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

[Ghost Plane]

And, Tom, thanks for introducing us to Lily Brett!

Yes! My reading pile just got taller.

[Tom Kellie]

Tom, congratulations on your two newest pens -- the Danish Coral and the POA Pompadour.The story behind even getting them delivered to your home is interesting by its own right. I will note that we have a daughter living in a suburb of Copenhagen -- Glostrup -- and we always enjoy our time there -- amazing coffee shops -- an iPad, a notebook, and a fountain pen, who could want more? When I first started visiting Denmark about a decade ago, I discovered a wee pen shop -- vintage pens -- in Frederiksburg -- it was closed more often than not but one day the owner was in, he spoke English, and he brought me inside to see his wares. Quite the experience; unfortunately I have not been to this same part of Copenhagen nor do I know if I could find that shop again. Regarding new pens, there is only one stationary shop, in the high-end shopping district, that sells fountain pens, including a nice selection of MB products. I might add, we spend some time in Budapest and my experience has been the same -- twenty years ago it was possible to visit two-three stationary/pen shops, including a MB Boutique, but those days are gone. My new POA Alexander also has a fine nib -- and like your experience -- it is buttery smooth and wet. I like it!

 

 

~ Toll and Ghost Plane:

 

Lily Brett is a quality author who is a wonderful read. She's a realist with bonhomie and a rich love of life.

Recommending her is a slam dunk, as any of her major published works would be a joy to read in a coffee shop, especially if a fire were blazing with a cat by the hearth and complimentary fresh cookies on offer.

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The experience of writing with both newly arrived fountain pens has been an eye-opener for a comparative greenhorn like yours truly.

How might I ever adequately thank gifted Danish photographer farmdogfan for the outstanding Coral Red Montblanc 212 EF which he made available?

That the pen is nearly my age but shows almost no signs of age is a wonder. The finish and design are top-of-the-line.

Holding the pen for writing is effortless. Every tactile aspect seems as though it was sent to a boutique yesterday.

The EF nib is extraordinarily well made, with a line more like an EEF than an EF. Smooth, smooth, smooth without any trace of scratchiness and no skipping whatsoever.

Writing with it today, marking in a book, I couldn't help grinning at having such a superlative example of elegant Danish craftsmanship.

Full Disclosure: As a kid I grew up in a home with Danish Modern furniture, which permanently affected my taste.

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As to the 2001 Patron of Art Marquise de Pompadour Fine nib...oh, my goodness! What's not to like?

The scattered images I saw on the Internet and the few comments I read about it didn't prepare me for the pleasure of writing with such a sublime fountain pen.

As the first non-precious resin Montblanc fountain pen in my admittedly limited experience, writing with it has been a revelation.

Ghost Plane had alluded to the joys of using metal pens, but her previous comments didn't connect as I'd never experienced writing with one.

The concentrated mass of the metal and the porcelain inlays has the pleasing effect of pushing the pen along.

The butter-smooth Fine nib glides with effortless motion, causing extended writing to be relaxing. This is unlike anything that I've heretofore experienced.

In another thread I've asked Michæl R. if he knows the weight in grams of both the PoA Marquise de Pompadour and the PoA Louis XIV.

The underlying motivation for that question is if it turns out that the PoA Louis XIV is similarly weighty, like the PoA Marquise de Pompadour, then my longstanding interest in eventually acquiring a PoA Louis XIV may rapidly move from ‘daydream’ to ‘active plan’.

Now, the good part...

The piston knob.

Yes, the PoA Marquise de Pompadour's piston knob is as good as it gets. Were I asked to rate the piston knob in a review, it would be 10/10.

There are a couple of dozen camera lenses in my home office, mostly automatic focus Canon L lenses. There are also five manual focus Zeiss lenses.

The construction of the Zeiss lenses is something to behold. The exquisite sensitivity of the manual focus ring is ideal.

To my great satisfaction, the PoA Marquise de Pompadour's piston knob is no less well designed and made.

No fountain pen that I've ever used has had such an outstanding piston knob, which sets the standard for any other fountain pen that I may ever someday hold.

I'm happy...very, very happy. Maine Vintner provided a fountain pen in excellent condition which is well-suited for extensive writing projects.

With Contentment,

Tom K.

Edited March 25, 2018 by Tom Kellie

[jmccarty3]

Tom--

 

You dropped a hint a short while back that made me think you would be getting a red Danish Montblanc from farmdogfan. I'm glad to see that my guess was correct. It's a beauty, as is the Marquise de Pompadour.

 

Congratulations!

[Zdenek]

 

2001 Patron of Art Marquise de Pompadour F Nib

 

Big congrats to your new pen, Tom!

I remember I had the pen in my hand in the local boutique in the year of its release. It was very heavy (its original price was € 1650,-; 888 edition was for € 4700,-). Although my Verne with its 62 g is by no means a light pen, I suppose the Marquise is even heavier.

Edited March 25, 2018 by Zdenek

[Tom Kellie]

[Tom Kellie]

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/331384-whats-your-most-recent-mb-purchase-2018/page-18 Post #357

~ Thanks to a post by MontblancLover in the “What's Your Most Recent MB Purchase? 2018” thread, the comparative gram weight of the two PoA fountain pens is known.

