What is so great about Mont Blanc fountain pens? Why are they so crazy expensive?

[PhiloPlume]

2 hours ago, ele said:

However much their pens today are unexceptional in the market, I really think their vintage output earns them their reputation: the sections, the balance, the design, and of course the delightful often-flexible nibs etc. of their pens pre-1980 was really exceptional. No other pen I've owned from the mid 1930s feels quite as nice in my hand and timeless as the 124G, for example. Compare a Montblanc 20 (the first series of Meisterstuuk iirc) to a contemporary pen from really any other maker and it really does feel like a step above. (Personally speaking!)

I think I really missed something that I would have loved.  They sound great, even the often-flexible nib (I do like flexible nibs that write on the fine side).

[PhiloPlume]

1 hour ago, Karmachanic said:

 

 Montblanc nibs are stamped out and ground by hand.  A minority of them are ruthenium plated.

https://www.montblanc.com/en-gb/discover/campaign/writing-instrument-craftmanship

After watching that slick video, I really want one now 🙂 

[lamarax]

I troll-posted this old BBC sketch by Harry & Paul in the relevant subforum, with the disclaimer that I've myself bought a couple of Montblancs @ full MSRP. My reasoning in collecting amassing fountain pens, was from the beginning to own at least one of the flagships of each iconic/established brand.

 

That said, I fully subscribe to this comment made to the above video BTL:

 

@alankodonnet9100 9 years ago:

"This sketch was funny five years back. Now we have cereal cafes, vloggers (who speak just like Thicko here), artisan cupcake shops, 'popup' everything, cat cafes, owl cafes, 'street food' everything, adult nurseries, Gin everything, disgusting craftbrew you can only buy in 1/3 pint measures, 'upcycling' centers where you pay over the odds for old trash, man buns, mankles, cocktails served in jam jars and burgers served on shovels. Laughing now?"

 

Now get off my lawn! 😛

 

*In case my meaning wasn't clear, I think classic MB models are worth it, but not the extravagant limited editions. In contrast, I loathe "artisan" JoWo nib holders which flood the hobby nowadays.

[torstar]

1 hour ago, Mark from Yorkshire said:

@torstar I don’t think it would work all that well coating the nibs of with precious resin. I was thinking of the ruthenium. Not sure if they do make nibs by hand but read that somewhere.

 

nodding....

 

precious resin (aside from the nib) was the key selling point for a long time, many doubters retorted with "you mean cheap ******* plastic!!!"

 

 

 

[Glenn-SC]

I have tried exactly 12 MB fountain pens and one (only one which was a Starwalker (correct name for the model?)) wrote even decently, IMHO (meaning no hard starting, skipping, etc).  
I have a very good friend who loved MB pens and I would buy vintage pens that I found in antique stores for him. 
I own no MB pens, nor do I desire any. 

[SpencerianDream]

I own a dozen nicer fountain pens and a dozen more “lower rent” examples. Realistically a Montblanc looks utterly classic (“platonic ideal of what the expensive, formal fountain pen is supposed to look like”) and is actually (frustratingly, for those of us who like to root for the underdog and eschew what we perceive as “mass market” taste) a pretty good, verging on very good, pen. 
 

The competition is keener these days because there’s a lot in the $25-350 price range that is great, and Montblancs have gone from a $350 pen to a $950 pen (or thereabouts) but for the right price they really do write well, perform reliably, and are a cut above many of the other brands from the heyday of fountain pens. 
 

They’re kind of like Rolex. Actually very good quality but arguably very overpriced, but also arguably underpriced, in that their intrinsic value these days lies a lot more in the brand’s image or mystique (there is no other pen that says “expensive and successful in the business world” to everyone like Montblanc) than in its actual utility as a writing instrument. 
 

I have one a friend gave me -he used it to sign contracts- and I like it, but probably would never buy one new. 

[nm4]

All of mine write great.  From the little Boheme to the latest, a 149 Curved calligraphy.   They are well made and iconic in style…but clearly overpriced by a factor of 2X IMO.   Nothing unusual about diminishing returns.  Part of life.

