Montblanc Heritage Egyptomania Black Fountain Pen - Mini Review

[tenurepro]

So, its been about 5 years since i posted here and purchased any new pens... [took a little detour in the world of watches]. I felt very content with my small collection of modern and vintage MB's, sprinkled in with a few vintage flexy Watermans and Vacumatics... everything was going according to plan until i got a little message from a friend who knows about my 'thing' for fountain pens; she said i need to check out the new pens in the Egyptomania line... I googled the pen in question. As soon as i saw the picture online, i called the local montblanc boutique and booked an appointment for the same afternoon! Turns out, i don't just have a 'thing' for fountain pens, but also for scarabs, black and gold, and everything ancient Egypt.

 

Here are some picture, and a writing sample. In case you can't read my handwriting (a common phenomenon), here is my review in text:

 

Montblanc Heritage Egyptomania - Black Fountain Pen. MB125492. Fine nib

 

body: octagon in MB 'precious resin'

nib: f, 14k gold, soft

Weight: Pen w/no cap 20g, Pen w cap, 36 . Length: pen with no cap, a bit over 5", pen with cap, 5 10/16"

Piston filler.

 

Can you post it: NO! [but pen felt pretty balanced unposted ]

 

Initial impressions: It is hard to be impartial. if you are into egyptology, you are going to love this pen. I got a chance to see both the black resin model and the Doué model... to me, I felt the black pen was more inline with the color palette that i expect of ancient Egypt [Note: I think the shape was supposed to mimic an obelisk, which are typically dark. The Doué model was beautiful, but the color scheme just didn't feel right for Egypt; check out exhibit A]. It was love at first sight. The pen is very comfortable in my hands. You can't post the cap while writing. One great thing about the octagonal design of the pen and the cap is that the pen does not roll - which is awesome [note- i've damaged several pens due to desk rolling in the past ]

 

Nib + writing: the fine nib of this pen is fantastic. It is a bit flexy... not anywhere near vintage flex as some of my pre war MBs and watermans i have in my collection, but way more expressive than the modern 'nail' MB nibs from the 80s, 90s and 2000's.

 

The nib is adorned with an engraving of Khepri - the scarab god - holding the sun disk. This represents creation and the renewal of life ... what more can you ask for!

 

So overall, i really love it. It has certainly renewed my joy of writing... my favourite modern montblanc.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[fpupulin]

A great and useful writing for a most interesting pen! Thank you for posting, and welcome back to the forum.

[tenurepro]

A great and useful writing for a most interesting pen! Thank you for posting, and welcome back to the forum.

thanks @fpupulin! catching up on 5 years worth of threads is not easy

[Toll]

Thank you for the review — the timing was perfect — my local MB Boutique has been holding the resin version of this pen for me. I stopped by to look at it today. After comparing it to the Doue version (rollerball, they did not have the fountain pen in stock), I think I will buy the Doue later in the year. I liked the extra heft offered by this pen, as well as the aesthetic design.

[Uncial]

I do like that nib.

Thanks for the post.

[seimodern]

Thanks so much for your review!! I have been going back and forth about this version vs. the doue, and there aren't many reviews out there yet (at least not that I've found). Your pictures are stunning, and I shared your preference of the gold/black so its helpful to know you stuck with the gold/black after experiencing both in person.

 

 

 

I don't want to hijack a review thread, but I'm trying to decide whether to buy one of the Egyptomania pens and I was wondering if you or other MB collectors more advanced than I might give me some advice. [if this might redirect the conversation too much, though, let me know & I will try to move it to a separate thread, or if anyone wants to PM with suggestions instead that too would be appreciated].

 

So far, my meagre MB collection includes a 144 (gift, not used); a 149 with OBB (amazing nib), a vintage 149 with a Fine (don't really love it but it came with a stand), and a Heritage Rouge et Noir--Coral Serpent that I ordered from Fountain Pen Hospital (great!) and am awaiting in the mail.

 

I have one more MB purchase in me before a long winter of saving, and am trying to decide between:

 

1) an Egyptomania FP---probably the doue (and ideally with an OB nib from LCDC, but I'm afraid of the wait that might entail. I could handle a month, though it would be tough, but waiting for more than a month would be excruciating.)

