Mb Nib Exchange - What Is Going On?

[Chrissy]

I think that it is a sad fact that MB are now more interested in selling "luxury goods" than pens. They still make excellent pens but quality control has slipped (and they are not alone in this). As for MB Boutiques, it seems that very few are staffed by people with any real knowledge of writing instruments, only on selling the most expensive items to the most gullible of customers. MB leather goods are beautiful but not worth a fraction of the prices asked.

 

I can tell that you haven't been to see the person that I know from Montblanc.

[Matlock]

 

I can tell that you haven't been to see the person that I know from Montblanc.

 

Probably not, and I know some Boutique staff are excellent but that is not always the case.

[pchand2]

It can take 4 months for a nib exchange? Why? How can we ok with that?

 

By the way for Pelikan M800, i got nib exchanged from Cultpens in a week.

[Pravda]

About nibs writing perfectly out of the box, I think because pens arent sealed the way, say an iPhone would be, they often arrive in the hands of the customer requiring minor tweaking.

 

As for Montblanc customer service, people will find it to vary where they dealing with Montblanc Richemont direct, a franchises boutique or even a 3rd party seller or authorized dealer.

 

This invariably affects service and repair times. I get my nibs from Hamburg to Dubai usually within 2 weeks to be installed here.

 

As for Montblanc management, I am fairly certain they can tell where the majority of their revenue is coming from. They aspire to be haute horologie makers, but I suspect they know the value of their own business.

 

Thats to say I doubt its a sign of troubles up ahead, because their bottom line is at an all time high with a profitability unparalleled in earlier years. Theyre actually doing really well.

[Dcharles]

 

~ A long-time sales staff member in a Beijing boutique resigned this year, accepting a post at another luxury brand retailer.

When asked why, as he is a Montblanc writing instrument expert, he replied: “Top management now sees us as a premium timepiece maker, also providing leather goods and pens.”

Tom K.

 

This explains a lot. Perhaps it is the aviator in me, but when I think of premium timepieces I think of Breitling, even Bremont, but certainly not Montblanc.

[Ghost Plane]

Good to hear, but I have to wonder at the world view that seems to discount 51% of the world’s population. Other than pens, MB makes little that appeals to me or the other women I know. Key word: appeals

[LanceSaintPaul]

Thats to say I doubt its a sign of troubles up ahead, because their bottom line is at an all time high with a profitability unparalleled in earlier years. Theyre actually doing really well.

 

This is not necessarily a positive note for pen enthusiasts and the current problems noted here. As long as the above is true they have less incentive to notice these issues and may be clouded with hubris - telling themselves that all must be well, when in fact this thread is all about how it is not, at least for our shrinking (?) niche. Perhaps it will simply be that pens will be sacrificed for watches and symbolic pens; that writing instruments no longer matter.

 

We will see.

[Pravda]

 

This is not necessarily a positive note for pen enthusiasts and the current problems noted here. As long as the above is true they have less incentive to notice these issues and may be clouded with hubris - telling themselves that all must be well, when in fact this thread is all about how it is not, at least for our shrinking (?) niche. Perhaps it will simply be that pens will be sacrificed for watches and symbolic pens; that writing instruments no longer matter.

 

We will see.

 

 

The thing is, you are not going to like my answer.

 

Well, the second part of it anyway.

 

Part 1: Like many businesses that have gone too large- when a customer is serviced by the company direct, they get tip-top service 99% of the time.

 

But no company in the world can own/run every store in hundreds of cities across the globe; and so they franchise, by doing so entrusting their name to another group of people that are now liable for satisfying the customers.

 

Part 2: Pens are the driving force of revenue behind the company. Fountain pens. Not the ones we discuss here on FPN.

[TheRealMikeDr]

About nibs writing perfectly out of the box, I think because pens arent sealed the way, say an iPhone would be, they often arrive in the hands of the customer requiring minor tweaking.

 

As for Montblanc customer service, people will find it to vary where they dealing with Montblanc Richemont direct, a franchises boutique or even a 3rd party seller or authorized dealer.

 

This invariably affects service and repair times. I get my nibs from Hamburg to Dubai usually within 2 weeks to be installed here.

 

As for Montblanc management, I am fairly certain they can tell where the majority of their revenue is coming from. They aspire to be haute horologie makers, but I suspect they know the value of their own business.

