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The Sterling Silver Collection
31/07/2010I decided to give the sterling pieces a polish this morning.
Left to right: MB Charles Dickens WE with B nib, Montegrappa Extra 1930 Turtle Brown celluloid and Ebonite feeder with M nib, MB F. Scott Fitzgerald WE with BB nib, MB LeGrand Solitaire Pin Stripe with B nib, MB Barley with B nib and a 0.035ct G VVS2 channel set diamond in its Platinum/PT950 plated clip (not Rhodium plated).
Here’s a close up of the Montegrappa. This brand is not that well known, and is quite similar to that of Patek Philippe in comparison. One could compare Montblanc to Rolex in terms of popularity.
Montegrappa’s roots are quite Italian, as is its design. The clip in particular is very similar to even some of the designs used by Visconti; the little roller is quite classically of Italian design. It also features an authentic Ebonite feeder; this is not very common among modern FPs. Of course, Richemont are the owners of the Montegrappa brand and as of late they are manufactured in the Montblanc ateliers in Germany.
I think I was one of the lucky few to pick up my MG when I did, before Richemont started to shift all their production over to MB, as there have been reports of low QC standards in their more recent models. Thankfully, the Extra 1930 is the only MG model that ever caught my eye and my piece does not have the horrifying ‘Made in Germany’ marking.
That’s as bad as Panerai’s faux history; invented for the Italian Frogmen aiding their skirmishes against allied vessels. The part Panerai conveniently leave out is that those pieces had Rolex movements, and therefore all PAMs since with ETA movements – including their so-called in house movements – are just tributes to the real deal.
Personally, I cannot stand fakes; pretending to be the real deal is…well…just as fake! I’d therefore take an in-house developed Rolex movement over anything ETA and the Swatch group has to offer…but I guess, I’ll reserve my ranting for a different post.
What I enjoy most of this sub-collection of mine, is that each nib writes quite differently. One could say that each nib has its own “soul”, thanks to the way the nibs have been ground. Some are rather stubbish B nibs – this is a particular trait of MB B nibs that always has me going back for more. The BB nib on the Fitzgerald is silky smooth as the greater surface area allows for greater lubrication by the increased ink flow.
Montblanc 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.