Yes, it’s a leader of the pen market. And it puts a special accent on everything that the company makes for its customers. Read the following and decide if you want to know more about Mont Blanc pens.

1. Mont Blanc pens do not send out spare parts for repair, so you will lose your time requesting such. This is done to ensure the best quality of craftsmanship, assembly and repair possible. If you are not skilled enough, you can damage a pen even when using original authentic spare part. The company does not want this to happen with your pen.

2. The company started over a century ago, in 1906. When you buy an authentic Montblanc writing instrument, be sure it’s backed up with long history few other pen makers can show off.

3. Mont Blanc is a German company. Its pens are manufactured in Germany, and only there. Montblanc’s products are thoroughly representative of German pens: conservative in style, heavily built, and expensive.

4. In 1992 Montblanc made expansion onto things other than luxurious pens. It started manufacturing accessories like leather cases, satchels, sun glasses, watches, wallets, etc.

5. Montblanc pens are tested by hand in absolute silence; their craftsmen listen for the “melody” of the pen’s nib on paper.

6. There are just two (yes, 2) lines of pens Mont Blanc produces; Meisterstuck (started in 1924) and Boheme (since 1990’s). All of Montblancs are either models of these, or limited editions.

7. Each Mont Blanc pen now carries figures ‘4810′ on the nib. It’s the height of the mountain namesake in meters.

8. Mont Blanc writing instruments are identified by the white, six-pointed start on top of their pens.

9. In 1999, the company celebrated 75th Anniversary. Just 7 years later, it announced 100 Anniversary editions. It was so because different anniversaries were celebrated. The one in 1999 was in memory of Meisterstuck, the model that made Mont Blanc so famous over the world. The 100th Anniversary was celebrated as the date when three Germans united to found the ‘Simplo-Filler Pens Company’, which gave birth to Montblanc brand. Thus, the market faced Mont Blanc Mozart 75th special anniversary edition, and Mont Blanc Mozart 75 anniversary ball point pen. If you are interested in buying a Mont Blanc pen set of these 75th anniversary Mozart Edition pens, then you should know that this is one of the most searched for mont blanc pen gift sets found online.

10. The first pens produced by ‘Simplo Pens Company’ were named ‘Rouge et Noir’.

11. Mont Blanc Meisterstuck series pens were manufactured for each market individually. That is, Spanish Meisterstuck was called differently from Mexican. For English market, Meisterstuck was named Masterpiece (which is logical, isn’t; it?).

12. Some Montblanc pens were made with octagonal-formed bodies to prevent rolling off the table.

13. Mikhail S. Gorbachev used a Montblanc to sign his resignation; ironically, this pen can be considered as the instrument that was used to sign the treaty between republics of ruined USSR.

14. In “Never Say Never Again”, James Bond used Mont Blanc 149 (an old style) with a Union Jack flag on the barrel.

As any aspiring entrepreneur will tell you, creating an upscale brand from scratch is a tough task. While it’s true that Montblanc pens have been an everyday accessory for the discerning consumer since they first appeared in Hamburg at the beginning of the last century, it is only in the last 15 years that the company has plunged into segments like leather goods, watches, and more recently, fine jewelry. Today Montblanc is the fastest growing brand of South African parent group Richemont, which also owns Cartier, Dunhill and Jaeger-LeCoultre, located in Switzerland.

Rita Clifton, head of the Interbrand consultancy in London, believes Mont Blanc conforms to all the prerequisites to become a leading player in a segment of the market that is already crowded with heavyweight competitors such as LVMH, Tiffany’s and Gucci, to name but a few.

Clifton says: ‘Mont Blanc designers are renowned for their craftsmanship - a “must” if you want to sell goods for premium prices. Secondly, the customer experience is tightly managed; products are sold in places which reflect Montblanc’s brand. It would be pointless, for instance, to make goods available in shabby premises that could damage the way the reputation is held.

‘Finally, the Mont Blanc management has brought celebrities on board; and that matters: when James Bond drives an Aston Martin or a BMW in one of his films, people remember it. When brands are flaunted by footballers, their wives or by film stars, it’s a stamp of approval. Brands are status symbols, after all.’

Life hasn’t always been easy for Montblanc pen company. When managing director Lutz Bethge joined in 1990, the company was facing harsh competition and shops that stocked Montblanc pens were being pushed out of plum positions in shopping centers as Bulgari, Louis Vuitton and Burberry occupied the most prominent positions.

