Frank About Montblanc

[Lefthander]

I have a MB 146 that was gifted to me a couple years ago for an anniversary present. It's a very nice pen and has become my daily user because it is black with platinum trim, very understated, and a great writer. But, it's just a pen. I don't think it's any better than many of my other pens (Pelikan M620/M600, Parker 75/51, Sheaffer Prelude - an exceptional writer). As for cost, everything is going up now. The MB146 is no more expensive than Visconti or even Conway Stewart today). Every top tier maker seems to want you to spend $700-$1000 on a pen, and MB is a top tier pen maker. For me it's extremely hard to justify. That's why I usually only receive nice pens for anniversaries, birthdays, etc.

 

Good luck with your purchase. By the way, I've always wanted a Bexley and I bet you'd be happy with it if you choose that one.

 

Welcome to the forum, and one bit of advise - don't be influenced too heavily by what you read here - there are some people here that seemingly have more money than they know what to do with - therefore they have wonderful pen collections, among other things. But this is a fun place to visit and keep up with fountain pens. And the community is very helpful.

[Bo Bo Olson]

I bought the anti-MB hype.

In a live auction there was this ugly looking MB I'd never seen the like before...being noobie...it was in a four pen lot. I did not want it.

I wanted the 400NN.

That ugly MB was a 234 1/2 Deluxe (1952-55 only) Semi-flex KOB...

I now like this pre-war styling more than the 146-9...much more.

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm300/BoBoOlson/SAM_0410.jpg

 

It was one of four pens for € 170 a very good price in it's now my #1 pen, the 400NN is number 2.

 

I have a very pretty expensive even on sale MB Virginia Woolf, but a birthday present from my wife. It's nib is only my 12th best...but one of my smoothest...smooth don't necessary make a nib the best for me I like a bit of flex too.

 

I always recommend the pre '66 vintage MB's as having less blingy but better writing nibs if one wants a tad of flex.

 

The first thing one should do is go slow....spend a few weeks looking and asking instead of rushing out to get wallet burn.

 

There are lots of great pens.

Edited July 29, 2011 by Bo Bo Olson

[torstar]

So your emotions and feelings should dictate what MB pens cost?

 

The cost of any product should be based upon the market's demand and customers' emotions and feelings toward it reflect just that and I AM a customer, so in a sense, yes, but it is the emotions and feelings of the majority of the customers not just mine.

 

Isn't that why there is a customer's feedback department of some sorts and the marketing team in all major companies? So they can learn what is our emotion and how we feel about their products and that dictates the quality, design and cost?

 

 

 

The market decides the price.

 

If more people thought like you and refused to pay the price demanded, then it should fall.

 

Do you have MB pens, do you enjoy them?

 

Not sure how I sit here and say my 149 should only have a market price of $5 more than my Edson.

 

And there is waste-of-time feedback (surveys by people with nothing better to do) and real feedback (people buying the product.)

Edited July 29, 2011 by torstar

[Scrawler]

Hello Jaime, first let me say that when you write with a good pen, your handwriting will improve. You will likely feel motivated to practice and doodle at every opportunity. As to your question about Montblanc. I used to think that they were overpriced and a name only. For the past 25 years I have used a MB No. 22 with a broad flexible stub nib for my special letters and poems. It is unique, smooth and unlike any other pen I have used. My daughter fell in love with it and covets it. That was the sum total of my MB experience. Other than this unique and inexpensive pen I did think the rest were all show and no go. However this past January I was allowed to try a 149 with a broad nib and I liked it very much. Then an MB collector at my pen club gave my daughter a 1981 146 with medium nib as an 18th birthday gift. She has allowed me to write with it to experience a more expensive MB. I can tell you that if I could afford one, I would buy it. They are a pen that invites you to write. I liked the appearance, tactile sensation and overall writing experience. What something is worth is not absolute. It is relative to the amount of work and effort one must put into obtaining it. For a person that can easily afford an MB pen, I would say, yes they are worth the cost.

