Visit To Montblanc, 17-18 March 2016, Introduction

[wimg]

Dearest Members & Visitors of the Fountain Pen Network,

 

As you may well know, we were invited by Montblanc to visit Montblanc's Head Quarters in Hamburg for a tour of the factory, the nib works and the Artisan Atelier, to be followed by a meeting with the CEO, the International Press & PR and Cultural Affairs Director, and the PR Manager in Hamburg. For a (reasonably) early start on March 18, Montblanc was so kind to arrange a flight from Düsseldorf to Hamburg late afternoon on March 17, and an overnight stay in a very nice hotel near the centre of Hamburg.

 

 

View from the windows of the hotel room, at sunset

 

The next morning, after a nice breakfast with caffe latte and some sweet rolls (I am not much of a person for breakfast), a driver picked me up and dropped me at the Montblanc Head Quarters, where we started with a quick tour of the factory and some historical expositions, followed by a tour of the nib works, from stamping machines to the creation of nibs, including the nib grinding and plating processes.

 

After this tour we spoke for quite some time with the manager of the nib works, Axel Nier, who is a true expert nib master, and being a nib master myself, we didn't really have enough time to exchange ideas and experiences. He showed me some interesting new developments, both nib wise and with regard to bespoke nibs, about which I will later write some more, in a follow-up to this introductory post. I also was shown all of the stages of the formation of the Rouge & Noir clip, as well as all of the pen parts, neither of which I was allowed to photograph yet .

Axel was kind enough to fix the seal of a Montblanc 146 for me as well, which has been in my possession since about 10 years, after an exchange with another FPN member. .

 

The next stop on the schedule was a visit to the Artisan Atelier, something you really need to see for yourself, where Thorsten Hering, the Director of the Artisan Atelier showed me around. No photographs allowed either, considering some of the developments going on, either because they were so new, or because of client privacy. However, I did see and hold the Serpent LEs, including the Ultimate Serpent LE, the gold one with the 6+ carat perfect diamond. I felt a little uncomfortable holding it; imagine dropping one of these pens .

 

From left to right: Ultimate Serpent LE, Imperial Serpent LE, and Royal Serpent LE.

 

 

As it was time for our next meeting, we walked over to a conference room. Here we met with Montblanc's CEO, Mr. Jérôme Lambert, who as some may know, joined Montblanc from Jaeger LeCoultre, the watchmaker, in 2013. Unfortunately we only had half an hour, and not nearly enough time for even half the questions I collected from the topics here on FPN for him, but we were promised to get answers to all questions regardless. Anyway, that also will follow in a later post.

Mr. Lambert actually wore a Montblanc watch, and made notes in a Montblanc notebook, with a Rouge & Noir fountain pen, the same of which I was not allowed to take any photographs yet. Do note that he only used that pen at his office, it never left the company grounds, not until launch day anyway.

We parted with a gift, namely two different Montblanc notebooks, a follow-up on the question on the quality of Montblanc notebook paper for fountain pens. A review will follow later, but initial impressions are more than good.

By then it was really well past lunch time, so over an extended lunch I had the pleasure of speaking with Montblanc's International Press & PR Director, Violante Avogadro di Vigliano, and the PR Manager in Hamburg, Nadine Jung. More to follow on this, but one of the things we discussed was the possibility to have factory tours for FPN members, and advance information on releases and release dates, of which you have seen the results already: we had the international press scoop on the Serpent LEs. We were also invited to visit on a more regular basis, about three times a year.

 

Before returning to the airport, I was treated to a final tour, namely of the new Hamburg Montblanc Boutique in the centre of town, where I was shown literally everything currently available, pens watches, leather ware, jewelry, and inks, as of 2 1/2 weeks ago of course, by a very knowledgeable employee. While waiting for the driver to return and take me to the airport thereafter, I could not resist acquiring a red gold Montblanc 149, which has been in my rotation ever since.

 

All in all, a great time was had, and I was really very positively surprised with the workings of the company, factory and boutique. What especially left a lasting impression was the pride and passion people have in their work and for the products, and the perfectionist approach with which everybody at Montblanc strives to achieve the best results possible. And besides that, at a personal level, all of whom I met are very pleasant, friendly and helpful people.

