MB Hemingway vs MB Dumas

[goodguy]

WE vs WE. Two pens that are a replica of an old distinguished Montblanc pen with a modern twist.

Is the Hemingway really worth the huge price difference between it and its sibling the Dumas ?

What does it do better then the Dumas?

 

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u330/alfa170a/Picture001-13.jpg

 

Well this comparison will try to resolve that.

I will divide this comparison to two, the design of the pens and the way they write.

 

The Hemi is a clean look pen, but that doesn’t mean it’s not an eye catcher. It’s a hansom pen and the colour combination of orange body and black cap works very well together and produces a beautiful result. It’s got the standard ring on the cap with the words Meisterstuck Edition Montblanc inscribed on it. Slightly coned/flat top cap with a rather small snow flake on top of it.

 

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u330/alfa170a/Picture002-19.jpg

 

The clip is to me one of the best features of this pen. I love it and I think one of the best looking clips I have ever seen. It’s taken directly from the prototype the MB 139. Really gives the pen a vintage look to it.

The Dumas took a very different approach in its design. This pen is not trying to look classic. It’s a bit of a peacock, it’s kind of flashy with its mother of pearl like body and the big fat gold ring at the bottom of the cap. Gold stripes are running a long the barrel dividing the mother of pearl and makes the pen even prettier and in a way flashier.

The clip is far from the classic look of the Hemi but it’s stunning in its own right. There is a sword on its and a nice ball at its end.

 

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u330/alfa170a/Picture007-9.jpg

 

The cap end is identical to the Hemi with its coned/flat top and identical size snow flake.

Unscrew the cap and you see the Hemi has a tasty and functional ink view window. The Dumas don’t and that is a big minus but I do think that it will look so good on the Dumas so I understand why MB didn’t add one to it.

From the threads of the section up these two pens are again identical. Same fat black section, same length and the nibs are the same shape and size. The only small difference is that the Hami’s nib was taken directly from the 149 while the Dumas’s nib has a little symbol on it so it does looks a Weee bit nicer.

 

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u330/alfa170a/Picture008-9.jpg

 

So here is how I divide it so far

 

Clip

Dumas 0

Hemi 1

 

Ink view window

Dumas 0

Hemi 1

 

Nib

Dumas ½

Hemi 0

 

 

Overall design

Dumas 1

Hemi 0

 

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u330/alfa170a/Picture010-9.jpg

 

Everything else is too close to mark.

 

How do they write?

 

Once you put the pens in your hand they are to my ability to judge identical. If I close my eyes I can’t feel any difference and I tried to pick each in my hands with my eyes closed and guess which pen I have and I simply couldn’t feel the difference.

Both pens are medium weight and due to the brass piston are bottom heavy.

Obviously both are piston fillers and it looks like they both take the same amount of ink (a large amount).

 

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u330/alfa170a/Picture011-6.jpg

 

As mentioned the nibs other then a small symbol on the Dumas are identical and were taken from the 149. So there is no difference in the writing experience.

The Dumas has a fine nib while the Hemi has a medium nib so they feel different but they are both very good writers. Both smooth and wet. I personally like the Dumas’s nib but simply because I can write only with fine nibs. It gives you nice feedback while the Dumas’s nib is super (glass) smooth with no feedback.

 

So here its

 

Dumas 1

Hemi 1

 

Summery and conclusions

 

So which pen is better?

 

Sorry cant answer that in a definitive way as these pens are very very close to each other.

As writers they feel exactly the same.

In their design it’s really a matter of personal taste. Both pens are very good looking but I personally like the Dumas’s design more. I think its one of the nicest pens MB has ever designed and it’s a contender to be the best looking WE pen.

 

http://i516.photobucket.com/albums/u330/alfa170a/Picture014-7.jpg

 

To the main question is the Hemi worth 3 or even 4 times the Dumas the answer is definitely NO!!!

Unless you are a nutty collector like me don’t bother shelling a stupid amount on the Hemi and go for the Dumas. It will give you an identical writing experience and you will save an offal lot of money.

 

I am adding this-Dont thik the Hemi isnt a good pen,it is its a fantastic pen but I simply think its not better then the Dumas and for people that dont collect I dont see a reason to buy this very expensive over the Dumas (which aint cheap either).

Edited March 3, 2009 by goodguy

[FrankB]

Great comparison and pics.

 

You must have read my mind. After your Hemingway review, I was wondering how it compared to the Dumas. I would love to have both pens, but cost is a reality which cannot be ignored. I can own only one, I will look for a Dumas.