 

However, if you have not had a good pen before, I would caution you to start somewhere else and try others. Aside from the qualities of the nib and filling mechanism, your hand needs to understand girth and weight. As one ages the hands become stiffer and so a broader pen may be needed. With lower cost pens the weight goes up quickly with girth, and this can tire the hand and make writing painful. If a pen is too narrow, you may develop a "death grip". So before you commit yourself to a high priced item, you must try several, and experiment.

[rockspyder]

Hmmm...what to say...

 

I have more MB's (some vintage, mostly modern) than any other brand. I love them.

 

All this criticism seems to be nothing other than the green monster's puke, envy/jealousy, whatever you want to call it.

Let's be honest - their brand retains its value, in fact their values increase, and people continue to pay, whether used or new. They manage to sell expensive pens, despite criticism. The market is there, and they know how to reach that market, bypassing the need to try and advertize to the masses. How they do it, they have clearly figured out.

 

Whether you like it, or not. :bunny01:

 

I like it.

[jslallar]

Welcome to the forum of a truly great and helpful bunch of guys and gals (or should it be the other way round) who will give you professional level advise just for the asking, and never bat an eye.

 

IMHO MBs are great pens, but for starters you may want to go to a cheaper sturdier pen, and if it FPs that you like after all, no collection is complete without a MB in it. All those who say otherwise have at some point used / bought MBs for thier own collections and then decided that it was not for them. Afterall there are so many choices available today, why restrict yourself to one.

 

Once again welcome both to the FPN, and to the commmunity of FP lovers.

 

 

 

[OiRogers]

My thoughts... briefly as they have pretty much been covered above.

 

Buy MB pens used. The used market value is about right for the pen and it's performance in my mind. Is a 149 a 800$ pen? Not to me. 350 - 500$(depending on nib)?... now we're talking. I really enjoy writing with my MB pens, they are on the short list of my all time favorites.

Bexley? Love em. Absolutely love Bexley pens. To me, they are the only modern manufacturer that manages to catch the soul and feel of the vintage pens. Several of them, if I close my eyes, I would swear I'm writing with a pen 80 years old that is tuned perfectly. As a disclaimer, I haven't yet tried their steel nib offering... all my Bexleys carry the 18k nib and I have at least one of each of the F,M,B and several Stubs.

 

As far as Ink goes... I am a pretty die hard Noodler's user. Heart of Darkness, quite possibly the blackest substance known to man, has not stained any of my modern MB pens. Bay State Blue has been through my 146 several times with no visible staining of the window and the pen still functions flawlessly and has yet to catch fire or explode. (your mileage may vary, I will not be responsible if your pen explodes and catches fire)

In vintage / celluloid based MB pens... I tend toward more "gentle" inks and avoid the super-rich and super saturated colors of the more modern inks. I stick with well known "safe" inks such as the MB and Waterman offerings.

In other "cheaper" vintage pens... such as user grade DuoFold Srs and such, I use Noodler's inks without hesitation... well behaved and no staining on the old permanite/BHR/celluloid.

[JonSzanto]

All this criticism seems to be nothing other than the green monster's puke, envy/jealousy, whatever you want to call it.

The expected response. How unfortunate.

[Florida Blue]

Whether you purchase a Bexley or a Montblanc FP I think you will find that both are excellent writers and they will serve you well for many years to come without much trouble.

 

I don't really think Montblancs are terribly overpriced (unless you are buying the ballpoints or rollerballs but that's true for most pen brands). Montblanc FPs are priced in line with their competitors (OMAS, Visconti, Montegrappa, S.T. Dupont, Cartier, Conway Stewart etc.) and the quality is superb.

 

The best advice you can receive is to try the pens out in person before you take the plunge. Also, if you go the MB route you may want to check out the many authorized dealers throughout the county. Fountain Pen Hospital, worldlux.com, Joon, Swishers etc. all sell MB at 20% below MSRP. Check the classifieds section at the forum to get a ballpark of what a used MB goes for here and on eBay.

