Montblanc Marlene Dietrich 1901 Com Edition

[Pen Nut]

The Marlene Dietrich 1901 Commemoration Edition.

 

My first review this so be gently on me eh !

 

I first saw this pen in the display case at The Pen Shop in the Trafford Centre Manchester and liked it at once but considered it a womans writing instrument, bit like the Garbo & Bergman, so didn’t put it on my immediate ‘hit list’ that was until a few weeks after my initial viewing when I finally got to handle one and see it close up. Smitten!! Now……. how to get one?

 

Internet trawling brought a few up but very expensive then one came up in Germany from a well established seller so the deal was done.

 

True to Montblanc form, the box and associated booklets really do make the pen a joy to behold. The main box is very well put together opening from the centre to reveal the pen. The accompanying booklet gives a short history of Marlene Dietrich and is personalised by a page dedicated to the stones used on the pen.

 

The dimensions of the pen are better in picture form as shown in the pictures below but this truly is a hunk of a pen. I weighed two of my other Montblanc users and was surprised at the results.

 

149 about half full of ink = 36.95 gr

146 Vermeil about a quarter full of ink = 49.36 gr

Marlene without convertor or cartridge fitted = 81.42 gr

 

So it’s hardly a delicate ladies handbag piece (which makes me feel better anyway!)

 

The nib is small however, see pics, and is dwarfed by the 149 ‘shovel’. It is more a 144 nib in dimesions.

 

Finish is superb with a snake skin (smooth) feel to it and has a kind of herringbone design. Thick screw threads hold the cap on which has both a mother of pearl snowcap and a bluish mother of pearl surround. The cap is non postable which suits me as I don’t . The blue MOP is also repeated on the base of the pen.

 

The cap is set with 16 diamonds and a sapphire on the top of the pocket clip which is supposed to ressemble a tie that Marlene wore as the ‘Blue Angel’ but I will have to take their word on that.

 

Now the whole of the body is oval in cross section and tapers slightly as you get to the centre of the pen and my only ‘niggle’ with the pen is that, imo, it does not line up. Not only when capped but more importantly for me when you are using it. My pics may make my point clearer. When using the pen I would like the flat of the oval to be in contact with my hand, not the peak, as the pen tries to do this when in use and I find myself re adjusting where it lies. I feel it could have been threaded better to ensure this. My engineer friend says a shim of the correct thickness will do this. When capped the body oval is flat, on a clock the hands would be 2.45pm, while the cap is vertical, clock would be 6.00pm, I have not compared others so it may be that this is the way they are.

 

Nib wise very very smooth slightly under medium but this is only under ‘dipping’ conditions until I sort out the revolving body ‘niggle’

 

So do I like the pen? Yes and very much so.I am rating the pen on an overall score of 9/10.

 

Hope the pictures explain more than my script.

 

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad114/Pen-Nut/dietrich10.jpg

 

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad114/Pen-Nut/dietrich11.jpg

 

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad114/Pen-Nut/dietrich12.jpg

 

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad114/Pen-Nut/dietrich13.jpg

Top of cap

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad114/Pen-Nut/dietrich14.jpg

Base Of pen

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad114/Pen-Nut/dietrich7.jpg

Length comparison

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad114/Pen-Nut/dietrich1.jpg

Nib size comparison

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad114/Pen-Nut/Dietrich2.jpg

How the pen lies in the hand

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad114/Pen-Nut/dietrich8.jpg

How I would like it to lie

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad114/Pen-Nut/Dietrich4.jpg

If the body is like this.....

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad114/Pen-Nut/dietrich9.jpg

The cap is like this

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad114/Pen-Nut/Dietrich5.jpg

Nice though

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad114/Pen-Nut/Dietrich3.jpg

http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad114/Pen-Nut/dietrich6.jpg

[breaker]

nice review!

thanks!

[jandrese]

Interesting pen, thanks for sharing.

[Skeet]

9 out of 10? Ok., I like those numbers. And yes, I agree. Then pen looks like it would be more comfortable if it rested in more in a horizontal axis. Especially, when you consider the weight. She truely was a beautiful woman. The pen is a nice tribute. Thanks for the review.

[Pen Nut]

9 out of 10? Ok., I like those numbers. And yes, I agree. Then pen looks like it would be more comfortable if it rested in more in a horizontal axis. Especially, when you consider the weight. She truely was a beautiful woman. The pen is a nice tribute. Thanks for the review.

 

 

Thanks for the reply. Regarding your screen name is this an indication as to your other pastime by any chance ?