 

All in all, as they like to say in some countries, it was awesome, both the visit and the experience.

 

Warm regards, Wim

on behalf of the FPN Admin Team

 

More to follow ....

 

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Addendum

 

Here follows the list of questions compiled from the different topics on the subject prior to the visit, and more of less sorted into categories. These will be answered later, Montblanc does have a copy of this list, as time proved to be too short to answer them all during our visit.

 

Questions:

 

Nibs:

 

Could there be more variety in nibs, such as factory stubs or cursive or other italics in various widths, like a 1.1 mm or similar options?even if they have to be by special order through the dealer?

The Music or Signature nibs would be very nice to have as options.

 

Could really flexy nibs or semiflex nibs, be added to the options? Paying for the premium over normal nibs would be fine. Maybe to be available for a special edition? The heritage had a flex nib buy, and we would really like flex as in vintage pens.

 

Would it be possible to add "custom" or non standard nib options to pens?

 

Could all of the above "interesting", "custom" or non standard nib options be available on regular models / writers editions / Platinum Series / etc., possibly through the nib exchange?

 

Repairs:

 

During the past years some of our members who do repairs, have seen a number of MB149/146 pens on which the piston lead screw sheared off.

This "flattened” lead screw - which originates from pens from the sixties - is rather weak and prone to shearing-off when the piston seal starts to get dry or a bit contaminated.

Are there any plans for a reinforced version?

 

Could you please tell is what is being done to fix the problem of the ruthenium plating coming off Starwalker nibs?

 

What happens to all of the used parts which are removed from vintage pens when they are sent in for a service? Would it be possible to provide an option for keeping older feeds etc.?

This would encourage more of us to use your service facilities.

 

Pens:

 

Does Montblanc have any interest in offering an entry level series of pens based on the VIP/SL/Noblesse format, perhaps under a sub-brand, as a pathway into the Marque?

 

Is there an all black 'stealth' 146, in the pipeline?

 

Will the Marc Newson FP get a piston filler variant?

 

Could the bordeaux/burgundy resin be brought back? It would be great to have a 149R.

 

Have you considered the production a real safety pen like earlier pens?

 

Could we possibly see a new 138 or 139 one day?

And are you thinking of re-releasing the 138 as a special edition?

 

The 1912 Heritage was an extremely well received product. The subsequent 1914 Heritage was beautiful, but as a limited edition only its price was out of reach of many customers.

Will the 'Heritage' series continue as only limited editions, or will more affordable unlimited/open-ended models be released as well?

 

There was an initiative several years ago from within the FPN community to try and create a retro-pen, even before the introduction of the Heritage series, based on the striated celluloid models of the 142, 144 and 146 series produced from 1949 to 1960. The celluloid used was a very distinctive green striated variant, and a grey or platinum striated variant, and these are extremely collectible and highly sought after pens. The interest for a pen like this still exists, and is quite strong.

Would you consider making such a pen, either in acetate or in resin, for a limited group of people, say a group from FPN, or as a Heritage series of pens? And if so, could you maybe provide a time indication for availability?

The preferred option would be a piston filler, in 146 size, but bigger would be great too.

 

Other products:

 

The Montblanc notes notebook (code 9596) is not very fountain pen friendly, it feathers badly and bleeds through. Since it is in principle such an ideal companion for Montblanc’s fountain pens, are you considering an upgrade or improvement?

 

Note: Since this question was asked, I found out that the question referred to the notebooks from 3 years ago.

 

Seeing how Montblanc have tried to keep up with new technologies (e-Strap) are there any other markets Montblanc is considering to get into?

 

How will Montblanc ensure to maintain the highest quality when spreading wide over so many luxury goods? Isn’t Montblanc concerned that the company may run into the “we don't make them like we used to” syndrome?

 

What does Montblanc offer for those who really are unconcerned about Fashion, "M", "Urban Speed" (is that the slow lane?) or man bags?

 

Availability of information:

 

Last year, the factory closed for visits. As it would really be nice for these visits to be available again, would Montblanc consider to accept visitors again, especially when they are FPN members?

