It's My Son's Fault ...

[Rowbo]

Last Christmas was just like any other Christmas, except my son gave me a Montblanc ballpoint as a present. Nice, I thought, not knowing what was to come. Three months later a colleague at work stopped by my desk and said "That's a nice pen, is it a real one". "What do you mean", says I. "Is it a real Montblanc", he replied, as if I should have understood what he was asking the first time. "I don't know - my son gave it to me for Christmas, so it had better be" (not knowing what I was actually saying, but suspecting that the brand 'Montblanc', which I had not heard of until three months previously, held some sort of esteem amongst those who know about pens. He went on about his business without another word, perhaps unsurprisingly.

Well, a few days later I just happened to be on a certain online auction site and remembered the few brief words I had exchanged with my colleague earlier that week. So, as you will have guessed, I entered the magic word into the box and pressed search. Up popped the pictures of old postcards and car roof racks and then a rather exquisite and ornate looking pen. "HOW MUCH!", I loudly exclaimed in open-mouthed disbelief. Well, I could see that mine was nothing like the pen in the photograph on the screen in front of me (it was a skeleton), but it was the same make, so I just had to do some investigating ...

To cut a long story short, I am now the very proud owner of a complete set of four writing instruments from the black and gold Classique range and have just completed the set of black and platinum Generations by the addition of the very elusive fountain pen - the one I started looking for all those months ago to accompany my ballpoint, which I still use at work. It seemed the most natural thing in the world to me to collect the full set, having been given one Generation and not being able to resist a real buy-it-now bargain Classique 144 that had only been put up for sale an hour previously. I have not mentioned the three leather cases, deliberately, as it is just too embarassing.

I soon realised my pens and pencils are not as shiny as the gleaming specimens that I saw in a German airport and so I am now looking for the best way to polish them without causing any damage. Dr Master Brand is likely to be hearing from me soon, particularly since he is not very far away at all.

I realise I am now a hopeless case; an obsessed accumulator, addicted even. Maybe I need to broaden my scope, or possibly focus on something else. If only I could find a nice, yet cheap 149, or even a 146, then I would stop. By the way, "Hello everyone at fpn"

Edited September 17, 2011 by Rowbo

[Scrawler]

Hello Rowbo, welcome to FPN. It was not my kid who did it to me, it was my schools in England, but I sure did it to my kid. She uses an MB 146 for university. I assure you that when you get a 146 and a 149, it will not stop. It will start in earnest.

[floydee1]

Hello Rowbo,

Welcome to FPN. That was a nice first posting. Nice story!

 

Floyd

[rockspyder]

Welcome to FPN!

Great post, I hope your son will soon share the interest, as mine does.

Don't hold back on that 149 - it has its reputation for a reason!

[PAKMAN]

Hello and Welcome to FPN!! You are in sooo much trouble!! Wait until you see and decide you have to have one of the Writers Series pens!

[rcarlisle]

Welcome to FPN Rowbo!

 

I hope you don't limit yourself to just Montblancs. There's a whole universe of great pens out there.

[ehemem]

 

Nah, you won't stop. You need to start looking at VINTAGE MBs. And you need to broaden you brand horizons. You need to look at NAKAYA pens. You need to look at NAMIKI urushi and maki-e pens. Then there are PELIKANS, AURORAS, VISCONTIS. The list goes on.

 

We're here to help, really we are. :ph34r:

[Ghost Plane]

And there's all the different nibs you can get. Obliques and double broads and kegels and...oh dear. Start setting aside a little each month!

[ehemem]

And there's all the different nibs you can get. Obliques and double broads and kegels and...oh dear. Start setting aside a little each month!

 

 

Uh, I think kegels are a pelvic floor muscle exercise, no?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kegel_exercise

http://www.askmen.com/dating/love_tip_60/67_love_tip.html

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/kegel-exercises/WO00119

 

I think you wanted kugel nibs.

[ThirdeYe]

Welcome to the site! For me it was my dad's fault -- he gave me two old fountain pens he found in the garage, and the rest is history.

[USMCMom]

Stopping?? There's no stopping ... it's a down the mountain ride with no brakes ... it's a free fall with no wings and before you know it, you're loving evey moment of it!! The pens, the ink, the paper, alllll the wonderous things that go hand in hand with our beloved pens.

 

Welcome to the family ... I'm glad you've joined us!!

[Sasha Royale]

Welcome !

 

Thank you for a great pen story. You are off to a very good start.

Obsession comes in the night. You awake one morning, surrounded by

fountain pens, and your life is over. Seriously, you are going to

have fun.

 

Before doing anything to your Montblanc pens, please ask questions

in the Montblanc Forum. Wiping with a soft cloth does no harm, but

collectors may prefer the "naturalized" look in older pens. Again,

ask questions. Proceed cautiously.

 

Do let us know what you find out.

[Mikale]

Welcome to the forum ! Just joined too, welcome to the fp addiction.

[JayLo]

Welcome and enjoy!

[Rowbo]

Welcome and enjoy!

 

Hi JayLo - Doesn't all that caffeine make your hand shake when you are writing?

 

And to you all; thanks for the welcome notes and advice. Does anyone here know if there is in fact any way out or have we all been sentenced to a life of penuary?

 

(Sorry, I'm sure that must be an old joke around here).