2023 novelties- first look and feel

[Talaerts]

Saw some Montblanc 2023 novelties today.  First impressions:

 

• Van Gogh is as pretty in the metal as in the early photos. However, also surprisingly heavy and with a not so comfortable step down to the section. The blue uber luxury variant was lighter and nicer in the hand. Comes in April. 146 nib. Teal ink.
• Muhammad Ali was brash and rather fun. 146 nib. The standard one from structured black resin and gold. Not discreet. Many boxing details like number of TKOs, 4 rings on the piston like the 4 ropes from the boxing ring, boxing gloves on the nib. The upmarket variant had a blingy body and detailed white cap. I preferred the standard one. Green ink. Comes in November. If you like the Elvis then you would probably like the Ali.
• Robert Louis Stephenson was probably my favourite. Total pen shape is like an old telescope. 146 nib. Restrained pen body with a X pattern in the black resin, good and balanced in the hand, piston and section in steel. Lovely detailed cream coloured cap with lines referring to a treasure chest, also a fun skull in the montblanc logo. The more luxury variant had a fun gimmick: with a slider you can switch between a british flag on the body (behind a window) and a pirate flag. Brown ink. Fun pirate themed notebook. Comes in September
• Maria Callas, nice slender, feminine fountain pen with small nib and ballpoint in tiffany style turquoise and steel.
• Around the world in 80 days. Focusing on India to Japan. The nicest variant in my opinion: a dark wood 146 with various Indian, Chinese and Japanese inspired details  engraved on body and cap. Metal details are gold. Really pretty and nice in the hand. The most basic variant was not as convincing - barely different from a standard 146. There is also one in engraved metal cap, and a very special limited edition which was only on photo. Dark grey ink
• very, very nice Starwalkers. Patterned with chaotic lines like on a meteorite crosscut. 3 variants - Mainly resin, metal cap or all metal. Metal is always lovely dark ruthenium. A science fiction looking pen. Dark blue or perhaps blurple ink, I think from the packaging
• late this year a Year of the Dragon pen. Similar to the Rabbit pen. Red ink.
• No special nib this year
• Prototype of the Ferrari collab, designed by Ferrari together with MB. Inspired by the Daytona SP3. Complex titanium body, hiding lots of white gold details. Starwalker nib. Very futuristic. I would be scared of scratching the red plastic. Outlandish price, more than all the above together.

 

My favourite: probably the standard Stephenson.

[ak47]

Pictures....are available?

[Talaerts]

2 hours ago, ak47 said:

Pictures....are available?

Was not allowed to make photos hence my descriptions. But you can find the Van gogh pictures already by googling

[DrWabbit]

6 hours ago, ak47 said:

Pictures....are available?

Montblanc - Collectors Preview

[ak47]

Thanks 

[Toolattack]

Interesting… the Van Gogh looks good 

[Uncial]

I hope the Callas is good

[Michael R.]

Sounds great! Many thanks for the description and mentioning of the inks!

 

Do you know the color of the standard around the world resin color?

 

cheers

 

Michael

[JCC123]

I dunno, I'm kind of keeping my powder dry for next year when the 100 year anniversary rolls around. I have a feeling that I will need a lot of dough to keep up!? What you you folks?

[Francois BOHRER]

If some people are interested there are already a few '' leaked '' pictures of the new editions on Instagram.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CnznqCfLius/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

[Uncial]

Gosh, I really don't like any of those.

[PerpetualTraveler]

 

6 hours ago, Francois BOHRER said:

If some people are interested there are already a few '' leaked '' pictures of the new editions on Instagram.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CnznqCfLius/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

 

I'm quite taken with that Vincent van Gogh notebook

[Kalessin]

Please note that pictures of pens before official release are NOT allowed on the Fountain Pen Network.  We have been informed of this by Montblanc's legal department.

[CS388]

Thanks for the information.

 

I think I'm too old for  this sort of stuff, now.

I understand the rationale behind the special editions etc., and it's important to keep the new lines coming in, keep the business alive - but, to me they all look slightly tacky and futile. Ostentatious, rather than practical.

(Not that special editions were ever practical, of course) I'd much rather put my money into the older, classic Montblanc pens.

 

YMMV, of course.

Hope you enjoy them.

Best wishes, CS

[dftr]

On 2/9/2023 at 10:11 PM, Talaerts said:

Saw some Montblanc 2023 novelties today.  First impressions:

 

•  
• No special nib this year

 

OH man...  the MB Calligraphy flex and the curved nib have become my two most favorite pens.  Besides the Namiki VP which I use at work...  I hope Fritz or someone else makes a special nib... or I just wait til 2024