Montblanc As a Status Symbol

[Lam1]

I couldn't care less what people think of my pens, so I'd certainly not avoid buying a MB because of their status symbol. If I have a MB inked, it goes anywhere another of my FPs would go, because they are great pens (mostly, my pens and I stay in my office and go to the occasional meeting. If traveling, I always carry a MB Roller, a Sailor KoP and a Pilot 823).

 

The fact is no one ever recognized a MB and no one ever commented on any of my pens except two: a Salor KoP Demo and a Platinum 3776.

 

Maybe there are certain professions in which people are more aware of MB.

But the majority of the population doesn't have a clue:

I once went to a restaurant in which they brought a MB ballpoint (Generation) and left on the table for me to sign the CC slip, the server clearly had no idea that that was not a 50 cent pen.

[JCC123]

I stick to the plain resin MBs and away from some modern editions with a lot of bling that gives off precisely the status symbol you speak about. I like resin MBs because of their quality and quiet luxury. I love high-quality things. Only those who know, know about them. That's how I like it.

[Format]

There was a old TV Show Desperate Housewives. One piece of dialogue involved a husband saying to his son who was writing a note, 'that is a very nice pen, is it a Montblanc?'

 

My own view based on experience is that people do notice, they may not comment, but they notice. In just the same way that they notice polished shoes, a good suit, smart shirt and a good haircut, an English person might not comment but they would take it in as an observation about a person, building a picture.

 

My office has a breakout area with tables, coffee machines and an area to wash your cups, I was rinsing a Parker 51, one man looked over my shoulder and said 'is that a Parker 51?' People notice.

 

 

 

 

[kazoolaw]

“Anyone who uses anything other than a 50 cent Bic is using a luxury good they otherwise don't need.“

 

Kinda like eating anything more than white rice is eating a a gourmet meal they otherwise don’t need.

[Uncial]

12 hours ago, kazoolaw said:

“Anyone who uses anything other than a 50 cent Bic is using a luxury good they otherwise don't need.“

 

Kinda like eating anything more than white rice is eating a a gourmet meal they otherwise don’t need.

 

If you can get all your necessary nutrients from a bowl of white rice, i need to know what type of rice this is and where I can get it.

[a student]

On 9/15/2024 at 3:32 AM, Uncial said:

Is it maybe brand recognition and a tendency to want to have a jibe at a successful brand versus the 'oh look what I have that you don't ' playground mentality? Any forum of luxury goods has the same thing. Watch forums have members who take pot shots at Rolex. Bag forums have members who take pot shots at LV. The list could go on and on but the story is always the same. I'm not so sure MB is at the top of the pile any longer though. It certainly isn't when it comes to price. If you really wanted a status symbol you'd be better off with a Visconti, Danitrio or a Montegrappa. Some of them are so ugly they'll get a lot of attention and they will cost a lot more than a MB. Lets face it MB's are as common as muck. You can pick up a very good second hand one for the price of a Parker. And I had to laugh at the idea of a 'humble' fountain pen. Anyone who uses anything other than a 50 cent Bic is using a luxury good they otherwise don't need. We're all codding ourselves on this forum if we think we aren't a forum of consumers of luxury goods enabling one another to purchase yet more of what we don't actually need.  

 

 

+1

Indeed. Though the Calligrphers, professional or otherwise, would likely need a range of nibs. These nibs are not expensive (wee bit more than 50c I admit) and the wooden holder that goes with those nibs also does not carry the aura of luxury

[inkstainedruth]

I have a few MB inks (mostly some of the LE "homage" inks).  And I have tried a couple of MBs at local pen club meetings over the years, most recently I think last winter or spring, when someone had what had been her mother's pen (a MB 22, IIRC).  But early on, someone had me try his MB 146 and I was not that impressed (I think it was an F nib) and, quite honestly, the 1960s era Parker 45 I'd paid a little under $11 US in an antiques shop in NW PA on a weekend trip (we'd never really been in that part of the state before), which had a medium nib on it I found to be a much smoother writer than the nib on that MB 146.  Another time, the same guy had me try his MB -- and while it definitely was a nicer nib on that pen than on his other one, the pen itself was just too large and heavy for me.  And for roughly the same price as either of those, I bought TWO Pelikan M405s -- one of which was the LE M405 Stresemann, and I think they're better writers.

A lot of Montblanc's pens -- especially the LE ones -- seem to be designed to be super-expensive geegaws to stick in a display case to show off how much money you can afford to spend on something you'd never actually *use*....  Mind you, they're not the only brand that does that, of course (some of the Montgrappa LE pens are not only nose-bleed prices, but are also really just tacky looking, like the "Pirates of the Caribbean" pen -- and just saw the homage to The Rolling Stones and it's fairly hideous looking as well).  If you have that sort of disposable income?  That's your choice on buying something to stick in a case or a safety deposit box.  Me?  The most expensive pen I ever bought was the Pelikan M405 Stresemann -- which is classy, not tacky.  And is a size and weight that is *manageable* for someone with "girly hands" (like me) to use.  Also, I'm not a "c-worder" -- and even if I won the lottery I wouldn't buy some of those "status symbol" pens because they're too big and heavy for me to use -- and too ugly to be want to be SEEN using one (or even owning one).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[inkstainedruth]

On 9/14/2024 at 6:32 PM, Uncial said:

You can pick up a very good second hand one for the price of a Parker. 

