Montblanc Hemingway - over $3000?

[Wael El-Dasher]

On 11/25/2021 at 6:18 PM, dmvara said:

So can you do a straight nib swap from the 149 to the Hemingway?  I am tossing around some ideas if I cannot find a used one with a M nib. Thanks fellas.

Yes, 

 

The Hemingway uses a standard 149 nib, which also means you can put a 139 nib if you find one! I tried to find a L139 nib for a long time then Max told me he has a 1950's 149 EF nib so I went for it. 

[Wael El-Dasher]

On 11/25/2021 at 8:29 AM, torstar said:

So I beseech you, what is so great about the Hemingway, if you have and use and love it?

 

(The Proust is fine looking to the eyes, the cap screws on to post a perfectly balanced pen, expanding the size of the 146 to fit my large hand, writes like a charm and it's freaking Proust we're talking about here... which means a heck of a lot for my cultural enjoyment...)

 

 

There really are a lot of positives about the Hemingway. Think of all the positives about a 149 then add to it that touch of color, a classic tie clip with it vintage inspired texture and that subtle shade of dark smoked brown of the cap that changes colors depending on lighting. It's a very light and elegant pen...with an ink window that contrasts nicely with the coral color of the barrel. The coin  edge of the filler knob is a nice touch too. It's all very small things but they add up in my opinion. 

 

Cheers

 

Wael

[torstar]

On 11/27/2021 at 1:38 PM, Wael El-Dasher said:

There really are a lot of positives about the Hemingway. Think of all the positives about a 149 then add to it that touch of color, a classic tie clip with it vintage inspired texture and that subtle shade of dark smoked brown of the cap that changes colors depending on lighting. It's a very light and elegant pen...with an ink window that contrasts nicely with the coral color of the barrel. The coin  edge of the filler knob is a nice touch too. It's all very small things but they add up in my opinion. 

 

Cheers

 

Wael

 

[jealous]

[fpupulin]

If you like large fountain pens, the Hemingway will sooner or later come into your sights. The Hemingway has almost all the qualities of a Meisterstück 149, minus the length of the body, which is shorter, something that you can notice when you grip it if you are used to the 149. However, it has the advantage of being a more lively pen, at the same time very retro and very modern for its bright color. The level of finishes, for a plastic pen, is exceptional.

Among the pens found on the net, it seems to me that new examples prevail, pens that were probably bought at the time to make an economic gain, and for this reason they are offered at very high prices. In these pre-Christmas rounds, it is not uncommon to see Hemingway NOS on the order of $ 5,000 or more.

Used pens are less common, because I believe it is rare for a Hemingway owner to want to get rid of his pen, unless his interest in pens has disappeared or for worse causes.

Is it worth it? Hemingway is a unique and, in my view, a beautiful pen, but it is still a beautiful plastic pen. Personally, I believe that above a certain price, let's say 3 thousand dollars (but maybe even less) it is difficult to justify the purchase of a pen whose intrinsic value is not high, without suffering an excess of buyer's remorse ...

[bunnspecial]

10 hours ago, fpupulin said:

If you like large fountain pens, the Hemingway will sooner or later come into your sights. The Hemingway has almost all the qualities of a Meisterstück 149, minus the length of the body, which is shorter, something that you can notice when you grip it if you are used to the 149. However, it has the advantage of being a more lively pen, at the same time very retro and very modern for its bright color. The level of finishes, for a plastic pen, is exceptional.

 

Out of curiosity, do you have/have you used a Dumas?

 

I love the aesthetics of the Hemingway(plus have a fair few Duofolds vintage and modern with a similar red/orange body and black ends and love their appearance) and have always been interested in the 139-style body especially given current 139 prices.

 

When I casually inquired on here about buying a Hemingway, I was told that the Dumas was essentially the same body and it was worth a look if I was interested in the feel/handling. I find the Dumas a bit busy for my taste,  although I'd have bought one already were it not for the price of them going beyond what I want to pay just to try the form factor.

