

They do have a reputation - it just isn't a good one. I think most people will say that the vintage MBs were good pens but that some modern models leave a lot to be desired.

 

And the biggest issue is the cost - for equal quality you can spend a lot less money for a name.

 

They're nice pens, i like some of the Writer's series in terms of looks. But I'll probably never own one. I traded the 146 I had. I just never adjusted to the springy nib.

[Glenn-SC]

I have tried a handful, but only 1 (a Starwalker (?) I believe) wrote well.

Not great but well (i.e. did not skip or scratch).

When a Pen Company sells cufflinks, I think they've lost focus, and are now selling image not pens.

For me, their cost does not match their writing ability.

[Richard]

My experience with modern MBs is that the company has made some unfortunate engineering decisions on the Meisterstück and related lines, the worst being the design of the section flange and the choice of body material. The former aside, the pens are well designed and can be set up to write spectacularly well. The latter aside, the pens are well made and durable.

 

But the truth is that you can buy a lot more pen for less money. Montblanc used to be a pen company, but as Glenn says, they're not anymore. They do not sell pens. They sell the bird splat, and they'll put it on whatever merchandise fits the fabricated status image they want to project. If the merchandise happens to be a pen, well, maybe it'll be one somebody likes. My guess is that there are more Meisterstück pens sitting in drawers than there are being used.

[tntaylor]

They're nice pens, i like some of the Writer's series in terms of looks.

Ditto on that. Aside from a few of the writers' series pens, the look of a Montblanc does not thrill me. All I've ever known about them is that they're meant to be top quality status pens. That's just not enough to make me like them.

 

 

They sell the bird splat

LOLOLOLOL!!!

 

t!

Edited December 8, 2005 by tntaylor

[Michael Wright]

Like everybody said: and also, they're the elephant in the room.

 

But I will speak up for their plastic. It's brittle, which caused them problems, apparently, with pens made with walls too thin (144: and maybe it's really the customers who had the problems), but it does have a distinctive gloss and rigid, cool feel. Maybe the PVC (?) they used, like a lot of other people, in the 1960s works out to have been a worse choice, since the hoods of the 12s and 14s tend to split, just like the hoods of Parker 61s.

 

I also don't find the few modern MB nibs I've written with to have a lot of character, though they can be very smooth.

 

I guess the other reason why people don't talk about them much is that it's a brand that's prone to start flame wars -- like Rolex in the watch world, though not as bad as that. If you wanted a really decorous pen board, you could make three subjects taboo: politics, religion and Montblanc.

 

Best

 

Michael

[saintsimon]

... top quality status pens...

The 'status' is the main selling point for MB nowadays.

 

Here in Germany MB is just about everywhere. If a small shop has a 'premium' pen line, it is allways MB, maybe Pelikan, but the latter have less 'status'. Only bigger or dedicated stores have more of the other upscale brands.

As most people have no clue about the pen market, they in most cases look straight for an MB if the want an upscale/status/posh pen, being German='Premium' (what else .. ), just as they think of their Audis, BMWs and Mercs - even 'VW' by contradicting it's name pretends to be 'Premium' to justify high prices and look down on foreign brands.

[Bryan]

Though my MB 149 is my favorite pen, I've owned several other MBs and have since sold them off. I'd much rather have a Danitrio or CS then spend the money on a MB. One is enough for me. If you do need to have a MB, I'd say go for a 149, it both a classic and a great writer. As for the others I have had, they were good writers, but one MB was enough for me, unlike other brands where I could own several.

 

However, I do lust for a 146 Gold and black strip fountain pen, it's beautiful!!

 

Bryan

[chris burton]

I like them, especially the older pens, but I do have a couple of modern Montblancs. My modern ones are a 149 and two 146's. The 149 and one of the 146's are both great writers. The jury is still out on the other 146 as it is a recovering basket case; broken piston rod, mangled, and I mean mangled, nib, and a cracked section sleeve. I've straightened the nib, but haven't finished the other two repairs and so I don't yet know how it writes, but I expect that I'll like it.

