Mont Blanc

[baseballduck]

I know some of you have had experience with their pens. I personally really want a pen and pencil set from them if they do the sets. I know Cross does but does Mont Blanc do pen and pencil sets? Is there a good place to find a list of their dealers and a price list. I know they cost a arm and leg, but my biggest question is are they worth it. We write quite a bit at school so I want something that writes well. We use our laptops, but I still like good old pen writing. Since we use pencils in algebra that will come in handy too.

P.S. I notice the spelling error in the title and I can't change it. Just act like it says Montblanc

Thanks, Tyler

[Rockrolex]

Mont Blanc's are great pens. They never fail to write, they are comfortable to hold, they don't skip. I liken them to the Rolex of the pen world. Good rugged pens that can really take it and keep going.

But you need to test them. They come in different sizes, from fat to thin. You've got to make sure they are the right size for you.

I've got the fountain pen (Meisterstuck Hommage a W.A. Mozart) and the matching ball point. I generally only wear them with suits, because I find them a bit dressy for casual wear. But once in a while I will wear them with jeans, just like I'll wear my YG DD. Sort of making a fashion statement. :chuckle:

[FinWhiz]

Tyler,
It is not worth it. Really. At your age, there are plenty more smarter things you can do with that dough. To answer your question, you can expect to pay 250 - 300$ for a pen - mechanical pencil set of MB (the plain normal black ones).

[Gedanken]

Dunno, Ed - my experience with MB hasn't been so great. I've got the Meisterstuck Mozart too, and every time I try to write with it, the nib has to travel a half-cventimetre before the ink starts flowing. I've got two Watermans and neither of them has the same problem.

[baseballduck]

Tyler,
It is not worth it. Really. At your age, there are plenty more smarter things you can do with that dough. To answer your question, you can expect to pay 250 - 300$ for a pen - mechanical pencil set of MB (the plain normal black ones).
Hmm. Maybe I should stick with my Pilot or go to Cross.:chuckle: Still, is there a way to find AD's for them. I've seen a boutique in Charleston and we have one in Charlotte but thats like 5 hours away. Thats a long ways to go just to browse.

Tyler

[Rockrolex]

Tyler,
It is not worth it. Really. At your age, there are plenty more smarter things you can do with that dough. To answer your question, you can expect to pay 250 - 300$ for a pen - mechanical pencil set of MB (the plain normal black ones).
Hay, Fin, the holidays are approaching. Maybe he has some nice parents who are willing to reward him for good grades and to encourage him to continue in that direction. To say nothing of teaching him the finer things in life.

Eventually, Tyler can work his way up to learning about good single malts. After all, what can be better than sitting at your desk, writing up your notes with a fine writing instument, all the while sipping an 18 yr old Macallan. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[RogerF]

Did somebody say Mont Blanc and Rolex?

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b385/rogerf/nov23011.jpg

They go together VERY well. I know there are pens that write better (just like there are better watches than Rolex) but so far I have never had a prob with mine. The Meisterstuck in the pic (next to the Datejust) is 10 years old and running strong. =)

[baseballduck]

Hey Roger is that the Starwalker on the right? How do Montblanc compare to Cross? We have a Cross pen and pencil set somewhere around the house that I used to use at school all the time and they wrote wonderfully. BTW how much do the Starwalker rollerball and pencils cost? If you don't know it's not a problem. I also like the one on the left too. Alot.

Tyler

[baseballduck]

How exactly do they compare to something like Cross? I'm sure that there isn't much of a comparison but it's nice to know.

Tyler

[Rockrolex]

How exactly do they compare to something like Cross? I'm sure that there isn't much of a comparison but it's nice to know.

Tyler
I'm not crazy about regular Cross pens. I have a couple, but I find them generally too thin. The matt finish one is better than the smooth shiny barrel. My fingers tend to slide down the barrel of the smooth Cross. At least withthe matt finish, you get a better grip.

