$170,000 pen on display

[HesNot]

A friend who knows I like pens sent me this story - I'm not much on the limited edition pens but this seems a bit excessive - makes that Krone Bird in the Cap pen seem, well, positively Bic-esque!

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061109/ap_on_fe_st/pricey_pen

 

Here's a picture of one of these 3 pens:

 

http://www.luxist.com/media/2006/02/montblanc100yearspen.JPG

Edited November 9, 2006 by HesNot

[girlieg33k]

Quote from the article: "You do not put ink in that pen. It's like owning a Ferrari that you don't want to drive," said owner Al Parrish, a Charleston Southern University professor.

 

When it comes to fountain pens (and Ferraris ), I don’t want a collector’s item that has to be transported by an armored car, stored in a vault or even just a desk drawer. I want something that can write.

 

With every pen purchase that I've made, it always came down to the question: Will I actually write with it? One might like looking at it and enjoy showing it off to people, but at the end of the day, for the pen to have any real value to me, I have to not only be able to use it, but enjoy using it.

Edited November 9, 2006 by girlieg33k

[saintsimon]

I'm sure there is a sheikh out there to buy this

[HDoug]

How ironic to spend that much on a pen you have no intention of inking. He will never know the joys of the Montblanc "blue finger." Not with that pen anyway. If it were my pen, I'd ink it. I think it would be a gas writing with a diamond encrusted pen.

 

Doug

[StanSoph]

I shoulda been a professor.............$$$$$$$

[HesNot]

No kidding about the professor comment - sheesh. Although I know that the first year after tenure professors in my graduate business school and law school make more money than I currently make ...

 

Still - $170k pens? Wow.

[Tassos]

Some more pictures here

http://www.fountainpen.de/anniv100-skeleton.htm

 

This masterpiece is based on the "skeleton" concept and is dedicated to the 100 years the corporation celebrates throughout 2006.

 

This website shows some more "skeleton concept" rare fps. Check:

http://www.fountainpen.de/skeleton.htm

and click on photos...

Edited November 9, 2006 by Tassos

[umenohana]

It's one of those things you really have to see in person to appreciate, I'm guessing, 'cause the diamonds look like scaley gum wrapper to me. :ph34r:

 

-Hana

[jaytaylor]

If this pen were $500 I still would not buy it, it's a bit too liberace for my liking!

[brh]

$170,000? That's nothing... doesn't that Jade Loiminchay pen hit the $250,000 mark? :roflmho:

[wiglaf]

I wonder if Prof Parish's children are going to argue over his will-

[sonia_simone]

I suspect they will be pretty bitter that he didn't put that money into the fuddy duddy old stock market.

[KCat]

Okay - i'm not very bright but I'm confused. MontBlanc is a Swiss company? Why did I think it was German?

[saintsimon]

...  MontBlanc is a Swiss company? ...

 

Only if there's a Hamburg in Switzerland ... :blink:

 

And the plural of "Mont blanc mountains" is dead wrong. There is exactly 1 Mont Blanc mountain at the French-Italian border. <_<

 

General education, oh well

Edited November 10, 2006 by saintsimon

[kissing]

If I had such a pen, I'd still use it for homework

[RLTodd]

There is a business opportunity here..... Three pens put up and 60 people apply for them. That means that there are 57 people out there ready to plunk down $170,000 USD for a diamond studed pen that is a very limited edition. Thats over $9,000,000 USD just waiting to be transferred over for the enterprising provider.

[jaytaylor]

There is a business opportunity here..... Three pens put up and 60 people apply for them. That means that there are 57 people out there ready to plunk down $170,000 USD for a diamond studed pen that is a very limited edition. Thats over $9,000,000 USD just waiting to be transferred over for the enterprising provider.

Mont Blanc must be laughing!

 

[JimStrutton]

Makes me think, what would it be worth had Fabergé made a pen rather than the infamous Easter Eggs?

 

Must get searching the boot fairs

 

Seriously though, my thoughts with any of these pens is that they are an art work not a functioning writing instrument. One thing nobody ever says is how well it might write, so what is the point of a pen that you can't or won't write with?

 

Jim

[RSVP]

Funny; considering the last sentiment of the piece, he also seems to be under the subliminal powers of Patek Philippe .

[Benjamin McFerret]

I wonder if Phillip Benz already owns one?