Montblanc Patron Of Art Joseph Ii 4810

[sny]

Montblanc Patron of Art Joseph II 4810 (2012)

 

The Joseph II 4810 (hereinafter: the « Joseph II ») is part of Montblanc’s Patron of Art series that pays tribute to some major arts and culture contributors.

 

 

 

Since 1992, Montblanc honors one character per year by producing a fountain pen limited to 4810 pieces and another limited to 888 pieces.

 

Some more limited editions (so-called artisan atelier) do exist but barely make it into the public sphere due to there very high price tag and limited availability.

 

The Joseph II was produced in 2014, and the one reviewed here is the more “affordable” (I should say less expansive) 4810 version. It pays tribute to Joseph II (1741-1790), Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 until 1790 and eldest son of the famous Empress Maria Theresa, the last member of the House of Habsbourg, and Emperor Francis I.

 

Joseph II has had a difficult personal life that contrasts with the enlightened emperor he has been and the many modernizing reforms he has lead.

 

He had to suffer the loss of his first wife, Isabella of Parma - who died from smallpox shortly after the death of her newborn child Maria Christina (following two precedent miscarriages) - and of his first daughter, Maria Theresa because of pleurisy at the age of 7. He wasn’t luckier with his second wife, Maria Josepha of Bavaria. Firstly he didn’t love her and secondly she also died from smallpox a little more than 2 years after their marriage.

 

He is known for the issue of the Patent of Tolerance (1781) providing a limited freedom of worship, for his anticlerical and liberal innovations (reduction of the contemplative monastic orders, reduction of the holy days, simplification of the Mass), for the abolishment of brutal punishments and death penalty in most instances, for the development of education (change to German as language of instruction) and medicine (centralization in Vienna).

 

These reforms lead to significant opposition in all parts of his dominions.

 

As to foreign policy, he tried to extend the Habsburg monarchy but faced opposition from his neighbors (Frederick II of Prussia, France). His actions in Belgium and Hungary were mainly perceived as interferences and produced unrest culminating in rebellions.

 

He died lonely in 1790 after having seen his reforms fail one after the other. He asked that his epitaph read: “Here lies Joseph II, who failed in all he undertook”.

 

Fortunately, he is nowadays remembered as a great patron of the arts, mainly because of his support to various artists, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (to whom he commissioned the composing of the Opera “Die Entführung aus dem Serail”) and Beethoven (to whom he commissioned the writing of a funeral cantata).

 

Let’s now talk about the pen paying tribute to this enlightened and culture orientated emperor.

 

Appearance & Design – Shiny

 

As all modern Patron of Arts 4810 fountain pens, it comes in a rectangular lacquered wooden box with a metal plate engraved with the individual serial number of the pen.

 

The pen itself is all about the striking combination of vibrant red and white lacquer and shiny champagne gold-plated attributes.

 

 

 

The whole design of the pen was conceived to reflect the royalty and prestige of Joseph II.

 

Construction & Quality - Superb

The pen is very nicely built. It feels solid yet exquisite, all parts fit nicely together and the piston is smooth with a small resistance that makes it comfortable to use.

 

The lacquered body is very shiny and soft to the touch.

 

 

 

The clip is springy, the cap threads are not too sharp, the cap closes smoothly due to a hidden spring, there is no abrupt step down from the barrel to the section.

 

All in all, this pen is fantastically made. You definitely get what you pay for.

 

Weight & Dimensions – On the heavier side

Based on the Montblanc 146, the Joseph II is a normal sized pen, although it weights considerably more than the classical resign 146.

 

It feels substantial in the hand without being too heavy for longer writing sessions.

 

Those who like the recent heritage Rouge & Noir pens will find the Joseph II far too heavy and large for their taste.

 

Nib & Performance – Wet, smooth and broad

I like broad nibs. The vast majority of my collection boasts double broad (BB) nibs, so I had the nib of the Joseph II changed to BB right after purchase.

 

As other Montblanc BB nibs, it has a stubbish character and lays down a fat and wet line of ink that make the color used pop out of the paper. You also get some nice shading with most inks.

 

 

The advantage of broader nibs is that they are smoother than medium or fine nibs. The disadvantage is that they require a particular writing angle. The stubbish BB isn’t as sharp as a cursive italic though.