I still prefer the Mont Blanc. It's got more heft and I find the writing quality a bit better.

[----]

Well Tyler, I have had my MB pen and pencil for at least 10 years, and they have both worked great. Other than dropping them, they have not failed me in that time, even when they both recently went through the wash......:thumbsup:

http://img455.imageshack.us/img455/7944/pen0sr.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


I am very satisfied with them, and if you are seriously going to spend money on a pen and pencil, I won't steer you away from them.......however, I agree you might want to use the money for something else.

[Goodwatch]

I'm not crazy about regular Cross pens. I have a couple, but I find them generally too thin. The matt finish one is better than the smooth shiny barrel. My fingers tend to slide down the barrel of the smooth Cross. At least withthe matt finish, you get a better grip.

I still prefer the Mont Blanc. It's got more heft and I find the writing quality a bit better.

I write with a Scheaffer I bought in 2000. It has a fine nib. Fountain pens force you to write more careful and less sloppy but have some drawbacks. One of them is that I can't sign print-through vouchers and package slips with it. Or anything else that uses print-through copies. BTW, it was US$100 back then. I also have a Meisterstuck that I don't use anymore. The nib is medium plus and was a mistake on my part. It's over 20 years old and I just broke it. When reading this thread I took it out and tried to unscrew the filler cap. It was stuck because I hadn't used the thing for 10 years. And with a snap it came off. Dang! :thumbsdow

[Rockrolex]

I write with a Scheaffer I bought in 2000. It has a fine nib. Fountain pens force you to write more careful and less sloppy but have some drawbacks. One of them is that I can't sign print-through vouchers and package slips with it. Or anything else that uses print-through copies. BTW, it was US$100 back then. I also have a Meisterstuck that I don't use anymore. The nib is medium plus and was a mistake on my part. It's over 20 years old and I just broke it. When reading this thread I took it out and tried to unscrew the filler cap. It was stuck because I hadn't used the thing for 10 years. And with a snap it came off. Dang! :thumbsdow
Frans, you could have replaced the nib with one that was more to your liking. And I bet if you had soaked the Montblanc in some warm water before using brute force, you might have saved it. But I guess in a disposable society like the Dutch have, why bother. :rofl: :lol:

[Goodwatch]

Frans, you could have replaced the nib with one that was more to your liking. And I bet if you had soaked the Montblanc in some warm water before using brute force, you might have saved it. But I guess in a disposable society like the Dutch have, why bother. :rofl: :lol:

Now you tell me :banghead: But how would the hot water be able to penetrate the ink chamber past the plunger? The plunger is there to keep the ink in (and thus the water out).

[Gedanken]

Hmm - it looks like nobody else has the problem that I do with MBs. What kind of nibs do you have with yours?

[Goodwatch]

Hmm - it looks like nobody else has the problem that I do with MBs. What kind of nibs do you have with yours?

It is supposed to be medium but in my opinion it produces a big, fat line. And I was taught writing with pen and ink at school (1967), so that can't be it :banghead:

[Rockrolex]

Now you tell me :banghead: But how would the hot water be able to penetrate the ink chamber past the plunger? The plunger is there to keep the ink in (and thus the water out).
What do I know. I'm an electrical engineer by training, not a mechanical engineer. It just seemed like a good idea at the time. :lol:

[Goodwatch]

What do I know. I'm an electrical engineer by training, not a mechanical engineer. It just seemed like a good idea at the time. :lol:

Ahem, errr, well I did what you proposed and it, errr, kinda worked (I took the whole plunger mechanism out). This means I can repair it. Thanks dude :thumbsup:

P.S. I'll do a 100 and stand in the corner for an hour :rofl:

[Rockrolex]

Ahem, errr, well I did what you proposed and it, errr, kinda worked (I took the whole plunger mechanism out). This means I can repair it. Thanks dude :thumbsup:

P.S. I'll do a 100 and stand in the corner for an hour :rofl:
It takes a big man to admit he's an idiot. :lol: For that you only have to do 50. :rofl: :clap:

