100th Anniversary editions

[fpupulin]

22 hours ago, NoType said:

 

 […], atop what the privileged viewer can only imagine must be an resplendent escritoire. . .

what an appropriate commemoration of the Meisterstück’s centenary.

As you mentioned it, @NoType, here I am posting a photo of my desk. Since a few days it “permanently” hosts a third Meistertück, the 149 Origin, together with the 149 Calligraphy and the WE Hemingway, which have had this privilege for several years now.

 

This writing set will be  substituted, in a few days, when after my birthday the official Christmas season begins in our family. As part of the Christmas decorations, the resin and crystal set will make room for a Meisterstück set in silver and lead crystal, with its Pinstripe Solitaire, which will match the bright and festive colors of the upcoming holidays. 

[fpupulin]

Sorry, double post.

[sandy101]

Has anyone tried any of the 100th anniversary inks yet?

[Toll]

On 11/15/2024 at 3:44 PM, NoType said:

@Toll Many thanks for your felicitations.  You are most kind.  The presentation case is like a miniature version of one of Montblanc’s leather collection boxes, now discontinued it seems, that stores two ink bottles and a dozen pens in two stacking trays (ident 124026):

 

photo courtesy of Jomashop due to lack of official Montblanc images

I hasten to add that I am in Copenhagen this week. I stopped by the MB Boutique today and the sales associate told me they have sold five of these sets so far. He added that they have not yet received one (not 1) of the 100th Anniversary 149’s. I found that incredible! 

[NoType]

56 minutes ago, fpupulin said:

As you mentioned it, @NoType, here I am posting a photo of my desk. Since a few days it “permanently” hosts a third Meistertück, the 149 Origin, together with the 149 Calligraphy and the WE Hemingway, which have had this privilege for several years now.

 

This writing set will be  substituted, in a few days, when after my birthday the official Christmas season begins in our family. As part of the Christmas decorations, the resin and crystal set will make room for a Meisterstück set in silver and lead crystal, with its Pinstripe Solitaire, which will match the bright and festive colors of the upcoming holidays. 

@fpupulin How thoughtful of you to share your handsome home office with us!  The fine furniture’s natural cherry wood writing surface with its gentle sheen is a stunning backdrop for your stately array of Meisterstück black resin, crystal, and gold-coated set of pen stands and blotter.  The trio of elegant implements, standing at the ready, every bit as functional as they are beguiling, form a counterpoint of attention to the sense of calm and order brought about by the positioning of diary, notebook, and watch on the oxblood blotter, while the wealth of negative space throughout allowing the pen box and three Florentine pen pouches to “breathe,” as works of art require, is most pleasing to the eye.  

 

I especially appreciate the slightly offset axis formed by the blotter, central pen stand, and blotter relative to the centred chair, bureau, and wall art.  A small detail that is a logical arrangement for a right-handed writer, subtly reinforcing that this desk is a place of work rather than a set piece.  

 

Many thanks for affording us a peek into your organised and tidy work space.  

[NoType]

39 minutes ago, Toll said:

I hasten to add that I am in Copenhagen this week. I stopped by the MB Boutique today and the sales associate told me they have sold five of these sets so far. He added that they have not yet received one (not 1) of the 100th Anniversary 149’s. I found that incredible! 

@Toll Do you mean to say that the boutique has found five buyers for the 149 Traveller without having yet received a single example?  That does indeed beggar belief.

[fpupulin]

5 hours ago, singlechange said:

fpupulin,  I recognize the two inks used.  What is brand and g/m and color of this particular paper?  Striking photograph and creative arrangement of all the fountain pens.

 

This is the exact paper:

 

[fpupulin]

2 hours ago, fireant said:

 

Hi, what is the brown ink in your MB 149 Calligraphy? I really like the warmth and shading.

 

The ink, @fireant, is Diamine Golden Brown, one of my preferred inks for the 149 Calligraphy. 

[NoType]

1 hour ago, fpupulin said:

As part of the Christmas decorations, the resin and crystal set will make room for a Meisterstück set in silver and lead crystal, with its Pinstripe Solitaire

@fpupulin That will make for quite a striking arrangement!  Could I prevail upon you to provide us an image, at the appropriate time, of the Meisterstück Solitaire sterling silver and crystal set complete with Meisterstück Solitaire Silver Pinstripe LeGrand pen?

[Toll]

9 hours ago, NoType said:

@Toll Do you mean to say that the boutique has found five buyers for the 149 Traveller without having yet received a single example?  That does indeed beggar belief.

Sorry for the lack of clarity — I meant they have sold 5 sets of the traveler pens. So, it seems availability is good. On the other hand, even though they have a nice selection of anniversary meisterstucks, they have not received any of the 149 models, consistent with the many posts on this forum about the challenges with securing that particular pen. 

[NoType]

2 hours ago, Toll said:

Sorry for the lack of clarity — I meant they have sold 5 sets of the traveler pens. So, it seems availability is good. On the other hand, even though they have a nice selection of anniversary meisterstucks, they have not received any of the 149 models, consistent with the many posts on this forum about the challenges with securing that particular pen. 

@Toll Thank you for clearing up my misapprehension.  So the boutique was able to sell 5 sets of the 149 Traveller, which is limited to 1924 pieces each.  Yet they have not received even one example of The Origin 149, which is not a numbered limited edition.  This is a stark illustration of the low supply and high demand of The Origin 149.