 

Thats to say I doubt its a sign of troubles up ahead, because their bottom line is at an all time high with a profitability unparalleled in earlier years. Theyre actually doing really well.

 

I've purchased roughly 80 pens over the past few years and the vast majority ( say 90%) have written well out of the box. 60% of my Montlblancs didn't and one had a gap between the tines that was so large that it wouldn't write on anything other than cheap (absorbent) copy paper. I'm not talking pens that needed to be tweaked to fit my preference - I'm talking about pens that - were they purchased by someone with no knowledge about fountain pens - would have been returned. Bad luck perhaps - but I see other brands get blasted on FPN for having QC issues for the same sort of behaviour.

 

I do agree with the rest of your post - I'm sure MB knows where the profits are coming from and I'm sure they understand the market potential for watches vs pens. Shame though - I would never buy a MB watch because that's not what they're known for. Much like if Omega or Rolex came out with a fountain pen - I would have very little interest in it. One of the things that draws me to MB is the history, the heritage, even if today the company is completely different there's still an aura there that attracts me to the pens. I guess that's why I'm willing to put up with the questionable QC that I've experienced.

[Pravda]

 

I've purchased roughly 80 pens over the past few years and the vast majority ( say 90%) have written well out of the box. 60% of my Montlblancs didn't and one had a gap between the tines that was so large that it wouldn't write on anything other than cheap (absorbent) copy paper. I'm not talking pens that needed to be tweaked to fit my preference - I'm talking about pens that - were they purchased by someone with no knowledge about fountain pens - would have been returned. Bad luck perhaps - but I see other brands get blasted on FPN for having QC issues for the same sort of behaviour.

 

I do agree with the rest of your post - I'm sure MB knows where the profits are coming from and I'm sure they understand the market potential for watches vs pens. Shame though - I would never buy a MB watch because that's not what they're known for. Much like if Omega or Rolex came out with a fountain pen - I would have very little interest in it. One of the things that draws me to MB is the history, the heritage, even if today the company is completely different there's still an aura there that attracts me to the pens. I guess that's why I'm willing to put up with the questionable QC that I've experienced.

 

 

And I agree with you 100%. I have rarely bought a Montblanc fountain pen that satisfied me entirely right off the bat. I always have to raise this tine or that, sometimes adjust ink flow. But what I found interesting is that 99% of the time it was just these minor tweaks I had to deal with. It would be quite surprising if I have to go back for a baby bottom or over tipping. Maybe once in 15 years.

 

I also wouldn't buy their time pieces, for the exact reasons you state. And this bit they know. That's going to continue to bite them until they fully relocate their watch department from A-Z to Switzerland and acquire the Geneva Seal.

[Matlock]

 

 

The thing is, you are not going to like my answer.

 

Well, the second part of it anyway.

 

Part 1: Like many businesses that have gone too large- when a customer is serviced by the company direct, they get tip-top service 99% of the time.

 

But no company in the world can own/run every store in hundreds of cities across the globe; and so they franchise, by doing so entrusting their name to another group of people that are now liable for satisfying the customers.

 

Part 2: Pens are the driving force of revenue behind the company. Fountain pens. Not the ones we discuss here on FPN.

 

That is so true. I remember a chain of camera shops that prided itself on giving excellent service but producing terrible price lists. They grew and grew and turned into a vast chain of shops that just sold sealed boxes, none of their staff knew anything about photography. They are now no more. The only writing instruments that MB are really interested in selling are the prestige items. These will, no doubt, continue but service will suffer (already has) and they will probably end up just selling vastly overpriced leather goods and watches. It is not impossible that they may cease trading in the not too distant future. A business that forgets what its customer base really is will not last forever. Having said that, no firm can exist on just fountain pens. It is, as has been said, a niche market. We shall see.

[jagwap]

It should not be unexpected that Montblanc branched in to watches. Most of the Richemont group are watchmakers, and most of their revenue is that and jewellery. There is plenty of expertise in house.

 

However, one of the reasons you should have confidence when buying a luxury item is that it should be consistently reliable, and if there is trouble it should be taken care of without fuss and in timely fashion. This does not appear to be the case here.