Really?  Because I once paid $2 US for a Forest Green 51 Aero (plus another $20 for some nib work).  And am really dubious of the ability to find ANY MB (that's NOT a fake) for that price....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[kazoolaw]

19 hours ago, Uncial said:

 

If you can get all your necessary nutrients from a bowl of white rice, i need to know what type of rice this is and where I can get it.

Well done.  
 

[mulrich]

I have a few MBs and really enjoy them as writing instruments. I don't love the attention they sometimes draw in pubic but using fountain pens draws attention regardless of brand. A few people will recognize MB as a high-price product but most don't know the difference between a MB and my other pens. 

 

Ultimately I use pens for my own enjoyment and don't think too much about others' opinions (but I also would be happier if no one knew the price of the pens I use).

[A Smug Dill]

10 minutes ago, mulrich said:

I don't love the attention they sometimes draw in pubic

 

Oh, the very idea of that makes me itch!

[Uncial]

19 hours ago, inkstainedruth said:

Really?  Because I once paid $2 US for a Forest Green 51 Aero (plus another $20 for some nib work).  And am really dubious of the ability to find ANY MB (that's NOT a fake) for that price....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Got a 149 (unused) at a jumble sale once for €5.

 

What's a 'c-worder'?

[jthole]

People nowadays use all kinds of fancy tablets as status symbol, it often seems to me. The number of pen and real paper users in business meetings decreases every year.

[jthole]

8 hours ago, Uncial said:

 

What's a 'c-worder'?

I guess CFO, CTO, CIO, CEO, and the such.

[Mercian]

1 hour ago, jthole said:

I guess CFO, CTO, CIO, CEO, and the such.

‘C-worder’ is used on FPN to refer to someone who is a collector (rather than a user ) of pens.

 

So, someone who wants to collect pens - whether Lamy Safaris or LE Montblancs - in order to own them (& maybe display them), but doesn’t intend to ever ink them.

[jthole]

21 hours ago, Mercian said:

So, someone who wants to collect pens - whether Lamy Safaris or LE Montblancs - in order to own them (& maybe display them), but doesn’t intend to ever ink them.

 

Thanks for the explanation. Yes, I also have a (very) small collection of NOS with labels pens that I will keep in that pristine state.

[Surlyprof]

I assumed that I would never own a Montblanc because of the high price point.  I figured that I can find a lot of other pens that I would like as well for less such my Pilot Custom, Sailor 1911L and Leonardo Magico.  Not cheap but not in the Montblanc price range.  I almost bought one of the Origin Collection pens in Milan.  It was a beautiful pen but just couldn't resolve the $1000+ price tag for my use.  I was surprised Monday by a friend who had sent me her 146.  She is a pretty famous designer and got it in the '80's.  She did tell me that she used it in meetings as a power signal and that it was very effective in that role.  She came across it recently while going through her archives and sent it to me since she knew I had rediscovered fountain pens in retirement.  After cleaning it out, I have discovered that it feels great in the hand and writes delightfully smoothly with just a little feedback.  It quickly jumped into the top three (five?) of my favorite pens despite the very traditional black and gold look.  I don't see me carrying it around much but not because of the attention it might draw.  It's because I'd be terrified to lose it.  It is such a meaningful gift from one of my dearest friends.  I am thoroughly enjoying it at home though.  Delightful pen!

[dms525]

I remember the first time I saw a MB149 in the wild. It was (conspicuously displayed) in the white coat breast pocket of a surgical sub-specialist. I recall feeling it was communicating wealth and a need for recognition. It also seemed too large to be practical. That was around 1966.

 

I currently own 2 MB 146's. One is a 1980's model with a wonderful soft fine nib. The other has a B nib ground to cursive italic. Both are really nice writers, but I use them very seldom. Oh! I also have a 146-size ballpoint.

 

David

[torstar]

On 9/12/2024 at 10:59 PM, Peony Blush said:

Back in the '90s, I owned a Montblanc because, well, it was a Montblanc. We were still coming out of the conspicuous consumption of the '80s, so it was viewed as a status symbol. Unfortunately, the pen was stolen about a year after I got it. If it hadn't, I would still have it today.

 

They are good pens - I realize that, but do any of you avoid buying one because they're so recognizable? (Aside from the fact that most of us don't have $700 - $2,400 disposable income lying around.) I'm not trying to start any pen bashing, I'm just genuinely curious. As an aside, I do not own a Montblanc anymore and likely will not again.

 

Thanks in advance for your input!

 

Those I purchased that are placed in regular use: 149 and Proust

 

Not as much used:  146 and Verne and the really small one with cartridges/converter.

 

As well I always use a large ballpoint (one was demolished) and a pencil purchased at a slashed price.

 

Nobody at the current office cares about FPs except for me.  A prior office had 4 of us, one would leave his 149 all over the place on a floor with over 100 people, I returned it to him 6 or so times over a few years.

 

The 149 and Proust are in my top 10 along with Pelikan/Aurora/Parker/Waterman etc....  The Proust is the prize of them all.

 

You don't have to wait for all that $$$ to accumulate in your change jar to purchase a dream pen, I'd have none at all if I lived like that... 

 

 

 

 

 

[torstar]

On 9/15/2024 at 6:26 AM, kazoolaw said:

“Anyone who uses anything other than a 50 cent Bic is using a luxury good they otherwise don't need.“

 

Kinda like eating anything more than white rice is eating a a gourmet meal they otherwise don’t need.

 

1.6mm Bic Cristals are always on hand, buy 48 at a time, use them right down to the last drop of ink before the next one enters the game.