 

I would argue few companies are as dedicated to writing instruments as Montblanc.  Whether you want an ornate pen with unbelievable craftsmanship (the limited editions) or a luxury pen with an amazing nib (calligraphy, OBB, OBBB, etc) they offer it.  Free calligraphy classes for anyone?  Yeah they offer that too.   Good service?  Second to none IMO.  Want a custom gold nib made to your specs?  They will do it.  
 

Show me where Pelikan, Visconti, Parker, Pineider,  Delta, Lamy, Scribo, Stipula, Sheaffer, Omas, Pilot, Sailor, Nakaya or others do all of these things!  With Montblanc you are paying for all of the above.  It’s bloody expensive but does scratch the itch! 

 

N

[Pete of Killeen]

I just bought a used 146 and it is nice. But would it be 800$ nice---no way. 400$ nice---well, just say I like 2 of my other 3 pens more; it is tied with my cheapest pen, the Navalur Eclipse.

As some other said MB is more about the branding and the image it has built.

[torstar]

8 hours ago, nm4 said:

All of mine write great.  From the little Boheme to the latest, a 149 Curved calligraphy.   They are well made and iconic in style…but clearly overpriced by a factor of 2X IMO.   Nothing unusual about diminishing returns.  Part of life.

 

I would argue few companies are as dedicated to writing instruments as Montblanc.  Whether you want an ornate pen with unbelievable craftsmanship (the limited editions) or a luxury pen with an amazing nib (calligraphy, OBB, OBBB, etc) they offer it.  Free calligraphy classes for anyone?  Yeah they offer that too.   Good service?  Second to none IMO.  Want a custom gold nib made to your specs?  They will do it.  
 

Show me where Pelikan, Visconti, Parker, Pineider,  Delta, Lamy, Scribo, Stipula, Sheaffer, Omas, Pilot, Sailor, Nakaya or others do all of these things!  With Montblanc you are paying for all of the above.  It’s bloody expensive but does scratch the itch! 

 

N

 

yup

 

[chromantic]

Because they're fashion accessories/status symbols first and writing instruments second?

[torstar]

23 minutes ago, chromantic said:

Because they're fashion accessories/status symbols first and writing instruments second?

 

my parents hand me their old Buick when they get a new one

 

works fine, and i don't envy those driving finer German vehicles, but I know the difference...

 

 

[Merrick]

13 hours ago, nm4 said:

All of mine write great.  From the little Boheme to the latest, a 149 Curved calligraphy.   They are well made and iconic in style…but clearly overpriced by a factor of 2X IMO.   Nothing unusual about diminishing returns.  Part of life.

 

I would argue few companies are as dedicated to writing instruments as Montblanc.  Whether you want an ornate pen with unbelievable craftsmanship (the limited editions) or a luxury pen with an amazing nib (calligraphy, OBB, OBBB, etc) they offer it.  Free calligraphy classes for anyone?  Yeah they offer that too.   Good service?  Second to none IMO.  Want a custom gold nib made to your specs?  They will do it.  
 

Show me where Pelikan, Visconti, Parker, Pineider,  Delta, Lamy, Scribo, Stipula, Sheaffer, Omas, Pilot, Sailor, Nakaya or others do all of these things!  With Montblanc you are paying for all of the above.  It’s bloody expensive but does scratch the itch! 

 

N

As much as I think modern Montblancs are vastly overpriced, I cannot argue with the fact that they continue to offer a wide selection of nibs and options and offer support for not just their pens but the art of writing in general. Compare this to Pelikan who have stripped their nib options back to the most basic EF-B and are removing iconic elements of their pens like the translucent barrels. A good chunk of the Japanese nib options are difficult to get outside of Japan. Companies like Parker coast entirely on their legacy and make pens that are barely pale shadows of their best work. At least Montblanc strives to make pens that match their reputation, even if they’re pricing those pens to be status symbols first. 
 

I’ve avoided Montblanc because of the pricing of their new production pens and out of fear of buying a counterfeit on the used market but I should probably take the time to research the options out there for good vintage Montblancs. 

[Driften]

I would put my MB 149 at the same level as my Sailor KOP. Not that the KOP is an inexpensive pen. I also like my MB 146 about the same as my Pelikan 805s. The Pelikan is also not a cheep pen these days. I did buy those MB's used. I have a nice Boheme but it doesn't get much use do it it being cartridge only and I worry about cleaning it without messing up the mechanism. I did modify an international long cartridge to help flush it for cleaning so that's not much of an excuse. 

