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

[Tom Kellie]

A truly reliable and a solid pen. Tom, is it a piston system or CC?

 

 

[blottingpaperforlife]

Its a gem . . . Thank you, Tom.

[Tom Kellie]

Montblanc Homer Greek Blue

Geometry in Blue

[Tom Kellie]

[blottingpaperforlife]

I imagine your students using or displaying interest in fountain pens, and various nibs. Youre living in part of the world where fountain pens have perhaps retained their importance even today. I am wondering how common is the use of fountain pens among your students.

[Tom Kellie]

I imagine your students using or displaying interest in fountain pens, and various nibs. Youre living in part of the world where fountain pens have perhaps retained their importance even today. I am wondering how common is the use of fountain pens among your students.

 

~ blottingpaperforlife:

 

Thank you for your very kind comment.

 

Writing culture remains moderately vibrant here, despite the overwhelming preference for smart phones.

That I don't own a smart phone/iPhone is regarded as an unfathomable eccentricity by my students and colleagues.

In most circumstances, students use plastic ballpoints, with black being the only ink color.

Here and there students will use fountain pens, typically with F nibs. Again, only black ink is ever used.

I've been surprised by the number of faux copies of the Lamy Safari I've seen in classrooms over the past half dozen years.

Many of the fountain pens are glittery, with shinier-than-real golden fittings.

I've never seen a Montblanc pen in use in any university situation here.

Student calligraphy skills are rock-bottom basic, when using a brush pen. Likewise their handwriting tends to be atrocious.

However, as they observe my own fountain pen use, as well as the chalk notes on the blackboard, quite a few make an effort over time to upgrade their writing skills.

Interestingly, I've recently realized that the youngest students are only familiar with printed letters. Cursive writing is beyond their skill set.

They feel that the notes and corrections in ink on their examinations and assignments are high value, as domestic instructors don't provide that, solely placing an inscrutable number on student work.

As with so much in life, there's a certain responsibility to model professional behavior and attitudes. In my classrooms, that includes fountain pen handwriting.

Tom K.

Edited July 20, 2018 by Tom Kellie

[thygreyt]

Just the fact that they use fountain pens (copies of lamy, or whatever... montblancs or not) is warming!

 

In my class in highschool NO ONE in the entire school had a fountain pen. In my class at university 2 people did (TWSBI) and were often seen as eccentric.

[adim]

I always find it very interesting to see such differences with other countries. In primary and secondary school, everybody used fountain pens in my class. The most popular were Hero which could be bought as low as today's 0.3€/$. In some classes, we even lost marks on homework or tests if we wrote with ballpoints or pencils.

 

Then, although not mandatory, many of my high school classmates still wrote with fountain pens and the trend continued during my university years (I would say between my friends and classmates I could always see a proportion of at least 30%, up to 50% of fp users).

 

What's also striking is that now, among my students, I would say the rates are well over 50% of fp users, maybe up to two thirds.

 

However, I have seen no "serious" pen, the most expensive being a LAMY Safari. Oh, in fact, I have seen one student writing with a GvFC Tamitio at an exam.

[Tom Kellie]

Just the fact that they use fountain pens (copies of lamy, or whatever... montblancs or not) is warming!

 

In my class in highschool NO ONE in the entire school had a fountain pen. In my class at university 2 people did (TWSBI) and were often seen as eccentric.

 

 

[Tom Kellie]

I always find it very interesting to see such differences with other countries. In primary and secondary school, everybody used fountain pens in my class. The most popular were Hero which could be bought as low as today's 0.3€/$. In some classes, we even lost marks on homework or tests if we wrote with ballpoints or pencils.

 

Then, although not mandatory, many of my high school classmates still wrote with fountain pens and the trend continued during my university years (I would say between my friends and classmates I could always see a proportion of at least 30%, up to 50% of fp users).

 

What's also striking is that now, among my students, I would say the rates are well over 50% of fp users, maybe up to two thirds.