[Goodwatch]

It takes a big man to admit he's an idiot. :lol: For that you only have to do 50. :rofl: :clap:

On one arm only: 47......48.............. 49 ......................... 50! Done! :clap:

[JJ Irani]

On one arm only: 47......48.............. 49 ......................... 50! Done! :clap:
Now that I'd like to see!!:dummy: :dummy: :lol: :lol:

[Goodwatch]

Now that I'd like to see!!:dummy: :dummy: :lol: :lol:

You must know JJ, that I have a black belt in beer drinking. I've put in a lot of training over the years. :rofl: :lol:

[JJ Irani]

You must know JJ, that I have a black belt in beer drinking. I've put in a lot of training over the years. :rofl: :lol:
Then perhaps you could start doing push-ups on that "beer belly" of yours!!!:dummy: :dummy: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Goodwatch]

Then perhaps you could start doing push-ups on that "beer belly" of yours!!!:dummy: :dummy: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

I sill have that rock hard abs that I had 20 years ago. I know I have, I just can't find them anymore :rofl: :rofl:

[Rockrolex]

I sill have that rock hard abs that I had 20 years ago. I know I have, I just can't find them anymore :rofl: :rofl:
Have you checked somewhere around your knees? :rofl: :lol:

[JJ Irani]

Have you checked somewhere around your knees? :rofl: :lol:
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :lol: :lol: :lol: ...and this is how the hijacks start to happen!!

[Rockrolex]

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :lol: :lol: :lol: ...and this is how the hijacks start to happen!!
They just kind of sneak up on you, don't they? :rofl: :lol: :clap: :thumbsup:

[Goodwatch]

Have you checked somewhere around your knees? :rofl: :lol:

That's something else :chuckle: Have you formed a tag-team with John, you tosser? :lol:

[JJ Irani]

They just kind of sneak up on you, don't they? :rofl: :lol: :clap: :thumbsup:
Aren't we bloody good....and proud of it!!!:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Rockrolex]

That's something else :chuckle: Have you formed a tag-team with John, you tosser? :lol:
Well, John's away for the weekend, so someone had to step in and carry on for him. :rofl: :lol: :clap: :thumbsup:

[Goodwatch]

Aren't we bloody good....and proud of it!!!:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

You, you, you, Kiwi tosser, always in the corner where the easy laughs are to be found! :rofl: :rofl: :lol:

[JJ Irani]

You, you, you, Kiwi tosser, always in the corner where the easy laughs are to be found! :rofl: :rofl: :lol:
"Easy laughs"? And what about the millions of times you jokers laugh at my expense?:dummy: :dummy: :lol: :lol:

[Goodwatch]

"Easy laughs"? And what about the millions of times you jokers laugh at my expense?:dummy: :dummy: :lol: :lol:

That's different, you ask for it. Better still, you secretly enjoy it! Admit it, tosser :rofl: :rofl: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[JJ Irani]

That's different, you ask for it. Better still, you secretly enjoy it! Admit it, tosser :rofl: :rofl: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Enjoy? Yes, why not....I know the jokes are in good fun and, more importantly, they are from guys I truly love....that's the most important thing of all!!:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[baseballduck]

HIJACK-A-THON!!!!!! Haha JJ said "beer belly". Haha beer belly. Tee hee.

Tyler

[JJ Irani]

HIJACK-A-THON!!!!!! Haha JJ said "beer belly". Haha beer belly. Tee hee.

Tyler
:chuckle: :chuckle: :chuckle:

[Goodwatch]

HIJACK-A-THON!!!!!! Haha JJ said "beer belly". Haha beer belly. Tee hee.

