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

[Tom Kellie]

Pen Rest

[brad7k]

Enjoying an OB dark Montblanc nib!

[Ghost Plane]

Enjoying an OB dark Montblanc nib!

Lovely! If only it came on a different pen.

[tinta]

Lovely! If only it came on a different pen.

Yes & in yellow gold.

[Tom Kellie]

Lovely! If only it came on a different pen.

 

~ Ghost Plane:

 

What's the less than desirable aspect of the Beatles pen?

Is it in any sense related to the ‘step’ design which you recently explained to me?

In other words, looking at the pen's profile, there appears to be a step reduction in size, unlike in, say, the 149.

I'm still coming to grips with the ‘step’ issue, as I've never written with any pen having that configuration.

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

~ brad7k:

 

I like that photo!

Having the black & white background is ideal.

Is that sudoku? I've heard of it, but never actually seen it where I work.

The dark ink in the nib engraving and the sharp edge of the OB point are both attractive.

You've given me a few ideas about how to compose an appealing image.

Thank you for sharing this photo of a very nice nib.

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

Banns

[Tom Kellie]

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/326472-montblanc-limited-and-specials-editions-guide/

~ As this thread encompasses the Limited and Special Editions, the above link is especially valuable.

FPN member Feamat has prepared a comprehensive listing to the various categories of Montblanc Limited and Special Editions.

Quite a few are unfamiliar to me, hence looking through the listing is an education in what's been crafted in Hamburg.

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

http://www.luxury-insider.com/luxury-news/2014/11/montblanc-singapore-launches-the-art-of-writing-master-class

~ The link above is to an article with photographs concerning an initiative of Montblanc Singapore to encourage interest in fine writing and penmanship.

Called the ‘Art of Writing Master Class’, it was conducted at the Mandarin Gallery Montblanc boutique by a master calligrapher.

The class included a penmanship exercise, technical instructions about fountain pen use, and suggestions for gripping and pressure on paper.

Quality refreshments are visible in the images, showing mostly younger potential customers being introduced to high quality writing.

It's a positive step toward sharing the joy of fountain pen use with those who may be largely unfamiliar with it.

Tom K.

[Ghost Plane]

~ Ghost Plane:

 

 

What's the less than desirable aspect of the Beatles pen?

Is it in any sense related to the ‘step’ design which you recently explained to me?

In other words, looking at the pen's profile, there appears to be a step reduction in size, unlike in, say, the 149.

I'm still coming to grips with the ‘step’ issue, as I've never written with any pen having that configuration.

Tom K.

That’s part of it, as is the “knob” design on the back end + length of the pen in general. I hold pens farther back on the section or even on the body to achieve my easy, floating stance of almost sketching my script. That means my fingers hit the threads and steps, as well as the butt end of the pen resting in the webbing between thumb and forefinger if the pen is shorter than a 149. Not to mention the diameter is not as restful as I have to hold on more, rather than keeping a relaxed grip.

 

Designers appear to think every user learned their stance on ballpoints or dinky pocket pens, forgetting that longer desk pens were once a fixture on every professional’s desk for a reason.

[Tom Kellie]

That’s part of it, as is the “knob” design on the back end + length of the pen in general. I hold pens farther back on the section or even on the body to achieve my easy, floating stance of almost sketching my script. That means my fingers hit the threads and steps, as well as the butt end of the pen resting in the webbing between thumb and forefinger if the pen is shorter than a 149. Not to mention the diameter is not as restful as I have to hold on more, rather than keeping a relaxed grip.

 

Designers appear to think every user learned their stance on ballpoints or dinky pocket pens, forgetting that longer desk pens were once a fixture on every professional’s desk for a reason.

 

~ Ghost Plane:

 

In the case of the Beatles fountain pen did you ever have the opportunity to hold one?

I'm not suggesting that would be necessary, but nothing more than seeking to improve my understanding.

With your extensive, rich experience with writing with high quality fountain pens, no doubt you're able to assess pen models from photos and dimensions.

I'd never considered the knob in the back. Thank you for explaining this.

Yours truly didn't learn on ballpoints, but rather with a Sheaffer Cartridge Pen in Chrome and Black, which I still have, currently sitting on the desk beside me.

Tom K.

[Uncial]

The nib is the only thing about the Beatles pen that I like.

[Ghost Plane]

~ Ghost Plane:

 

 

In the case of the Beatles fountain pen did you ever have the opportunity to hold one?

I'm not suggesting that would be necessary, but nothing more than seeking to improve my understanding.