 

Would it be possible to courier the Montblanc catalogue to FPN members who request so?

Or alternatively provide a pdf version of the master catalogue?

There used to be a (280 page) pdf catalogue for the year 2013-2014 online, and with many not having a boutique nearby, it would be great to have a catalogue available for reference.

Many of our pen collectors find the Montblanc web site to be short on detailed information and would like or ought to be able to find out more about the products on-site. An alternative could be to put the master catalogue online as was mentioned above.

 

Would it be possible for the boutiques to have at least one fountain-pen-knowledgeable person who knows about things like nib and color options, LE inks, etc?

 

If all the clerk can do is sell a 149 Medium and some leather apparel to go with it, is there really a point to going to a boutique?

Shouldn’t more training and informational materials be made available to the employees?

 

Availability of certain products:

 

Why does it appear to become increasingly difficult to obtain limited edition inks in the US?

F.e., it took 5 months for an official Montblanc boutique to receive their first shipment of Twilight Blue last year, and they haven't received a single bottle of Tolstoy Sky Blue yet. This does not necessarily refer to a small shop, an example is a shop based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

Questions for Mr. Jérôme Lambert:

 

Could you please tell us something about your background, both from a personal and a business point of view?

 

Do you, as CEO, still stand with your feet in the mud so to speak, or does your function force you to distance yourself from the daily operation?

 

What does having an extensive watch background bring to Montblanc in general, and in particular to what FPN members are generally most interested in, namely fountain pens?

 

Having developed a blue ocean product, namely an e-Strap, would you consider developing another (fountain pen) device which similarly taps into or creates a non-existing market, and if so, do you have any ideas what that could be?

 

Are there any plans to develop the e-Strap any further, possibly through a sister company, in order to gain the most from this blue ocean device?

 

What would Montblanc ideally want to achieve from a cooperation between Montblanc and FPN?

 

Questions from our members:

 

How does Montblanc see us, i.e, FPN specifically, and the online fountain pen community in general? Are we seen as customers/consumers, product evangelists, counterfeit identifiers or prosumers, something else, and why?

 

Where do you see the writing industry going in the near future?

What and where will Montblanc be in 2020?

 

What initiatives is Montblanc looking into, or backing, to ensure that writing instruments stay relevant in an increasingly digital world?

 

As this appears to have baffled many, what considerations go into choosing the particular author or patron for the WE or POA series, how do you make decisions about writers to select for limited editions?

How far in advance are these writers selected?

Would Montblanc consider consulting with the pen community regarding a poll of potential writers, or nominations for candidates?

 

Questions for Ms Violante Avogadro di Vigliano:

 

How does Montblanc see us, i.e, FPN specifically, and the online fountain pen community in general? Are we seen as customers/consumers, product evangelists, counterfeit identifiers or prosumers, something else, and why?

 

Would Montblanc consider cutting out the middle man (boutiques) and sell directly to consumers from their website, ideally resulting in some price discount to consumers when compared with the boutique price?

If the answer is no, would Montblanc still consider direct group buys, e.g., organized through FPN or similar - resulting in a discount and correct nib choice immediately?

 

As our forum deals with owner/users of Montblanc’s primary product, namely fountain pens and related items, would it not be in Montblanc's interest to work with the forum’s members by offering 'first look' at upcoming products?

 

From a business viewpoint the ability to interact and market products with minimal cost is priceless. As an example, nearly every marketer of shaving products use the various shaving forums to gauge interest, price, etc. to a product. The world's largest shaving brush owner/president actually does interact with members to gauge marketing plans.

Is Montblanc planning to increase direct interaction with their largest customer base?

 

Why are Montblanc advertisements and commercials at times filled with inaccuracies like claims the 149 was introduced in 1912 (this several decades before the first 149).

 

Will staff at boutiques be educated on past Montblanc fountain pens so they even recognize pens like a 234½ or 144 celluloid?

 

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[pen2paper]

Thank you for sharing this exciting adventure!

 

The addendum inquiries are fascinating.

