MB Hemingway owners

[Brian]

There appears to be a core of Hemingway owners here. Most of us will never own one, but we can enjoy them vicariously. Please share your impressions of this pen that has become something of a fascination for MB enthusiasts. What were the circumstances of acquiring it? A fortuitious decision when it first came out or an arduous odyssey? Pictures would be welcome of course, comparisons to other MBs, an ode perhaps?

 

Best,

Jeen

 

Purchased it sometime in the mid to late 1990s. There was no hunt and no pining after it as it was offered by a good friend. Eventually purchased it because it was reminiscent of the 139/136 series but with a splash of retro color. It writes no different than the 149 or Dumas, although it feels slightly lighter than the Dumas. The prices now, even for user pens, are insane and I think especially so with something like 30,000 examples having been produced. Once had the ball point too but was offered the then princely sum of $500...and it was a ball point! Asthetically I think the Dumas is a nicer pen, but I still like Hemmingway for its now acquired aura.

 

 

[RevAaron]

I don't disagree that the pen is more than the nib- but in my mind, the 13x still win on non-nib matters. The 146 I just sold is a great example. The nib is a very nice Binder stub. Yet, I rarely used the pen. The effect the density and texture of the plastic effected balance and feel in the hand left it rarely in use. I felt like I was holding a rod of some foreign material. My celluloid MBs feel like an organic bit, they almost stick to my hand. Not because they're sticky, but because of the way they feel.

 

That said, for me the nib is still a very large part of the pen.

 

As always, to each their own, YMMV, different strokes for different folks etc... One can speak of the Hemingway's visual simplicity, but what I *feel* is the cold tinniness of the resin. I don't mean to invalidate your opinions simply explain my own...

 

Wael- if you ever tire of that 136 look me up, eh?

 

Aaron

[Blade Runner]

I in fact love the feeling of MB modern resin pens. I've purchased some non MB resin plastic pens and was immediately turned off by the tacticle qualities of those pens and their feathery lightness. I'm sure I'd love celluloid too, but there are concerns with celluloid and vintage pens in general to consider.

Edited February 12, 2009 by jeen

[sumgaikid]

I might like it a little more if the coral color was just like the coral found on

Wahl-Eversharp pens with yellow striations in it..............

 

John

[Blade Runner]

Could we see some Hemi photos? The pitted surfaces of resin and trim sound intriguing.

 

Cheers,

Jeen

[niksch]

I do wonder Eric how this pen would behave with a vintage nib.

 

That's why I found a 139. It behaves very nicely. It's got an EF, and now I'm looking for one with a B or some sort of oblique.

[RevAaron]

I in fact love the feeling of MB modern resin pens. I've purchased some non MB resin plastic pens and was immediately turned off by the tacticle qualities of those pens and their feathery lightness. I'm sure I'd love celluloid too, but there are concerns with celluloid and vintage pens in general to consider.

 

See, for me that's what I don't like with most modern plastic pens, be it MB or otherwise. A modern 146 is no heavier than a vintage 146, but my hand can tell where the weight sits. Even if the weight distribution were mimicked by use of a brass pipe throughout the entire pen, it still feels that way; the plastics MB and many other pen companies use have a lower density than celluloid. A modern 146 feels like it has a bunch of weight in the back, surrounded by lightweight plastic. The balance of the pen is good in the way we usually mean- in my grip the pen doesn't tip forward or backwards. But the density and feel of the actual material disappoints.

 

I prefer light pens, but in a heavier pen I want it to feel integrated- not like a brass plug coated with low-density plastic. When I got my first modern 146 I swore it was heavier than my celluloid 146s, because the dissonance of brass and plastic made it feel a bit lumpy. I was surprised to see that it was actually a few grams lighter- I even broke out another celluloid 146 to make sure. I think near modern MBs without the extra brass feel nice enough, if only because the distraction of the weight gradient between materials is gone. The lengthwise balance isn't any better or worse than the newer brassed up versions, but they manage to feel more like a cohesive unit to me. I don't have a beef with plastic pens in general, though.

 

The one modern material that still feels like it meshes with my hand is Omas's cotton resin. Cellulose acetate does OK too, but when you add plugs of metal to make it heavier the same dissonance rears its ugly head- the Visconti Van Gogh is a perfect example.

