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

[Tom Kellie]

~ The first sketches I ever made with a fountain pen were made with my first Montblanc, a 149 M nib.

I sketched two of my cameras, enjoying the smooth ink flow of the nearly three decade old pen.

Although these sketches were made several years ago, they continue to remind me of the joy of pen and ink sketches.

Tom K.

Canon EOS 1D X

Sony RX1 R

[Tom Kellie]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-04-05/see-how-montblanc-makes-its-famous-pens

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/see-montblanc-makes-famous-pens-174348806.html

~ The two links above reference the same material previously published in the Hodinkee watch collecting Web site.

It's nice to see Montblanc's Bespoke nib service receiving wider recognition through articles such as these.

Tom K.

[dubhe]

I emailed MB Hamburg to ask if they had any nibs for the Christie still, they said they did. I am tempted to take the plunge and go for OBB (already have B, OB and BB)!

[zaddick]

I emailed MB Hamburg to ask if they had any nibs for the Christie still, they said they did. I am tempted to take the plunge and go for OBB (already have B, OB and BB)!

 

What kind of push do you need? If you go OBB I can post this for you...

 

[dubhe]

It could do with a service anyway, so that will offset some of the cost...

[Ghost Plane]

And the inks you could try and the different effects on different papers

*enabler mode*

[zaddick]

By the way, just for the record, I just took that meme image from Google image search. I do know the difference between "your" and "you're".

 

I don't know if the person who created it did it on purpose to add to the humor, but I took it that way.

[Tom Kellie]

I emailed MB Hamburg to ask if they had any nibs for the Christie still, they said they did. I am tempted to take the plunge and go for OBB (already have B, OB and BB)!

 

~ dubhe:

 

After reading this post I hesitated for many hours, wondering if it was appropriate to ask a follow-up question.

Although I've considered such domed-cap WE pens as the Dostoevsky and the Wilde, they're typically (but not always) offered with an M nib.

That's resulted in reduced interest in particular pens, as an OBB, BB, OB, B or even an EF nib might be of greater interest to me.

Heretofore the only situations where I'd directly contacted Montblanc Hamburg concerned Bespoke nibs, as I was directly asked to do so.

When I'd inquire at a Beijing Montblanc boutique about possible pre-paid nib exchanges for older WE pens, the response was typically vague and discouraging.

It never occurred to me that directly asking Hamburg about the availability of nibs for older WE pens might be an option.

May I please ask how you contacted Hamburg? Was there an official contact e-mail address listed somewhere?

This interests me as if a wider nib were feasible, there might be future pens of interest, aside from any Bespoke nib.

As I understand it, a Bespoke nib may be ordered for any of the PoA or WE models, as it would be entirely custom made.

For that reason I continue to think about someday acquiring a PoA Louis XIV with the notion of having a Bespoke nib created for it.

Tom K.

[dubhe]

Hello Tom,

 

I used the contact link on the montblanc.com website, from experience it is a bit hit and miss depending on who responds, and it can take a few days. Living in the UK my local service centre is Hamburg anyway so that removes any interference by local service centres.

 

I do not believe they make the nibs to order, it all depends what stock they have left.

[zaddick]

Tom, if I may be so bold, I simply and politely tell the staff what to request and ask them to send the pen in for the desired nib exchange. I do not ask them what is feasible or available as they frankly do not know. If a nib size is not available for an older pen then Hamburg can inform the boutique and give me my options.

 

It is a fine line between arrogance and advocacy for my personal preferences. I find keeping it firm and professional with some humor has left me on the right side of the line. I like the boutique to do the leg work for me and handle details.

[Tom Kellie]

Tom, if I may be so bold, I simply and politely tell the staff what to request and ask them to send the pen in for the desired nib exchange. I do not ask them what is feasible or available as they frankly do not know. If a nib size is not available for an older pen then Hamburg can inform the boutique and give me my options.

 

It is a fine line between arrogance and advocacy for my personal preferences. I find keeping it firm and professional with some humor has left me on the right side of the line. I like the boutique to do the leg work for me and handle details.

 

~ zaddick:

 

Thank you so much for your forthright description.

Were I working and living in the United States, I'd naturally do likewise.

Your approach mirrors my own approach, when in certain areas of the globe, including the USA, where I haven't visited since 2007.

The plain reality is that where I work and live there are other cultural dynamics at work.

I've observed this in Montblanc boutiques in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, without any variation.