Tyler

Well, once in another time and in a galaxy far, far away this was a thread about Monblanc fountain pens. Untill some loosers hijacked it. JJ? :dummy: :lol: :lol:

[JJ Irani]

Well, once in another time and in a galaxy far, far away this was a thread about Monblanc fountain pens. Untill some loosers hijacked it. JJ? :dummy: :lol: :lol:
I have hijacking rights too on this forum!!!:lol: :lol:

[baseballduck]

Well, once in another time and in a galaxy far, far away this was a thread about Monblanc fountain pens. Untill some loosers hijacked it. JJ? :dummy: :lol: :lol:
I never said FOUNTAIN pens. Now Fountain Power boats, thats a different story. They hold the world record for fastest boat. It's a company about 30 miles away from here. Uber expensive boats too. Their average power boat goes in the 6 figures. Check out their site. http://www.fountainpowerboats.com/

Tyler

Oh yea and that factory boat sale at the bottom, that's probably BS.

[JJ Irani]

I never said FOUNTAIN pens. Now Fountain Power boats, thats a different story. They hold the world record for fastest boat. It's a company about 30 miles away from here. Uber expensive boats too. Their average power boat goes in the 6 figures. Check out their site. http://www.fountainpowerboats.com/

Tyler

Oh yea and that factory boat sale at the bottom, that's probably BS.
Interesting link, thanks Tyler. Never heard of them before although Mercury outboard motors are world famous. Great link!!:thumbsup:

[Goodwatch]

I never said FOUNTAIN pens.
.

No, you said pens. Just checking! :chuckle: Are you sure you don't want to become a lawyer? Heaven forbid :rofl:

[JJ Irani]

No, you said pens. Just checking! :chuckle: Are you sure you don't want to become a lawyer? Heaven forbid :rofl:
He wants to become a heart surgeon so he can operate on lawyers!!:lol: :lol: :lol:

[baseballduck]

No, you said pens. Just checking! :chuckle: Are you sure you don't want to become a lawyer? Heaven forbid :rofl:
:lol: :rofl: :rofl:

Tyler

[baseballduck]

He wants to become a heart surgeon so he can operate on lawyers!!:lol: :lol: :lol:
:lol: :rofl: :rofl:

Tyler

[Rockrolex]

He wants to become a heart surgeon so he can operate on lawyers!!:lol: :lol: :lol:
That's so he can remove whatever bit of heart we have left so we can become meaner and more viscious. :rocking: :angry::machinegu

[JJ Irani]

That's so he can remove whatever bit of heart we have left so we can become meaner and more viscious. :rocking: :angry::machinegu
Having spoken with you over the phone and over SKYPE quite a few times, Ed...I find that very hard to believe of a person like you!!:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[Goodwatch]

That's so he can remove whatever bit of heart we have left so we can become meaner and more viscious. :rocking: :angry::machinegu

Since when do lawyers have a heart? I thought they have a bankaccount in their chest, beating at the tune of $500 an hour :rofl: (I know, I know, very predictable and cheap :lol:)

[JJ Irani]

Was this thread something about Mont Blanc pens a long, long time ago?:dummy: :dummy: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Goodwatch]

Was this thread something about Mont Blanc pens a long, long time ago?:dummy: :dummy: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I quote from post #37:

"Well, once in another time and in a galaxy far, far away this was a thread about Monblanc fountain pens. Untill some loosers hijacked it. JJ?"

Pay attention JJ :rofl: :rofl:

[Rockrolex]

I quote from post #37:

"Well, once in another time and in a galaxy far, far away this was a thread about Monblanc fountain pens. Untill some loosers hijacked it. JJ?"

Pay attention JJ :rofl: :rofl:
Uh, shouldn't that be tossers in the interest of accuracy? :rofl: :lol: :clap: :dummy:

[Goodwatch]

Uh, shouldn't that be tossers in the interest of accuracy? :rofl: :lol: :clap: :dummy:

Is that how you guys make their money? Weighing and regurgitating each and every word? :banghead:All in the 'interest' of the client of course :rofl: And the final bill :rofl:

All things put aside, what do you practise? Corporate law? Family?