[Karmachanic]

Get your favorite custom pen maker to building one. 😁

[torstar]

15 hours ago, bunnspecial said:

 

Out of curiosity, do you have/have you used a Dumas?

 

I love the aesthetics of the Hemingway(plus have a fair few Duofolds vintage and modern with a similar red/orange body and black ends and love their appearance) and have always been interested in the 139-style body especially given current 139 prices.

 

When I casually inquired on here about buying a Hemingway, I was told that the Dumas was essentially the same body and it was worth a look if I was interested in the feel/handling. I find the Dumas a bit busy for my taste,  although I'd have bought one already were it not for the price of them going beyond what I want to pay just to try the form factor.

 

Perhaps you are putting a bit too much thought into splurging on a great pen.

 

You just go get it and either you can afford or you can't afford, you don't THINK about it.... 

 

Let us know, always good to see collections expand.

 

[Karmachanic]

Or get your favorite pen maker to produce an homage

[Wael El-Dasher]

I’ve never owned the Dumas. Many of FPN members commented how much they loved the pen, it’s balance and it’s design nod to the 139.
 

My view is it’s a beautiful pen and I believe it will be even lovelier when handled in person. If you’re looking at it as an alternative to the Hemingway, it is not, and never will be.

 

It is it’s own pen, with its own personality. It’s a very well executed pen that draws on the 139 while softening the edges, adding a touch of flair with its special Fleur-di-lis nib, gold filigree lines on the barrel and its Danish MB look Mosiac barrel. It’s has a lot of the classic Montblanc without being a direct copy of any particular pen. So it draws on Montblanc historical pens while simultaneously having a modern look which, to me, is what Montblanc was exceptionally good at with the WE and POA pens of the past.  

 

The pen should appeal to you for what it is and it’s unique design. If you keep looking at it and thinking it’s a Hemingway alternative, then you’ll probably not going to be happy nor satisfied with ur purchase.
 

cheers

 

Wael 

[Wael El-Dasher]

I would also like to add that I feel you’re not alone in looking at the Dumas and comparing it to the Hemingway. That pen may be one of the biggest marketing release mistakes Montblanc made. It was released far too close to the Hemingway, before the Hemingway became a grail pen for many.
 

Had Montblanc waited 10-15 years before releasing the Dumas, it would have achieved a higher appreciation. Adding to that the signature error, compounded the issue. 
 

It’s a stunning pen but being released just 4 years after the Hemingway, didn’t help it much. Which is good news for us, the fountain pen enthusiasts that actually enjoy using our pens. 
 

Cheers

 

Wael

[fpupulin]

On 11/29/2021 at 6:21 PM, bunnspecial said:

 

Out of curiosity, do you have/have you used a Dumas?

 

[...]

 

Yes, I own a Dumas, and I feel it has the more splendid nib (in term of design) of any of my pens. The large size of the MB number 9 nib, united to the beautiful engraving of the fleur-de-lys, make it a truly superb nib. In the specific case of my Dumas (I have one with the signature of Alexandre Dumas pére), the nib was transformed from the original Medium into a slightly oblique italic 0.7 mm wide, which is a joy to use and produces a lot of line variation in small size strokes.

 

The size of the pen is exactly the same of that of the Hemingway, and the level of the finishes is exceptional. But I completely agree with Wael El-Dasher: the two pens are very different beasts. Whilst the Hemingway, with its orange body, is certainly not an understated pen, the Dumas is completely over the top, which in my opinion is perfectly in line with the sparkling work and life of Dumas the father (and for this reason I greatly prefer the "correct" signature, as the aesthetics of the pen have little to do with the sober work of Alexandre Dumas the son).

 

The Hemingway and the Dumas are both great pens, but their overall shape is the only thing they have in common. I like them both, for very different reasons.

[Wael El-Dasher]

@fpupulin, does the Dumas barrel bulge a little towards the filler knob? That was one of the most subtle things I loved about the Hemingway, it’s barrel isn’t cylindrical. It tapers from the ink window to just before the coin edge of the filler knob then it tapers down to meet the filler knob.  I tried to show it in the photo below. 
 

