• Home
• About

Mont Blanc Pens Past and Present

By 1906 the energy and promise of the first few years of the “modern” new century had already had a stimulating effect on inventors and craftsmen, and the industrial development overall. Originality, wild ingenuity, unstoppable imagination, brainstorming, and a sense of exploration and discovery helped the fountain pen make its technical and commercial breakthrough as a writing instrument. The first usable fountain pen had been patented as early as 1884, and the revolutionary lever filler was only two years away from appearing on the market. In German city Hamburg, Claus-Johannes Voss, together with banker Alfred Nehemias, and the Berlin engineer August Eberstein, recognized the spirit of the new epoch, and decided to produce fountain pen. Their joint venture set the stage for the future internationally known company, which would adopt the name Montblanc.

In 1908, the founders of the new company started by making gold fountain pens with Mont Blanc label in their advertising. At the beginning, the small new company bore the name Simplo Filler Pen Company. The name ‘Simplo’ was doubtless derived from the word ’simple’, which referred to the new pen design with a ‘built-in’ inkwell. Next year, a redesigned and ameliorated fountain pen, “Montblanc,” was introduced. The name “Montblanc” was registered as a trademark, and the name became a word used for all writing instruments produced by the company, and all accessories to be launched by the end of the century (wallets, sunglasses, etc).

In 1913 Mont Blanc introduced the white star - what people would later call the snowflake or the Edelweiss flower - become the brand symbol, with all the writing instruments produced by the Simplo Filler Pen Company bearing the easily recognizable rounded white symbol. Representing the snow-covered peak of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in continental Europe, this craftsman’s device stood for commitment to the superb quality and finest European design.

Launch of the legendary Meisterstuck, what was to become to be the world’s most famous and easily recognized writing instrument, took place in 1924. The Montblanc Meisterstuck 149 fountain pen was to become the ultimate symbol for writing culture - and couture - and a truly style icon for perfect and timeless design. As the economically intense years galloped, at ever accelerating speed, toward the deep crisis and recession, “Montblanc” kept pace, swiftly expanding into more than 60 different countries as an almost ubiquitous name. Impressive marketing campaigns, like fitting cars with an oversize fountain pen, the Mont Blanc star on top, and the first advertising planes, took the Montblanc name into a completely new dimension, attracting tremendous attention of the public. Montblanc indeed did a lot changing the way advertising was made.

In 1927, for the first time and ever since, the heart of the Montblanc Meisterstuck, its nib, was engraved with the number “4810,” to denote height of the mountain, Mont Blanc itself. Then, in 1934, the company officially acknowledged the idea that it had already become a worldwide known brand, and took the corporate name, Montblanc Simplo GmbH, to a new marketing level. Just a year later, by offering a lifetime warranty for the Meisterstuck pens line, Mont Blanc demonstrated that choosing the only best of what the market offers always pays off for the customer. At the same time, Mont Blanc began a process which would ultimately fashion an environment for its growing range of chirographic instruments, and those who chose to care about what they put to paper, and how. The company took over a producer of fine leather goods in Offenbach, Germany: Thenceforth, desk accessories were produced under the Montblanc name.

The year 1955 offered the fountain pen market the new Montblanc 60 Line that represented an entirely new design style, constituting the first major success in the post-war period alongside the traditional Meisterstuck series.  Several years of commercial business consolidation were to follow. Then, as other industries, and even sister pen manufacturers, seemed to have been degraded by emerging computer technologies, yet another breakthrough marketing idea was born in Mont Blanc’s corporate offices. In 1986 the famous marketing phrase, ‘Montblanc - The Art of Writing’, later on transformed into ‘The Right To Write‘, was launched, and quickly became a model for many brands in the personal luxury segment. The fountain pen, the ultimate personal writing instrument, began a renaissance. The Meisterstuck Solitaire Collection, the precious metal version of the Meisterstuck, debuted, setting the tone for the next dozen years.

As the new millennium jumped in, to some apprehension in our modern society, but also great expectations, Montblanc launched its first major new collection of writing instruments since Meisterstuck: the Boheme, devoted to passionate enjoyment of the best in life, reaffirming the company’s commitment to the individual’s satisfaction and enjoyment of luxurious style of life. Subsequently added were the Boheme Solitaire, Boheme Jewels, and Boheme Doue collections, providing breathtaking choices in this uniquely shaped and appointed series. The Sport Collection also came to full, active life with the release of seven stylish, robust, and ruggedly functional timepieces. In a spirit of bridging the eras - the XX century, with its almost serendipitous scientific achievement, and the XXI, carrying the hopes of a more mature and realistic optimism – Montblanc USA introduced the Starwalker Collection, a new generation of writing implements, and the TimeWalker watch collection for people who are cosmopolitan, dynamic and have a love for pure, aesthetically proven and artistically crafted design.

The real Montblanc pen now ranks as a cultural totem for high-achieving business executives. The kind of executive with a big desk and an ego to match. It’s a pen that says, “I sign off on important papers brought to me by myriad faceless kneeing collars.”

Over the decades Mont Blanc has created masterpiece limited and special editions. A few of these are listed below:

* 100 Year Anniversary Boheme Collection
* Sir Henry Tate Patron of Arts Series
* Sakura 333 Limited Edition
* Agatha Christie Limited Edition
* Alexander von Humboldt Limited Edition

A strikingly gorgeous piece, the last item listed immediately above, genuinely possessing, at once, masculine and feminine characteristics and appeal, the Humboldt Limited Edition has already made a more than admirable addition to many a collector’s array, and is a perfect first, for the gentleman or lady who “has everything,” but has not yet entered the world of fine calligraphic instruments. With the latest comer to the ever-growing array of limited editions, the William Faulkner, the new century bodes well for the most well-known artisan shop devoted to the dedicated fountain pen lovers.

Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.