Edited July 29, 2011 by Florida Blue

[Hohn]

There are too many other excellent pens available for me to bother trying to figure out if a MB is "worth it." I happen to think they are generally overpriced-- but that just means that I am not their target customer.

 

This, coming from someone who paid a tenth of his annual wage for a guitar

[torstar]

I just joined your forum and I am intrigued enough to want a fountain pen even though my writing is an abomination. I'm about to push the buy button for a Bexley but I'm curious about Montblanc pens. They have a great deal of history, perhaps because of advertising but perhaps they are a great pen. I just don't know. So, what's the scoop with Montblancs? Are they timelessly stylish and great writers or are they an over priced hype or, none of the above?..Thanks, Jaime Cazador

 

 

 

Expensive and well worth it.

 

My only advice is to wait until you can buy a MB without worrying about the price.

 

And make wiser choices along the way than I did....

[Blade Runner]

If their prices are too high for you (MB's prices are comparable to those of other high end brands), buy them used or on sale, as many here have done. MB will still service them for you if needed.

 

MBs is my favorite after having tried many brands, vintage and modern. They offer beautiful styling, above average QC, nibs made entirely in house with a nice touch of feedback, stubbish quality of their broad and wider nibs, piston filling models, a vast array of materials used in the making of their pen, and interesting new pens produced every year, and a large selection of affiliated gear. No brand is perfect and accidents can occur, but MB has a service facility right here in my country with good communication and fast turnaround, something that relatively few foreign brands offer. But the best testimony comes from the many experienced fountain pen users from all walks of life and all income brackets who enjoy MBs right here in this great forum!

[FrankB]

First off, welcome!

 

Bexley makes very fine pens, and I hope you enjoy the one you are buying. I agree with many of the others that MB pens are over priced and over hyped, yet those MB's I own are wonderful pens. I am particularly fond of the 149 and 146. I have four 149's, and two 146's. One of my MB's was a gift. I have bought all the rest used for less than half their retail cost. They still were not cheap, but I feel the prices I paid are worth it.

 

You might spend some time in the "Penmanship" forum to learn a bit more about writing with a FP. If you tend to hold BP's or RB's in a death grip, you have to learn to ease up on FP's. Let the nib do the writing while you guide the pen. When practicing with a FP, s-l-o-w d-o-w-n! Write in slow motion to build muscle memory and to develop writing habits. Try to allow it to be fun, not a chore.

 

Good luck.

Edited July 29, 2011 by FrankB

[rhosygell]

I would experiment with various brands before taking the plunge into MB ownership. Also, I would suggest that you try some well sorted vintage pens from the major makers as well as modern pens.

 

I have owned a few MB's, a 144, 146 and 2341/2. I decided that they were not for me. They may well be perfect for you. I also purchased new a top end Aurora that was not entirely satisfactory due to quality issues (unusual apparently) and useless service here in the UK. It has since found itself a new home. I also have a Pelikan M800 given to me as a 50th birthday gift, its quality easily matches that of MB in every respect, is cheaper to buy and just as likely to last. Pelikan also has exceptional back up like MB - and I don't really like that one much either !

So, if an experienced FP user / buyer can make a hash of things, just think of the wallet wilting trouble a newbie can achieve.

 

If you have the option of visiting a pen show -do. You will be able to sample a variety of pens there. It might help you avoid expensive mistakes.

[Sigismund]

I have a number of pens from various makers and I love them all... but I love my MBs the most! They just write perfectly and the feel and aesthetics of the pen is just right. If I were to buy one, I'd keep a lookout on the classifieds here. If you don't like it, resell it for close to what you paid.

 

I'm sure you'll love the Bexley! Be sure to let us know.