‘Things had to change,’ remembers Bethge. The upshot was a strategy, developed in conjunction with former Montblanc chief executive Norbert Platz, to turn the firm into a diversified luxury goods company. The fountain pens became even more upscale, with limited editions selling for up to $125,000. Montblanc also tightened its grip over its distribution retail chain by expanding its network of shops around the world. They now own more than 330 in countries stretching as far as China, Japan, Italy and of course the Northern America. From being a predominantly German company - with its headquarters in Hamburg - today most Montblanc profit is generated abroad.

Bethge says the brand is committed to the highest standards of European craftsmanship. ‘I cannot envisage a time when we would shift production to low-cost markets in Asia or elsewhere,’ he says. ‘I am not saying that Asians don’t make good craftsmen, but the heritage is in Europe. One of our trainee employees must practice for half a year making brass nibs for our pens before he can graduate to making gold nibs - we are that specialized.’

A similar approach is employed when it comes to making watches: Montblanc launched its first wrist watch range in ‘97, and opened a factory in Switzerland the same year. ‘It had to be Switzerland,’ says Bethge, ‘because that is the country most associated with the manufacture of branded, high-class watches. And the expertise is Swiss.’

There’s not a secret in that Mont Blanc hosted a VIP gala in Chamonix in the Swiss Alps to launch its gold and diamond jewelry range. Model Naomi Campbell presented the most precious offering: the Etoille necklace (’star’ in French). Guests including Mick Jagger’s former wife Jerry Hall and Phil Collins’s daughter, Lily, were among those who attended the concert by Bryan Ferry at a posh meeting.

The Mont Blanc pen brand, it seems, is going places. In just over a decade, it has pushed its way into new markets - leather goods, i.e. belts, bags and penholders, sunglasses, watches (there are several lines) and now silver and fine jewelry. But how much of the Montblanc story is hype?

None of it, if you ask the investment houses that follow Richemont in Europe. Antoine Colonna, luxury goods analyst at Merrill Lynch, says: ‘One day, Montblanc is going to outsell Cartier. Few brands that I follow - possibly with the exception of Burberry - have done as phenomenally well in the last five years.’
Just to remind, Cartier is part of Richemont group as well. According to 2006 stats, Montblanc produced the most of the profit amongst other businesses inside the group.
Isn’t is fabulous to see the achievements of a small company that started its living with fountain pens?

At the early beginning of the last century, in 1906 three friends united to establish a company at Hamburg (a port city in Germany) that began hand crafting fountain pens. Being of German, French and Italian origin, the three adopted Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest mountain snow peak as the name for their company.
The nib of each of their pens comes with an engraving of the figures 4810 which specify the height of the Mont Blanc range in meters.

Over the years passing by they have launched onto the market new kinds of products thus diversifying the assortment with watches, lifestyle accessories, jewelry and leather collections and whatever else the product is. Mont Blanc trademark is synonymous with traditional craftsmanship, fine quality and extra perfection. Each year pens are dedicated to a Patrons of Art and Writers, say one year to Sir Henry Tate and Virginia Woolf respectively, another to Agatha Christy and Humboldt Limited Editions. A thrilling symbiosis is reflected in the writing instruments of the Patron of the Art Edition Hommage à J. Pierpont Morgan. With their creative design of 925 sterling silver and modern carbon fiber on the cap, seemingly contradictory elements combine to form a unique blend of materials. They also believe in contributing to the society and in spring of 2005 have teamed up with UNICEF organization in an attempt to tackle international illiteracy.
By the way, Mont Blanc Meisterstück 149 was chosen as a symbol of the project to demonstrate the number of editions manufactured under Meisterstück series pens. The company asked 149 famous people to write down their thoughts on poverty and illiteracy issues the world continues to face in XXI century. Besides, Montblanc showed its generosity by adding 4810 dollars (these figures are the height of the corresponding mounting peak in Europe) to each of the papers later sold on auctions.

Each centenary edition is crafted with the Mont Blanc special emblem that has been created in a diamond with 43 facets.

The Limited Edition Meisterstück Solitaire 1906 fountain pen (just 1906 pieces made to celebrate the year the company was founded in) combines a granite cap carved from a boulder hewn from the Mont Blanc Massif with a sterling silver barrel crowned by the Mont Blanc diamond and an 18-karat gold nib.

Also a special offer is the company’s Hero - the Meisterstuck 149 - the model of the first pen manufactured.
“It is common to see three generations of the same family working at our factory in Hamburg. Montblanc products become family heirlooms,” says Michelle Perry, boutique manager for Mont Blanc pens.

What’s that question, then?

It’s simple, but confuses collectors and Mont Blanc dealers equally.

Who makes Montblanc nibs? The nib is something Montblanc is proud of, but does Montblanc make them itself or outsources? If yes, then to whom?

Different places on the web give contradictory information about Montblanc nibs, that they are produced in-house or by Peter Bock.

