Montblanc Meisterstück Doué Signum Fountain

March 11, 2013

Hey guys, I'm reviewing this Montblanc as my first shot in FPN. Hope you like it.

I hv been hanging around the forum for a while tho. lots of great information here.

So. Full name of the pen: MontBlanc MEISTERSTÜCK SOLITAIRE DOUÉ SIGNUM CLASSIQUE 8574

http://i.imgur.com/KAsHWAEl.jpg

It is one of the less popular MEISTERSTÜCK models, a member of DOUÉ SIGNUM in the SOLITAIRE series.

the SOLITAIRE series is known for its contrasting colour of white metal and black resin.

Appearance & Design (9) - MEISTERSTÜCK designs simply don't go low.

To me MEISTERSTÜCK pens are design guaranteed. Especially for this pen, the resin barrel is engraved with patterns. This is quite uncommon for non-limited-edition Montblanc pens, which appear more in clean cuts and smooth finishes. The engraving adds some liveliness and complexity to the design, and stands it out from other MEISTERSTÜCKs. The cap and barrel end are platinum plated, though sharp looking, but quite hard to prevent from minor scratches.

http://i.imgur.com/P6ePj5nl.jpg

Construction & Quality (10) - Crown of the german quality

Everything so perfect. The converter is screwed onto the deliverer. Engravings are so very detailed.

http://i.imgur.com/xnFSl4cl.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/iHEhOdWl.jpg

Weight & Dimensions (10) - Slender and genteel.

Light in weight and same size as 146, ideal for me. Too-heavy pens distort my hand-writing. The barrel and cap can interchange with those of 146, and many other models in the same size i believe. Caps and barrels from different models can be combined together. That jus adds tons of fun.

http://i.imgur.com/yJSNX4Nl.jpg

Nib & Performance (9) - M nib. Cannot be smoother, but with large ink flow.

Hand crafted 18k gold nib. Very smooth. Quite soft as a modern nib. I didn't plan to use it as a daily writing pen, so i picked the M nib, which is relatively thicker than that of other brands. Montblanc is well known for its large ink flow, and relatively thicker strokes. I personally like soft nibs, because for some reasons they give me a better font. But the ink flow is perhaps a bit over the top, and the thickness is slightly over the standard measurement. Stereotypically Germany.

http://i.imgur.com/WAEbifql.jpg

Filling System & Maintenance (9) - Best converter filler I have seen

The converter functions smoothly, neither too tight or loose. Sealing is no problem. The golden ring adds a fancy touch on even the inner structure of this pen. Converter fillers are just everywhere today, nothing special. So as a fan of special filling systems, I ll take 1 mark off jus because of such mainstreamness ¬.¬

http://i.imgur.com/pPWmGT5l.jpg

Cost & Value (7) - The 'Montblanc price'

The whole SOLITAIRE series is more pricey than the classic resin MEISTERSTÜCKs. I bought this during my visit to Stanford, California. Took me $800+, pricy indeed. However this model is already one of the cheapest fountains in the SOLITAIRE series.

Conclusion (54/60, 9/10) I would say the quality of the pen itself and that of the writing it produces are both top notch. Althought pricy, it's worthy.

Edited March 12, 2013 by lintonwang

March 11, 2013

Hi lintonwang,

welcome on board.

Nice pictures :-)

Just one note, this pen is a cartridge/converter pen not a piston filler. ;-)

You wrote you will not use it as a daily writing pen.

I'm curious, what is your use case for this pen?

March 12, 2013

Hi lintonwang,

welcome on board.

Nice pictures :-)

Just one note, this pen is a cartridge/converter pen not a piston filler. ;-)

You wrote you will not use it as a daily writing pen.
I'm curious, what is your use case for this pen?

Hi there~

Thanks for the corrections. I was reading about piston fillers and writing this review in midnight half asleep.. so things got mixed up.

I sometimes use it to sign gift cards and letters. But I never bring it around.

Mostly it jus lies there as part of the collection.

the plating is deli vulnerable.. don wanna end up with scratches on the cap.

March 12, 2013

Interesting look at a pen I've never paid any attention to. I am a little surprised about the apparent delicacy of the plating. Is your concern about scratches just paranoia or is this a known issue?

March 13, 2013

Interesting look at a pen I've never paid any attention to. I am a little surprised about the apparent delicacy of the plating. Is your concern about scratches just paranoia or is this a known issue?

About that I'm not so sure, I thk both.

Scratches is perhaps an issue for all shinny caps with large-area precious metal plating. Because any minor marks can be quite obvious.

Though I have hardly placed the pen on hard surfaces, there are already some very thin and short marks on the cap, only visible under strong light. <-- this observation is perhaps my paranoia.

March 13, 2013

Congratulations on the new purchase. I'm a big Montblanc fan myself.

A couple notes:

1) The cap and barrel will interchange between other 144 pens (not the 146). The 144 has a snap fit cap while the 146 has a screw fit cap and a piston mechanism.

2.) The nib and actual writing parts of the pen are the same as the basic resin 144. There are no discrepancies between the nibs, feed, or converter(a $10 part by the way).

3) I hope this isn't a surprise, but with the solitaire pens, ultimately all you're paying for is the barrel and cap.

4.) The ones I own are either stainless steel or sterling silver, and you're right, they do scratch extremely easy. I'm constantly having to polish my steel versions.

With all that said, I own 5 or 6 solitaire pens at the moment. I think they're great pens and the metallic body removes one of the biggest flaws of the basic 144/164/163 classique made of "precious resin."

Good review, and I appreciated the pictures that display the intricacies of the barrel. I would imagine it's a pain to clean though!

March 13, 2013

Congratulations on the new purchase. I'm a big Montblanc fan myself.

A couple notes:

1) The cap and barrel will interchange between other 144 pens (not the 146). The 144 has a snap fit cap while the 146 has a screw fit cap and a piston mechanism.
2.) The nib and actual writing parts of the pen are the same as the basic resin 144. There are no discrepancies between the nibs, feed, or converter(a $10 part by the way).
3) I hope this isn't a surprise, but with the solitaire pens, ultimately all you're paying for is the barrel and cap.
4.) The ones I own are either stainless steel or sterling silver, and you're right, they do scratch extremely easy. I'm constantly having to polish my steel versions.

With all that said, I own 5 or 6 solitaire pens at the moment. I think they're great pens and the metallic body removes one of the biggest flaws of the basic 144/164/163 classique made of "precious resin."

Good review, and I appreciated the pictures that display the intricacies of the barrel. I would imagine it's a pain to clean though!

woo.. thank you for the notes. there reli are a few mistakes in the review... yea you are right. it should be 144 instead of 146.

and truly the nibs are the same. when i was picking through models in the boutique, it reli was the design that attracted me.

The scratch problem has nearly prevented me from using it... trying to avoid it as much as possible.

The barrel has an amazing ability to collect dust...

and LOL to the 'precious resin' XD

Edited March 13, 2013 by lintonwang