A Hundred Years Of Waiting On A Montblanc Nib Exchange

[Uncial]

I've bought two pens from Montblanc recently and due to the policy of limiting nib choices at the point of sale, have had to immediately hand the pen over for a nib exchange. So far, so good; but then comes the waiting, and the waiting, more waiting and yet more waiting followed by waiting. The weeks go by - there was a time that it was almost guaranteed in Europe that the pen would come back within a month - and the weeks turn into months and the months turn into seasons.....and still not a whisper of when when it might come back. The last one was a six month wait, which is frankly ridiculous. I fear this new policy on the nibs is a failure and will almost certainly damage Montblanc's reputation. Contacting them results in a pre-cooked email about being contacted when its done, almost a 'please go away' response. 

 

So, now I have that rant off my chest, is this a common problem throughout Europe and/or elsewhere?

[KAC]

As a postscript and perspective on your comment on nib exchanges now, I'll add this:

I bought my Hemingway brand new when it was first issued and not selling at all well. In short, it was sold at a deep discount (~$400). I immediately decided to take advantage of the nib exchange program: medium for medium left oblique. By my recollection, that took about 4-6 weeks (Germany to USA) and it was returned to me with a personal letter thanking me for the purchase and availing myself of the nib exchange offer. 

 

I think MB has evolved into more of a "fashion house" and is but an epigone of the old company, one that concentrated on pens.  I understand the business rationale behind the move and it's rational. So, the only modern pen I own is a 149 90th anniversary model which I bought when my first ca. 1980 model 149 was "liberated" from my desk. I was, at that time, not too interested in experimenting with online auction sites, so I coughed up the money for a new one. No longer.

[Uncial]

That's my fear. Pens are their bread and butter and they remain one of the very few places where nib choices are offered. For a long time, in Europe at least, most boutiques had f, m and b nibs and ef's from time to time. Since covid that has changed, and in my experience for the worse. The wait times seem to get longer with every new release, which is hardly surprising when even basic nib sizes aren't available at point of sale, meaning that many people have to immediately hand tgeir pen back for the exchange. I can't see how that is a rational policy. The casual buyer eventually gets their pen, but they walk away with a bad experience. It's a poor business model.

[james566clugston]

I have completed numerous nib exchanges with Montblanc in the past year. Firstly, it does annoy me that they only offer F and M nibs on any pen that is purchased now and the fact that any nib exchange can take weeks. There seems to be several factors:

1. The pen and its limitation
2. If the nib is in "stock"
3. The country that is dealing with the nib exchange

I had a nib exchange on a Blue Hour Legrand this year, which took only a few weeks. This involved a nib unit that was in stock from Hamberg, and the tech in Australia needed to order the replacement nib unit. Then more recently I purchased a great master's exotic leather Alligator and requested an M to BB nib, and this took around two months to complete the nib exchange. 

If the pen is a limited edition, it may need to be sent back to Germany for a nib exchange, and this can delay things. 

[Cyrille81]

No special problem with the latest pens I sent for a nib exchange. The last one was the Gatsby 1925 from M to F and I think it took 2-3 weeks max. The 149 Origin 100th anniversary from M to O3B took more time, I think, 2-3 months. I will send my 149 Traveller for an O3B nib so I will see how much time it will take. I think O3B nibs take more time maybe because they are not in stock and have to produce it.

 

Always sent from Belgium via my local reseller, which is an authorised reseller.

[Uncial]

It must by my local boutique that's the problem then. Six months seems to be the standard waiting time with them. Im tempted to contact Hamburg directly to complain about it because this just can't be normal.

[james566clugston]

On 9/9/2025 at 8:54 AM, Uncial said:

It must by my local boutique that's the problem then. Six months seems to be the standard waiting time with them. Im tempted to contact Hamburg directly to complain about it because this just can't be normal.

No, it should not take six months for a nib exchange. My first bespoke nib took six months as I believe it was the first ordered in Australia, and they did not know the process as well. But this is likely the boutique. Contact Hamberg and ask. But they will not take nib exchanges directly from customers. They want them to go through the boutiques directly. 

[Michael R.]

Seems like a matter of availability / stock at the Hamburg facility. Things became like this during Covid.

 

I'm always doing nib exchanges directly with Hamburg.

 

Recent highlights - positive and negative - were c. 1 week for getting a "B" nib on the LeGrand Meisterstück x Olympic Heritage Paris and almost 4 months to get an O3B for the Origin of Times 149.

 

Cheers

 

Michael

 

[David In Austin]

@Uncial, I have acquired several new Montblancs recently and almost every one of them had some kind of nib problem. With a couple of exceptions of upcoming releases that I really  want (the Burgundy 149 and the Red Hour Solitaire Legrand that both due out later this year) I have little to no intention of buying any more new Montblanc pieces for a while.