[Rockrolex]

Is that how you guys make their money? Weighing and regurgitating each and every word? :banghead:All in the 'interest' of the client of course :rofl: And the final bill :rofl:

All things put aside, what do you practise? Corporate law? Family?

That's right. And my final bil to you is $5,000. Please send a certified check. We do not accept credit cards. :clap: :dummy: :lol:

I practice Intellectual Property law. Primarily the protection, licensing and enforcement of patents and trademarks. You can check out my firm's website at www.skgf.com (http://www.skgf.com).

[Gentleman8]

Anybody has Montblanc cufflinks? They are quite handsome.

[----]

Anybody has Montblanc cufflinks? They are quite handsome.

Yes - I have a pair. Round gold with mother of pearl inlay........

[Thurnau]

I like their pens a lot too. You need to write with them befor buying one. They all have different character. A rollerball tends to have a smoother feel than a ballpoint. Ballpoint tends to drag a little bit more, you feel the pen on the paper better. I never tried a fountain pen, do they write good? Also the way the pen feels in your hand changes. I got a starwalker ballpoint over the rollerball because when you remove the cap, the grip feels weird to me. Using a small pen hurts my fingers after extended writing. The best thing I love about my Montblanc pens are the ink. I am left handed so I drag my hand over each word I write and the ink doesn't smear at all, and it always writes so smooth. You can get a nice montvlanc pen from SAMS club for around 100 dollars, which is how I got my first one.

[Atomic]

Yes - I have a pair. Round gold with mother of pearl inlay........


Where do you store the ink? :bartmoon:

[baseballduck]

Woa, it got all ressurected..........and stuff. Schweet!

Tyler

[Manatee]

Tyler,

I like Montblanc, but just be aware that if you buy anything but a fountain pen, you're not getting a product that they are really known for -- you're just getting a pen like any other, but with the Montblanc name on it. Now, I've got to admit, I've bought a couple of non-fountain Montblancs myself -- because fountain pens are just too much trouble for me. I have a Skywalker rubber-clad ballpoint, which I love. It's my "everyday" pen. I recently got one of their sliver 100th anniversary pens that's made of silver, with granite from Mont Blanc on the cap, and a Montblanc logo-shaped diamond at the top. I got the roller-ball version, and I use it all the time. This one is about $2,000, though, so it may not be exactly what you want. I also have a few others, including limited editions and such. Those are all fountain pens.

There are plenty of other great brands that are at least as good as Montblanc. Probably my favorite is S.T. Dupont. If I carry a fountain pen, it is my Dupont. There are many beautiful "art" pens too, but they are not the sort of thing a student would carry in his/her pocket.

If you want something with a matching pencil, I'd stick with Cross. Just get one of the more unusual models, so you don't look like everyone else with a boring old gold-plated pen and pencil set.

[Rockrolex]

I have Mont Blanc and Waterman fountain pens, as well as ball points for each. I much prefer the Mont Blanc. Both the fountain pen (med. point) and the ball point are very smooth and never skip. Mont Blanc is like Rolex - a great high end pen, but there are always more expensive ones around. But like Rolex, Mont Blanc has more name recognition than the others.

[Goodwatch]

The artificially archaic Mont Blanc represents an extreme. The firm makes a whole range of pens, from slim, cylindrical ballpoints to conventional, sleek fountain pens. But the Meisterstuck Diplomat, as it is known, is the only one of their models to qualify as cult object. The attention to details is extraordinary: Diplomats have all the elaboration of Latin-American banknotes. The word Meisterstuck is carved in fist-deep letters in the gold band around the cap, and cross-hatched to fool the counterfeiters. There are two versions, varying in size. The 148 is large, the 149 is simply vast. Obviously there is a whimsical streak somewhere in the Mont Blanc organisation: amid the baroque flourishes on the 14-carat nib is inscribed, in the cramped hand of a Prussian bank clerk, the number 4810, the height in metres of the eponymous mountain peak. The pen’s bulk offers plenty of scope for intimidatory manoeuvres in the course of those diplomatic confrontations that it contrives to suggest it was designed for. You can fiddle with the top at difficult moments, with the studied deliberation that one assumes comes naturally to the representatives of Her Britannic Majesty or unscrew the top and fix it to the end furthest of the nib, in doing so, inflating its proportions to the scale of a baton.