Even though you are not a Montblanc pen collector, if you are somewhat interested in fine pens it’s almost impossible to not come across a myriad of Montblanc leaflets, catalogs and ephemeras.

It’s really strange to me that there is no mention of the fact that they produce internally their own nibs in any of those. When introducing the nibs, they would rather use ambiguous and vague statements like “made by the best European artisan tradition”, “each nib is carefully cut by masters” etc.

In my personal opinion an internally produced nib is something to cry loud these times (like Aurora does) when most of the production is concentrated in few companies. From here comes a conclusion that Montblanc nibs are outsourced.

But wait… the truth lies deeper.

Montblanc indeed makes their own pen nibs. I was fortunate to tour Montblanc’s Hamburg factory in 2000, and was most impressed with the overall manufacturing process, but especially with the process of making nibs. Only girls are employed in that area, supposedly because they have a better “touch” and “feel” when it comes to grinding nibs by hand. Each nib is hand ground and then goes thru a testing process to ensure the iridium tip writes right. Montblanc pen company even employs Asian women to test the nibs going to the Asian market, because their writing style/method is different from ours living in Western countries.

It would seem that Mont Blanc is missing out on a very good marketing opportunity by not advertising that they make their own nibs. But most importantly, it’s relieving to know that they do take pride in their nibs, which explains why most people collecting fountain pens like them.

The Montblanc representative I spoke to also proved that Montblanc manufacture and test their own nibs. In my experience, brands that manufacture and test their own nibs have
superior quality control. So the true conclusion would be that Montblanc manufacture both fountain pens and nibs in-house.

There remains a question regarding the price of modern Montblancs. I mark this as one of their greatest faults. The high prices are a result of Montblanc’s marketing decision to become an upscale “lifestyle” brand. The official company policy is to only sell their merchandise at full prices defined be manufacturer. If you were to compare Montblanc’s pen prices to comparable models from other companies, such as Lamy, you will find that they are definitely in line. The thing is, it’s not hard to find Lamy fountain pens at discounted prices, so it seems as if Montblanc is much more expensive. If you look around, and catch a deal, you’ll find that you generally get what you pay for from modern Montblanc Fountain pens. I recently bought a OM Boheme. It’s a great, small pen with a retractable nib. It’s solid, and a good writer. The modern Montblancs I’ve dealt with have been much better writers than most other modern fountain pens I’ve used, including my Namiki. A lot of negative views also come from the status-symbol mentality employed by some. It’s true, there are many people out there who own Montblanc ballpoints only to have that little white snowflake sticking out of their pocket.

So to conclude, I like Mont Blanc pens. I prefer the Montblanc although I know it’s not cool to like something that is most popular. My wife gave me a big Montblanc pen and I lost it. So i bought another. And I lost it as well. So I bought another (as not to hurt her feelings) so, mathematically speaking, the Montblanc Boheme I’m using is a $680 pen. It absolutely writes as good as a Bic Powerball and, evidently, gets lost easier. How can it not be worth it?

I have to say that I am very skeptical of Montblanc pricing policy and their advertising. However, I am a lover of celluloid pens and - having this obsession with iridescent colors - I expected the Cervantes to be as rich in colors as my favorite celluloid pens (Omas, to name one). Of course, Mont Blanc Cervantes is not made of celluloid but mainly of some metal. It has a pleasant heft and the design of the pen tapering off in little subsections that are narrowing down is just ingenious.

However, there are points about this pen that I dislike. The color of the Cervantes rather seems cheap and industrial to me when turning it under bright light. Not even close to any spectral scintillation of e.g. celluloid or beautiful acrylic resins. Speaking of metal pens, not even close to having a nice lacquer polished look (like Dupont’s Chinese lacquer). Lacquer I can accommodate but the smoky variations seem out of place. On real life inspection I thought there was not much “depth” to the lacquer, it looked more like a painted finish.

That is something I guess I could go along with. Yet the grip section with the ink window just doesn’t match the rest of the pen. It is a simple brown plastic that really looks like your run-of-the-mill industrial plastic. Why does a pen that costs close to $750 expose such a flaw?

I was really enticed by the pen in pictures and I am by no means a Mont Blanc penmanship hater. So please don’t get me wrong here. I don’t want to rekindle the fire of hatred between Mont Blanc lovers and Mont Blanc haters.
I would just be curious how people who know the pen as well or even possess it, account for the shortcomings.

It seems that this wonderful pen design would have needed a manufacturer who works with more high-quality materials. Mont Blanc has some of the most innovative pen designs out there but in my view they really fail to make good for their inferior plastic. Even the Pelikan plastic in the M800s and newer (which is not fancy but really durable) has a much nicer design.

