Enjoying Montblanc Pens — Broad, Oblique, Extra Fine, Le & Bespoke

[Pravda]

I am very happy you guys liked the Heritage 1914's new nib

 

And yes, it wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for the genius of Mr. Axel Nier and his team in Hamburg.

 

I had the pleasure of meeting him on several occasions when he visited Dubai. At the time I was enamored with OBBB & BB nibs- I couldn't imagine being excited about anything else.

 

And then I saw the Signature Small he had on his Heritage 1914. The nib design was simply gorgeous.

 

When I wrote with his CI B nib I almost fainted. It was like nothing I have ever experienced before. It produced laser sharp lines that no other nib has ever been nearly capable of.

 

And then I got a crazy idea. What if we can attempt a CI Signature Small?

 

Mr. Nier and I contemplated the idea for a while and he enthusiastically called Hamburg to discuss, before returning to me with a big smile signaling that it was doable.

 

 

This is when I realized that I am hooked. The entire experience of a bespoke nib is like no other. Mr. Nier is such a courteous and easy to talk to gentleman, with his master experience in nib production it all makes designing a 'tailor made' nib an exhilarating procedure.

 

Basically his moto was 'if you can dream/think it, we will make it'.

 

 

Here's a comparison with two OBBB 149 nibs. Inks used are Diamine Graphite, Iroshizuku Momiji and Diamine Prussian Blue.

 

 

Love how when writing with it the name engraving sometimes shimmers reflecting the light

 

[Memorexx]

Is the "signature small" nib a speciality nib?

Your 1914 nib looks like a CI nib to me with 2 slits...I only have M and B nibs...so please excuse my questions here

[Ghost Plane]

I am very happy you guys liked the Heritage 1914's new nib

 

And yes, it wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for the genius of Mr. Axel Nier and his team in Hamburg.

 

I had the pleasure of meeting him on several occasions when he visited Dubai. At the time I was enamored with OBBB & BB nibs- I couldn't imagine being excited about anything else.

 

And then I saw the Signature Small he had on his Heritage 1914. The nib design was simply gorgeous.

 

When I wrote with his CI B nib I almost fainted. It was like nothing I have ever experienced before. It produced laser sharp lines that no other nib has ever been nearly capable of.

 

And then I got a crazy idea. What if we can attempt a CI Signature Small?

 

Mr. Nier and I contemplated the idea for a while and he enthusiastically called Hamburg to discuss, before returning to me with a big smile signaling that it was doable.

 

 

This is when I realized that I am hooked. The entire experience of a bespoke nib is like no other. Mr. Nier is such a courteous and easy to talk to gentleman, with his master experience in nib production it all makes designing a 'tailor made' nib an exhilarating procedure.

 

Basically his moto was 'if you can dream/think it, we will make it'.

 

 

Here's a comparison with two OBBB 149 nibs. Inks used are Diamine Graphite, Iroshizuku Momiji and Diamine Prussian Blue.

 

 

Love how when writing with it the name engraving sometimes shimmers reflecting the light

 

Mmmmm. I’m already contemplating the variations we could make on this with longer tines on a 149-sized platform...

[Tom Kellie]

[Tom Kellie]

Pravda's Sensational One-of-a-Kind Bespoke

Cursive Italic Small Signature Nib

 

 

~ When I first saw the images of Pravda's recent acquisition, I was thunderstruck.

A Bespoke Cursive Italic Small Signature nib on a Black 1914 is truly special event for those who admire Montblanc craftsmanship.

That Pravda would conceive of having a Bespoke nib on his impressive Black 1914 was audacious.

That he worked with Montblanc Nib Expert Axel Nier to design a unique nib was beyond all expectation.

The nib itself is a beauty, with twin slits at the top and a specially designed supporting structure and ink feed.

Pravda's handwriting samples, showing both Arabic and English, present the Bespoke nib's exceptional quality for writing.

• Shading

• Line Variation

• Crispness

Those are qualities which enhance the pleasure of writing with a fountain pen filled with quality ink on high grade paper.

Pravda’s Bespoke Cursive Italic Small Signature nib produces strokes, curves and dashes having those qualities in abundance.

Although I've never had any sort of “grail pen” in mind, Pravda’s magnificent Bespoke 1914 is as fine a writer as I've ever seen.

What's especially pleasing is that his Bespoke nib isn't a vintage nib from decades past, but rather a contemporary design from Hamburg.

With Ghost Plane, zaddick and other friends, I join in congratulating Pravda for having conceived of and obtained such a remarkable writing tool.

May you enjoy many, many hours of writing pleasure with it throughout 2018 and beyond.

Tom K.

[zaddick]

Well said Tom.

 

You have also been an inspiration to many of us and your cheerful zest for life reminds me to cherish what is important, find beauty all around, and spend more time writing.

 

May 2018 bring a flurry of creativity, beautiful photos, handwritten post, and stunning new nibs.

[Cyrille81]

I never bought before the so nice photos of Tom with Zuji to take some with my pets (we have guinea pigs). One of them is named Montblanc in tribute of the brand and her colors black and white. Unfortunately she passed way this night so I will never have the occasion to do it. At least she seems to pass away peacefully.

 

[Tom Kellie]

I never bought before the so nice photos of Tom with Zuji to take some with my pets (we have guinea pigs). One of them is named Montblanc in tribute of the brand and her colors black and white. Unfortunately she passed way this night so I will never have the occasion to do it. At least she seems to pass away peacefully.

 

~ Cyrille:

 

I'm sorry to hear of the loss of Montblanc this evening.