From: Cult Objects.

[Launch Mini]

I use Cross pen/pencils.
Since I work with pencils most ( so I can erase my errors), I found I really like the Cross pencil. I have one that I used for about 15 years without a problem. I said "used" because the matt finished has become a high gloss surface from daily use.
I have yet to find a pen that writes properly. Every bloody one I use, the writing turns out like a Doctor wrote it, nothing but chicken scratch.

[Goodwatch]

I use Cross pen/pencils.
Since I work with pencils most ( so I can erase my errors), I found I really like the Cross pencil. I have one that I used for about 15 years without a problem. I said "used" because the matt finished has become a high gloss surface from daily use.
I have yet to find a pen that writes properly. Every bloody one I use, the writing turns out like a Doctor wrote it, nothing but chicken scratch.

Ehhh, don't want to appear rude, but are you sure it's the pens? :rofl: :rofl: I use a clay tablet myself, never run out of ink :clap:

[Gentleman8]

A few years ago I was staying at a hotel in Japan and had a Montblanc pen in my room. One day I came back and realised that the pen was gone. Vanished. Knowing the scrupulous honesty of the Japanese I was quite surprised. I called reception to report this anyways.

After like an hour a bell boy knocked at my door and handed me the pen. I was surprised again. The guy wouldn't say how he found it so fast (or at all), so I rang the reception again, said I was not upset, just curious.

What had happened is this: the hotel put a pen and a pad in every guestroom. These pens looked a lot like Montblanc minus the snowcap on top. When housekeeping went to do my room they thought I had 2 hotel issue pens and took one back (which happened to be my Montblanc) and put it where they keep guestroom stationery and toiletries. I was lucky to get it back..

[Atomic]

A few years ago I was staying at a hotel in Japan and had a Montblanc pen in my room. One day I came back and realised that the pen was gone. Vanished. Knowing the scrupulous honesty of the Japanese I was quite surprised. I called reception to report this anyways.

After like an hour a bell boy knocked at my door and handed me the pen. I was surprised again. The guy wouldn't say how he found it so fast (or at all), so I rang the reception again, said I was not upset, just curious.

What had happened is this: the hotel puts a pen and a pad in every guestroom. These pens look a lot like Montblanc minus the snowcap on top. When housekeeping went to do my room they thought I had 2 hotel issue pens and took one back (which happened to be my Montblanc) and put with where they keep guestroom stationery and toiletries. I was lucky to get it back..

Yeah, yeah... sure, sure... nice way to score a free MB pen. :thumbsup:




:justkiddi :agree:

[Gentleman8]

Yeah, yeah... sure, sure... nice way to score a free MB pen. :thumbsup:


Ehehe, actually it could have been any Montblanc; they could have run to a nearby shop and buy a brand new one for me just to "save face" (they would have had to correctly guess the size and model though). But I could tell it was really mine; I had slightly damaged the holding clip when I dropped the pen in a concrete stairway a few days earlier... :thumbsup:

By the way Montblanc pens also have serial numbers.. Anyone knows if you can get any information from those?
The MB website FAQ says that they only started using serial numbers in 1991.

[Mort]

The Montblanc Serial numbers are mainly used to track what dealer they came from. Yes, they also are used to show they are not fakes as well.

Several years ago Montblanc pulled their pens out of regular markets, like Office Depot, Office Max and other large stores that sold them at big discounts. Montblanc wants the brand to be more exclusive, so it is only offered to "Authorized Montblanc Dealers".

Their boutiques, jewelry stores, some luggage store and some specialty pen stores are now the only places MB will sell to.

