Montblanc 2017 Sep New Released Diamond Pen

[eidola]

The thread that had one member lash out an another is elsewhere

 

Anyway my 2¢ is that YES people are free not to like something and can hopefully pose constructive critique for the rest of us to learn from. Primitive 'it's ugly' or 'it's too expensive' is offending.

Why is 'ugly' primitive and not constructive? An ugly pen would appear a bad thing.

[Pravda]

Why is 'ugly' primitive and not constructive? An ugly pen would appear a bad thing.

 

 

I don't know. It takes me back to school when teachers would say 'Do not use ugly. Describe what you don't like about it so others can see and understand.'

[meiers]

Describe what you don't like about it so others can see and understand.'

Yes.

[Axis]

 

 

I don't know. It takes me back to school when teachers would say 'Do not use ugly. Describe what you don't like about it so others can see and understand.'

 

Hi Pravda,

 

That's what I meant with my previous post. But either people here want to misunderstand us for the purpose of making noise or we actually are on elementary school level with this discussion. In that case however we should stop teaching them lessons on constructive feedback.

 

Best

[Pravda]

 

Hi Pravda,

 

That's what I meant with my previous post. But either people here want to misunderstand us for the purpose of making noise or we actually are on elementary school level with this discussion. In that case however we should stop teaching them lessons on constructive feedback.

 

Best

Couldn't have said it better. You spoke my mind exactly. And I am glad that you too contributed your opinion. Thank you.

[BillH]

On a forum where it is easy to find criticism of many companies for being "boring", "hasn't had a new idea since 1950", "hasn't made a decent pen since the 60's", etc, I give Montblanc much credit for a product line that has the widest expression of design and the broadest range of prices of any pen company out there today. They know full well that "fancy pen A" will only appeal to a limited number of their customers, yet they make no apologies for it. They know that "expected black pen" will appeal to more folks, but not all. So be it.

 

Credit where it is due, Montblanc is the most interesting huge pen company in the world, whether you like them or not. Lots of smaller companies, and a great many bespoke pen makers, would die for the opportunity to just create and explore new ideas.

 

The fact that you and I might not have $1M, or even $200K to spend on pens is beside the point... that some folks can't be ok with that is too bad.

Edited September 15, 2017 by BillH

[eidola]

 

Hi Pravda,

 

That's what I meant with my previous post. But either people here want to misunderstand us for the purpose of making noise or we actually are on elementary school level with this discussion. In that case however we should stop teaching them lessons on constructive feedback.

 

Best

Is demonstration needed?

 

The animal print is lurid. All the caps have too much decor, look unbalanced, have too thick bands. Pavé adds nothing to any of the designs, only showy. Hannibal? Small unity of theme…

[dubhe]

I truly believe for every ten bad ideas there will be one great one. The might only be a small number of features in a concept that will actually be well received, but if they then get used in future designs it adds to the evolution of the product range and provides us with better pens to lust over. Keep it up MB!

[LanceSaintPaul]

Is demonstration needed?

 

The animal print is lurid. All the caps have too much decor, look unbalanced, have too thick bands. Pavé adds nothing to any of the designs, only showy. Hannibal? Small unity of theme…

Well said. Thanks.

 

I fear if I were to give an artistic critique including an interpretation of the symbols involved it could well be my last post.

 

As far as my opinion of the $$$ involved several things need to be said. Firstly we have entered an area defined as "When quantity becomes a quality".

 

The presence and prices of these goods are a political statement all on their own.

 

If someone I knew had purchased one of these & proudly showed it to me I would become very uncomfortable with the situation & with them for what it would reveal to me about their tastes. I probably would feel distanced from them and would seek to maintain or increase that distance.

 

On the other hand if this person proudly showed me, say, a vintage Dunhill Maki-E pen (the sort I see in the Bonhams ads in Pen World that have realized upwards of $300,000 at sale) my reaction would be, "That's an awful lot of money for a pen, but you bought well." I'd be likely to hang out with them more, with respect.

 

Let's not fall prey to simplistic generalizations.

[Kalessin]

While I would expect any MB "Diamond Pen of the Year" to feature more diamonds than I like on a pen (and the number I prefer is zero), I do see where they were going with the design. While I find these designs gaudy, I'm sure they wouldn't be making them without expecting to sell at least some of them

 

I like the elephant head idea, with the trunk for the clip, and think it works pretty well on the first pen (though I'd want to see more photos). The little howdah design on the last pen in the pictures is fun but a little excessive for something one might actually use for writing, andI'm not a fan of over-jeweled anything. I dislike the animal print pattern completely, it reminds me of the same sort of thing used on Rolex watches, with the same disagreeable effect.