Edited April 6, 2016 by pen2paper

[Nathanb]

Thanks for sharing your adventure Wim, I am very envious!!

[meiers]

Thank you Wim.

I'm looking forward to hearing more.

Next time, take me with you.

Edited April 6, 2016 by meiers

[orfew]

I am also very envious. Sounds like a great time. Thanks for the report.

[Erasmus]

Wow wow wow!

[josepllcs]

Thank you very much for the report. It must have been very exciting to visit the factory and talk to important people.

[fountainpagan]

Thank you very much, Wim for sharing this with us. Lucky you.

 

It is very nice to have included the addendum. I am eager to read the responses.

[jmccarty3]

Thanks very much for this report. I'm looking forward to more.

 

As an aside, I went to my nearest boutique in Dallas last weekend to buy a coral Heritage, and I was pleasantly surprised at how knowledgeable the young man who assisted me was about the new pens and inks coming out. He showed me the catalog and promised to notify me when these come in. I didn't expect the employees to know much about vintage pens, but they all were very interested in my 344, my 1266 in sterling, and my green striated 144, remarking that MB should make pens like that again.

[Chu0009]

thank you Wim, that was very informative

I look forward in reading more of your visit to MB and the answers to our questions!

 

Great work

[wimg]

Thank you all for the very positive responses, it is much appreciated.

It was great indeed. It is now almost 3 weeks later, and my head is still reeling with all the impressions and experiences, it was truly marvellous .

 

The questions they are actually working on, but i know that with the launch of the 110 years celebration pens with the Montblanc team being in New York, it will take a little longer .

 

I touched upon a remake of the green and platinum striated 144s and 146s, and they did seem interested - I think with the current direction of attention for retro-oriented special models, it may well fit within the strategy, so there is hope that these pens could indeed be re-introduced in the future.

 

I am already working on the next few posts of my visit - it is a little slow going with everything else going on however .

 

Warm regards, Wim

[Uncial]

Wow, that's a lot of questions!

[Brufen6OO]

Wow, that's a lot of questions!

 

Yes sir! Wimg sure left them some homework to do

 

Really enjoyed reading your description, looking forward to the answers! Thank you.

Edited April 6, 2016 by Brufen6OO

[jar]

Flag the answer replies please. Looking forward to hearing what they say.

[thygreyt]

Cant wait to read the answers to so many interesting questions.

[dubhe]

Thank you Wim, I have been waiting for this post, great reading and I look forward to the next instalment!

[Pravda]

I am happy to hear you enjoyed your visit and wanted to thank you very much for including our questions

 

I am looking forward to hearing their answers, many of these are really interesting.

 

About the notebooks though, you mention it is from 3 years ago. It is still what they sell at their boutiques. Has there been an updated version? Perhaps we didn't get it yet.

[wimg]

Regarding the notebooks, their lines were renewed about 2 years ago as far as I understand.

 

All of their notebooks have fountain pen friendly paper these days, and I currently have the Notebook #146, 85 g/m2 premium paper, silver cut, lined version, and the Sketchbook #149 100 g/m2 premium paper, silver cut, lined version, both for testing. So far so good .

 

I was told that the notebooks come in 3 different paper qualities, depending on size. The #146 notebooks come with slightly lighter paper qualities than the #149 for example, this also because the #146 is a carry-around-at-all -times type notebook (A5 size), and the #149 is a "briefcase size" notebook (A4 width, but about 1 inch, 2.5 cm, shorter than A4).

They are covered in very nice and soft, supple Italian leather, and the pages are silver edged (silver colour), which gives it the silver cut name.

 

Very nice indeed, almost a shame to use , but I promised to test these and report back, so I have started using them .

 

I normally use Oxford "Office Books", a spiral bound A5 notebook, made from 90 grams paper, with flexible plastic covers, and with lines a little less high than the Montblanc ones. Very nice paper for fountain pens, with no bleed through at all, and thick enough to use on both sides. It will make for a good comparison, I think . Good utilitarian vs luxury .

 

HTH, warm regards, Wim

[Trom]

Nice to read your story about your visit.

[Ceelo]

Nice information, keen to hear more in your next instalment.