So the Cervantes is not one of my favorites. The idea is nice, but poor implementation isn’t worth the price tag. A nice celluloid would have been spectacular, but then thinking that an Omas celluloid Paragon costs about $900 so this pen is a couple hundred less.

I like the piston fill though, the clip, do like the oversized cap top with star they used much like the Schiller. The strong point of the pen - like most of the writers’ edition pens - is the nib, that tells the whole story and reveals the donation of it’s name.

Unfortunately there are many pens out there that seem like designed by committee when there was someone doing the body and another group doing the cap.

However, whether you like the Cervantes or not, from the collector’s point of view the Cervantes is a great piece to own. Cervantes is a famous author, Don Quixote is one of the world’s greatest literature classics, and the pen’s design is likened to bamboo, a sure thing that’ll make the Asian clients happy and makes it a highly collectible due to the interest received from the Asian market (which accounts for a large percentage of the world’s largest pen collectors).

Mont Blanc Solitaire Collection Fountain Pen

As a renowned brand that has significantly contributed to the art of writing, Mont Blanc pen company won worldwide recognition for its fine writing instruments. Since its beginning back in the 1900’s, Mont Blanc has catered to the tastes of of writers and pen collectors alike. This brand has a legacy of already over a hundred years of soulmaking as the manufacturers and designers of remarkable, high quality instruments for writing and self-presenting.

The Solitaire pen classic collection is inspired by the Meisterstuck series, one of the first and foremost popular lines from the Mont Blanc. This collection was introduced in the 80’s of the XXth century. Though closely following the pattern of the Meisterstuck series, Solitaire adopted the name 144. The prominent features of this series were the thin straight clip and the three cap rings, out of which the third one was slightly wider than the rest.

Solitaire collection includes the Mont Blanc solitaire silver ballpoint pen, the fiberglass silver rollerball pen, stainless steel rollerball pen, Doue gold ball point pen, and Doue Signum Classic ballpoint pen. These Solitaire writing instruments include a collection of precious metals. The Solitaire collection pens are available in onyx, vermeil and sterling silver.

Mont Blanc Solitaire Collection

Touted as the writing instruments of exceptional quality, the solitaire pen collections from Mont Blanc are the finest examples of the human writing culture.

The current world record price for a fountain pen is the $350,000 paid at Bonhams in London (UK) in 2000 for Dunhill-Namiki “No 50 Giant”, which is 10 inches long and decorated with hand-lacquered dragons. The pen was made in 1920’s, less than a century ago, but its price is sure to go up with time passing by. Who knows, perhaps the current owner of the pen will sell its treasure in 2010 for $400,000 or even half a million dollars, or exchange it for a new Ferrari.

However, most of today’s fountain pen collectors are buying writing instruments for everyday use. Some enjoy writing letters to friends and relatives instead of typing plain emails which look boring. Others write poems, and who would argue that hand-written poetry looks “live” as opposed to printed pages? Collectors aim to own at least several classic design fountain pens rather than collecting hundreds of items. Thoughtful pen collectors devote their time and passion to one or two specific brands, and never buy “just about any fountain pen that they can get their hands on”. As an example, a standard Mont Blanc Meisterstuck fountain pen, normally costing up to $600 for a new piece, can be bought by a professional collector for around $200 from an auctioneer. It’s worth noting that often Mont Blanc pens owners who sell their university gifts or their parents heritage don’t know the real value of the items they put on sale.

So what’s happened to the pen market to see such an increase in collectors’ activity? In short, eBay online auction. This has created a worldwide marketplace for the pens of all kinds, brands and prices, where a buyer from the United Kingdom can purchase a Mont Blanc pen from a dealer in the Australia with a click of a mouse.

More collectors also mean higher prices. Take a look at Mont Blanc Hemingway, issued as a limited edition of 20,000 pieces in 1992 as part of its annual Writers series. The US retail price was around $700, but that achieved $1,800 by 1998. More than double increase! Today they usually change hands for over several grands. However, it is also worth noting that some LE’s of more than 2,000, including some of the later Mont Blanc Writer’s Edition pieces, sell for around half of their retail price on eBay.

Ebay has had an extraordinary effect on the collectors’ market, making items that were previously difficult to find far more available. However, there are still pitfalls for the unprepared buyer, with badly photographed or poorly described items purchased and then arriving below the expected condition. Fake Mont Blanc pens on ebay have become a real nightmare, but luckily thanks to PayPal policies it’s possible to get refund in full in case a fraud occurs.

Mont Blanc Hemingway Writer's Edition Pen Set

As a tribute to one of the great American writers of the 20th century, Montblanc introduced the Hemingway fountain pen in the autumn of 1992. Modeled after a Montblanc design from the 1930’s, it recalls the time of Ernest Hemingway - a time of great style and verve. The orange body and black cap are made from precious resin and the cap bears the signature of this great writer.

