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※※ The Expressive ※※ Special Edition Collaboration 149 by Montblanc and Fritz Schimpf ~ Ordered in November, 2019 and Delivered in September, 2020, The Expressive is my fountain pen highlight of 2020. Writing with The Expressive during the past two weeks has been exhilarating, due to the extraordinary fluency possible with the nib. After comments about my sketching and writing experience with The Expressive, a series of images is provided to introduce it to anyone interested. Montblanc in Hamburg, Germany and Fritz Schimpf in Tübingen agreed to develop a special pen to celebrate the 140th anniversary of Fritz Schimpf in 2020. They selected the Montblanc 149 with the nib design used for the 2019 Calligraphy Flex nib, but proceeded to design a unique nib for those who love sketching and writing. Herr Wolfgang Krohn of Montblanc Nib Design, Mr, Axel Nier of Montblanc Nib Production and Herr Sebastian Stolz, Director of Fritz Schimpf, worked together to achieve an ideal design. Although I was aware of the process, I pledged to make no public or private comment about the project, which only ends today with the official introduction of The Expressive. At the close of November of 2019 the pen was ordered with every expectation that it would be on my writing desk in time for the 2020 Lunar New Year. Montblanc did produce the pen and Fritz Schimpf did ship it to my Hong Kong shipping address. Events were such that it was unable to cross the border from Hong Kong into Shenzhen. For well over half a year The Expressive was safely stored in the apartment of my highly reliable and trusted former Peking University medical student, now residing in Hong Kong. Thanks to the good offices of one of my current private students, who operates a major import-export firm, it was brought to me two weeks ago. For two weeks I’ve daily sketched and written with The Expressive, inked with Fritz Schimpf’s outstanding Fritzrot ink. Not only has the experience been entirely trouble-free, it’s been a delight, as the The Expressive’s nib is extraordinarily responsive to the slightest shift in finger pressure. The primary impression I’ve had has been that of incomparable fluency. The ink flow, nib tine flexibility, and the mass of the pen are such that rapid writing or sketching seems effortless. There’s been no skipping, no railroading, no hard starts. Rather, The Expressive has charmed me with its steady performance and elegant style. While the nib has unmistakable flex qualities, it’s more of an all-around easy writing pen, especially suited for those prone to rapid field sketching or jotting quick notes. The only pens on my writing desk which share several of The Expressive’s desirable qualities are a Bespoke 149 Small Signature and a Bespoke Schiller Sketch Nib. The Expressive incorporates all of the qualities one might desire for a pen which is a great writer out of the box, highly responsive to the writing idiosyncrasies of each user. Today The Expressive was inked in Montblanc Royal Blue. The ink shades with striking effect, laying down crisp strokes of varying width achieving a pleasing overall result. Based on my experience, I strongly recommend The Expressive. Montblanc and Fritz Schimpf have utilized their substantial experience to create a lovely writing tool. Technical questions are best addressed to the Fritz Schimpf Web site. What I might offer are the following images, including both sketching and handwriting samples. For those who regularly write East Asian characters, The Expressive is particularly well-suited for producing swift strokes. It’s a joy to use when writing characters. In presenting this information and the images, I’d like to express my gratitude for those whose care and attention to detail made possible The Expressive. Tom Kellie Carefully Packed Initial Unpacking The Expressive Arrives Holding The Expressive Collaboration Pen The Expressive Revealed The Expressive The Expressive Nib Inked in Fritzrot The Expressive Nib Detail Engraved Nib Nib Feed The Expressive At Work Character Pen On Green Glass Writer's Refreshment Inked in Royal Blue Powerful Name for a Splendid Nib Fritz Schimpf