 

2) a writer's edition, Homer FP (old news, I know...and not everyone's favorite)

 

In terms of filling out a very nascent collection (well, not really even a collection, just a pocket of pens), would you recommend adding a Writers Edition (with the heftier size & 149 nib of Homer), or the Egyptomania doue?

 

The Homer would add a WE to my mix, but the Egyptomania would give me a pair of Heritage pens. Better to have a spread? Or a concentration?

 

(And then too there's the question of which would deliver more inherent pleasure....I can see both pens providing a lot of delight but for different reasons. The more comprehensive design of the Homer vs. more decorative design of the doue, the larger size of Homer vs. greater heft of doue etc).

 

Of course, one of the overriding draws of the Egyptomania is just that it features script history (in its way). I would so love to have a MB collection of pens devoted to the history of scripts (Chinese, Arabic, Devanagari, Thai....). Not relevant here, but there are some Pilot & Platinum urushi FPs calling out to me--they have the Heart sutra inscribed on them...just beautiful!

Edited October 3, 2020 by seimodern

[seimodern]

I do like that nib.

Thanks for the post.

I've got to +1 that sentiment.

One of the most beautiful nib designs I've seen.

[seimodern]

Sorry last comment....but I just keep coming back to your crisp, lush photos.

 

Your photos have the perfections of a commercial job--exploiting a perfect contrast of colors, and textures, and even interesting focal shifts--but without the sense of unreality that often attaches to the over-photoshopped photos circulated by the pen companies themselves. (They are often so overworked--almost as if shot through the kind of soft photography of a 1930s film--that they end up looking more like digital animations than actual pens.)

[GOTO10]

Thanks so much for the review, I have much to look forward too. I got to hold my Egyptomania for about 2 minutes before it got bagged and sent to Texas.

 

I have one more MB purchase in me before a long winter of saving, and am trying to decide between:

 

1) an Egyptomania FP---probably the doue (and ideally with an OB nib from LCDC, but I'm afraid of the wait that might entail. I could handle a month, though it would be tough, but waiting for more than a month would be excruciating.)

 

2) a writer's edition, Homer FP (old news, I know...and not everyone's favorite)

 

 

If I were you and had to choose, I'd pick #2.

 

My WE Homer is one of my most comfortable pens. I'd go with that - they are also getting harder to find.

 

The Egyptomania I'm having a nib swap to OBB is going to take until December. I purchased the pen directly from my local MB Boutique in San Francisco in early September and have been told this is due to parts availability. The delay might make the decision for you.

[CS388]

Looks great - I like the lines of this one.

Thesre's a simplicity of design which pleases me. I do wish it had a resin section, though.

Is that a slip-on cap?

 

Thanks for the review.

 

Can you post it: NO! [but pen felt pretty balanced unposted ]

 

Why can it not be posted? Is the barrel too broad at the end? Or ... ?

[Azuniga]

I am not at all into new pens, but this one I loved it, it has something new pens usually miss...

Thanks for posting it with all the comments and great pictures !!

[tenurepro]

Thank you for the review — the timing was perfect — my local MB Boutique has been holding the resin version of this pen for me. I stopped by to look at it today. After comparing it to the Doue version (rollerball, they did not have the fountain pen in stock), I think I will buy the Doue later in the year. I liked the extra heft offered by this pen, as well as the aesthetic design.

yes, the heft on the doue was noticeable when handling both... its certainly more substantive in weight and feel

[tenurepro]

Thanks!

I do like that nib.
Thanks for the post.

[tenurepro]

Thanks @seimodern ; sounds like you have a nice collection of montblancs already... consider yourself lucky! As to which to get next... i am sure there will be differing views out there. I know some collectors that just focus on specific lines (WE for example) or perhaps focus on vintage over modern, or both. To me, i don't really bother about collecting for the sake of collecting and completeness. I am more driven by passion of the aesthetics, history, and nib feel.

The egyptomania pen was really a passion purchase. I was born in Egypt, and ancient Egypt's art, architecture and artefacts never seize to amaze me. So this was a very personal motivation for me. It doesn't hurt at all that the nib is a super sweet writer. One thing that has really put me off the WE line is - despite their beauty - they all come with the very stiff modern nibs which are ok, just not my cup of tea.

 

Anyways, thanks for reading and happy hunting... here is a little Egyptian symbol inked with a parker vaccumatic from a while back... the Pharaohs call me!

