Sure glad new Mont Blancs are so expensive.
- Thread starter accunlmtd
- Start date
That's it and like Owen said, it is not available in the US
I have a coworker that goes somewhere in Europe every year. He has become my connection. To order from overseas the postage is almost as much as the ink.
I agree here. If you see what Japanese pens you can buy for a couple of hundreds, I cannot but wonder whether the markup you have to pay for a Mont Blanc is really worthwile. I'm pretty much convinced that they don't write better than the cheaper Japanese pens, and until know I haven't been able to convince myself that the looks are worth that much money on top.
I do agree that they can look really really nice (I'm a bit in love with the 2015 special edition Daniel Defoe pen myself), but, phew, it's a lot of money !
Wouldn't it be easier to just order it from Amazon?
Presumably because something is not right with the label ... so it's not even the ink itself that is problematic.That's it and like Owen said, it is not available in the US
Unfortunately, since I live in the EU, I am well aware of labeling idiocy :-(
About pens: I have two Pelikans, and one Montblanc. Both are excellent and classy pens.
I'll probably be travelling to Switzerland this year, and I anticipate restocking my supply of 4001 Blue-Black. I like the ink, it's waterproof, and an attractive color. It tends to run on the dry side, so it's best used in wet pens (i.e., gushers).
I prefer Pelikan to Mont Blanc, partly the whole Mont Blanc lifestyle thing is a turn-off for me, but mostly because I simply prefer the aesthetics of the Pelikans. I have a blue M805 (rhodium-trim version of the M800) and it's beautiful. It also wrote perfectly out of the box, and I like the fact that I can disassemble it myself if I need to. To be honest, just being able to remove the nib unit makes cleaning much easier.
Just ignore the whole "Montblanc Lifestyle" thing. Hanging out at the Montblanc forum on FPN has taught me that. Enjoy them for being good pens. Build-wise, they beat Pelikan. My Monteverde Prima beats my Pelikan. Hell, I got my dad a $44 Conklin Duragraph in Amber finish for Christmas, and that thing looks stunning feels better in the hand than a $300 M600. Stick a 14k nib on a TWSBI 580 and make it green with stripes, and is Pelikan really that much better? Maybe the manufacturing tolerances are better but not $400 better. Is a Pelikan better than a Lamy 2000? The nib on that one is just as smooth as my M600's, and they both have the same ink currently. The Pelikan's nib is just a bit softer because it's not hooded.
ANY luxury pen brand is selling you a name and a lifestyle. You just have to ignore it and say "I want this pen because I like it" or "It's iconic, and I want one in my collection." Not being able to maintenance a Montblanc 146 or 149 is REALLY annoying, and the major reason why I won't be hunting multiples down on the used market. That, and while they write really well, they don't write any better than my Pilots.
But I still love the one I own because it feels awesome in the hand and looks great. And I don't think about belonging to any lifestyle when I use it. Honestly, I think the only people that DO are people that treat MB as the only brand of pens they know, and thus worthwhile to own. Because MB tells them that.
ANY luxury pen brand is selling you a name and a lifestyle. You just have to ignore it and say "I want this pen because I like it" or "It's iconic, and I want one in my collection." Not being able to maintenance a Montblanc 146 or 149 is REALLY annoying, and the major reason why I won't be hunting multiples down on the used market. That, and while they write really well, they don't write any better than my Pilots.
But I still love the one I own because it feels awesome in the hand and looks great. And I don't think about belonging to any lifestyle when I use it. Honestly, I think the only people that DO are people that treat MB as the only brand of pens they know, and thus worthwhile to own. Because MB tells them that.
Like I said, my main reason for preferring Pelikan is that I think they look nicer. I'm also not claiming that they're better than any other pen, better is extremely subjective. I would argue that for me to use at work the Lamy 2000 beats it because it's understated and durable. Horses for courses.
The more I look at that Cafe Creme limited edition M200, the more I want it. Damn you, Pelikan. You're going to make me break my rule of not paying over a certain threshold for a steel-nibbed pen!
Oh man! I did so NOT need to see that!!
I'm getting one as soon as it's released stateside. If John Mottishaw stocks them, all the better. That way I'll be sure to get a good nib.
Are these limited editions numbered, like 1000 pieces worldwide or something?
And who has experience with the steel "italic" Pelikan nib? What's it like?
Are these limited editions numbered, like 1000 pieces worldwide or something?
And who has experience with the steel "italic" Pelikan nib? What's it like?
Where? Not sure if I know enough to be able to tell a legit one from a non on thebay.
Nice MB's can be had on the secondary market for more than 50% off the new price. They are a nice pen
There's always the classifieds on FPN then...authentic ones are sold there. But if you're going the Ebay route, make sure the seller has pictures of the piston knob extended. I don't believe the fakers have bothered to fake a MB piston filler...yet.
They're faking the serial number, the "Pix" on the clip underside (but even then, "Pix" doesn't apply to pre-1997 pens, and pre-1991 pens don't have serial numbers).
If the seller is in China, avoid. If the seller is in Russia, avoid. If the seller is in France or Germany/Western Europe or the US and has good feedbacks selling used or vintage pens...you're probably okay.
Ah.. thanks.
I will check out FPN.
I will check out FPN.
I have bought some great Mont Blancs on Ebay. Once bought a 146 that was a daily writer for a gentleman who had worked in the German embassy. I still regret selling the pen. It was from the '60s and had a great feel and wrote great.
On the fountain pen network the issue with Mont Blancs is that there are a number of people who feel that Mont Blancs are quality pens for quality people and the rest are resigned to steerage. There was one guy who would constantly post threads about who had the best nibs, who had the best body, which pens wrote the best and of course his conclusion was always Mont Blanc.
On the fountain pen network the issue with Mont Blancs is that there are a number of people who feel that Mont Blancs are quality pens for quality people and the rest are resigned to steerage. There was one guy who would constantly post threads about who had the best nibs, who had the best body, which pens wrote the best and of course his conclusion was always Mont Blanc.
