Signature Pen

[Manofadventure]

2 hours ago, sgphototn said:

 If your idea is to impress others, you've shown your character. If your idea is to impress yourself, you've shown your character.

 

Too many of the former, and unfortunately, too few of the latter.

☝️ This, right there!!!

[bunnspecial]

29 minutes ago, sgphototn said:

As to Montblanc black pens, when I see one the first question I ask myself "Is it a fake?" The same when I see someone sporting a Rolex.

Somewhat of a leap to make on an MB fountain pen, especially a 146 or 149, and I'd argue shows an already-formed opinion of the person wielding it.

[Manofadventure]

9 hours ago, carola said:

Montblanc? He said "not pretentious".

Montblanc fans see that probably differently, but to me a Montblanc is in some aspects the peak of pretentiousness.

I´ve probably seen too many men (no women I have to say) who come to a meeting, sit down and immediately place a pen on the table before them in this certain "See? I´ve got this costly thing here and it´s a fountain pen because I´ve got money and style." manner. They never use it (well, maybe to jot down two words during a 3 hour meeting), it´s just sitting there the whole time for everybody to notice. And it is always, ALWAYS a black Montblanc with gold trim of varying size, usually rather big.

 

If you want understatement and distinctiveness, I wouldn´t choose a Montblanc.

 

And before I get rocks thrown at me, I know perfectly well there are people out there who dearly love their MBs. No offence to you. It´s just that there also seem to be a lot of people who are drawn to the snowy caps exactly for pretentiousness because Montblanc is broadly known even to non-fountain pen people as a trademark and as being expensive. A status symbol at its best. 🤷‍♀️

 

Remarkable, how that is so true! I have seen this behaviour in company boardrooms, amongst high priced lawyers, lawyers. accountants and in most business and trade conventions.

[Karmachanic]

Haven't signed anything in 10yrs or so. I'd have to practice. Mabe the ASA Maya, matte black Ebonite, no rings, with a Leonardo 1.5 stub. Or the 1950 MB 234.1/2 B. Hmm. Perhaps the Pilot CH 912 FA I ground to a CI would be more fun.

 

I have a passport renewal coming up in a year or two. Plenty of time to think about it.

[sgphototn]

47 minutes ago, bunnspecial said:

Somewhat of a leap to make on an MB fountain pen, especially a 146 or 149, and I'd argue shows an already-formed opinion of the person wielding it.

No, it's a legitimate question for me. Maybe they bought a fake Montblanc and didn't know better. Seems there's always a shady character in the alley wearing a trenchcoat that opens it to say, "Hey Buddy! Wanna buy a Montblanc?"

[bunnspecial]

12 minutes ago, sgphototn said:

No, it's a legitimate question for me. Maybe they bought a fake Montblanc and didn't know better. Seems there's always a shady character in the alley wearing a trenchcoat that opens it to say, "Hey Buddy! Wanna buy a Montblanc?"

 

I would argue that it's awfully presumptuous to assume that just because someone has a Montblanc or is wearing a Rolex, it must be fake(which is what I take from you saying you ask yourself "is it fake?").

[sgphototn]

11 minutes ago, bunnspecial said:

 

I would argue that it's awfully presumptuous to assume that just because someone has a Montblanc or is wearing a Rolex, it must be fake(which is what I take from you saying you ask yourself "is it fake?").

Then your take is wrong. If I had wanted to say "it must be a fake" that's exactly what I would have said.

 

One could argue that that's awfully presumptuous of you to make that assumption.

[carola]

7 minutes ago, bunnspecial said:

 

I would argue that it's awfully presumptuous to assume that just because someone has a Montblanc or is wearing a Rolex, it must be fake(which is what I take from you saying you ask yourself "is it fake?").

Montblanc is probably the most faked pen brand, so the question "Is it fake?" has some legitimation. (And sgphototn clearly said "Is it fake?" not "It´s probably fake!") I even met a man once who plucked a "Montblanc" from his coat pocket, waved it in my face saying "Look at it! Looks good, hm? It´s fake but it looks like the real thing and I got it for a few Euros." He was so proud of having this prestigious looking fake pen, he obviously wanted to tell the whole world (I had known him for about half an hour by then).