[Tom Kellie]

~ What is troubling is the prospect of consumers purchasing faulty Montblanc fountain pens who know nothing of Fountain Pen Network, nibmeisters, misaligned tines or feel that baby’s bottoms are best left undiscussed.

Their entry into Montblanc fountain pen use and collecting might be unnecessarily distorted by clumsy or ham-handed service and repair despite superb product craftsmanship and design.

As an esteemed premium luxury writing instrument maker, Montblanc has earned respect for brand quality.

How sad if that diminishes as a consequence of inadequate attention to the nuts and bolts, or feeds and pistons, of routine repair and maintenance.

Tom K.

[TheRealMikeDr]

 

~ What is troubling is the prospect of consumers purchasing faulty Montblanc fountain pens who know nothing of Fountain Pen Network, nibmeisters, misaligned tines or feel that baby’s bottoms are best left undiscussed.

Their entry into Montblanc fountain pen use and collecting might be unnecessarily distorted by clumsy or ham-handed service and repair despite superb product craftsmanship and design.

As an esteemed premium luxury writing instrument maker, Montblanc has earned respect for brand quality.

How sad if that diminishes as a consequence of inadequate attention to the nuts and bolts, or feeds and pistons, of routine repair and maintenance.

Tom K.

 

 

This is the real issue IMO. I can deal with most problems. But imagine if a wife saves up to purchase her husband a very special gift to commemorate their anniversary - a brand new Montblanc 149 - and he unwraps it and inks it up only to find out it doesn't write properly and he has to blindly ship it away and spend weeks/months to get it resolved... Not very special.

[LanceSaintPaul]

 

 

The thing is, you are not going to like my answer.

 

Well, the second part of it anyway.

 

Part 2: Pens are the driving force of revenue behind the company. Fountain pens. Not the ones we discuss here on FPN.

 

That's OK - we need to know this to better interpret what we are experiencing. And if I read you correctly it seems to mean that the current, contemporary Montblanc is practically irrelevant to us & will likely be so from here on out.

[empliau]

Maybe they are hoping consumers will buy their goods, and fountain pen lovers will send the substandard ones to nibmeisters. Thus, they get the profit without the trouble of actually making sure the pens work as they should. After having them replace my ebonite feed with plastic (service for a barrel issue, nothing wrong with the feed, and I didn't ask them to) I will never send them a pen again. After all, people like Brad Torelli, John Mottishaw, Dan Smith, and the Indy Pen Dance folks (just to name a few) know what they're doing. It seems sending to Montblanc is a roll of the dice.

 

Of course, getting another nib is another matter - those aren't always thick on the ground. I'd love a B or BB for my Agatha, but MB wouldn't do it, since it's been repaired. Fiends.

[Pravda]

Wait why cant you get the nib you want for your Agatha? Its a 23+ year old pen and Montblanc can STILL make a job for it at $350. Thats AMAZING if you ask me, no other company would touch something that old.

 

Come on, yes they have their shortcomings but in the big picture the brand rocks!

[empliau]

Well, I bought a damaged Agatha for (relatively) cheap and had it fixed by Brad Torelli. Montblanc's position is that since they didn't do the repair, it is no longer a Montblanc, and they won't sell me a new nib. Not even for ready money, as Oscar Wilde says.

 

Don't ask me why. Makes no sense to me. But I won't ship my pen to Montblanc without knowing exactly what they will do to it (see above sad story of my feed).

[Ghost Plane]

I don’t see why they can’t turn a lesser profit from service like car dealerships. If I take a 23 year old Mercedes to the dealership and I’m willing to pay for the parts and hourly service rate, they make a profit, build goodwill toward their brand and I can generally expect to get a repaired, functional car back.

[Driften]

Well, I bought a damaged Agatha for (relatively) cheap and had it fixed by Brad Torelli. Montblanc's position is that since they didn't do the repair, it is no longer a Montblanc, and they won't sell me a new nib. Not even for ready money, as Oscar Wilde says.

 

Don't ask me why. Makes no sense to me. But I won't ship my pen to Montblanc without knowing exactly what they will do to it (see above sad story of my feed).

 

 

What was the repair that Brad did for you? I assume it had to be something really visible or how would they know someone else did something to it?

 

It does make me wonder though, would they do a service on a pen that had the nib customized on it.