 

The nib is made out of 18k gold and is engraved with the coat of arms of Joseph II. This is one of the most beautiful nib engraving I have seen on a Montblanc pen.

 

 

Filling System & Maintenance – Piston filler and no self-maintenance

The Joseph II, like most of the Patron of Art pens, is a piston filler. It holds a very decent amount of ink that enables the pen to achieve a good range even with a BB nib.

 

Like most of the modern Montblanc pens, no self-maintenance can be performed on the Joseph II apart from flushing it by using the piston knob. Neither the nib, nor the piston unit is detachable. If there is any problem with the pen, it has to go back to Montblanc for servicing.

 

While some people could consider this as an issue, I don’t.

 

I have used this pen for nearly four years without any problem. All the care this pen needs is a regular cleaning with a microfiber cloth and flushing with clear water.

 

Cost & Value – Very expensive but passion rules

The pen is very expensive, no doubt about that. Justifying the purchase isn’t a question of value for money but rather one of passion for writing instruments and history. You get a very nice built pen with a fantastic nib though.

 

 

I never regretted my purchase and don’t think about what I paid for any more. It has become a trusty companion and I use if with an always renewed pleasure.

 

 

Conclusion

The Joseph II 4810 is a stunning pen. It’s even more than a pen, it is a part of the history of both Montblanc and Vienna.

 

While the pen isn’t discrete at all, it definitely corresponds to Emperor Joseph II. Fill it with some Montblanc Hitchcock ink and you will have both a great color match and a paradox because of Joseph II’s pacific and enlightened thinking.

 

I hope you have enjoyed this review. Thank you for reading it.

 

Edited April 22, 2016 by sny

[jar]

Great review and IMHO one of the nicer recent Montblanc designs.

[sny]

Great review and IMHO one of the nicer recent Montblanc designs.

 

Thank you for your comment. Totally agree about the design ; I also like the Pavarotti 4810 (the shapes and curves are brilliant!).

[TheRealMikeDr]

Nice review - a very interesting pen!

 

Like your photography too - surprised you're getting those shots without use of a tripod!

[zaddick]

Thanks for an enjoyable review. I appreciate the effort.

 

Every time I look at the pen it seems like it belongs to the king of baseball because of the design on the cap dome.

[sny]

Nice review - a very interesting pen!

 

Like your photography too - surprised you're getting those shots without use of a tripod!

 

Thank you. Getting those shots without tripod can be tricky because of the shallow depth of field (at least motion blur is not a problem with big flashs).

 

Thanks for an enjoyable review. I appreciate the effort.

 

Every time I look at the pen it seems like it belongs to the king of baseball because of the design on the cap dome.

 

 

Absolutely right, I hadn't seen the cap dome like that, but sure it ressembles a baseball ball .

 

Regards,

 

S.

[s_t_e_v_e]

Stunning pen! Thanks for the review.

 

The colors used and the intricately detailed craftsmanship are splendid as expected.

[flipper_gv]

Great looking, nice colors, saturated design but definitely not gaudy.

[Diderot]

Highly enjoyable review, made that bit better by the background.

Thanks

 

ps what is the ink?

[limt]

Great review of nice pen Thanks for sharing

[sny]

Thank you all for your comments.

 

Highly enjoyable review, made that bit better by the background.

Thanks

 

ps what is the ink?

 

 

The ink is Montblanc Hitchcock (special edition that was produced back in 2012 to accompany its Great Character Alfred Hitchcock pen.

 

Montblanc Corn Poppy Red would be the closest match in the Montblanc lineup today.

 

Regards,

S.

[Diderot]

Thank you all for your comments.

 

 

 

The ink is Montblanc Hitchcock (special edition that was produced back in 2012 to accompany its Great Character Alfred Hitchcock pen.

 

Montblanc Corn Poppy Red would be the closest match in the Montblanc lineup today.

 

Regards,

S.

 

Many thanks.

I think I'll get a pot of Corn Poppy Red.

[Mainecoon]

Thanks for this review; very informative and a pleasure to read. Nice handwriting as well. Beautiful pen.

[Tom Kellie]

~ Reading this review was a pleasure, thanks to the high level of helpful detail.

That the PoA Joseph II is a heavier than average pen is useful fact.

I've recently realized that heavier pens write well for me, after years of exclusively writing with fairly light models.

Tom K.