patrick_y
[PuristSPro Moderator]
33533
Exactly.
Montblanc pens are decent. But, if you look at other brands of pens, Montblanc can be seen as a poor value. Thus, I would say, the best pieces from Montblanc are standard 146 and 149 pens. The value in the pen is in the size of the feed and the size of the nib. Larger nibs are generally "bouncier" or more flexible and have better writing characteristics.
For instance, the Guggenheim model we both like, that has the same size nib as the 146, which has a 6mm feed. The 149 pen has an 8-9mm feed and thus an even larger gold nib.
4mm feed with the standard Montblanc nib; 146 model with a 6mm feed with a large nib; and a 149 model with a 9mm feed with an extra large nib! When I say size of the nib, I'm not referring to Fine, Medium Broad; I'm referring to the actual size of the gold material.
Other German pens that are less expensive than Montblanc and yet have a wonderful writing experience include the Pelikan brand which is very similar to Montblanc and is very wet and smooth. A Pelikan is about 20-30% less than a Montblanc and is really a great pen. I recommend the Pelikan M800 and M1000 models; which are equivalent to the Montblanc 146 and 149 models.
I also highly recommend the Pilot model of pens; they're incredibly smooth. Not quite as wet as the European brands. But absolutely delightful pens to write with.
Do You Buy Quality Or Do You Buy A Brand Name?
Let's face it. Some of us get excited simply because there's a Patek Philippe logo on a wallet. Not realizing those wallets are made by an external corporate gifts supplier who hired a contract manufacturer in Florence, Italy to make the wallets. An emper...
I almost bought a niche high end handbag co in 2024…
I think there’s a lot of money to be made in lunching downstream brands with lower quality. Still good, just more value focused.
Absolutely, lots of opportunities.
You only have to be slightly better than Hermes, and you would be able to sell in high volumes. Also, look at M.A.D. watches, the revenue from that is substantial!
Yeah the one concern I had though
Is that many people don’t really care about quality. It’s surprising to me and I don’t get it fully
People buy an image.
Driving this brand of car, wearing this brand of clothes, wearing this style of watch; all have these connotations and stereotypes. I want to be associated with those stereotypes, or I think I fit those stereotypes, thus I buy that brand of car/clothes/wa...
I don't let an "influencer" or a paid celebrity
endorser try to tell me what to buy. Personally I look for quality, in any product over the brand name attached to it. I have said it before on the forum, name brands and high prices do not always indicate high quality. Look closely at what you are purcha...
Gotta look closely at the Montblanc products...
The pens are made in-house and are of a very high quality (but at an even higher price tag). But the leather goods are dear in price and not usually dear in quality.
I saw an "undercover" video of
Montblanc bags being made by workers less than qualified to do so, and it was not flattering to Montblanc. I have confidence in their writing instruments and have several, I do find them to be high quality albiet expensive, As much as Iike their leather g...
That is what keeps me form buying a Montblanc
bag, fear of spending big $$$$ and getting an inferior product. But that is the risk with any purchase anymore. Buyer Beware!!
Montblanc has most of the pens made in-house in Hamburg.
Even the gold nibs are made in house and not contracted out anymore (they were using an external supplier at one point).
Exactly.
Montblanc pens are decent. But, if you look at other brands of pens, Montblanc can be seen as a poor value. Thus, I would say, the best pieces from Montblanc are standard 146 and 149 pens. The value in the pen is in the size of the feed and the size of th...
I got the Borghese one.
But I didn't get the Guggenheim. The Borghese is fairly modern looking. I do like the Guggenheim, but alas, I can't use them all! I still really like Peter the Great. What a stately pen! Totally uncomfortable to write with though! I've never written with ...
Some years ago I was crossing the Atlantic sitting by an elegant looking older gentleman. I think our destination was Amsterdam or Paris. In any case, his final destination was China.
Eventually we started a friendly conversation and I learned he owned some duty-free stores worldwide and was traveling to China to meet with the head of a large manufacturer of clothing. To cut it short, he explained how these people would make shirts for...
Lots of those in Hong Kong.
Li and Fung is a business that does that - I don't know if they own retail stores in airports. But they do make garments for many well known brands.
Quality over a name, yes.
But, certain names do associate with a history and assurance of quality. In Italy there are so many independent leather establishments with no particular name and which I would always choose over many standard high street luxury brands.
Really hard to find a big name that really is about quality - it's more about the history of the brand these days.
Almost hard to think of a big name that is still super-focused on quality. At least in the leathergoods industry.
Yes, it seems that big names are more focused on mass production and getting
the product on store shelves quickly that they have let quality become a thing of the past.
I think about it as a journey
In my experience very few people are interested in substance and understanding the product that they buy. For example I'm always surprised at the amount of people who have no clue what kind of engine is in their cars, the same can be said about watches or...
I take it you're not a "Porsche person."
No offense to Porsche fanatics - I used to be one. But the 911 and the Boxster/Cayman are the only very-expensive cars that still use a MacPherson strut suspension (aka single wishbone suspension). Rolls Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin, McLaren, Lamborghini,...
I guess for the layman
a brand name gives the confidence that the product would be at a certain level of quality. Whether the premium you pay for the brand over the no name product is worth the extra confidence (or quality) is another matter. I for one have to rely on the brand...
Absolutely. Pragmatically speaking, we can't be an expert in all things. That's why we turn to brands we feel we can trust.
I don't drink coffee. But I still need to buy a coffeemaker every now and then. And when I do, I go to a reputable kitchen appliance store and buy the shiniest looking machine. We can't be experts in all things. But, let's say I claim to be an expert in w...
I fully agree with you, Patrick, on what you say on fountain pens and watches.
I shall wait patiently for your article on the European leather artisan. By the way, I remember well your great articles on the Faber Castel pencil and the luggage.
Thank you for the comparison and explanation, Patrick.
The differences between the calfskin and the crocodile examples are quite clear here. Looking forward to reading your article on the European artisan. Wishing you an enjoyable weekend. Best, Emmanuel
As to the initial question: quality every time.
I am not impressed by brand recognition, celebrity endorsement, etc. (Not even secondary market demand.) Give me an outstanding quality, under-recognized underdog, and I'm happy. ;-D