Marcel Proust - Leak At Joint Of Section And Barrel

[torstar]

maybe the cat would go to MBHQ without the fight and noise and waste product that the vet's entails?

[Chrissy]

This again is a reason I haven't inked my Proust yet.

But isn't that a little bit like burying one's head in the sand and hoping something may never happen though?

 

"I haven't inked my pen yest because I'm scared it might leak." Isn't it a rather expensive item to keep as an ornament or just in it's box? Or maybe you bought it with the intention of never inking it and waiting for it to pass onto someone else who may do so in it's future.

 

You only live once; If you want to ink it, then I would say go ahead and do it. It was made for writing with. No need to be scared of it.

[torstar]

You have to use the Proust!!!

 

The only problem is it's just a tiny bit too short to use unposted in my hands, and I don't want to post it with reckless abandon thousands of times over a year, it has to go wrong in the threads eventually...

 

And the grand question of I spent $1,000 for my Proust (15 years ago), and it's value is well above that now, so what maximum amount would I spend to fix it...

[zaddick]

I am of the do what makes you the happiest school of thought. If a person will get more value from holding and looking at a pen for years and years in mint condition then he would from using a pen and taking the risk of breaking, then that person gets more value from keeping the pen in its current state. Each person has to make that decision for himself.

 

I am NOT saying anyone on this forum disagrees with me (well, I'm sure some do), but it's often nice to hear the "it's okay if you want to keep it unused" argument because most people here appear to be users.

[torstar]

I am of the do what makes you the happiest school of thought. If a person will get more value from holding and looking at a pen for years and years in mint condition then he would from using a pen and taking the risk of breaking, then that person gets more value from keeping the pen in its current state. Each person has to make that decision for himself.

 

I am NOT saying anyone on this forum disagrees with me (well, I'm sure some do), but it's often nice to hear the "it's okay if you want to keep it unused" argument because most people here appear to be users.

 

 

I would assume if one had over a dozen LEs that some wouldn't get inked, let alone those with the entire collection, but if you only own one or two please ink them up....

[Chrissy]

I am of the do what makes you the happiest school of thought. If a person will get more value from holding and looking at a pen for years and years in mint condition then he would from using a pen and taking the risk of breaking, then that person gets more value from keeping the pen in its current state. Each person has to make that decision for himself.

 

I am NOT saying anyone on this forum disagrees with me (well, I'm sure some do), but it's often nice to hear the "it's okay if you want to keep it unused" argument because most people here appear to be users.

Yes there are people who prefer to not use their WE or POA pens, and just look at them. Heck, I even have two that I haven't inked up, but that's only because I'm selling them, and I always knew I would end up doing that.

 

As far as Isaac is concerned, it just feels like he wants to ink up his Proust, but he is scared of doing it in case he breaks it. That could end up as a regret - both ways.

[karmakoda]

I think I wrote this in another thread, this is a common problem with the Proust pen. MB Service can not send the old barrel back, they need the silver tube for the new barrel. The barrel is made from one piece, for this reason it is not possible to change only the section. To produce the resin barrel again is not the problem, the problem is the silver barrel ( overlay ) the former supplier does not longer exist. To disjoin the resin and the silver overlay you must destroy the resin part. So I would suggest that you will not get your "old" barrel back.

 

kind regards

 

Max

 

Good to know this Max, just a simple lack of adequate communication from Montblanc, good faith restored.

Artisan items require special handling to create and repair, the cost becomes more understandable.

[karmakoda]

 

Well, there is this...

 

 

 

Well, there is this...

 

At the risk that a cute cat can hijack a thread, I am curious about the age of this feline and the vintage of the desk pen, is it based on a fifties 256, perhaps the 204 model?

[FredRydr]

I had a long conversation with Montblanc about the parts issue, which deserves a separate thread.

 

Fred

[CS388]

I had a long conversation with Montblanc about the parts issue, which deserves a separate thread.

 

Fred

 

I'd be interested to see that.

 

Thanks to Max, for explaining the issue with great clarity.

It's a pity Montblanc didn't afford you that same courtesy.

 

On the one hand, this makes sense of the high repair cost - but, on the other hand, if they know it as a design fault on this particular model, couldn't they grant a waiver in the repair fee, or at least a hefty discount?

 

Thanks.

[niksch]

 

At the risk that a cute cat can hijack a thread, I am curious about the age of this feline and the vintage of the desk pen, is it based on a fifties 256, perhaps the 204 model?

 

Well, if the thread is hijacked, it's my fault. I was just trying to inject some humor with a MB twist.

 

I originally posted about this ceramic cat here several years ago. Axel dated the piece to the 1950s, and yes, the pen I staged on the ceramic cat is a 204 desk pen. Max has an MB Angel posted here, and he dates this one to the 1920s. I would gladly add that angel to my ephemera collection should one become available.

[FredRydr]

It's back. $459. I filled it with new MB blue-black ink at the boutique, and the fine nib was as smooth as I recalled. It comes with a one-year warranty. So for now, it is inked and in my pen rack and will be used a lot in the coming days. It has to be one of the handsomest pens Montblanc made. Later, I'll decide whether to keep it or to sell with fresh service and very nice warranty. Hmmm....

 

Fred

[niksch]

Expense aside, are you happy with the repair?

[FredRydr]

Expense aside, are you happy with the repair?

 

I suppose. I cannot get a piece of paper between the cap and silver barrel overlay when the cap is screwed moderately tight. In other words, contact is still made, but perhaps with less pressure. The word passed from Hamburg to me through the boutique is that the replacement "body" used for repair (under the sterling overlay) had been redesigned to address the known problem. But I have no old and new "body" to compare. You can be sure I'll be careful. In any event, the pen was 16 years old, and most likely someone before me turned the cap so tight to cause the crack. After all, I'd never do that!

 

Fred

[torstar]

 

Well, if the thread is hijacked, it's my fault. I was just trying to inject some humor with a MB twist.

 

 

 

Can you imagine? Perish the thought that we put humour in something on here...

 

I assumed most of us have cats that we indulge a bit more than is healthy, and made a few comments to that effect as well.....

[tenney]

Having had such a repair done, it seemed like Hamburg staff were thrilled at the quality of their artwork with the silver overlay done as part of the repair.

[FredRydr]

Expense aside, are you happy with the repair?

 

Half-year update:

 

It's been constantly available in my rack and inked with MB blue/black (iron gall) the last six months. So far, so good. I screw the cap on just so it's snug, not tight.

 

Fred

[Chrissy]

It's back. $459. I filled it with new MB blue-black ink at the boutique, and the fine nib was as smooth as I recalled. It comes with a one-year warranty. So for now, it is inked and in my pen rack and will be used a lot in the coming days. It has to be one of the handsomest pens Montblanc made. Later, I'll decide whether to keep it or to sell with fresh service and very nice warranty. Hmmm....

 

Fred

 

I can confirm that it writes beautifully too.

 

I wish I could have bought one back in the day when they were first issued. Now they are so expensive I know I will never have one.

[torstar]

 

I can confirm that it writes beautifully too.

 

I wish I could have bought one back in the day when they were first issued. Now they are so expensive I know I will never have one.

 

Get to know people with large collections, you never know when they might need some immediate cash in their life, for any number of plausible reasons....

[sumit]

i have a proust with the same problem!

i see that in may 2015 the barrel were available...

anyone can tell me if the barrel is still available?

thanks