In 1992 (two years before Schmitz joined the company) Mont Blanc launched two limited-edition pens, one named after Lorenzo de Medici (the 15th-century Florentine patron of the arts), the other after Ernest Hemingway.

Earnest Hemingway was undoubtedly one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, and he still inspires discriminating literature enthusiasts all around the world.

Being part of Limited Edition series, Mont Blanc Hemingway is hard to find – like any other pen from the line. They’re difficult to find any more, given that they’re limited edition pens. You can find them on E-Bay from time to time, but price is going up quite a bit.

Mont Blanc Hemingway has become a collector’s item, and is sought by pen lovers and brand enthusiasts.
Fountain pen and Ball point posed with fly fishing gear on a stained wooden plank.
This is generally conceded as the most highly sought after Mont Blanc Writers series pen set. A wonderful size, and the ink view windows are a wonderful touch. This pen reminds me of the Vintage Mont Blanc pens in so many ways.

The coral red and dark brown of the Writers Edition Hemingway is reminiscent of a Montblanc fountain pen from the 1930’s - the decade in which Hemingway celebrated his earliest successes. The cap, with it’s gold-plated mountings and classical, gold-plated clip. bears the engraved signature of the writer. Rhodium-plated metal parts and an artistic engraving of a motif from Hemingway’s period decorate the hand-cut 18-carat gold nib.

The limited edition ballpoint is from the first run of the Mont Blanc Writers Series, making this Mont Blanc Meisterstuck Hemingway its premier piece. It is in the rouge-et-noir style, first seen in the Montblanc’s of the 1930’s. At 5.2″ long, and weighing in at 27g, this chunky ballpoint is surprisingly easy to manage. Perhaps Montblanc was inspired by Hemingway’s famous words: “Grace under Pressure” when they created this pen. In short, this pen has become a classic.
The clip, and cap band, are brushed textured gold.
Mont Blanc - this prestigious seller of writing instruments and most probably has the ideal gift for your friend who has everything.

The Mont Blanc Meisterstück Hemingway echoes a classic fountain pen that was designed and made by hand in the 30s. The combination of harmonious colours and a consummate shape gives the Mont Blanc Hemingway its unique appeal.

A secretive aura surrounds delicate butterflies, which have inspired the thoughts of writers and poets for hundreds of years with their wonderful metamorphosis, exuberance and natural charm. The finely proportioned splendour of butterflies also inspired the jewelry artists in the Montblanc Artisan Atelier to create an exceptional writing-instrument edition whose fascinating aestheticism of the most precious materials transforms each of the six crafted Bohème Limited Edition fountain pens into a unique product of haute jewellery. A homage to the butterfly - muse of poets, artists and jewelers. A secretive aura surrounds delicate butterflies, which have inspired the thoughts of writers and poets for hundreds of years with their wonderful metamorphosis, exuberance and natural charm.

Mont Blanc Boheme Papillon

Some 1,400 stones on body and cap form fine plant tendrils and delicate butterflies. Artistic finesse and the noblest materials come together in six glamorous variants of the “Bohème Papillon” with its elegant, retractable 18-carat gold nib. The artistic skill and love of detail of the most experienced master craftsmen at Mont Blanc are needed to create the perfect form of a writing jewel in the Limited Edition “Bohème Papillon.” The superbly manufactured Bohème fountain pen is decorated with extreme precision with glittering rows of diamonds and sapphires. On the three writing instruments in solid white, yellow and rose gold which are principally studded with diamonds, the 1,402 diamonds in top Wesselton quality making 7.21 carats and the 37 sapphires of 0.21 carats on various levels of the body and internal spring mechanism create a brilliant play of lights. With the three variants where color is more important, 840 flawless diamonds making total of 4.35 carats and 591 sapphires of 3.87 carats turn the fountain pen in white, yellow and rose gold colours into a magnificent example of the most demanding jewelry craftsmanship.

Mont Blanc Boheme Papillon, Silver

To crown the Limited Edition “Bohème Papillon”, the unique, patented Montblanc Diamond radiates in all facets of the light on the top of the cap. The embodiment of the values and traditions with which the Mont Blanc brand has created masterpieces of writing culture for more than 100 years of soulmaking.

Meisterstuck stands for masterpiece. The fake one isn’t at all. But it sells at selected stores (both offline and online) for $4 to $25, in both of the traditional Montblanc colors, black and Bordeaux (this seems to be the color that used to be known as burgundy). The authentic pen costs at about $125. People like the opportunity to save – and get severely fooled.