[greencobra]

I'm not going to say if I think MB's are "worth it" or not, that's been bashed about forever. But one of the best pens ever made is the large Boheme. Large ones now, not those newer small pens with the colored glass on the clip. I had Bry track down one for me a couple of years ago. A huge pen for one dedicated to a cartridge only but it's an event to install the cartridge and a beautiful pen to use. Engineering is fantastic.

 

And it gives me a recepticle for the hundred or so MB Racing Green cartridges I picked up when they were getting scarce.

[RudyR]

Because of the acid tongued MB haters on our forum, I almost lost the opportunity to buy my Cool Blue Starwalker. I do have other pens including 2 Viscontis, one Pelikan, a Monteverde and Lamy. I took the plunge to decide for myself and am happy to have done so. It feels better than the others (but equals the Visconti HS) and for its size, it has some decent weight to it. It writes just fine thank you. Now that I have found the truth about MB I am compelled to purchase another, most likely The Tribute. A old girlfriend of mine has a MB 310 and I secretly covet it. It writes very well and was much cheaper when new. But the quality is still there. They do have their own style but that is what I feel makes the writing even more enjoyable.

 

Who knows where this hate comes from, it could even come from one of the competitors. Many people get enraged because of one problem and throw spite in all directions, even though it was an anecdotal incident. This makes me question their judgement in other postings. Especially when words like "Fan Boy" are bandied about. It neither provides clear discussion or direction for our new posters.

 

You know what you have to do to really settle the question. I do know that both dealers I have approached (A authorized dealer and boutique dealer) have given me courteous attention and their valuable time to a mere retiring pipefitter just trying to decide where to spend his hard earned blue collar money. There was never any pretentious or condescending attitudes from any of the employees.

[Dr. Dennis Stouffer]

I have always liked older MB pens, and among my favorite pens are the 72/74, 82/84, 1246 and the original Noblesse. The XF nibs were XF, and they were smooth. Not so today, were my two XF Dumas pens write like mediums or heavy fines. Until MB was purchased by Dunhill in 1977, and then by Richemont, an upscale holding company that seems to own Dunhill, Dupont, Cartier and other high end brands, MB was IMO an excellent high quality maker of pens. After the purchase, MB has become just another over priced product for those who often want to impress. I do not find their quality to be exceptional, certainly not a quality level that justifies their prices for "precious resin," i.e. mostly plastic pens, regardless of their frequently overdone, ornate designs. I guess I am just not a fan of collectors editions. For nibs, I prefer a very fine nib, and find Platinum, Sailor, and Pilot to have much better nibs, and more reasonable prices.

[sumgaikid]

Because of the acid tongued MB haters on our forum, I almost lost the opportunity to buy my Cool Blue Starwalker. I do have other pens including 2 Viscontis, one Pelikan, a Monteverde and Lamy. I took the plunge to decide for myself and am happy to have done so. It feels better than the others (but equals the Visconti HS) and for its size, it has some decent weight to it. It writes just fine thank you. Now that I have found the truth about MB I am compelled to purchase another, most likely The Tribute. A old girlfriend of mine has a MB 310 and I secretly covet it. It writes very well and was much cheaper when new. But the quality is still there. They do have their own style but that is what I feel makes the writing even more enjoyable.

 

Who knows where this hate comes from, it could even come from one of the competitors. Many people get enraged because of one problem and throw spite in all directions, even though it was an anecdotal incident. This makes me question their judgement in other postings. Especially when words like "Fan Boy" are bandied about. It neither provides clear discussion or direction for our new posters.

 

You know what you have to do to really settle the question. I do know that both dealers I have approached (A authorized dealer and boutique dealer) have given me courteous attention and their valuable time to a mere retiring pipefitter just trying to decide where to spend his hard earned blue collar money. There was never any pretentious or condescending attitudes from any of the employees.

 

Acid tongued MB haters? Careful,Rudy..........

 

 

John

[georges zaslavsky]

I own 6 vintage 149s and soon 3 vintage 146s, I bought them because of their nibs and because of the quality of built. Try one and you will see how good it writes.