Do Mont Blanc Boutiques Do Discount On Pens?

[Bringiton]

Do the boutiques do discount for the mb 149? If so what is the normal (am residing in Brisbane)?

 

I am currently using a starwalker with a medium nib, what would be the equivalent size in the 149?

 

Went to test the 149 today but they did not have a test pen and would not allow me to test on the new pen saying that use would cause the nib to mould/ erode some of the gold off the nib. Is that true or a load of nonsense?

 

Regards

[hari317]

Went to test the 149 today but they did not have a test pen and would not allow me to test on the new pen saying that use would cause the nib to mould/ erode some of the gold off the nib. Is that true or a load of nonsense?

 

 

It is nonsense. However the boutiques here do not have 149 testers. they expect you to try nib widths using the 146 testers and then buy the new 149 with the nib that you like.

[Bringiton]

Do u guys actually get to try the pen you are buying before paying for it?

Edited December 31, 2011 by Bringiton

[stevesurf]

Do the boutiques do discount for the mb 149? If so what is the normal (am residing in Brisbane)?

Generally, only certain boutiques in the US will give 10%, while I never found an overseas boutique to do this.

 

I am currently using a starwalker with a medium nib, what would be the equivalent size in the 149?

Because of the larger nib size, I find the Medium nibs are between F and M on the 149

 

 

Went to test the 149 today but they did not have a test pen and would not allow me to test on the new pen saying that use would cause the nib to mould/ erode some of the gold off the nib. Is that true or a load of nonsense?Regards

Nonsense! I would try to meet up with an FPNer if there are no other shops with testers.

 

I just got a 149 with a M nib and it feels like it is between a M and B (see picture of some sample writing).

[APHK]

Montblanc has good control of their distribution. Here in Hong Kong, boutiques do not do discounts and other retailers do 20% but these pens are not covered under warranty. Included in the warranty is a nib-exchange service that would be useful if you are not really sure of the nib size that you want.

 

The test pens here are all 146's.

[hari317]

Do u guys actually get to try the pen you are buying before paying for it?

 

You can try it after you have paid for it. If a problem is uncovered then and there, usually the boutique will pull out another pen from stock and see.

 

The problem is stock. The boutiqes here have maybe only 2-3 pens in stock at any given time, most popular nibs being M and B.

[Captain Bertram]

I usually get about 5% discount on everything I buy from Montblanc (excluding ink). And in my boutique there isn't even a 146 test-set, there's only a F nib 146, an OM 144 and a M 144.

[fpupulin]

Due to the very large size of a 149 nib, a Medium is effectively more on the side of a broad in other pens. However, Montblanc made almost perfect medium nibs for the 149: they are smooth, wet, and very consistent, in my opinion.

[meiers]

Do the boutiques do discount for the mb 149? If so what is the normal (am residing in Brisbane)?

 

I am currently using a starwalker with a medium nib, what would be the equivalent size in the 149?

 

Went to test the 149 today but they did not have a test pen and would not allow me to test on the new pen saying that use would cause the nib to mould/ erode some of the gold off the nib. Is that true or a load of nonsense?

 

Regards

 

 

In my limited experience they don't. Some authorized retailers do, however. I picked up a starwalker bp at a 30% discount two months ago. Usually this retailer gives me 25% off.

 

However, the FPN market place still is my favorite place for good deals.

Edited December 31, 2011 by meiers

[Toolattack]

I may be stupid, but the biggest discount I have ever got from an authorised dealer on a MB here in the UK is 10%!

I am very jealous of meiers who gets 25% as standard. If anyone knows of an authorised MB dealer who gives more than 10% in the UK, please let me know!

I also sympathise with the nib testing problem. I agree with all who have said that broad in a 146 is similar to medium in 149.

[Dave149]

Years ago, the two W1 boutiques (New Bond St and Burlington Arcade) in London used to do a "special events" - by invitation only, with discounts up to 40% - it was a big secret and one had to ask quietly if they "have something upstairs" ... usually lasted as long as two months, but then they stopped that. And now the Burlington Arcade boutique is gone too, which is a shame as it was more personal and oldie-worldy - I loved that ...

[tfwall]

And now the Burlington Arcade boutique is gone too, which is a shame as it was more personal and oldie-worldy - I loved that ...

 

The whole arcade just barely survived its recent brush with modernization.

 

Battle lines drawn in the Burlington Arcade

 

 

Traders celebrate victory in battle of Burlington Arcade

 

[Dave149]

Oh, I see - missed all that, living last couple of years in The Bahamas ... Thanks for the links.

[humblescribbler]

In my limited experience they don't. Some authorized retailers do, however. I picked up a starwalker bp at a 30% discount two months ago. Usually this retailer gives me 25% off.

 

However, the FPN market place still is my favorite place for good deals.

 

 

This is also my experience. My MB boutique never discounts what's up front, but I have asked for off the shelf "in back" items and they'll always pull out pieces from incomplete sets, older items, "new" returns, and the odd unclaimed repair. Mainly stuff they don't have room for up front. He's also converted a Citrine Solitaire for me (from either a rollerball or ballpoint body -- I forget which) into a M nib FP. He discounted the piece 25%, and I paid the cost for the conversion being sent to MB repair.

 

My authorized retailer, however, whom I've known for 10 years, will always discount MB's (and every other pen) when he senses I'm hovering over something he's found for me.Of course he has fewer MB's from which to choose, esp. the lmited editions, WE's and POA's, etc.

[Bringiton]

I think i will try a medium nib and if that is too thick then i will swap it for a fine. Do they do that in store or would i have to wait for a few weeks for that to take place?

 

So at least now i know that the nib does not erode.... which kind of makes sense since one would have to swap a nib every few months from "erosion". :roflmho:

 

I do however wish that the sales person in that shop would be more knowledgeable instead of trying to pull a fast one on me.

[fuchsiaprincess]

I think all nib exchanges in Australia need to be sent back to Hamburg...

[sunnerd]

I think all nib exchanges in Australia need to be sent back to Hamburg...

 

No. They'll do nib exchange for standard offerings such as the 14x locally. They only send the LE pens back to Hamburg for service.

[Bringiton]

I think all nib exchanges in Australia need to be sent back to Hamburg...

 

No. They'll do nib exchange for standard offerings such as the 14x locally. They only send the LE pens back to Hamburg for service.

 

But do they do the exchange for the 18k nib of the 149 locally? I don't really know the nitty gritty stuff of changing a nib but I can't imagine it being it too complicated for the local guys.

[fuchsiaprincess]

I think all nib exchanges in Australia need to be sent back to Hamburg...

 

No. They'll do nib exchange for standard offerings such as the 14x locally. They only send the LE pens back to Hamburg for service.

 

Thanks for the correct info, Kai!

 

Regards,

Soki

[sunnerd]

I think all nib exchanges in Australia need to be sent back to Hamburg...

 

No. They'll do nib exchange for standard offerings such as the 14x locally. They only send the LE pens back to Hamburg for service.

 

But do they do the exchange for the 18k nib of the 149 locally? I don't really know the nitty gritty stuff of changing a nib but I can't imagine it being it too complicated for the local guys.

 

I think the main reasons for LE pens to return to Hamburg for any service are:

1. they don't want parts/spares to be widely available.

2. since they have limited supply of spares, they would want to centralise allocation of spares.