The little numbers on the clip are now used to track what dealers the pens came from for policy knowledge.

Montblanc has internet pricing policies like Rolex does. In the U.S. Montblanc products are not allowed to be listed with list prices and most definatly no dicount prices shown. So if you see a dicounted MB pen or other product on a website, you can be most assured they are not an authorized dealer. Montblanc allows its reps to buy dicounted products from these internet sites offering the pens and then will get the numbers off the pens and find out what dealers are reselling the products to non authorized dealers and in most cases pull their accounts.

Also in some cases if you buy from an un authorized dealer, you will get a grey market pen that MB will not stand behind. Keep in mind Montblanc is like Rolex in one other major way. It is the most copied pen on the market.

[Gentleman8]

Very interesting, thank you Mort!

[Goodwatch]

This is mine. A Meisterstuck 149 bought ca. 1984. The other pen is my daily 'beater', a Shaeffer. This is the best writing pen (for me) to date. The MB is too unwieldy to write long with and I find it writes too ‘fat’, despite the medium nib.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a206/CrownBar/MB.jpg

[Goodwatch]

Also in some cases if you buy from an un authorized dealer, you will get a grey market pen that MB will not stand behind. Keep in mind Montblanc is like Rolex in one other major way. It is the most copied pen on the market.

In the days of yesteryear I bought a Nakamichi 582 casette deck. Through grey import, saving me over 500 guilders (almost 25%). But when I informed with the official importer a couple of years later for some service all they did is ask the serial #. No service, no chance for a new set of heads, nothing! That's how they protect their interests, but in fact it is a monopoly :thumbsdow

[Mort]

That could be a Monopoly, but the main thing is Montblanc is trying to protect its brand image as well, as its Authorized dealers.

As a Pen dealer with a real store, we have to be able to compete with all the internet dealers who run the business out of their basements. I have no problem with that. I believe in free market. But I also believe that a company like Montblanc does have a right to pick who they want to sell their products and the means in which they can sell it.

For example, most anyone can go to some of the pen companies and say they want to deal their products. If they come up with the cash for a large opening order(meaning inventory of most of all the product lime made) the pen companies will open you up. Most of these companies do not care how you sell or what you sell it for. Those compaines are not trying to protect thier brand image.

Montblanc, Cartier, Dunhill and a few other luxury compaines care. They do not want to see the market filled with their pens sold a basement prices, that is not their image. So they put these constraints on their marketing.

As a Rolex person, I bought because of the quality, durability and also the image that goes along with Rolex. The same is true with most of my pen customers and especially my Montblanc customers. Yes there are pens that are much better than Montblanc, just like there are watches that are much better than Rolex, but most of us keep buying Rolex.

Also as far as your "beater pen", the Sheaffer Balance is one of the nicest writing pens Sheaffer put out. We keep wishing they would bring it back out. Its always good to see people who really use Fountain pens, ballpens and rollerballs are nice, but once you write with fountain pens, the others are not the same. Nice pens.

[Goodwatch]

Also as far as your "beater pen", the Sheaffer Balance is one of the nicest writing pens Sheaffer put out. We keep wishing they would bring it back out. Its always good to see people who really use Fountain pens, ballpens and rollerballs are nice, but once you write with fountain pens, the others are not the same. Nice pens.

And they still have spare parts! I had the cap replaced in January :thumbsup:

[SSB]

Good rugged pens that can really take it and keep going.



I would disagree with you there, Ed. Mont Blancs ( And other Pens in Resin) are notoriously fragile. One drop and you will break something for sure. I know, I have been there, done that :)

If one wants a tough pen ( FP or BP) , its best to stick with a Cross pen in Steel. Cross pens are ideal for everyday usage and take the drops and hits of everyday life quite well.