Fake Montblanc Pen

Look at the photo.  There’s engraving on the nib that read “iridium point”. Montblanc does not do such inscriptions. Then, the nib states “made in Paris”, which clearly states it’s a fake Mont blanc pen.

If you’re trying to get a good deal on auction, like the rest of us, then here is a helpful way to do just that. Most of what I am going to share with you is common sense, so please do not be bored when I reveal something that I feel was enlightening to me, when discovered!

First, let’s look at the Seller’s feedback. Is it good? Has the same seller sold similar or the same items and were the buyers happy with their purchases?

Next, let’s look at the price of the items being sold. Is this a $300 pen, and the seller has repeatedly listed and sold many of them for final bids of $40-$80? We all get some good deals on closeouts, and discontinued items, but not that good. A seller buying pens for $220-$240, then selling them for $80, will not be in business long, so if you come to see a listing with such a big difference in price, you should get suspicious about the authenticity of the pen.

We’re going to do this in multiple steps, as this is almost an art, to distinguish the authentic pens, from the not real ones. Below we will go over the real Mont Blanc box and the Replica mont blanc pens. This is a real tell tale sign for your acquisitions.

As a matter of fact, in the estimated 40 bad sales I’ve come across, If I would have looked closely at the boxes in the photo, I could have saved myself a lot of time, money, trouble and hassle. Not to mention, all the emails to ebay support and Paypal team to sort out the prob.
All right, let’s look at the ebay addy itself and pay attention to the box containing the pen. Yep, the box of the Mont Blanc pen you are buying is very important to make sure you’d be bidding for an authentic German fountain pen.

There are many logos, tips and techniques that the Replica people (as I prefer to call them), simply cannot reproduce, as they do not have the proper dies or molds.

The Mont Blanc pen set box when opened, should have the big Montblanc white star on it. The white star is almost always shown in white on a black background. So, you are looking for a WHITE Star on a black background, and no other colors involved. The fakes are the reverse. They are usually the black star on a white background. Go ahead, look at some ebay auctions right now: you will see the ones with the black star on white, then look at the cheap price, then the sellers background, read the feedback. You will get amazed at the number of counterfeit Montblancs being listed every single piece of time.

Beware when you’re offered discount mont blanc pens in short-term listings. The reason that it is possible, but not that easy to find mont blanc discount pens at ebay auction is that these premium class pens are meant for people who can afford them. Have you seen discounted Ferrari FXX (ever made with 29 copies only)? The answer is definitely ‘no’. You can find cheaper deals on ebay if someone is selling Montblanc pens without actually knowing what’s being listed, hence the no reserve is specified. If you ever come across such deal, you’re a lucky participant of the mont blanc fountain pen collecting race!

Well, thanks for your time and efforts (this is in case you took a short look at ebay fake listings of Montblanc pens). I hope this was helpful and informative to all. In the next issue, we will go over the actual fountain pen and all of those tips and strategies, so you cannot be scammed.

Mont Blanc Boheme Bleu

When I write by hand, I use a Mont Blanc Bohème cartridge fountain pen whose retractable 14 K gold nib has platinum inlay; the barrel and cap are made of black precious resin inlaid with the Mont Blanc white star, gold-plated rings, and a clip set with a ruby gem stone. The Bohème proves a fine tool for a writer, and she forces me to mind whatever I write; my hand-written words must equal her elegance because if I should ever write prose that does not rival the Bohème’s richness, well, then I am just not worthy.
Mont Blanc Boheme is a great, small pen with a retractable nib. It’s solid, and a good writer. The modern MBs I’ve dealt with have been much better writers than most other modern fountain pens I’ve used, including Namiki.

This is one of the most evident yet usual answers that many frequent pen users give. Isn’t that natural that a pen is something that’s being used for writing down ideas or signing documents? Writing is a way of expressing one’s thoughts in detail and what better ways to do that than with a good pen on quality paper?

In this modern day and age, we are open to a wide selection of pens that are easily available at the nearest pen shop or a mouse click away. Some pens are practical for use such as the Cross Vice Pen collection, pens that are functional to use with many purposes on them like the Pelikan and Omas multi-pen collections, and pens that are designed to impress, like owing a Montblanc Starwalker collection with its signature Montblanc floating star crown.

Even though there are many ordinary stationary pens like Pilot and BIC (disposable), nothing beats the ownership of a good fountain pen, or roller ball pen or a simple perfect mechanical pencil, the luxury of writing gives one the perfect reason to own a nice pen. What better reason than this – the reason to write, not to just own and enjoy looking at a pen.

Reason 2: To give

‘My mom presented me with a Parker pen when I was 17 and it’s been with me for the past 15 years! I love this Parker 51 in sterling silver and I remember very well that it was a gift for my graduation with ‘A’ grades.’ This is typical to hear from college graduates.