With your extensive, rich experience with writing with high quality fountain pens, no doubt you're able to assess pen models from photos and dimensions.

I'd never considered the knob in the back. Thank you for explaining this.

Yours truly didn't learn on ballpoints, but rather with a Sheaffer Cartridge Pen in Chrome and Black, which I still have, currently sitting on the desk beside me.

Tom K.

I’d love to, but the idiotic boutique system means it would need a 6 hour drive. From bitter necessity, I’ve learned to extrapolate from dimensions and weights (amazingly hard to obtain from MB itself) and those POA/WEs I’ve retained after use.

[Uncial]

Ok, so I've been so entranced by some of the pictures here - Ghost Plane's pics almost sent me over the edge - that I decided to seek out a double broad. Went on the bay and saw one for a BIN price. Seemed reasonable enough, pictures were very dodgy (aren't they always on anything you want?) but I could make out what i thought were a few deep scratches so I put in an offer. It was a bit of cheeky offer, but it was accepted! A second hand MB 146 for about the same price as a new Sailor Slim; can't be bad. Then I started to wonder. The offer was accepted pretty quickly. Darn it, have a bought a bloomin lemon?

 

Anyway it arrives and I clean it out. It was full of some nasty grey/black ink. Scratches turned out to be just old muck. Ink window is amber but quite darkened unfortunately. Cleaned off nicely...but wait, this is kind of heavy and what's with the weird telescopic piston? Oh, it's a 1950's celluloid model. Now I thought, yep, this will never draw ink and write. It did. However, despite the ebayer saying it was a BB and the blind cap being printed BB, it was not a BB. I started to write with it and it felt a little bit weird. It has a strange bounce and odd stubbiness, but only slightly. Looked at it under the loupe and......yep, it's an OM nib. Thought about sending it back but it's actually very nice and seeing I didn't pay an awful lot for it and it writes and fills and doesn't leak (bonus) I thought I'd keep it. It's my first ever oblique nib; slightly weird though. It has a little feedback on some papers (rougher ones) and it's very wet so doesn't like cheap paper. If I write at a low angle it's very smooth but if I write at a higher angle it's toothy, but not unpleasantly so. I presume that is normal for this nib type?

[thygreyt]

 

Wrote the pen dry in 2 days... It usually takes me 3 days. I guess have been liking the ink a little too much

 

PS: That's the Gaius Maecenas nib from the 2011 POA thats been swapped into the platinum trim 146

Edited March 13, 2018 by Reed_thoughts

[Remedial penmanship]

What youre describing is expected. 14C nibs of the celluloid era, in my experience, are somewhat planar at the tip without any rounding or mounding of metal allowing a very narrow line when pulled across the page with the oblique edge in the direction of the line. Compare this with more modern oblique nibs, attached, two from 149s replaced by Montblanc from M nibs to OBBB, I think validates the assertion even among factory nibs theres variation for what should be very similar if not identical nibs. The fatter tips of these more modern nibs allows for a more forgiving writing angle. If you find your celluloid OM is too generous with ink, try a) Pelikan 4001 ink, b ) good paper, c) sending to a nibsmith: Brad Torelli made a fire hose of a celluloid 149 OBB into a wet but restrained writer.

Edited March 13, 2018 by Remedial penmanship

[Remedial penmanship]

A comparison with OBB nibs, 14C from celluloid 149 and 146.

[Uncial]

Thank you, yes that is exactly what my tipping looks like. I've been using it all through today and I'm really enjoying it. Its quite different but I like the subtle expressiveness. I love wet nibs so that's not an issue for me.

[mulrich]

I found a good deal on a platinum O3B a month ago and made the plunge. The pen finally arrived yesterday (the vendor had to order the pen then ship to the US from Europe). I was thrilled to finally get the pen but before I could ink it I noticed a small but deep gash on the clip. So, back it goes to the vendor in Europe who wanted to manage the warranty claim with MB. Im betting it will be two months before I see the pen again but hope Im wrong.

 

 

Two months ended up being pretty accurate, as the pen finally returned yesterday – some of that delay was self-inflicted, finding time to visit a post office is hard.

 

This week I've been using an old Omas OBB nib which I thought was broad, the MB OBBB makes the Omas nib look petite. I look forward to using the pen but am afraid it might be too much nib to handle. An OM may be more style.

[Ghost Plane]

Thank you, yes that is exactly what my tipping looks like. I've been using it all through today and I'm really enjoying it. Its quite different but I like the subtle expressiveness. I love wet nibs so that's not an issue for me.

 

Sumgai!