Precious Resin - Ongoing Debate

[stvn66]

I understand the debate about what the MB 'Precious Resin' is actually made of, has been going on for decades.

 

I read this elsewhere and I wonder why no one has ever done this test once and for all to set the facts straight and true?

 

Take it to a lab with suitable analytical equipment such as FTIR and Raman IR spectroscopy and which has polymer analysis experience. They will be able to identify it for you.

[Bluey]

It's actually a translation error from German, as opposed to wildly exaggerated definition of cheap plastic from Montblanc's hypermarketing department.

[Inkling13]

You could but for what price? If a sample analysis cost you $100 would you do it? Take extinct inks for an example. You could run an analysis to see what is was, and reproduce it down to the last molecule, but who would fund that kind of reverse engineering? I can't imagine it would be cheap.

What I do find enlightening, is this article which does describe the mistranslation of precious resin from German. http://www.peneconomics.com/blog/2016/12/2/precious-resin

[stvn66]

We could crowd fund it

[zaddick]

The "debate" goes on mostly among people who either want to deride the brand or who are newe to collecting. I would not say there is an actual debate.

 

As for the exact makeup, there are those who know how to make the same resin but do not share, or maybe more precisely can make a match with all the same characteristics that can be observed without going to a molecular structure level of detail.

 

Most importantly, I don't see what you gain by the analysis you recommend.

[zaddick]

It's actually a translation error from German, as opposed to wildly exaggerated definition of cheap plastic from Montblanc's hypermarketing department.

C'mon man, you can't just jump straight to the actual answer without letting people get all worked up for no reason.

[Lam1]

I think the reason nobody did it is because it is actually a "non-debate".

 

Those that try to focus on the "precious resin" just being plastics are, in general, detractors which, for some reason, hold a grudge against MB.

 

Those that actually use MB, from what I've seen, couldn't care less about what is the precious resin. For those, the value is not in the resin, but in the balance, quality and writing experience provided by the pens.

 

Finally, I'm not sure that, even if someone made the analysis, such a trade secret could be revealed. I bet MB would put their lawyers to work if someone tried to reveal this.

[carlos.q]

What I do find enlightening, is this article which does describe the mistranslation of precious resin from German. http://www.peneconomics.com/blog/2016/12/2/precious-resin

Excellent article!

[stvn66]

I was thinking we could start with Monblancs precious resin, then employ Mr Assange and move onto KFC, etc..

Edited March 2, 2018 by stvn66

[Inkling13]

It's like asking what makes Coka-cola a Coke? People have most likely died because of it, is regarded as the world's most secret trade secret. I personally don't really care do "discover" what is precious resin, for the simple fact of the matter that MB engineers their pens and makes gradual improvements. Some can argue what they make is a pinnacle of pen making, as well as marketing. They make a solid pen, and they also have a marketing team that puts them on par with very few companies. What may be precious resin 10 years ago, may not be the same mix as it is today, and may not be what it is 10 years from now. But whatever the pen is made of, it writes well.

[pajaro]

My Montblancs write well and do not totally dry up between uses. Most competitive pens I have tried are in the unused bowl. They are on a short list of pens I actually use. The plastic is beautiful and has a great feel.

[Ron Z]

What the resin is only matters if you have to fix the pen when it breaks. I have found just one solvent of many tried that it reacts with, and that one resulted in a complete and catastrophic failure of the piece I wanted to solvent weld.

 

In general I have found the resin in many of the pens to be fragile, with sections tending to break, or the pen tending to break when other pens would survive a fall. I had an Agatha and thought it a great pen. I have a 146 that I like, but most I do not.

[Uncial]

What, what, what? I thought my pens were formed from a rare tree resin of the Das Capitalius tree the grows exclusively on the higher slopes of Montblanc and is tapped by goat herders who keep their hands soft by immersing them in goats milk before approaching the magical tree to collect it's precious resins. I feel so disappointed and duped knowing now that it's just a plastic pen.

[Mr.Rene]

I understand the debate about what the MB 'Precious Resin' is actually made of, has been going on for decades.

 

I read this elsewhere and I wonder why no one has ever done this test once and for all to set the facts straight and true?

 

Take it to a lab with suitable analytical equipment such as FTIR and Raman IR spectroscopy and which has polymer analysis experience. They will be able to identify it for you.

 

Because dreadful gossip is more interesting...

[pajaro]

What the resin is only matters if you have to fix the pen when it breaks. I have found just one solvent of many tried that it reacts with, and that one resulted in a complete and catastrophic failure of the piece I wanted to solvent weld.

 

In general I have found the resin in many of the pens to be fragile, with sections tending to break, or the pen tending to break when other pens would survive a fall. I had an Agatha and thought it a great pen. I have a 146 that I like, but most I do not.

The above is true. On the 144 resin section threads break, and MB replaces them with a section with metal threads. The nib trim ring and clutch ring breaks off on a lot of pens, and the revised section has metal threads the ring screws on to. Barrel cracks at the back when dropped. They try to fix the design, but not everything can be fixed unless you get one of the metal pens. Still, the 144 is one of my favorite pens. I don't like the other pens much.

[stvn66]

What, what, what? I thought my pens were formed from a rare tree resin of the Das Capitalius tree the grows exclusively on the higher slopes of Montblanc and is tapped by goat herders who keep their hands soft by immersing them in goats milk before approaching the magical tree to collect it's precious resins. I feel so disappointed and duped knowing now that it's just a plastic pen.

What, what, what? I thought my pens were formed from a rare tree resin of the Das Capitalius tree the grows exclusively on the higher slopes of Montblanc and is tapped by goat herders who keep their hands soft by immersing them in goats milk before approaching the magical tree to collect it's precious resins.

 

At last, a proper answer to tell my kids when I leave my MB pens to them

Edited March 3, 2018 by stvn66

[Corona688]

Those that try to focus on the "precious resin" just being plastics are, in general, detractors which, for some reason, hold a grudge against MB.

I have shocking news for you. You'd better sit down for it.

 

Everyone's pens are plastic.

 

This makes it impossible to insult Montblanc for using plastic. Understood?

[Inkling13]

I have shocking news for you. You'd better sit down for it.

 

Everyone's pens are plastic.

 

This makes it impossible to insult Montblanc for using plastic. Understood?

I was wondering when you'd show up to this brawl... Some others make due with metal, others use wood... >_<

[Bluey]

It's quite likely that "precious" resin is a trade secret because Montblanc don't want people fixing their own pens. Or that they don't want people to know that it's even more brittle than the cheapest of plastics.

 

That's what people pay £400 for a pen for.

Edited March 4, 2018 by Bluey

[Corona688]

I'm always surprised how few nice pens are made from metal, really, though I kind of get that it's hard to do so without it either weighing a ton or looking like cheap tin. But that's neither here nor there.