[FredRydr]

Rev,

 

That is very well put, indeed.

 

I struggle with some of Montblanc's new pens on the basis of weight, and I am moving towards light pens in almost all my buying. (I was very disappointed when I missed a new ebonite AtB Bexley in the FPN classified.) As you wrote, center of gravity should also be considered when buying a pen. The way around the problem with the modern 146 is to not cap it when writing. If you want an extreme example of the problem, put a Shaw in your hand.

 

Fred

[Ghost Plane]

You're right. I normally post, but the Shaw remains unposted for balance.

 

I, on the other hand, prefer heavy pens, so anyone with B nibs they're offloading, do keep me in mind.

[Blade Runner]

A modern 146 feels like it has a bunch of weight in the back, surrounded by lightweight plastic.

Sorry I disagree. I use my modern resin 146s unposted and there is no sense of back dragging unbalance that you speak of.

 

Best,

Jeen

 

 

 

[ethernautrix]

Could we see some Hemi photos? The pitted surfaces of resin and trim sound intriguing.

 

Cheers,

Jeen

Jeen, I plan on taking more photos for this thread, maybe this weekend. These are "old" (taken within the last year).

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3283/3072172580_1d14700e12.jpg

 

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3013/2597701465_5073deb57d_o.jpg

 

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3023/2598535630_6dc87426b6_o.jpg

[Bearcat]

Could we see some Hemi photos? The pitted surfaces of resin and trim sound intriguing.

 

Cheers,

Jeen

Jeen, I plan on taking more photos for this thread, maybe this weekend. These are "old" (taken within the last year).

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3283/3072172580_1d14700e12.jpg

 

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3013/2597701465_5073deb57d_o.jpg

 

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3023/2598535630_6dc87426b6_o.jpg

 

 

That is a beautiful, classic pen. I would love to have one someday.....but then I might blow my brains out with a shotgun before ever getting a chance at a social security check....Clip below....

 

 

July 3, 1961

 

Hemingway Dead of Shotgun Wound; Wife Says He Was Cleaning Weapon

Special to The New York Times

etchum, Idaho, July 2--Ernest Hemingway was found dead of a shotgun wound in the head at his home here today.

 

His wife, Mary, said that he had killed himself accidentally while cleaning the weapon.

 

 

The New York Times

Hemingway's obituary ran on the front page of The New York Times on July 3, 1961.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

Mr. Hemingway, whose writings won him a Nobel Prize and a Pulitzer Prize, would have been 62 years old July 21.

 

Frank Hewitt, the Blaine County Sheriff, said after a preliminary investigation that the death "looks like an accident." He said, "There is no evidence of foul play."

 

The body of the bearded, barrel-chested writer, clad in a robe and pajamas, was found by his wife in the foyer of their modern concrete house.

 

A double-barreled, 12-gauge shotgun lay beside him with one chamber discharged.

 

Mrs. Hemingway, the author's fourth wife, whom he married in 1946, issued this statement:

 

"Mr. Hemingway accidentally killed himself while cleaning a gun this morning at 7:30 A.M. No time has been set for the funeral services, which will be private."

 

Mrs. Hemingway was placed under sedation.

 

Coroner Ray McGoldrick said tonight that he would decide tomorrow, after speaking to Mrs. Hemingway, whether to hold an inquest.

 

The writer was discharged from Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., last Monday after two months of treatment for hypertension (high blood pressure) and what a Mayo spokesman called a "very old" case of hepatitis.

 

He had been treated there last year for the same conditions and had been released Jan. 23 after fifty-six days.

 

About a month ago, Mr. Hemingway's physician at the clinic described his health as "excellent."

 

The author had been worried about his weight, 200 pounds. He was six feet tall.

 

Mr. Hemingway and his wife, who drove from Rochester, arrived Friday night at this village on the outskirts of Sun Valley.

 

Chuck Atkinson, a Ketchum motel owner who has been a friend of Mr. Hemingway for twenty years, was with him yesterday. He said, "He seemed to be in good spirits. We didn't talk about anything in particular. I think he spent last night at home."