[asimplemaestro]

I'm sure Tzutzik was very unhappy about being left out of this one.

[Robert Hughes]

To the main question is the Hemi worth 3 or even 4 times the Dumas the answer is definitely NO!!!

I suppose you could make an equivalent question - is any pen worth 3 or 4 times that of another equivalent writer?

 

I've written with a Hemingway - it's a nice pen. I doubt that I'd ever buy one.

 

But if giftivized an MB, I'd insist on the Hemingway. If for no other reason than I could turn it around and buy a decent car with the cash.

Edited March 3, 2009 by Robert Hughes

[Bryant]

Well, I you could only have one, which one would it be?

[asimplemaestro]

Well, I you could only have one, which one would it be?

 

Ohhhh...that's a nailbiter.

[QM2]

a very informative side by side comparison of two famous pens!

[goodguy]

Well, I you could only have one, which one would it be?

Do you ask me as a user or a collector ?

As a user I would choose the Dumas. I always said I love the Dumas. I love the way it looks.

As a collector its an easy one to answer it would be the Hemi .

 

So to make this short I would choose the Hemi anyday over the Dumas because I am more of a collector then a user.

[asimplemaestro]

Well, I you could only have one, which one would it be?

As a user I would choose the Dumas. I always said I love the Dumas. I love the way it looks.

 

Is this also partly due to the smoothness of the Hemi?

[emes441]

Great comparison, as always, Amir.

 

I appreciate the side by side pictures- I always got the sense that the Dumas looked very short and fat, but with the Hemi next to it, it looked like a standard large pen.

[goodguy]

Well, I you could only have one, which one would it be?

As a user I would choose the Dumas. I always said I love the Dumas. I love the way it looks.

 

Is this also partly due to the smoothness of the Hemi?

No,nib is something that can easily be adjusted by a pro. SMG (Sean Gosse) can tune the nib to my taste. I really think the dumas is better looking then the Hemi. I always thought the Dumas is the best looking WE pen.

The Hemi is the most important pen in any WE collection but if you would want one of these two pens just for everyday use then why spend close to 2K on a boxless pen or 2.5K-3.5K on this pen when you can write with basicly a pen that gives you the same writing experiance looks better (to my taste) and will cost around 800$ with the box or 600$ without the box ?

Its all a matter of money.

[goodguy]

Great comparison, as always, Amir.

 

I appreciate the side by side pictures- I always got the sense that the Dumas looked very short and fat, but with the Hemi next to it, it looked like a standard large pen.

No Yisrael these pens are rather stout and fat. They are not small in any way but not too large either.

Edited March 3, 2009 by goodguy

[asimplemaestro]

Hmm I want both of these now. Thanks alot haha

[troglokev]

Okay Goodguy, we know which one you'd choose, but an important question remains unanswered. Which pen would Zuzik choose?

[georges zaslavsky]

great comparo thanks for sharing

[stevlight]

I like the look of the Hemi--less flashy. The Dumas is too much bling for me. I would never pay the amount Hemis go for BUT I am hoping for some kind of reissue from MB!?

[Brian]

Nice review and thank you for putting this together against the perspective of the Dumas. I've got a thought. Should you get a 139 maybe you could do a comparison against the Hemingway so that we can see details on the changes over the many decades that separate the two.

 

Best regards

[goodguy]

Nice review and thank you for putting this together against the perspective of the Dumas. I've got a thought. Should you get a 139 maybe you could do a comparison against the Hemingway so that we can see details on the changes over the many decades that separate the two.

 

Best regards

Nice thought but very little chance. I think Vintage MB pens are great but not something I would spend so much money.

The 139 can go as high as 1500$ and more and for this much money I would get a POA pen.

So unless somebody will give a 139 just for a comparison between the 3 pens I would say (sadly) the chance of this happening is very slim

[emes441]

Great comparison, as always, Amir.

 

I appreciate the side by side pictures- I always got the sense that the Dumas looked very short and fat, but with the Hemi next to it, it looked like a standard large pen.

No Yisrael these pens are rather stout and fat. They are not small in any way but not too large either.

 

How do these compare in size the the 149?

[goodguy]

Great comparison, as always, Amir.

 

I appreciate the side by side pictures- I always got the sense that the Dumas looked very short and fat, but with the Hemi next to it, it looked like a standard large pen.

No Yisrael these pens are rather stout and fat. They are not small in any way but not too large either.

 

How do these compare in size the the 149?

I dont have a 149 to compare it to but the 149 is bigger.