 

I also have two ballpoints and a fineliner. Nice pens. The ballpoint is my favorite ballpoint pen of all time...

[nm4]

In a day and age where a decent dinner for 2 at a mid range restaurant is $200-300 is a $900 luxury pen unexpected?   And to save $400 on a used but potential counterfeit pen that may need maintenance soon doesn’t seem that great either.  I’ve done both and so far so good.  

 

Just saying I don’t think these pens are as obnoxiously priced as people seem to think.  A sailor KOP naginata nib basically costs the same as a 149 calligraphy.  I have owned both and know which one I’d rather have (the MB FWIW). 
 

N

[PhiloPlume]

8 hours ago, chromantic said:

Because they're fashion accessories/status symbols first and writing instruments second?

Seems that way to me, that is why I asked.  But I think nm4 has some good points.  I don't like Pelikan and Lamy's for sure.  I would like to get a MB but not sure which model and pretty sure I do not want to spend the money for one now any way.

 

I love all my Franklin-Christoph's and write mostly with their cursive-italic nibs (Fine and Medium) and SIGs (EF-Med) since I mostly write some sort of Italic.  Never broad or wider. Also really like my Pilots and a couple other brands.  But my first "real" fountain pen was an Ellington and bought tons of those $40-$50 and other comparable brands when I first started out a year or so ago with fountain pens.  I shelved them for a long time and just "rediscovered" why I liked them so much! Very smooth and they are good looking too.

 

-p

[Driften]

21 minutes ago, nm4 said:

In a day and age where a decent dinner for 2 at a mid range restaurant is $200-300 is a $900 luxury pen unexpected?   And to save $400 on a used but potential counterfeit pen that may need maintenance soon doesn’t seem that great either.  I’ve done both and so far so good.  

 

Just saying I don’t think these pens are as obnoxiously priced as people seem to think.  A sailor KOP naginata nib basically costs the same as a 149 calligraphy.  I have owned both and know which one I’d rather have (the MB FWIW). 
 

N

 

You're sure right on how the price of most everything has gone up.  My only thought is for the price of a new 146 or 149 I could have a really nice Nakaya Urushi pen that has a lot more craftsman hand work. But the prices on Nakaya have gone up a lot over the last few years as well. I wish I had spent the money on the BMW 146 back when they were available at dealers. I liked the blue with platinum. I bought the ink and should have got the pen.

 

But like I said before my 149 is one of my favorite pens and always inked.

[nm4]

I love Nakayas and own one…and I agree about the craftsmanship with regards to lacquer.  But the Nakaya filling system is a joke: a rattly Platinum converter!  Also the Nakaya nibs are small and do not write anywhere as smoothly and comfortably as an MB or Pelikan nib.  Would love that not to be true but I tried many Nakayas in Japan and they all had the platinum feedback. 
 

N

[Driften]

36 minutes ago, nm4 said:

I love Nakayas and own one…and I agree about the craftsmanship with regards to lacquer.  But the Nakaya filling system is a joke: a rattly Platinum converter!  Also the Nakaya nibs are small and do not write anywhere as smoothly and comfortably as an MB or Pelikan nib.  Would love that not to be true but I tried many Nakayas in Japan and they all had the platinum feedback. 
 

N

 

Everything you say is true, but I love them anyways. I also like a little feedback of Platinum and Sailor. One thing is Nibs.com tuned each of the Nakaya I bought from them and adjusted the smoothness and flow. 

[Glenn-SC]

10 hours ago, nm4 said:

In a day and age where a decent dinner for 2 at a mid range restaurant is $200-300 is a $900 luxury pen unexpected?

This makes me wonder where you live, as a similar dinner would cost less than $75 around here.  Your “decent” and “mid range” must be way higher than mine.  
Yet the MB 149 still costs $1000 here.  

[kazoolaw]

Considering a sandwich meal just cost me  $28, without beverages, I suspect there are mid-range restaurants and there are mid-range restaurants.

Or, the high range restaurants are so high that former high range gets pushed to mid-range.

Or, I’ll gladly get a loan tomorrow for a hamburger today.