 

Since MB releases so many designs (writer editions, special editions, patrons of art, etc, etc), it must be really hard to find enough new artistic ideas. What I'd love to see from this design is to just take the idea to a much lower level of ostentatious design: a black 146 body, plain black cap, with a dark metal like titanium (or even a different siliver metal) elephant's head and "trunk" clip. It would even be okay with the MB star on top of the elephant head. Keep it simple, and very well and elegantly designed, and I'd consider buying one.

[Tom Kellie]

Okay. Settle down people. They're pens. If you believe you'll never have a million in pocket change, you're self-limiting. What you might do with it is your business. We're having nice fantasies here and there's space for everyone's

 

For my taste, which is my own and for which I do not apologize or proselytize, the howdah on top of the Hannibal ruined the lines of the cap. I'd go for the diamond chip version with the ruthenium finish and gold accent. But keep in mind I would also ink it and use it.

 

Art is in the eye of the beholder, the creator, and the purchaser. Here's to everyone whose best efforts ever garnered one star reviews. At least it's out there for the world.

 

 

~ Ghost Plane:

 

I strongly agree with what you've written.

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

I like the elephant head idea, with the trunk for the clip, and think it works pretty well on the first pen (though I'd want to see more photos). The little howdah design on the last pen in the pictures is fun but a little excessive for something one might actually use for writing...

 

 

~ Kalessin:

 

You've taught me a new word.

I've never read “howdah” before.

Thank you.

Tom K.

[Pravda]

While I would expect any MB "Diamond Pen of the Year" to feature more diamonds than I like on a pen (and the number I prefer is zero), I do see where they were going with the design. While I find these designs gaudy, I'm sure they wouldn't be making them without expecting to sell at least some of them

 

I like the elephant head idea, with the trunk for the clip, and think it works pretty well on the first pen (though I'd want to see more photos). The little howdah design on the last pen in the pictures is fun but a little excessive for something one might actually use for writing, andI'm not a fan of over-jeweled anything. I dislike the animal print pattern completely, it reminds me of the same sort of thing used on Rolex watches, with the same disagreeable effect.

 

Since MB releases so many designs (writer editions, special editions, patrons of art, etc, etc), it must be really hard to find enough new artistic ideas. What I'd love to see from this design is to just take the idea to a much lower level of ostentatious design: a black 146 body, plain black cap, with a dark metal like titanium (or even a different siliver metal) elephant's head and "trunk" clip. It would even be okay with the MB star on top of the elephant head. Keep it simple, and very well and elegantly designed, and I'd consider buying one.

Kalessin- thank you for this amazing critique. That's EXACTLY what I thought and felt about these models and hoped for others to point out in such an articulate manner. I too didn't warm up to any of them though I admired the intricacy of the craftsmanship and meticulous assembly.

 

Like you I prefer subtle elegance and felt a knot in my throat when I saw that particular Rolex you mentioned when it was released. Yet I also gasped when I saw that $1m Solitaire pavé Hublot from a few years back. I wouldn't want to own it, but I enjoyed looking at it in real life.

[JuInd]

Why doesn't MB use rare earth metals for making body and nib of a fp? Elements like Ytterbium, Yttrium etc... sound really nice right? Even "normal" one such as Osmium is still better than the diamond shower.

​Darn it, if MB Proust body and nib had been made from solid Osmium rod, I'd have

[Ghost Plane]

Yeah,right before you expired of the toxic off gassing. Am I the only one who passed chemistry? (Google osmium tetraoxide for fun)

 

I get your point. Rare for rarity's sake is fun sometimes.

[JuInd]

Yeah,right before you expired of the toxic off gassing. Am I the only one who passed chemistry? (Google osmium tetraoxide for fun)

 

I get your point. Rare for rarity's sake is fun sometimes.

​

 

 

Never taking chem in college; anyway MB seldom uses urushi for the paint job hence I didn't mention it. Those nibs are 18 kt Au/Pt too, why not 21-22 kt?

Edited September 16, 2017 by JuInd

[Ghost Plane]

Chemistry is FUN! And that's coming from a Poli Sci major with a double minor in Renaissance History and Literature.

 

 

(And they swore I'd never find work...)

[Tom Kellie]

...a Poli Sci major with a double minor in Renaissance History and Literature.

 

~ “There is no lighter burden, nor more agreeable, than a pen.”

- Petrarch

[Ghost Plane]

If you want to change the world, pick up your pen and write.

Martin Luther

[invisuu]

If you believe you'll never have a million in pocket change, you're self-limiting.

That's the most american thing I have read in a while - and I sincerely don't mean this in a bad way.