Stepping out of the preferred local norms results in delays, obfuscation and concealed obstinacy.

Then again, I may lack your finesse.

For this reason I've asked friends in the USA to handle certain pen-related matters, as it's easier than doing so here.

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

Hello Tom,

 

I used the contact link on the montblanc.com website, from experience it is a bit hit and miss depending on who responds, and it can take a few days. Living in the UK my local service centre is Hamburg anyway so that removes any interference by local service centres.

 

I do not believe they make the nibs to order, it all depends what stock they have left.

 

~ dubhe:

 

Thank you so much for taking time to explain your Montblanc contact methodology to me.

That's especially useful to know. To show how feather-brained I can be, it never occurred to me to use the contact link on the montblanc.com Web site.

Yes, exchange nibs, whether free or purchased, aren't made to order, unlike Bespoke nibs.

What had stymied me was wondering whether or not any broader nibs remained after so many years for the earlier WE pens.

You've helped a lot with this information.

Tom K.

[nishantdr83]

Dear Tom,

I recently acquired a few old WEs pens that I had missed out on - I asked for nib exchange on all of them. Dickens & Mann with OBB and Poe with EF. It certainly remains possible to do so.

Best

Nishant

[Tom Kellie]

Dear Tom,

I recently acquired a few old WEs pens that I had missed out on - I asked for nib exchange on all of them. Dickens & Mann with OBB and Poe with EF. It certainly remains possible to do so.

Best

Nishant

 

~ Hi, Nishant!

 

What you've written is exactly what I'm interested in knowing.

The broadest and finest nibs interest me, albeit for different purposes.

Thank you for telling this.

May I please ask how you went about seeking a nib exchange?

Did you take the pens to a Montblanc boutique and work through their staff, or, did you use another approach?

Two OBBs and an EF — those are my kind of nibs!

Tom K.

[thygreyt]

Tom, for reference...

 

The OB nib for my 1912 was not in stock, and thus one was made for me. It involves a few month waiting period...

 

A little over a month ago I dropped my Peggy Guggenheim 4810 for a nib exchange from b to OBB, and I'm waiting. The nib is not in stock. This one qualified for the free nib exchange.

[Tom Kellie]

Tom, for reference...

 

The OB nib for my 1912 was not in stock, and thus one was made for me. It involves a few month waiting period...

 

A little over a month ago I dropped my Peggy Guggenheim 4810 for a nib exchange from b to OBB, and I'm waiting. The nib is not in stock. This one qualified for the free nib exchange.

 

~ Reed_thoughts:

 

Thank you for explaining your experience, which provides helpful context.

That both required a significant wait is useful to know.

I liked your PoA Peggy Guggenheim. With an OBB it will be a terrific pen!

Zuji liked the nib...

Is it the case that both nib exchanges were processed through a Montblanc boutique...or otherwise?

Tom K.

[jmccarty3]

By the way, just for the record, I just took that meme image from Google image search. I do know the difference between "your" and "you're".

 

I don't know if the person who created it did it on purpose to add to the humor, but I took it that way.

 

It seems to be a requirement that memes contain an error in spelling, grammar, or punctuation.

[nishantdr83]

Tom,

I tend to stick with my dealer friend in Malaysia who helps me get pretty much any nib exchange that MB would do. Dickens was readily available to him but Mann and Poe took 2-3 months to come through. I am thinking hard about exchanging a couple others that I have even I have to pay some. Exotic nibs bring a lot of joy.

Best

Nishant

 

~ Hi, Nishant!

 

 

What you've written is exactly what I'm interested in knowing.

The broadest and finest nibs interest me, albeit for different purposes.

Thank you for telling this.

May I please ask how you went about seeking a nib exchange?

Did you take the pens to a Montblanc boutique and work through their staff, or, did you use another approach?

Two OBBs and an EF — those are my kind of nibs!

Tom K.

[AndyLogan]

And the inks you could try and the different effects on different papers

*enabler mode*

 

+1000!

[AndyLogan]

Tom, if I may be so bold, I simply and politely tell the staff what to request and ask them to send the pen in for the desired nib exchange. I do not ask them what is feasible or available as they frankly do not know. If a nib size is not available for an older pen then Hamburg can inform the boutique and give me my options.

 

It is a fine line between arrogance and advocacy for my personal preferences. I find keeping it firm and professional with some humor has left me on the right side of the line. I like the boutique to do the leg work for me and handle details.

 

Amen to that.