 

And if you are talking about MB bashing in this thread you clearly either didn´t read or didn´t understand it, sorry.

[N1003U]

25 minutes ago, Karmachanic said:

I have a passport renewal coming up in a year or two. Plenty of time to think about it.

I just did that on 23DEC (signed a new passport). I used MB Permanent Blue in my father-in-law‘s old Noblesse with a lovely juicy broad nib.

[Uncial]

Do you get a large space for your signature on passport renewals? We get a tiny box. My signature written small barely fits; it's quite frustrating.

[carola]

I think we have to sign our passports digitally now.

[Karmachanic]

7 minutes ago, Uncial said:

Do you get a large space for your signature on passport renewals? We get a tiny box. My signature written small barely fits; it's quite frustrating.

 

Dunno. I'll find out when the time comes.

[N1003U]

13 hours ago, Uncial said:

Do you get a large space for your signature on passport renewals? We get a tiny box. My signature written small barely fits; it's quite frustrating.

On ‘Murrican passports there is a big line on the page directly above the laminated photo page, which is nice, heavyweight, somewhat absorbent, yet somehow-satisfyingly-fountain-pen-friendly paper, under which written in English, French, and Spanish is, “Signature of Bearer”. The passport is not valid until the legal bearer of the passport signs on that line. I haven’t actually looked up the regulations, but I am pretty sure it has to be signed in ink.

 

If one has difficulty affixing one’s signature on or near that line, I would have serious questions about that person’s general fitness for international travel. There is plenty of room.

 

 

I must admit, it does seems a bit of an odd, quaint tradition (though as a fountain pen user, one still appreciated), as my signature on every other piece of official identification I possess is digitally reproduced.

[sansenri]

what is distinctive for you might vary, unpretentious is slightly more objective

but in general terms I assume we could agree that its close to saying smart and not so flashy...

A lamy 2000 02 metal edition might also fit that description for example

[N1003U]

On 1/16/2021 at 12:15 AM, sansenri said:

what is distinctive for you might vary, unpretentious is slightly more objective

but in general terms I assume we could agree that its close to saying smart and not so flashy...

A lamy 2000 02 metal edition might also fit that description for example

Nice pen. To me it definitely does not scream “look at me!”, and I would not generally expect to see two of those in the same room.

[txomsy]

Didn't want to get drawn in the MB topic, but...

 

Assuming that having an MB is for pretending is... like assuming all people from a different ethnic are inferior/pretenders because a large amount of them live in countries with different standards, or that all people with a differently-hued skin is rich because many live in more productive countries, ignoring the vast variety of people and a humongously huge amount of other factors like disease, colonialism, imposed (self- or not) constrains, history, natural resources, land and many, many more.

 

My first MB was a slimline/noblesse (never get them sorted, nor do I really care). I had been looking for an all-metal (section included) pen to wear in my jeans pocket for almost 10 years by the time I came about this one. One day I went to a (tiny) B&M shop and asked if there existed any, and they told me they only had this one, which was their last. Got it during my PhD (at a time I hardly made enough to live). It's been with me in a pocket ever since, I think, 1990 or 1991. A few years ago I came along the metal Kaweco Sport and Liliput and grabbed them. Then found the Delike Alpha and its clones. Can tell you, had they existed then, I would have had a cheap 3USD clone instead. Now, the Slimline and two clones (with tuned nib) are always with me.

 

My second was a 146 I was presented two or three years later when I finished my PhD by my lab colleagues, who knew I liked FPs and pooled to make me a present. That I kept as a token of appreciation, and in 1999 when my father died, I inherited his 342.