[Scribs]

🤔 One can't help wonder why. No doubt we will never know.

[Centurion]

On 11/14/2024 at 12:29 AM, NoType said:

@Centurion The pen below, with an italic nib which is a new nib from the Calligraphy series that is different from the previous Flex Nib and Curved Nib releases, was previously announced and I believe it is already available for sale:

 

The information is from here:

https://collectorspreview.com/artisan-2024#scroll-nav__6

 

 

 

Oh, it's beautiful, but the price is too high for me, over $30k. But many thanks for letting me, letting us, know about it!

[NoType]

4 hours ago, Scribs said:

🤔 One can't help wonder why. No doubt we will never know.

@Scribs (Upthread on page 35, I had written: “. . .I was informed by someone at Montblanc that the project planners did not anticipate the high level of interest in The Origin 149, and so production was on a smaller scale than for the other pens of The Origin Collection.  There was a small increase in production when the planners realised their error, but total output was still dwarfed by the other pens in the collection. . .”)

 

But why Montblanc’s project planners felt that the public would view The Origin 149 as simply another black resin 149 with a metal cone — and that selfsame public would not consider the fact that it is a Meisterstück centenary edition of an iconic model — is anyone’s guess.  I was told that planners had anticipated more excitement for the green 145 and blue LeGrand variants than for the black 149 (whose cap looks more like Midnight Blue with iridescent swirls forming what Montblanc terms “ink effect,’ mimicking the way ink flows in water).

[Scribs]

Even if they hadn't anticipated such high demand, surely one would think the production would have been adapted to help meet the demand? The pen was officially released in spring, we are now fast approaching the end of the year.

 

Do we know how long they will continue making them before declaring production on this special edition over?

[NoType]

4 minutes ago, Scribs said:

Even if they hadn't anticipated such high demand, surely one would think the production would have been adapted to help meet the demand? The pen was officially released in spring, we are now fast approaching the end of the year.

 

Do we know how long they will continue making them before declaring production on this special edition over?

@Scribs (Upthread on page 35, I had written: “. . .I was informed by someone at Montblanc that the project planners did not anticipate the high level of interest in The Origin 149, and so production was on a smaller scale than for the other pens of The Origin Collection.  There was a small increase in production when the planners realised their error, but total output was still dwarfed by the other pens in the collection. . .”)

 

(In same post as above: “. . .There are no plans to produce The Origin 149 past the 2024 calendar year [according to someone at Montblanc], and it is unknown if Montblanc is still producing them even now, so you and everyone who has managed to acquire The Origin 149 may consider yourselves fortunate. . .”)

[NoType]

2 hours ago, Centurion said:

Oh, it's beautiful, but the price is too high for me, over $30k. But many thanks for letting me, letting us, know about it!

@Centurion Yes, the Meisterstück Inspire Calligraphy Skeleton is more exclusive than the 2014 Meisterstück 90 Years Skeleton (500 pieces*) and the 2024 Meisterstück The Origin Collection Skeleton (100 pieces).  And the price point reflects this.

 

The only more exclusive Meisterstück anniversary skeleton of which I am aware is the 1999 Meisterstück 75 Years of Passion and Soul Skeleton (75 pieces).  

 

It was my pleasure.

_____________

* (from a discussion about Heritage 1914 pens)

(screen capture above from:)

 

[Scribs]

4 hours ago, NoType said:

@Scribs (Upthread on page 35, I had written: “. . .I was informed by someone at Montblanc that the project planners did not anticipate the high level of interest in The Origin 149, and so production was on a smaller scale than for the other pens of The Origin Collection.  There was a small increase in production when the planners realised their error, but total output was still dwarfed by the other pens in the collection. . .”)

 

(In same post as above: “. . .There are no plans to produce The Origin 149 past the 2024 calendar year [according to someone at Montblanc], and it is unknown if Montblanc is still producing them even now, so you and everyone who has managed to acquire The Origin 149 may consider yourselves fortunate. . .”)

 

This is all very unfortunate. I didn't realise that in order to post here in this thread that we are expected to have read all previous pages, and remember who said what! Especially considering that we now find ourselves on page 41. The last thing I wished to do was cause any offence. Thank you NoType for so graciously repeating yourself.

 

I was told a completely different story here in the Berlin boutique, but I see little point in repeating it. The fact is they obviously can't (or won't) meet the demand for this pen, and find it more important to continue issuing one after another new model. It has been incredibly frustrating for lots of people.

[fpupulin]

While I have no doubt that Montblanc was wrong in his predictions regarding the acceptance of the 149 model in The Origin series, I also have the impression that different markets have reacted differently, so that in addition to an error in estimating quantities, there has been an error in allotment in the various geographical areas.
A brief search online has allowed me to see that the 149 The Origin is still available in many Italian shops, even those with a solid reputation, because  the reaction of the buying public to this model has probably been more lukewarm in Italy. To name just a few shops that still offer the pen:

 

La Stilografica Milano

La stilografica Ancona 

Stilograph Corsani

Stilofetti 

Sanguineti 

De Santis

La Casa della Penna di Napoli 

Collectible Pens

Gioielleria Cola

and provably many other.

 

All of these make online sales and many, I believe, apply tax-free for non-EU purchases.

[fpupulin]

As I understand it, @Scribs, there was no polemical intent in @NoType's self-quotations. It was, I think, simply a way of indicating that the information was not "fresh" or current, but rather dated back a certain time (and a certain number of pages).