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Back homeMontblanc Charles Dickens WE FP: First for 2010…
20/01/2010This beauty arrived from Harrods on my Birthday. I cannot thank Amy enough; it fits the bill perfectly as I was looking for something ‘vintage-esq’ for my collection.
Like all WE pens, this has an aged resin star adorning the top of the sterling silver cap. This is the second largest star found in any of the Montblanc LE pens – the first being the Charlie Chaplin, limited edition of 88.
The cap is solid Ag925 sterling silver marked with the Swiss assay office hallmarks vertically below the clip. The classic St. Bernard can be seen, along with the fineness scales and StOD.
This particular pen paid a visit to the Montblanc atelier in Hamburg for a nib exchange to a B nib. I’ve currently got this inked with MB Sepia, and this particular nib has been ground to stubby perfection – bringing out the colour rather vividly on the yellowish Moleskine diary paper.
A keen eye will also notice the curved section, once again reminiscent of a ‘vintage-esq’ pen. It is very comfortable to hold and write with for extended periods. Of course, I never post my pens so the weight of the cap never comes into question.
The nib engraving comprises of an italicised ‘C’ and ‘D’, both of which have been woven and inextricably intertwined. It also features ‘2001′, the release year of this edition near the top, and the ubiquitous 4810 near the bottom of the 18k nib.
Coming back to the cap – the most striking aspect of this design – it has been designed paying hommage to the Victorian era post boxes. The barrel colour has been the subject of much debate amongst collectors and on TFPN. It changes depending on the light; at times, taking on a greeny-grey tone to a grey-blue tone. It is most definitely a colour that is an acquired taste – one that most certainly grows on you. It is also a fantastic tone that contrasts quite perfectly with the sterling silver cap, and band at the bottom near the piston screw.
One will also notice a small ring in the same tone of resin adorning the upper porting of the cap. This ring is etched ‘Montblanc’ on one side and has the pen’s edition number on the other. Considering that I was able to purchase this WE directly from Montblanc Harrods, whilst beating the 2010 price increase, I am quite thrilled with this acquisition.
My humble pen collection has grown in leaps and bounds in a very short period, and therefore I am considering taking a small hiatus from adding any new pieces in the near future. However, only time will tell…
The Montblanc Thomas Mann 2009 WE in Detail
29/12/2009
I was shown one of the initial posters to this pen back in April during my visit to London and it did not completely catch my fancy, until now. Here are some details of this edition,
Launch: 2009
Limitation:
12,000 fountain pens
15,000 ballpoint pens
6,000 rollerballs
3,000 sets comprising fountain pen, ballpoint pen and mechanical pencil
- Rhodium-plated 18 K gold nib engraved with the “Buddenbrook” house
- Barrel in precious black lacquer with multilayered inlays
- Platinum-plated clip set with onyx-coloured zircon
- Ivory-coloured Montblanc emblem
Fifteen thousand fountain pens, in reality, does not make this all that limited – at least in my opinion. This is also quite evident by its list price of £545 in London.
At least in my opinion, for something to be limited it needs to be in the sub 500 production range – preferably sub 100 – such as the 75th Anniversary 149, or the Miyamoto Musashi Limited Edition 77.
I found the following snaps of the Mann on Flickr, and they are quite splendid indeed. The nib engraving of Buddenbrook house in particular are quite stunning.
Like all the WE pens, they feature the author’s signature engraved into the cap or barrel – in this case the former,
The Mann is similar to the Shaw in regards to the plating of the section rim just before the nib. I particularly do not enjoy this feature as I have seen the effects of ink corroding into such plating over a period of 10-15 years. While most collectors only store their pens for display and the eventual increase in value, I buy my pens for the pleasure of writing.
Over the past year I have been particularly interested in buying some of the older WE pens, which are getting harder and harder to find. There is no hurry to run out and get the Mann considering, that I am to date buying WE pens from MB – directly – as old as 2001 production. The Thomas Mann is definitely on my eventual ‘list’ but there are quite a few others taking precedence; hopefully, 2010 will be a good year for my humble collection.
SS Montblanc
11/12/2009
Halifax Explosion Remembered
On December 6, 1917, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the largest man-made explosion until the first atomic bomb occurred.
At 8:45 in the morning a French ammunition ship, the Mont Blanc and the Norwegian cargo ship Imo collided in the narrows of Halifax harbour. Vapors from vats of benzol, which were wrongly stored on the deck of the Mont Blanc, were set afire by sparks from the collision. The Mont Blanc was shipping large quantities of munitions to Europe as part of the war effort. She was carrying over 2700 tons of explosives, such as TNT, guncotton, and picric acid. The fire engulfed the Mont Blanc and the crew quickly abandoned ship upon the Captain’s orders. They rowed to safety in two rowboats and reached safety on the Dartmouth shore as the burning ship continued to drift toward the busy port of Halifax.
At 9:04:35, with firefighters on the scene and school children gathering to watch, a massive explosion ensued. More than 2.5 km2 of Halifax was leveled and windows were shattered as far as Truro, Nova Scotia, 100 kilometres away. An anchor from the Mont Blanc was found five kilometres from the harbour. The disaster resulted in approximately 1635 deaths (approx. 1000 died instantaneously from the blast), nine thousand injured and approximately 30 million dollars in damage. 325 acres of city was destroyed. 1500 people became homeless as a result of the devastation. The following day a blizzard hit the city, crippling recovery efforts.
If not for the efforts of neighboring Provinces, the Boston Red Cross and the Massachusetts Public Safety Committee the devastation would have escalated further. Each year, Nova Scotia donates a giant evergreen to the people of Boston as a thank you for their assistance following the Halifax Explosion.
Reflecting on the Diplomats…
30/10/2009This is the bold nibbed 149 I picked up during my trip this year to Singapore. They kindly accommodated a rush on their free engraving service.
It current sits on my desk, in the left-hand pen stand as it is essentially my ‘go-to’ pen. Not only is it comfortable to write with for many hours, but it is also a great signature nib if one needs it to be.
A close up of the wonderful bold nib is shown below,
My collection of four Diplomats now in F, M, B, and OBB nibs,