[Uncle-AJ]

I would disagree with you there, Ed. Mont Blancs ( And other Pens in Resin) are notoriously fragile. One drop and you will break something for sure. I know, I have been there, done that :)

If one wants a tough pen ( FP or BP) , its best to stick with a Cross pen in Steel. Cross pens are ideal for everyday usage and take the drops and hits of everyday life quite well.
Hi Suhail and how have you been?:cheers:

I have to agree with you, Mont Blancs are made of plastic and very fragile plastic at that. I stopped using mine (ball point) when the plastic around the ball area split for a second time.:banghead:

[Manatee]

Mont Blancs ( And other Pens in Resin) are notoriously fragile. One drop and you will break something for sure. I know, I have been there, done that :)
I agree about the resin-bodied pens. That's why my ballpoint is a rubber-clad Montblanc Starwalker. It's so tough, I can use it to pry open stuck doors, and remove stubborn nails. ;-)

My Montblanc rollerball, with its silver body, is pretty sturdy, but I worry about the granite portion around the cap. I'd hate to see that on the floor in several pieces. The diamond at the top, on the other hand, is sealed inside a clear plastic tomb, like that on top of the Starwalker models. I keep this pen in a leather sheath in my pocket.

I just checked a few of my fountain pens (remember when I was "into" fountain pens? ;-)), and they've all dried up. Oh well. Maybe someday I'll clean one of them out so I can use it. Probably the Dupont.

[colemanitis]

I've got a Frederic Chopin 145 Montblanc fountain pen. I've used it everyday for the past year and love it.

[Rockrolex]

I would disagree with you there, Ed. Mont Blancs ( And other Pens in Resin) are notoriously fragile. One drop and you will break something for sure. I know, I have been there, done that :)

If one wants a tough pen ( FP or BP) , its best to stick with a Cross pen in Steel. Cross pens are ideal for everyday usage and take the drops and hits of everyday life quite well.
Hi, Suhail, how are you? Good to see you here again. :cheers: :cheers:

Maybe I'm just not as tough on pens as some others. I've never had any problems with either of my MB's (fountain or ball point).

[SSB]

.

I just checked a few of my fountain pens (remember when I was "into" fountain pens? ;-)), and they've all dried up. Oh well. Maybe someday I'll clean one of them out so I can use it. Probably the Dupont.

My advice is that you dismantle the pen and wash the nib under running water for a minute or so.

Then put all the parts into a glassful of water for a couple of days.

Repeat the washing process under running water and your pen will be as good as new.

[SSB]

Hi, Suhail, how are you? Good to see you here again. :cheers: :cheers:

Maybe I'm just not as tough on pens as some others. I've never had any problems with either of my MB's (fountain or ball point).

Hey, Ed ... I too am careful with my pens, but you know accidents happen :)

And my Cross pens are better equipped to handle falls from my desk and Krish's hands than my Mont Blancs

[Manatee]

My advice is that you dismantle the pen and wash the nib under running water for a minute or so.

Then put all the parts into a glassful of water for a couple of days.

Repeat the washing process under running water and your pen will be as good as new.
Or I could just buy a bunch of new ones. :thumbsup:

But seriously, thanks for the instructions, mysterious SSB. :-)

[SSB]

Or I could just buy a bunch of new ones. :thumbsup:

But seriously, thanks for the instructions, mysterious SSB. :-)

I bet you'd buy 50 of them ;)

[dman]

I would disagree with you there, Ed. Mont Blancs ( And other Pens in Resin) are notoriously fragile. One drop and you will break something for sure. I know, I have been there, done that :)

If one wants a tough pen ( FP or BP) , its best to stick with a Cross pen in Steel. Cross pens are ideal for everyday usage and take the drops and hits of everyday life quite well.
Suhail! I hope you and yours are all well mate. :thumbsup:

[s7horton]

I used to sell and want Waterman pens and pencils. I had a very nice 24K cross pen that I couldn't stand to use. (Given to me as a gift)

Now, I'm hip to the Pilot G2 pens. Those can take the drops of everyday life. And if they can't, just buy another for a $1.99.