 

Also, I have found that when I do purchase a new Montblanc and it has a problem, it is far more efficacious and timely to have an independent high-quality nibmeister work on and adjust the existing nib than to let Montblanc come within a mile of it. When they get their customer service and productions houses in order again, then fine, but until then I will concentrate on NOS, vintage and pre-owned Montblancs that were made with the attention to quality that made their House the gold standard in the first place.

 

For a writing Instrument company that built its entire business on its reputation for the highest quality, attention to detail and customer service, whoever is in charge right now is truly playing with fire for Montblanc's future. I am as big a Montblanc fanboy as anyone around, and I am becoming more and more alarmed - and disappointed - with Montblanc in general and their customer service in particular. There are still some high-quality folks within the company, but more and more Montblanc are becoming, well, average. Average is not what built Montblanc to what it is - or was - today.

[sandy101]

I'd check with Hamburg and the store.

 

6 months seems a long time - did Hamburg actually receive the pen from the boutique or is it lost in the post?

 

Write to them with old fashined pen & ink. I often find that a personal letter gets through the digitial fortess of denial and prompts a far better response. 

[Zdenek]

4 hours ago, David In Austin said:

.... I have acquired several new Montblancs recently and almost every one of them had some kind of nib problem. ...

Mnnn... I'd say a new nib is something like a new pair of shoes. They both need some break in period. Patience, patience, and patience again. 

[David In Austin]

3 hours ago, Zdenek said:

Mnnn... I'd say a new nib is something like a new pair of shoes. They both need some break in period. Patience, patience, and patience again. 

 

@Zdenek, I understand what you are saying and I did give it a try, but one had baby bottom and some badly misaligned tines, one did not have any capillary pressure and could not draw any ink into the pen past the nib, and another also had baby bottom and some misalignment. None of that would have possibly been allowed out of the factory a few years ago. These were not "break-in" issues, they were actual and fairly serious problems. I have had a lot of others that broke in just fine, but three new Montblancs having these kind of problems - in less than a year - is simply unacceptable, especially from Montblanc. 

[nm4]

Sad to hear but totally believable.  As a brand Montblanc is spending too much time on backpacks and cologne.   Let’s hope they can right the course.

 

 

N

[Opooh]

On 9/13/2025 at 4:10 PM, nm4 said:

Sad to hear but totally believable.  As a brand Montblanc is spending too much time on backpacks and cologne.   Let’s hope they can right the course.

 

 

N

The leatherware of MB is made in Firenze, the Pelleteria Montblanc.
A productionline in Offenbach ( Germany ) has ceased.
Watches are made in Switzerland, high end in Villeret, low end in Le Locle.

Perfums are made under license. Mind you they are good and prices sometimes are as high as prices gor pens.

Hamburg only makes pens, just like they do already more than a century.

reason why there is a fall in built quality, craftsmanship is leaving the factories all over Europe. The older workers with all their knowledge are retired and they are replaced by younsters working with cad/cam, and other high tech stuff but without what they call in german “ fingerspitzengefüll “.

 

[Karmachanic]

On 9/13/2025 at 3:10 PM, nm4 said:

 As a brand Montblanc is spending too much time on backpacks and cologne.   Let’s hope they can right the course.

 

 

Good luck with that.  Mr Wiki P sez:  " (MB) CEO Nicolas Baretzki told Vogue Business in 2022 that he believes leather goods will become one of the company's biggest categories, possibly even overtaking pens.^[11]"

[nm4]

Pens are what made the brand…I don’t see icons of our era using their backpacks lol.  Regardless you are right they have gone full luxury brand and abandoned most of their commitment to pen enthusiasts.

 

N

[Karmachanic]

6 hours ago, nm4 said:

they have gone full luxury brand

 

Bear in mind that MB is one of 20 or so luxury brands owned by Richemont

[Opooh]

On 9/20/2025 at 4:20 PM, nm4 said:

 and abandoned most of their commitment to pen enthusiasts.

 

 

You must be kidding, I find they think pen enthousiasts are cows with too much dollars. They are launching new models at an incredible tempo. 

[nm4]

4 hours ago, Opooh said:

You must be kidding, I find they think pen enthousiasts are cows with too much dollars. They are launching new models at an incredible tempo. 

You’re not wrong but when I wrote pen enthusiasts I meant ones who use the pens to write rather than art collectors.  Montblanc has reduced the availability of its interesting nibs and focused on the the visuals.   Probably works for their business model…

 

 N

[Opooh]

11 hours ago, nm4 said:

You’re not wrong but when I wrote pen enthusiasts I meant ones who use the pens to write rather than art collectors.  Montblanc has reduced the availability of its interesting nibs and focused on the the visuals.   Probably works for their business model…

 

 N

I know but you have writers and collectos, but there is a third species : collectors who write or wtiters who collect. In my collection there isn’t a pen that hasn’t been used. I admit, some of them only once, others seldom. There are so many factors that influence the use of a pen.