 

I was CIO already before I finished my MD PhD (I was 27, I think), have been at top-notch world-class positions in my (tiny, niche, marginal, non-important) field all of my life, and have always been "noticed" for my conspicuous, ragged, worker looks, to the point I've been admonished several times to "dress-up" 'cos I had a "representative role" (of say, an international organization) or had to meet ministers, cabinet members or other top officials. All the way, my salary has been (still is) on the lower-middle class range. Which is the point I wanted to make clear: I am not an "aristocrat" and I am happy with what I am. I do not need to "look like one", nor do I need to become one. I do my work with the best, cheapest (and often free) tools. Found a way, though to keep my  common-man looks nevertheless, reserving for those "must" occasions ragged, grunge, top-brand, attire. Note that you can dress "anti-smart" in H. Boss, A. Dominguez, Prada or any other "good" brand.

 

'Cos you see, there are those who believe and convince themselves they need to pretend they are (like, me, yes, I am; --oh! yeah! I'm the big pretender-- but not because of the MBs), and there are those who actually are (like I would like to be when I grow up). Those who really are (and I admire and piteously try to emulate) do not need to demonstrate anything to any one. They just use what's most comfortable or best for them (which sometimes may require showing-off in a specific way, see (H/B)ollywood multibillionaire actors/actresses as an example). And if it so often happens to be an MB or a Rolex, so be it. BTW, I do not own a Rolex, nor do I need one. I'm more than happy with my Amphibia which, btw as well, draws almost as many appreciative attention, but is 50-60USD.

 

None of my MBs did I own to pretend. My slimline has overpaid the effort it cost me many times, considering what I had spent on cheap Parker, Waterman, Sheaffer, Inoxcrom, Watermark and other brands before I got it.

 

The minimum I can think of these comments is that they are only a way to draw a line us-versus-them, which is rarely good. Always remember a CEO is also a paid worker and any worker is the CEO of his own private company that sells a valuable good (workforce).

 

We are all animals striving to survive as best we can and each uses his/her own strategy. Some use pretension, others technical abilities, knowledge, emotions, force, scams, whatever...  And for many different reasons. No reason to feel despondent against anyone. Which is not to say everything has to be tolerated... but always knowing there's a human, with how own history, at the other end.

[Karmachanic]

Thank you for your autobiography. Signature pen?

[txomsy]

1 hour ago, Karmachanic said:

Thank you for your autobiography. Signature pen?

You're welcome. And sorry it was such a long post. I'm no good at putting forth some ideas in few words without using names that may be misconstrued.

 

Pen? I stay by my previous advice: it all depends on budget and tastes.

 

A Pelikan M200 can be had for sub 100EUR. An m400 is a bit more expensive. Both are good quality and nice, and do not show-off if chosen in discrete colors. With some more money, a run-off-the-mill MB 146 may be a nice pen too. and so on, up the range and brands. With even more money, a custom urushi pen can be a luxury and satisfying pen and, if tastely lacquered will draw (mostly blank) looks of appreciation but pass unnoticed for most but the connoisseurs (I bet most people wouldl think it is some sort of plastic and not pretentious).

 

I am assuming the OP wants to treat signing as a formal, special situation. If what was meant was that you have to routinely sign lots of expedients a day and not on special occasions, then I would say a workhorse pen with a medium or, preferably, a bold nib that is elegant (for whatever that may mean to the OP), light, cheap, has good flow and does not draw any attention or that even puts off so no one takes it from your desk. The pen sold with ESSRI may be an option. Or maybe even a desk pen with a desk-attached base.

 

[carola]

1 hour ago, txomsy said:

Assuming that having an MB is for pretending is...

 

Not what I said.

 

What I said was that when I see pretenders carrying (as opposed to using) a fountain pen, it usually is a black Montblanc with gold trim. What you said is a reverse conclusion I never meant or was talking about.

I also said there were other people who dearly love and use their Montblancs.

[Torrente]

I purchased this Parker Duofold Centennial in 1987 with one of my first salaries, it has been my daily pen since then. This can fit on what you are asking for.

I use 2 Pilot Vanishing points (broad and fine nib) too, recently I had something to remember and I purchased a Homo Sapiens.