Giving and owning a pen has its practical and highly sentimental value as you probably know. A pen is something that consists a heirloom if it’s of high value and lots of emotions are connected to it. Giving a pen adds value to the friendship or relationship between the giver and the receiver, as every time the receiver uncaps the pen, be it consciously or subconsciously, the thought of the giver would automatically come to mind to caress it with the reminiscent.

Some of the most traditional pens that are offered as gifts these days are of course the Montblanc pens, followed by Waterman, Parker and Lamy pens. They are expensive enough to be treasured even by yuppies-to-be. Occasions that pens are given away are mostly Teachers’ day, Graduation day, Valentine’s Day, and certainly over the Christmas seasons and many more.

Corporate companies also enjoy giving pens as their gifts because of the possibilities and variety of ways to create customization on the pens and increase the loyal spirit of the employees.

Reason 3: To collect

Like all works of art, fountain pen have long history and have come through many milestones in the course of development. Every pen has story to tell and to collect one is a luxury that a growing group of collectors have the privilege of following. Pen collecting is not only a past time or a hobby, but also an investment over time as the pens you collect appreciate in price. Usually you can sell a 5 year old pen at some 20% bigger price than initial.

Most collectors choose to buy Limited Editions for their collections, such as the Montblanc 75th Anniversary collection, the Parker mandarin yellow and Montegrappa’s Eternal Bird. Other collectors prefer to choose pens by brands, by type, by materials etc.

Reason 4: For weddings

Wedding is a time of union of two special individuals, the signing ceremony is one of remembrances and most of the time they are marked with significant sentimental moments that are captured by the signature on the marriage certificate and the use of a good pen to sign it with. Hardly anyone would want to sign up the marriage with a throw-away pen. The important pen is often time customized with engravings of the names of the couple and the date of the signing of the marriage certificate.

Reason 5: Company image and reputation

Companies often choose pens as marketing platform as they are easy to give away and its chances of being used (an important fact) is important as it reinforces the company’s name on the receiver of the pen. Each such pen holds special value as it serves the giver for years reminding of the company who issued it. Corporate customization such as engraving services and laser-screening of company’s logo on the pens also makes it look more professional and a great gift for all corporate partners and clients.

Reason 6: To skill the art of writing

Good penmanship is common nowadays, but great penmanship is almost as rare as a Mont Blanc Lorenzo Medici collection (if you’re curious, than this is the first Limited Editions made by the manufacturer, hence the rarity and the price). How can one learn great penmanship? From writing with a pen of course! What kind of writing? Calligraphy writing and fountain pen writing are of great help here.

Calligraphy writing originated from continental Europe and it is known to improve penmanship with the constant practice of the writing of the different types of fonts. It is derived from the Greek word ‘kalla’ which stands for ‘beautiful’, and ‘graphia’ means ‘writing’

Calligraphy workshop is highly recommended for schools, because the younger the kids learn to write, the better handwriting they can have when it comes to great penmanship and character building as well.

Reason 7: Up-scale status

A pen has become more than a pen nowadays; it has made a huge step over being a mere writing instrument. With the economy growth (rapid in certain parts of the world), pens have evolved and become a status symbol to own and show off as compared to the previous century where it was primarily a writing instrument. In the corporate world, owning a Mont Blanc pen shows one’s belonging to top managers, to those who issue orders and sign papers prepared by myriad of faceless drones. Just like watches, in this day and age, the perception of owning diamond-covered watches have become an item of status and luxury than simply a mechanism showing precise time.

Reason 8: The feeling of belonging

It can be referred to as ‘peer pressure’. Ever notice at one time almost every other person you meet in a given profession owns a thick Montblanc Meisterstuck collection pen? The desire to own a fountain pen is created by the person next to you who owns a particular pen, especially in the working environment where every one of your colleague and bosses owns a Mont Blanc, doesn’t it make sense to buy one for yourself as well, just to be with the others? Yes, your environment dramatically determines the type of pen you choose and own.

Reason 9: To give away later

Almost every brand increases its prices every year or every other year. It’s interesting to see customers who actually buy in quantity to keep for someday and give away every now and then when the chance occurs or some unplanned, unexpected event takes place (such as child birth). Besides, you get better offers for buying in quantity starting at a minimum of 10 pieces. For quantity purchases of over that number and up, saving may be more significant.

Reason 10: Inspiration to write

Writers, architects, designers, and artists like to own a posh pen for the inspiration it gives to them as they create their pieces of work. Pens like Lamy, Montegrappa, Montblanc and Waterman are amongst the favorites of pen lovers.