 

However, I have seen no "serious" pen, the most expensive being a LAMY Safari. Oh, in fact, I have seen one student writing with a GvFC Tamitio at an exam.

 

[adim]

 

 

Youre totally right, Tom, diversity is key in examining different cultures. Thank you for the reply and details. I always find it fascinating to read about such differences. The surprise I get when finding out that my (cultures) habits or things I take for granted are totally different for other people is, in some sense, refreshing for my mind and knowledge.

[blottingpaperforlife]

adim, after reading your post, I thought how Tom is at ease in including, and engaging with diverse Montblanc pens and nibs. He welcomes other fountain pen brand as well which forms a beautiful frame in his post above.

[adim]

adim, after reading your post, I thought how Tom is at ease in including, and engaging with diverse Montblanc pens and nibs. He welcomes other fountain pen brand as well which forms a beautiful frame in his post above.

 

Yes, his picture above, with the Safaris and the Montblanc is like a metaphor for his ideal classroom, I guess. He's the professor with the Montblanc and the students are represented by Safaris. All around some paper with beautiful handwriting, both in appearance, and in content.

[Tom Kellie]

Sunshine Puppy

[Tom Kellie]

Kiwifruit, Cream and Gold

[adim]

I'm not sure whether this is appropriate, since it's not OC, but I found this clip fascinating, as I have never seen a bespoke nib in action, only in Tom's pictures.

 

Edited July 22, 2018 by adim

[1nkulus]

@ Tom Kellie

 

Is that a PoE Marquise de Pompadour?

 

The art of writing and using a FP is now an acquired taste, unfortunately.

 

My handwriting is just a step above awful but I never lost touch with FP's.

 

The Pekingese can be 'Sunshine Puppy' by day and 'Hairy Scary' by night.

[Ghost Plane]

I'm not sure whether this is appropriate, since it's not OC, but I found this clip fascinating, as I have never seen a bespoke nib in action, only in Tom's pictures.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2-_gjHLiRs

I appreciate seeing the nib, but get the impression the user is unfamiliar with wider nibs and treating it as an exotic thing to be rolled around all over the place for calligraphy only rather than letting loose as a daily writer. I can almost guarantee the results would be very different if I could get my hands on it.

 

Awkward clips like this would put me off if I weren’t a long time user of wide nibs. Sure, many nibs will give special effects if you turn them on edge. But why don’t they just WRITE with them? Even a simple grocery list would give beautiful variation handled normally.

[CS388]

...snip...

 

Awkward clips like this would put me off if I weren’t a long time user of wide nibs.

 

Agree. I'd much rather see a full page of writing, than a few 'special effects'.

[Tom Kellie]

@ Tom Kellie

 

Is that a PoE Marquise de Pompadour?

 

The art of writing and using a FP is now an acquired taste, unfortunately.

 

My handwriting is just a step above awful but I never lost touch with FP's.

 

The Pekingese can be 'Sunshine Puppy' by day and 'Hairy Scary' by night.

 

~ 1nkulus:

 

Yes, it's a 2001 Patron of Art Marquise de Pompadour F nib.

It's the greatest surprise among my Montblanc fountain pens in that I never expected it to be a terrific writer, yet it is.

Acquiring a taste for fountain pen and ink writing is precious skill to be shared whenever possible.

My approach is through regular fountain pen use in university classrooms and by making available photographs of my fountain pens at rest and in use.

Ha! Harum Scarum, Hairy Scary!

Yubi is a flopsy-gentle, babyish Pekingese puppy. He never growls, bites or gnaws, nor does he hide.

His idea of great fun are short sprint chases in the apartment with me the rabbit.

His sweet, affectionate temperament is a contrast to other aspects of my work and life.

Best of all, he's come to accept that I often sit, pen in hand, not playing or eating, although he must wonder what my purpose might be.

Tom K.