Much appreciation to MontblancLover for generously weighing both of his lovely pens.

Tom K.

[Ghost Plane]

For comparison, a fully inked Skeleton. The picture is flipped & Im not sure how to change it, but the weight is 65g

[Tom Kellie]

~ Ghost Plane:

 

That's very useful! In fact, it's exactly what I needed to see in order to place the PoA Marquise de Pompadour's substantial mass in context.

Thank you for providing the image. If a fully inked Skeleton weighs a bit less, that suggests that the lovely French lady may be in need...ahem...of a diet.

Notwithstanding, yours truly loves her just the way she is.

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

Tom--

 

You dropped a hint a short while back that made me think you would be getting a red Danish Montblanc from farmdogfan. I'm glad to see that my guess was correct. It's a beauty, as is the Marquise de Pompadour.

 

Congratulations!

 

 

~ Hi, Jay!

 

Aha! You caught that little hint! Great!

The pen farmdogfan made available is really something else. The condition is far beyond what I might have expected from a pen made in the mid-1950s, when I was a wee tot.

The solidity of the pen brings to mind a taut bow...nothing flimsy or substandard about the Montblanc 212. Its EF nib ranks up with the most well-made narrow nibs I've ever used.

That a leather carrying case embossed with Montblanc symbols was included, as well as an extra ink sac, reflects farmdogfan's kindness and attention to detail.

Given the consistent superlative quality of farmdogfan's photography, I'm not surprised that he offered such an outstanding fountain pen.

As to the 2001 PoA Marquise de Pompadour, writing with it is pure bliss, backed up by the mass of the Meissen porcelain and the gold fittings.

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

Big congrats to your new pen, Tom!

I remember I had the pen in my hand in the local boutique in the year of its release. It was very heavy (its original price was € 1650,-; 888 edition was for € 4700,-). Although my Verne with its 62 g is by no means a light pen, I suppose the Marquise is even heavier.

 

~ Zdenek:

 

Thank you so much! I'm glad to know that you've held the pen, so you know what it's like.

You're right! It's heavy, with mass supplied by the Meissen porcelain, the gold-plated fittings and lacquer inlays.

The concentrated mass has the pleasing effect of pulling the pen downward, thereby gliding along on the smooth nib surface and flowing ink.

The pen is just right in all respects. Everything works as one might hope, without any undesirable quirks.

As it's an unused pen, it feels like writing with a pen recently brought home from a Montblanc boutique.

My desk is no longer monotone black resin. The 149s have new friends adding color to their surroundings.

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/331384-whats-your-most-recent-mb-purchase-2018/page-19 Post #361

~ The image above is a follow-up post from MontblancLover showing the respective uncapped masses of the PoA Marquise de Pompadour and the PoA Louis XIV.

Again, many thanks to MontblancLover for taking time to use pens from his outstanding collection to ascertain this information.

Now it’s clear that the PoA Marquise de Pompadour is indeed a somewhat weightier pen than usual.

That's not at all a problem. My interest in acquiring a PoA Louis XIV has ratcheted up a few pegs.

Thinking, imagining, planning...

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

Pug Puppy and Porcelain Pen

[empliau]

Many thanks, Tom, for my Zuji fix. Bless every one of his adorable wrinkles!

 

The pen is pretty nice too...

[GranTorino25]

 

Did you buy the pen here in Adelaide? I've read from your previous post that the pens bought from that store only came with medium nibs. Was considering buying a Montblanc WE, but the waiting time might actually kill it for me. Did you send the pen back to Germany by post or did you go through the authorised dealer? (assuming you and I are thinking of the same pen store (the only store) here in Adelaide.)

I did buy it from Adelaide, I put an order in for the fine nib originally, which took 1.5-2 weeks as I ordered the day they finalised an order from montblanc germany. The 6 week turn around is through the store too, who send it to Germany and receive it for me!

[Zdenek]

Pug Puppy and Porcelain Pen

It is apparent that there is an affinity. ... Porcelain is also called china.

Edited March 26, 2018 by Zdenek

[Pravda]

Congratulations Tom on the long anticipated arrival of your recent purchases- the MdP is particularly spectacularl..!! As I once mentioned before, it must be one of the most underrated Montblancs out there- but now gets all the attention it deserves because its truly beautiful.

 

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What all you FPNers own/have weighing scales at home now?

 

-

 

Pravda

[Ghost Plane]

If you ever entered the kitchen, you probably have one, too. *grin*

[Pravda]

If you ever entered the kitchen, you probably have one, too. *grin*

Im in the kitchen 2 hours a day, every day I am the one who cooks for my family for 8 years now. Should I buy one? I guess I eyeball everything and people dont complain lol

[Ghost Plane]

Im in the kitchen 2 hours a day, every day I am the one who cooks for my family for 8 years now. Should I buy one? I guess I eyeball everything and people dont complain lol

It helps those of us trying new recipes that call for weighing (baking especially). Or portion control when 2 ounces of cheese starts creeping into 4.

 

You got a single brother, cousin or uncle? I’d kill for a man who would cook for me!

[Tom Kellie]

It is apparent that there is an affinity. ... Porcelain is also called china.

 

~ Zdenek:

 

You made me laugh.

Very true.

Tom K.