For vintage I have five others and they range from the early 1920's to the mid-1950's. All of them are wonderful writers, but my favorites are the pens from the twenties and thirties. The nibs from that period are great.

IMO most of MB's problems stem from two things:

1) the too thin and brittle material that they made the 144's out of, and

2) their marketing department

 

The bad press that they received from the 144's is still following them. I think that a lot of people assume that all of their pens are like that, but the truth is that they're not. Also, lots of other brands have ridiculous retail prices, just like MB. MSRP on a 149 is something like $575, but a Pelikan 1000 is $556. Not much of a difference. A new C-S Churchill is $495. Relatively similar pricing.

Over on Pentrace there is one particular person that has a standing offer to buy your cracked 146's and 149's. I've seen him post this a few times and, in the last few years, I don't think that he's had a single taker.

[JeffTL]

I don't have a Montblanc, but if I found a good deal on one (particularly a 149), I'd think about it. But if I were to buy a German pen over $200, it'd probably be a Pelikan; they just look like better pens to me and something like an M1000 or even M800 still has the status value of a big honkin' German fountain pen.

[Titivillus]

Also, lots of other brands have ridiculous retail prices, just like MB. MSRP on a 149 is something like $575, but a Pelikan 1000 is $556. Not much of a difference. A new C-S Churchill is $495. Relatively similar pricing.

The MSRP is true but and it is a very big but MB has setup their distribution system such that there is no normal discounting of their pens as opposed to Pelikan or CS. You will see Pelikan M1000 for $200 in places but very rarely see that type of reduction for a MB. I have heard that MB will pull a seller is they try to sell over the net and regulates what the real selling price is. And to hear of what hoops you have to go through to even sell the pens ( $20k starter set) I can see why there aren't as many MB as Pelikan/ CS sellers.

 

And if I could get the $270 I paid for my 149 I would in a heartbeat but I would do that with my Churchill as well!

 

 

Kurt H

Who has purchased all three brands

Edited December 8, 2005 by Tytyvyllus

[garythepenman]

"they sell the bird splat" is just about right. Those of us who know FP's realise it's not a prestigeous sign. If you had to go to a pen show with only one pen stuck in your top pocket I bet it wouldn't be a MB. To me it says "I know nothing about pens".

To me I can compaire the MB "bird splat" poking from a pocket the same as a 60yr old with a toupee driving a convertible. They both think it looks cool.

Having said all that I have nothing against MB as a company, just don't try to sell me one of those pens, I'll take a Pelikan any day. In fact for the price of a MB I could be really choosy.

[Rique]

Here in Germany MB is just about everywhere. If a small shop has a 'premium' pen line, it is allways MB

 

Isn´t there a contradiction between this statement and Tytyvyllus's ?

 

And to hear of what hoops you have to go through to even sell the pens ( $20k starter set) I can see why there aren't as many MB as Pelikan/ CS sellers.

 

Here in Brazil, MBs are by far the easiest pens to find - every major shopping centre, airport or jeweller´s have their MB racks. (Even though they are horribly expensive, because of all the taxes - a new 149 sells for about 1100 USD, a used one for about 500 USD online).

Pelikans, on the other hand, are only found in a few specialized pen-shops; I don´t know more than half a dozen places in Sao Paulo where you could find any Pelikan model.

[saintsimon]

Here in Germany MB is just about everywhere. If a small shop has a 'premium' pen line, it is allways MB

 

Isn´t there a contradiction between this statement and Tytyvyllus's ?

 

And to hear of what hoops you have to go through to even sell the pens ( $20k starter set) I can see why there aren't as many MB as Pelikan/ CS sellers.

Here in Brazil, MBs are by far the easiest pens to find - every major shopping centre, airport or jeweller´s have their MB racks. (Even though they are horribly expensive, because of all the taxes - a new 149 sells for about 1100 USD, a used one for about 500 USD online).

Pelikans, on the other hand, are only found in a few specialized pen-shops; I don´t know more than half a dozen places in Sao Paulo where you could find any Pelikan model.