 

 

 

Thanks so much for your review!! I have been going back and forth about this version vs. the doue, and there aren't many reviews out there yet (at least not that I've found). Your pictures are stunning, and I shared your preference of the gold/black so its helpful to know you stuck with the gold/black after experiencing both in person.

 

 

 

I don't want to hijack a review thread, but I'm trying to decide whether to buy one of the Egyptomania pens and I was wondering if you or other MB collectors more advanced than I might give me some advice. [if this might redirect the conversation too much, though, let me know & I will try to move it to a separate thread, or if anyone wants to PM with suggestions instead that too would be appreciated].

 

So far, my meagre MB collection includes a 144 (gift, not used); a 149 with OBB (amazing nib), a vintage 149 with a Fine (don't really love it but it came with a stand), and a Heritage Rouge et Noir--Coral Serpent that I ordered from Fountain Pen Hospital (great!) and am awaiting in the mail.

 

I have one more MB purchase in me before a long winter of saving, and am trying to decide between:

 

1) an Egyptomania FP---probably the doue (and ideally with an OB nib from LCDC, but I'm afraid of the wait that might entail. I could handle a month, though it would be tough, but waiting for more than a month would be excruciating.)

 

2) a writer's edition, Homer FP (old news, I know...and not everyone's favorite)

 

In terms of filling out a very nascent collection (well, not really even a collection, just a pocket of pens), would you recommend adding a Writers Edition (with the heftier size & 149 nib of Homer), or the Egyptomania doue?

 

The Homer would add a WE to my mix, but the Egyptomania would give me a pair of Heritage pens. Better to have a spread? Or a concentration?

 

(And then too there's the question of which would deliver more inherent pleasure....I can see both pens providing a lot of delight but for different reasons. The more comprehensive design of the Homer vs. more decorative design of the doue, the larger size of Homer vs. greater heft of doue etc).

 

Of course, one of the overriding draws of the Egyptomania is just that it features script history (in its way). I would so love to have a MB collection of pens devoted to the history of scripts (Chinese, Arabic, Devanagari, Thai....). Not relevant here, but there are some Pilot & Platinum urushi FPs calling out to me--they have the Heart sutra inscribed on them...just beautiful!

Edited October 4, 2020 by tenurepro

[tenurepro]

Thanks Man... I do have a passion for photography as well; this photoshoot was fun to do, took about 20 min with nikon D7200 and several micro nikkor lenses (i think the 60mm, and 105 mm were used the most), some off camera flashes and a light enclosure. I do have lots of scarabs hanging around (i wasn't kidding about loving scarabs! i actually made a nice x-mas tree ornament with the scarab holding up a ball of dung - in stone and wicker . And the blue and white rug was made in Egypt, so there you go.

 

Sorry last comment....but I just keep coming back to your crisp, lush photos.

 

Your photos have the perfections of a commercial job--exploiting a perfect contrast of colors, and textures, and even interesting focal shifts--but without the sense of unreality that often attaches to the over-photoshopped photos circulated by the pen companies themselves. (They are often so overworked--almost as if shot through the kind of soft photography of a 1930s film--that they end up looking more like digital animations than actual pens.)

[tenurepro]

Thanks! The cap screws on the ring that is right under behind the nib/feed. It can't be posted because the piston blind cap is too wide.

Looks great - I like the lines of this one.

Thesre's a simplicity of design which pleases me. I do wish it had a resin section, though.

Is that a slip-on cap?

 

Thanks for the review.

 

 

Why can it not be posted? Is the barrel too broad at the end? Or ... ?

[tenurepro]

thanks @Azuniga

I am not at all into new pens, but this one I loved it, it has something new pens usually miss...

Thanks for posting it with all the comments and great pictures !!

[kazoolaw]

?: section & finial/clip

 

The metal section looks shiny and polished. The finial and clip look to have a patina.

 

Are they the same finish?

 

Very nice review.

[tenurepro]

thanks. The section is highly polished while the clip and finial are more of a brushed 'finish' with some patina.

?: section & finial/clip

The metal section looks shiny and polished. The finial and clip look to have a patina.

Are they the same finish?

Very nice review.

[dubhe]

Lovely review, thank you for posting. Had me googling various bits about Egyptology I never knew. I actually like the look of the BP in this range, also in black/gold.