Review: Montblanc John F. Kennedy Special Edition Fountain Pen

[como]

I will go to the local shop to see it in person, once they are allowed to open again. 5Cavaliers, I hope that you don’t mind me pointing this out: This version should be around 42 grams in weight. In your review it says 56 grams. I would definitely prefer the 42 grams for writing comfort :-)

I would agree. The JFK is very comfortable and nib is outstanding. It is slightly heavier than my Unicef LeGrand, though.

 

[DrDebG]

I will go to the local shop to see it in person, once they are allowed to open again. 5Cavaliers, I hope that you don’t mind me pointing this out: This version should be around 42 grams in weight. In your review it says 56 grams. I would definitely prefer the 42 grams for writing comfort :-)

 

You are very correct. Thank you for pointing this out.

 

I just checked on my digital scale. My JFK weighs at 43 grams with a full reservoir of ink. When I was putting this review together, I used the Montblanc website. What I realize now, is that the weight that I copied from the website is the ballpoint not the fountain pen. Oops.

[DrDebG]

Update to my Review:

 

Taken from the Montblanc website: https://www.montblanc.com/en-us/collection/writing-instruments/great-characters-edition/111045-john-f_-kennedy-special-edition-fountain-pen.html

 

Weight: 42.29 grams

Dimensions: 147.9 x 16.5 x 16.5

[zhryj]

Amazing pen! Especially the BB nib! Congrats!!

[DrDebG]

Amazing pen! Especially the BB nib! Congrats!!

 

Thank you so much! It is a wonderful pen! The more I write with it, the more I love it. When I take it out of my pen case, all of my other pens look at the JFK with envy.

[Erik Dalton]

Thanks for showing us your beautiful pen. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come close to buying one of those. First the blue, then the burgundy which i think is really sweet. So Seeing yours has me drooling again....The last time i got close there was a Shiller facing me at a great price. Then an Oscar Wild. I love the looks of the JFK pen. But, i think it‘s too heavy for me. However, the JFK Navy Blue ink is my favorite MB ink. I stocked up before it got scarce.

After seeing Tom Kelly’s Pictorial of his new Petit Prince, I just ordered the new MB Burgundy Petit Prince Le Grand. But, i still have a special place in my heart for the JFK. I Expect I’ll give in sooner or later...

Enjoy your beautiful Pen. I hope it gives you years of happy writing.

[como]

👍You are welcome. 43 grams sounds great!

You are very correct. Thank you for pointing this out.

[como]

Same here. The danger of FPN enablers! 😀

Thanks for showing us your beautiful pen. I cant tell you how many times Ive come close to buying one of those. First the blue, then the burgundy which i think is really sweet. So Seeing yours has me drooling again....

 

[DrDebG]

Thanks for showing us your beautiful pen. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come close to buying one of those. First the blue, then the burgundy which i think is really sweet. So Seeing yours has me drooling again....The last time i got close there was a Shiller facing me at a great price. Then an Oscar Wild. I love the looks of the JFK pen. But, i think it‘s too heavy for me. However, the JFK Navy Blue ink is my favorite MB ink. I stocked up before it got scarce.

After seeing Tom Kelly’s Pictorial of his new Petit Prince, I just ordered the new MB Burgundy Petit Prince Le Grand. But, i still have a special place in my heart for the JFK. I Expect I’ll give in sooner or later...

Enjoy your beautiful Pen. I hope it gives you years of happy writing.

 

Thank you so much for your kind comments. Yes, I too have considered the MB Petit Prince and the Planet pen. But, like many of us, I need to wait and see how things settle out in the current Covid-19 crisis. My consulting business has really slowed down. I may reconsider when things pick up again.

 

But I am thoroughly enjoying the JFK!

[TheDutchGuy]

To what extent is the nib stubbish? I think I see some quite thin sidestrokes in your writing sample suggestive of a stub, which I would not expect from a BB.

[DrDebG]

To what extent is the nib stubbish? I think I see some quite thin sidestrokes in your writing sample suggestive of a stub, which I would not expect from a BB.

 

Great question! Yes the nib is stubbish and you do get line variation. The edges are rounded as you would expect on a stub as opposed to the sharper edges on an italic nib. The softly rounded edges make the writing experience very pleasant. Part of the reason that I purchased the BB is because of the stubbish quality.

[TheDutchGuy]

Interesting, thank you.

[Uncial]

The broad nib is slightly stubby too.

[DrDebG]

The broad nib is slightly stubby too.

 

Thank you for mentioning this. I also have an OB nib and it is slightly stubbish as well.

[Honeybadgers]

Love it apart from the stupid "JFK" on the clip. That drags the whole thing down a couple notches for looking cheap and tacky.

 

Homages should be inspired by, i.e. the moon lander on the nib.

[como]

It seems that the MB B nibs are not as consistent as the the BB ones in terms of stubbiness. My 146 Petit Prince Fox B nib is stubby, but my 146 Doué Barley is not. Since these nibs are finished by hand, perhaps that explains the inconsistency. Same with nib width: some of my size 6 MB nibs write wider than others, quite noticeable, even though they were all marked M on the barrel when new.

[georges zaslavsky]

Very interesting review, I am sure it is a very ncie pen but what blocks me for purchasing a modern is the lack of flex in the modern nibs. Quality Wise a MB is a MB, reliable and durable.