Not, if I am more precise (although I don't know, how much they want for a starter set in their home market). Pelikan is not really an upscale brand, more transitional,here. Oh, yes, and keep in mind, that some of the stationary shops are in business for decades now, they may have started selling MBs when conditions were much more favourable.

You can have a Pelikano as a pupil, but a MB no more, they just sell expensive pens nowadays.

As I've seen an example of a little pen stand in a medium sized store today: selected lower priced Lamy/Parker/Rotring/Waterman/Pelikan/Diplomat/Cross pens. Somewhat bigger shops sell the whole lineup and also expensive models of those mentioned.

 

If there is an upscale offer, the first to be available is MB, and that's it. To find Omas, Aurora, Stipula, Dupont etc. you have to go to the few biger stationery and pen stores. In my town(300000 inhabitants), there is only one such store. OK, Dupont can be found at some jewelers, too. Sailor has no importer in Germany.

Edited December 9, 2005 by saintsimon

[Blade Runner]

I have a couple MBs and love them. They've been inked 11 years and have been trouble free thus far.

 

Regards,

J

[davyr]

have the kafka. the nib is extremely smooth. fit and finish very nice. imho worth it. will get the requisite 149 and that'll satisfy my mb urges.

[Slush99]

I am not a fan of MB because it is expensive. :blink:

[FrankB]

Like the other folks who post here, I am into the writing experience of pens, not prestige. At home I have three MB's, and none of them were bought at full retail, which I simply would not do because of MB's quality to price ratio. Two were used, and one was an accidental going out of business deal. I did not work at seeking them out, but they have been very nice pens.

 

I have a Noblesse from the 1970's or 1980's that has a metal cap and barel (that I think is titanium) and a lovely "quill" nib that writes a wet M. It is a nice pen, though quite thin for my hand, and the metal takes care of the frailty issue with the modern resin caps and barrels. If only MB had this kind of bullet proof construction available on other of their pens.

 

I have a 149 and a 146 that I use only at home. I treat them literally as "glass" pens, since I have personally witnessed a couple MB resin pens shatter like glass on being dropped to the floor. Both pens write very well. The 149 has a large wet BB nib that really is a little too wet. I am going to send it to my favorite Nibmeister (Richard) after the holidays to have it made into a B italic. The 146 came with a custom stub nib that is really fun to write with.

 

Often we learn from the words of others. When I have shown my MB 149 or 146 to others who are not pen people, they have made comments like, "Oh, how nice, a pen that is simple, classic and elegant." I am so involved in MB's quality issues that I never would have thought of describing the pens in that way. It was good for me to hear those comments.

[TheNobleSavage]

I had to buy a Montblanc 149 to give my Pelikan 1000 company. For me, it was a must have pen. I bought mine used and I believe it was a 1970's model with the older 14kt gold nib. There would be no way I would pay for this pen new, too expensive and I could buy 3 or 4 other premium pens for the price of the 149. Needless to say, I bought mine for less than 220.00. No box or papers, well I take that back, the person who sold it to me gave me a box and papers from a modern 149, I knew that prior to buying the pen. Also the nib imprints are faint but the pen writes fantastic and I really love it!! I love the size and weight of the 149, it fits me like a glove eventhough I have tiny hands.

 

As for the modern 149, I cannot comment on that because I dont own one. But the older one I do own is solid and well constructed with a piston filler and chamber that hold copious amounts of ink!! I guess this is when Montblanc made pens not pocket jewelry.

 

 

TNS

[Chris]

I really like my MB 145 Chopin with the silver coloured trim. I think it is well made - attention to detail is good as is the fit and finish - and it also writes perfectly well. It also fits my smaller hand very well.

 

It is a great £100 pen but it costs over £200! I love it 'cos I got it and a couple of others free with Eurostar travel points. Good deal !

 

Would I pay £200 for it? Sorry, but no. I have paid that much for a pen but I got a lot of solid silver for my money.

 

But then I've paid £40 for vintage pens and I would readily swap half a dozen of those for another MB - so I cannot claim to be logical in all this.

 

Chris