 

However, Marshal Les Jankow, another friend and the first law officer to reach the scene, said residents had told him that Mr. Hemingway had "looked thinner and acted depressed."

 

At the time of the shooting, Mrs. Hemingway, the only other person in the house, lay asleep in a bedroom upstairs. The shot woke her and she went down the stairs to find her husband's body near a gun rack in the foyer.

 

Mrs. Hemingway told friends that she had been unable to find any note.

 

Expert on Firearms

 

Mr. Hemingway was an ardent hunter and an expert on firearms.

 

His father, Dr. Clarence E. Hemingway, was also devoted to hunting. He shot himself to death at his home in Oak Park, Ill., in 1928 at the age of 57, despondent over a diabetic condition. The death weapon was a Civil War pistol that had been owned by the physician's father.

 

The theme of a father's suicide cropped up frequently in Mr. Hemingway's short stories and at least one novel, "For Whom the Bell Tolls."

 

Mr. Hemingway was given his first shotgun at the age of 10.

 

As an adult, he sought out danger. He was wounded by mortar shells in Italy in World War I and narrowly escaped death in the Spanish Civil War when three shells plunged into his hotel room.

 

In World War II, he was injured in a taxi accident that took place in a blackout. The author nearly died of blood poisoning on one African safari; he and his wife walked away from an airplane crash in 1954 on another big-game hunt.

 

Mr. Hemingway, who owned two estates in Cuba and a home in Key West, Fla., started coming to Ketchum twenty years ago. He bought his home here from Robert Topping about three years ago.

 

It is a large, ultramodern concrete structure that sits on a hillside near the banks of the Wood River. The windows give upon a panoramic view of the Sawtooth Mountains.

 

To Be Buried in Ketchum

 

"The funeral and burial will be in Ketchum," Mr. McGoldrick said. "This was Mr. Hemingway's home, he loved it here."

 

Under a new Idaho law that took effect yesterday, the chief law-enforcement officer must make an investigation into every case of violent death and determine the cause. He may hold an inquest if he wishes, but it is not mandatory.

 

Late in the day, Mr. McGoldrick said about the shooting:

 

"I can only say at this stage that the wound was self-inflicted. The wound was in the head. I couldn't say it was accidental and I couldn't say it was suicide. There wasn't anybody there."

 

The coroner said that the Sheriff did not have to hand in his report on the death "for several days."

 

"If anything comes up indicating foul play, he may hold an inquest," he said. "I don't think he'll hold an inquest but, based on new evidence, it could be called at any time."

 

He added: "He doesn't have to state in his report whether it was accidental or suicide."

 

Confers With Friends

 

"Mary felt it was accidental and I hope that's the way it will go out," Mr. Atkinson said. "But maybe we will have to change our plans and hold an inquest. I know that 'Papa' [Mr. Hemingway's nickname] wouldn't give a damn how it came out in the papers."

 

Previously, Mr. Atkinson had been busy trying to reach members of Mr. Hemingway's immediate family. He telephoned Mrs. Jasper J. Jepson, the novelist's sister, who said that she would fly to Ketchum immediately.

 

The author's 28-year-old son Gregory, a University of Miami medical student, will fly here from Miami tomorrow. Another son, Patrick, according to Mr. Atkinson, is on a safari in Africa and a third, John, is fishing in Oregon.

 

Mourned by Kennedy

 

Hyannis Port, Mass., July 2 (UPI)--President Kennedy mourned tonight the death of Ernest Hemingway, whom he called one of America's greatest authors and "one of the great citizens of the world."

 

The President, who is spending the Fourth of July weekend here with his family, issued a statement after hearing of Mr. Hemingway's death.

 

[QM2]

In response to the discussion of materials used for the bodies of vintage vs modern Montblancs, I will say these things:

 

1. I actually like the feel of modern Montblanc resin

 

2. All modern resins are not the same material. There are marked differences in thickness, density, durability, texture, gloss, and even warmth. Montblanc resin feels distinctly nicer to me than many other manufacturers' resins.