[katerchen]

11 hours ago, Karmachanic said:

Or get your favorite pen maker to produce an homage

 

Like this? https://scriptoriumpens.com/pen-models-2/custom-design/custom-139hemingway-style-in-nikko-orange-and-black-ebonite-large/

 

Renee made me a similar one, but I went with black and an amber ink window to emulate the 139 look.

 

 

 

[dmvara]

On 11/27/2021 at 12:28 PM, Wael El-Dasher said:

dmvara,

 

Although I bought all the tools from penboard, I felt uncomfortable doing the nib swap myself. If I recall correctly, I sent it to Max to do the nib swap as he has the 1950's 149 nib already. I also wanted to seat the nib a little higher on the feed, like the 139's used to have their nibs seated. So the ink flow had to be adjusted and preferred to leave it to someone what can do this work, test it and send it back ready for use. I know myself, I tend to over torque things and habitually break items by trying to do a good job . 

 

I sold this pen, a few years later, to a good friend and I'm confident he's enjoying it very much still.

 

For my daily use, the Proust is a better pen as I have to switch from writing, noting, drawing and highlighting construction documents all the time, so I don't have time to constantly cap the pen. The constant opening and closing takes too long when I'm working fast. The Proust is light, has threads on the back for posting (if I so choose) and the octagonal barrel sleeve stops it from rolling. That in particular makes it very useful for fast work. 

 

Cheers

 

Wael

That’s awesome!  Enjoy the Proust!

 

[dmvara]

I do have a question about the Hemingway in terms of the gold inlaid on the signature. Is this very delicate?  There are some used ones I have seen where it has all but faded. Is it worth spending a few extra bucks for the signature or is it better to just save some cash and buy one where is has faded?  Thanks for the advice. I definitely need to look at the Dumas as well!

 

[Wael El-Dasher]

24 minutes ago, dmvara said:

I do have a question about the Hemingway in terms of the gold inlaid on the signature. Is this very delicate?  There are some used ones I have seen where it has all but faded. Is it worth spending a few extra bucks for the signature or is it better to just save some cash and buy one where is has faded?  Thanks for the advice. I definitely need to look at the Dumas as well!

 

The Hemingway signature is just an engraving. With time, the color infill fades. You can refill it yourself. I even made the engraved classic Montblanc logo on the cap white for a while and played with different colors. Just buy the wax color sticks they sell at art supply stores and rub the color in and wipe the excess. I wouldn’t spend extra on a pen just for that. The condition of the pen is far more important. 
 

cheers

 

Wael

[dmvara]

1 hour ago, Wael El-Dasher said:

The Hemingway signature is just an engraving. With time, the color infill fades. You can refill it yourself. I even made the engraved classic Montblanc logo on the cap white for a while and played with different colors. Just buy the wax color sticks they sell at art supply stores and rub the color in and wipe the excess. I wouldn’t spend extra on a pen just for that. The condition of the pen is far more important. 
 

cheers

 

Wael

Aha. Presto!  Thanks for that tip!  That will definitely save me a few hundred!  Cheers my friend!😎🤡

[dmvara]

Well my hunt is over. I snagged one on eBay today. Might have paid a tad More than necessary. It’s preowned and the seller said it’s been babied so we shall see when it arrives. Pretty excited!

 

[Arcadian]

30 minutes ago, dmvara said:

Well my hunt is over. I snagged one on eBay today. Might have paid a tad More than necessary. It’s preowned and the seller said it’s been babied so we shall see when it arrives. Pretty excited!

 

 

Good luck with it! I was lucky to get one a few months ago, and I think it's worth every penny. A real joy to use every single time. 

 

- P. 

[dmvara]

2 hours ago, Arcadian said:

 

Good luck with it! I was lucky to get one a few months ago, and I think it's worth every penny. A real joy to use every single time. 

 

- P. 

Thanks!!  I am super excited!