If you write a lot at work or in studies, or make a lot of creative design projects, chances are that you have a pen that you are inspired and motivated to write with. For some it can be a pencil, others choose fountain pen, and many students prefer Pilot-made V5.

Lawyers, Doctors and Accountants are also key users of Mont Blanc pens.

Mont Blanc Limited Edition Bernard Shaw Pen

The George Bernard Shaw Limited Edition Collection, conjures the Irish countryside in green marbled lacquer, with the fountain nib engraved with a bouque. The pen bears the signature of George Bernard Shaw, a composer coming from Ireland who became a famous literary critic, but most importantly a dramatic playwright. In his life, mostly spent in London, Bernard Shaw wrote more than sixty plays. In 1926, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, and received an Oscar in 1938 after producing a screenplay for Pygmalion. A core symbol found on the Mont Blanc Limited Edition Bernard Shaw pen is the flower engraved on the nib of the fountain pen. This flower symbolizes Eliza Doolittle, the flower girl, who is one of the leading characters in Pygmalion.

The Bernard Shaw Writers Edition pen from Mont Blanc is yet another beautiful homage to a great author who deserved a place on the world literature Olympus. Shaw became known and respected thanks to his wit and playfulness at the time when these virtues were at a loss. He made a brilliant satirist of the XXth century. He was belonged to a conservative part of the society and paid little attention to public greatness and his own reputation. Long after Shaw’s brilliant life full of witty creativity, Mont Blanc pays tribute to him, his moral principles and light-heartedness that made his name a classic asset. The new Limited Edition pen honors his fatherland, Ireland. All in all, Mont Blanc Limited Edition includes 16,000 fountain pens bearing the signature of Bernard Shaw, and 18,000 ballpoint pens. Only 4,000 gift sets in luxurious wrapping with the Mont Blanc white star logo were released marking the Writers Edition line.

But there are individuals hand-making wooden pens copying the style of world known manufacturers like Cross, Mont Blanc, Parker, Waterman. While you may be safer buying an authentic Cross or Parker, it is different with Mont Blanc fountain pens because of their price tag (often well into $ 1k). Plus, owning a hand made Mont Blanc pen give a peculiar feeling of a distinguishing feature in your pen collection. And if it is a gift, it is an absolutely great gift!

So you might want to look for craftsmen working with wood to make the Mont Blanc style pens.
Look for pens that are quality custom pens turned on a lathe. Avoid imported and cheap reproduction pens (otherwise called ‘replicas’). I am sorry but if that is what you are looking for you are at the wrong site. The craftsman should personally inspect every blank and part used in the making of the pens and give at least one year satisfaction guarantee on every pen.

Some are in the styles of the Mont Blanc pens, Cross pens and Parker pens but all are designed and hand made by individual craftsmen. Some of them also make inlayed, engraved, scrimshaw pens as well as letter openers, key chains and other wood products all by hand. No two pieces are ever exactly alike (if you remember, even crazy priced Mont Blanc limited editions are made thousands of copies, 4810 to be exact). The woods should all be finished with lacquer to give them a good durable finish to ensure the reliable use of pens. The items are then polished and waxed to give maximum protection. Craftsmen work with Exotic woods from around the world as well as most domestic woods from the USA. Many of the woods will vary in color of the wood slightly and in the grain pattern but if you are buying a set they will try to match them as close as possible for you. Most of these woods can have inlays or scrimshaw work added to them. The best thing about wooden hand made Mont Blanc pens is that you can have one for under $100 each, with the guarantee that your fountain pen is absolutely unique under the Sun!

For those who rather prefer something other material than wood some individual wood pen makers have Aqua pearl and polyester resin pens. These make a very rich looking pen and is used for many of the more expensive pens made today.
If you love “Mont Blanc” style pens, hand made wooden instrument is a pen you would love to add to your collection, as it will quickly become your favorite pen when writing in your journal, writing letters, planning your schedule in your planner or simply balancing your checkbook.

While with factury-made Montblanc pens you cannot ask for any customization like engraving, it is very possible to have such in case you order a writing instrument the style of ‘wooden hand made Mont Blanc pens’. Some craftsmen will be happy to accept your requests for customization. Plus, they might offer a better support than a monster international company. Personal attitude is something especially worth these days!
Below are direct links to websites offering wooden hand-made Mont Blanc-style pens. Every pen is handcrafted by craftsman who takes infinite pride in his work!

http://www.jdscrafts.com
http://www.woodcraftons.com
http://www.penworksplus.com
http://custom-handcrafted-leather.legacy-journals.com

If you have any questions about production, quality of the pens, customization, engraving, etc. please send emails to addresses specified on the corresponding webpages.