 

3. I do not care much for vintage celluloid. If we're talking vintage, then I prefer hard rubber and casein. To me, celluloid (nitrate) feels kind of disgusting in the hand; it ages badly and develops a decrepit look that no amount of cleaning up can fix. The gruesome sight of crystalised Sheaffer Jades and warped, decomposing Omases is enough to keep me away from the stuff for good.

 

4. My response to vintage celluloid is entirely personal and subjective, and I fully recognise that others may feel just the opposite. That's fine. Just keep in mind that some of us consciously choose modern materials over vintage ones, not due to lack of education/experience, but due to a simple difference in preferences. I love the look of many vintage pens and I do collect them, most notably casein Conway Stewart flat-tops from the 1920s. However, there are very few vintage writers in my daily rotations; when it comes right down to it, I almost always reach for a modern pen.

 

 

Edited February 12, 2009 by QM2

[Bearcat]

In response to the discussion of materials used for the bodies of vintage vs modern Montblancs, I will say these things:

 

1. I actually like the feel of modern Montblanc resin

 

2. All modern resins are not the same material. There are marked differences in thickness, density, durability, texture, gloss, and even warmth. Montblanc resin feels distinctly nicer to me than many other manufacturers' resins.

 

3. I do not care much for vintage celluloid. If we're talking vintage, then I prefer hard rubber and casein. To me, celluloid (nitrate) feels kind of disgusting in the hand; it ages badly and develops a decrepit look that no amount of cleaning up can fix. The gruesome sight of crystalised Sheaffer Jades and warped, decomposing Omases is enough to keep me away from the stuff for good.

 

4. My response to vintage celluloid is entirely personal and subjective, and I fully recognise that others may feel just the opposite. That's fine. Just keep in mind that some of us consciously choose modern materials over vintage ones, not due to lack of education/experience, but due to a simple difference in preferences. I love the look of many vintage pens and I do collect them, most notably casein Conway Stewart flat-tops from the 1920s. However, there are very few vintage writers in my daily rotations; when it comes right down to it, I almost always reach for a modern pen.

 

 

Yes. And don't forget that Montblanc uses that "precious resin"......has to be good stuff.......precious and all...I'm just sayin'.........

[QM2]

Yes. And don't forget that Montblanc uses that "precious resin"......has to be good stuff.......precious and all...I'm just sayin'.........

 

I never wrote or implied that. You don't have to think of Material X as "precious" in order to prefer it over Material Y. I prefer cotton over satin, because it feels better. I prefer Montblanc's resin over Sailor's resin, because it feels better. That's the extent of what I meant. And I stress again that this is just a description of my own, subjective response, and not a claim of objective superiority of one material over another.

 

My favourite modern resin is actually Visconti's "vegetal", no contest.

 

My favourite (non-metal) materials overall are ebonite and casein.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 12, 2009 by QM2

[archie001]

Aside the decoration, I would rather have a 149 with a better nib.

 

I have a 149 with a very good nib already...sooo...I now know how a Hemingway writing feels! :roflmho:

Edited February 12, 2009 by archie001

[niksch]

I do not care much for vintage celluloid.

 

That's too bad. And as much as you dislike celluloid, I really dislike HR. Especially when it turns brown. This is where personal preferences arise, and what can I say? Ya like what ya like.

[Wael El-Dasher]

Reading back this thread, the first point I made was how this pen divides opinions. This is always true of anything where differing views are all correct. The subjectivity level is high here, and everyone has acknowledged this, which makes it difficult to find a consensus. In the end we make our choices based on preferences and experience.

 

cheers

 

Wael

[niksch]

Reading back this thread, the first point I made was how this pen divides opinions. This is always true of anything where differing views are all correct. The subjectivity level is high here, and everyone has acknowledged this, which makes it difficult to find a consensus. In the end we make our choices based on preferences and experience.

 

I'll admit that was more eloquent than my "ya like what ya like."

Edited February 12, 2009 by niksch

[Wael El-Dasher]

I am with you Eric though...the feel of celluloid is amazing and had a profound effect on my perception of quality vintage MB pens. However I will admit the pen which I now gauge celluloid with was a restored example from Lutz at Penboard, which is probably a high standard of restoration. Others may have not had this experience, and probably, had I received an original, non restored, pen my experience would be different.

 

cheers

 

Wael