Pros and cons of Mont Blanc fountain pens.
I have several Mont Blanc pens, aware of the price. What are the pros and
cons of the fountain pens? I want to get a Meisterstuck, the price is holding
me back however.. At a past job our receptionist came in one day with a
bag of pens and went to each of us and said my husband said to take
what you want, he doesn't want or use these anymore. I spotted a
Mont Blanc and Waterman mechanical pencils and took them both.
I felt a bit guilty and took the to her telling her wat they were and maybe her husband
didn't mean to include them. She said no, just keep them. I still use them both
to this day.,
Good and solid choice
The Meisterstück fountain pen is a true classical piece of handwriting hardware. Nothing to say against it. I personally prefer the medium one with a F or M gold nib. The B is writing too broad. Combine it with one of Montblanc‘s own inks. Enjoy! ;-)
No fountain pen nostalgy
I have no nostalgy with fountain pens at all.
Balpoint is ok.
I am also shocked about the high prices of Montblanc pens. And like you it holding me back.
My Parker is a lot affordable.
Balpoint is ok.
I am also shocked about the high prices of Montblanc pens. And like you it holding me back.
My Parker is a lot affordable.
Pro of Montblanc FPs
The artisan pieces are usually great in value increase and fun to use (like PP, Rolex etc)
Con: hard to get an allocation and costly (now >40,000 USD)
It is personal preference and choice. You need to try any pen you buy. I wanted a Meisterstuck. I tried many pens. Ended up with something I was unfamiliar with. A Montegrappa.
For my fingers, the Montegrappa just felt better. The broad nib was also very smooth. However, I am disappointed with the cartridges which are hard to source, have low ink yield and dry up faster than snowfall in the Sahara. Go try as many pens as you can. With all the nib options. Your fingers and penmanship will choose your pen for you.
I only have a couple comments but they're not necessarily Montblanc-specific.
I've had some of my pens since the '80s. Not all are fountain pens but that's irrelevant for this first comment. Some resin pens, such as the basic Montblanc, can crack if dropped. The lower body of two Montblanc rollerball pens I've had cracked. One not too bad so I still use it as-is, but the other was unusable with the crack. But the same happened to a Parker resin fountain pen. However, these pens were decades old before they cracked so perhaps years of constant use caused stress to the resin, weakening them.
Second, I don't use my fountain pens that often so the ink seems to just disappear over time. I assume the fluid evaporates but it doesn't even seem to leave any residue, which I find strange. So, if you don't plan on using them often, fountain pens my be a bit inconvenient, although no one uses a fountain pen for its convenience. I just checked and all my fountain pens are now empty even though they were filled a few months ago (probably longer ago than I think).
In general, I find my Montblancs comfortable to use with a nice feel when writing. But I would say the same for my other fountain pens so I'm not so sure anything I just said is very helpful. LOL
I guess the only real comment I can make is, I like my Montblancs.
Nice collection you have there. One of my MBs shattered when I dropped it many years ago.
Sent it back to MB and they replaced the shattered section for free. Also bought a MB document marker
(fancy name for a hi-liter) long ago brand new for $75, as it was part of a broken up set. That's a
purchase I have never regretted.
(fancy name for a hi-liter) long ago brand new for $75, as it was part of a broken up set. That's a
purchase I have never regretted.
Thanks. I still have the one rollerball that's too damaged to use. I'll eventually buy the part needed but never remember to do it.
I have a 149 that I got as a graduation gift 27 years ago. It’s still great and has never needed service.
Am no expert, yet do enjoy them.
With the Pelikan Concerto I like the stock M nib. If you can, try a few different nibs to see what you prefer both in feel and style. The same with inks, and here is where a good fountain pen sets itself apart too. Then comes paper choice... For special moments, a fountain pen is wonderful and provides a bit more creative style.
The Pelikan travelled well worldwide, not sure if others have a tendency to leak.
A fountain pen to me brings joy in writing. Writing with a fountain pen is something special. The way the tib glides over the paper turning ink into words
It’s just nice.
I made it a habit to give people, staff clients etc a hand written note when it’s their birthday or something like that. It’s so much more personal then dropping a WhatsApp with an emicon.
The receiver typically takes pleasure in the fact that you’ve done something extra. And I take pleasure in their smiles.
That’s what writing with a fountain pen is (to me that is haha )
I made it a habit to give people, staff clients etc a hand written note when it’s their birthday or something like that. It’s so much more personal then dropping a WhatsApp with an emicon.
The receiver typically takes pleasure in the fact that you’ve done something extra. And I take pleasure in their smiles.
That’s what writing with a fountain pen is (to me that is haha )
I have the same habit, Jurry.
Its something special these days and its clear that people enjoy it. I also sit down and write a letter to my wife and children on their birthday. Reflecting over the year that has passed. Always written with a fountain pen and a nice ink.
I really appreciate Montblanc pens…
I find them to be highly dependable and well-crafted with exceptional nibs. I have about 20 MB pens ranging from Bohemes to the 149; from Wrtiter’s Editions to Patron of the Arts models. Most of them are inked and in my regular rotation. That being said, I also find great joy with other pens in my collection from Aurora, Montegrappa, Pelikan, Namiki, Waterman, Nakaya, Delta, and others!
I like the Meisterstück series.
How it felt in my hand and the width of the nib were the two relevant criteria. The Diplomat was too bulky for me. I sold my Cartier Pasha after having it repaired because it leaked and the nib was too narrow.
A solid choice.
I think the strength of the MontBlanc meisterstuck is its reliability and ability to hold value. Consistent styling is also a point to be appreciated. Arguments against it would be ubiquity and instant recognition (which is good and bad). The out-of-the-box writing quality is, to me, fine but not special in the way that a Nakaya can be, for example(although depending on you order nakaya nibs, they can range from exceptional to downright bad so not all roses there either). Anyway, a good nib grinder can fix all that. The “precious resin” is a mixture of acrylic and glass, so it’s actually more brittle than straight acrylic. It’s certainly not as special as Chinese/Japanese lacquer or even celluloid(but most manufacturers have moved away from the latter).
Of the modern Meisterstucks, my favorite is the 75th anniversary with rose gold. They’ve gotten expensive though.
In the end, it’s a pen that would serve you well, day in and day out.
Thanks,
Brian
Of the modern Meisterstucks, my favorite is the 75th anniversary with rose gold. They’ve gotten expensive though.
In the end, it’s a pen that would serve you well, day in and day out.
Thanks,
Brian