Thank you for sharing her portrait here.

Guinea pigs are such enjoyable pets.

Zuji is resting comfortably after a veterinary medical procedure.

Montblanc's black and white coat was lovely.

Tom K.

[Cyrille81]

 

~ Cyrille:

 

I'm sorry to hear of the loss of Montblanc this evening.

Thank you for sharing her portrait here.

Guinea pigs are such enjoyable pets.

Zuji is resting comfortably after a veterinary medical procedure.

Montblanc's black and white coat was lovely.

Tom K.

 

Thank you We still have her sister Diabolo with more black than Monblanc and also little white and the mother Tornade that has completely different colors:

 

 

 

 

 

And swift recovery to Zuji. I like so much carlin race they are so cute

[Ghost Plane]

I’m so sorry for your loss.

[Pravda]

My condolences Cyrille.. hope no kids were too attached / affected thats the hardest

[Cyrille81]

My condolences Cyrille.. hope no kids were too attached / affected thats the hardest

 

Thank you. No we have not yet kids so only my wife and me are affected but we have the 2 others Now I have to find a MB pen to buy in hommage to her.

[max dog]

So sorry for your loss. I lost my dog Max not too long ago, so I can relate to the pain of losing a beloved pet, you both are feeling right now. He was such a beautiful little guy. and what an adorable name he had.

[Tom Kellie]

So, I just got my newest pen: Patron of the Arts 2016 Peggy Guggenheim.

 

The pen is a Beauty, and I love looking at it.. but i enjoy it more when using it. I just inked it up with Beatles Psychedelic purple ink. The nib is supposed to be an OB, and it has a sticker saying OB, yet it... KINDA is not. I think it adds to the character of the pen.

 

The pen is not a B nor is it straight, but it is not the normal oblique angle. With close up you can see the manual person TRIED to do the oblique angle, but was a tad short.

 

 

~ Reed_thoughts:

 

Those close-up images of the theoretical “OB” nib are interesting.

You have yourself a unique nib.

The handwriting sample you provided shows how well it writes.

The Beatles Psychedelic Purple color looks nice, too.

As I have a soft spot for the Peggy Guggenheim, I'm especially grateful for your images and comments.

Thank you so much!

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

Thank you We still have her sister Diabolo with more black than Monblanc and also little white and the mother Tornade that has completely different colors:

 

And swift recovery to Zuji. I like so much carlin race they are so cute

 

~ Cyrille:

 

The rich colors of your pets are lovely.

They look very well cared for. You must have much pleasure from having them.

Thank you so much for your kind wishes for Zuji.

He's a somewhat small-sized Pug, with abundant energy, an active spirit, and ample affection.

Over time he's gradually accepted that yours truly spends time each day writing with fountain pens, rather than playing toss & fetch with him.

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

Speaking of broad Montblancs...

I'm currently awaiting a Montblanc 220 with a broad nib from the 'bay. That's all well and good... Except that I also have on the way a 3B nib to swap onto it on the way as well. These nibs are shaped more like lamy nibs, so the swap should be fairly easy to do. I'll post pictures when the two arrive.

Edit: the seller (who has a good reputation) also has other nibs available, including some O3B nibs and other such sizes. If people want I can post a link. They're all for older pens, stuff from the 60s.

 

~ benbot517:

 

I'm interested in your experience with the Montblanc 220.

Do you mean that you've found and ordered a BBB nib for it?

If so, that's quite a nice find! Yes, please post images after they both arrive.

It would be a pleasure to see what you've acquired.

Do you mean that the seller has OBBB nibs available, which are sold as nibs, rather than on pens?

I didn't realize that there was such items offered. Thank you for mentioning them here.

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

Give my regards to Zuji. Seeing these photos of him made me very happy. The writing samples are nice, too. Zuji, however, takes the cake. Thank you Tom.

 

~ meiers:

 

Thank you so much for the very kind remarks about Zuji.

As he's recently attained 7 months, several days ago he had surgery to neuter him.

I've been his attending nurse in the past few days. His recovery is steady, although he tires easily.

BTW: In another thread I read that you recently gave a Montblanc to your son.

If that was Sebastian, I hope that he'll treasure it, as you have.

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

Just amazing shots Tom! Montblanc should use some of your photography on their website to show off the pens.

Happy new year to you and Zuji. Zuji looks cute there with flakes on his nose.

 

~ max dog:

 

That's very kind of you to send such encouraging comments.

Zuji seemingly adapted to snow with ease. There was no shivering or signs of discomfort.

He's generally a fairly high energy dog.

With the loss of your Max, I'm glad that portraits of Zuji bring pleasure to you.

BTW: Thank you for your spirited and well-articulated defense of Montblanc fountain pens in another thread.

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

"Just amazing shots Tom! Montblanc should use some of your photography on their website to show off the pens.

Happy new year to you and Zuji. Zuji looks cute there with flakes on his nose."

 

Totally agree with max dog, superb pictures everytime.

 

I am going to make an effort to improve my picture taking skills and its all Tom's fault ! (just saying that to make me feel better should I 'need' to purchase anything camera related)

 

~ Pen Nut:

 

Thank you so much for the very kind encouragement.

If you share more pen, nib and handwriting images here, I'll gladly accept the blame.

BTW: I've noticed that you've mentioned a high interest in safes.

By all means share images and comments on safes, as that's an aspect of “Enjoying Montblanc Pens”.

Your expertise on safes would certainly educate a tenderfoot like yours truly, who has no awareness of what constitutes a quality fountain pen safe.

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

Family Get-together