# What makes a Mont Blanc Special?



## HamTurns

What makes a Mont Blanc Special?

I was in a meeting this morning and noticed my VP's Mont Blanc "164 Meisterstuck". He said it was his third one, as he'd lost the other two. I asked if he'd ever re-filled it, he had and noted that the only refill that writes well is the Mont Blanc refill and is costly.

So I got to wondering what's so special about a Mont Blanc?

From a "hold, feel and look" viewpoint I'm not seeing anything special, maybe except for their special cap with the star-burst. I didn't have a chance to write with it.

So I figured it must be better components and of course the marketing name recognition that makes it special(and worth a lot of $$$).

I did do a "Mont Blanc" search here and found threads discussing how others here make their "Mont Blanc" comparables.

I don't have any experience with Mont Blanc and was just wondering what others here thought about why people think they are special. 

Tom


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## ashaw

What so special is the name.  They have spent at lot of money and time marketing their brand.  The people who buy them are very loyal customers.


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## terryf

Its not a great pen at all. Mont Blanc, however, have one thing most of us dont, an exceptional marketing scheme (scam) and would have the general public believe that its the best thing this side of sliced cheese. They're actually not bad writers all things considered but almost all the pen makers on this site can make a better pen. Stick in an 18ct nib and voila!

The same sort of marketing scam was run by Rolex - also a very ****ty watch that doesn't keep time very well when compared to quartz watches. I know, I wear a GMT Master and it drives me insane when I dont wear it over the weekend and have to reset the time. The only reason I wear it is because it belonged to my father and thats also the only reason I havent sold it for pen kits 

As far as refills go, I dont believe it for a minute. There are many good generic refills that will write as well as, if not better, than a MB refill.

My 10c


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## LL Woodworks

HamTurns said:


> What makes a Mont Blanc Special?
> 
> ... he had and noted that the only refill that writes well is the Mont Blanc refill and is costly..
> 
> Tom



I think if he is carrying a $500 - $2,000 pen  1) he could afford a $9 - $17 refill or 2) he would want people to think he could afford the refill   Either way compared to the inflated cost of their pens the refills aren't that expensive, if he insist on using Mont Blanc refills.   All that is "SPECIAL" about them is the name and the smoke screen, brain wash image they have managed to create.

They are good pens, no doubt- but many of our pen makers can make them better.


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## Katsin

Don't a lot of the big name luxury pens use a thicker micron plating or full gold alloys on some of their high end pen parts?

I wouldn't be surprised if some of their lower tier stuff doesn't have plating any better than many of the components we get.


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## Sub Vet 10

To me, there's no reason to spend the $$$ on any of the big names, and that goes for a lot of things: pens, cutting boards, animal calls, etc etc. 
Our neighbor has always wanted a MB but I talked him into letting me make him one because "I can do better."


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## walshjp17

A few Christmases ago, SWMBO gave me a MB RB.  I used to use it a lot when I was gainfully employed, but now that I am retired and making my own pens, I find that the wood and acrylics I mainly use are far superior to the finish on the MB "plastic" and the Schmidt 5888 refills I use are as good, if not better than, the MB refills.  

So, I do have a snow-capped pen, but it now sits in a nice leather pouch where it gathers dust while I use my own creations. And I am not missing the 'wow' factor I used to see when my co-workers saw a MB that a vendor sales rep would whip out when it came time to sign the big dollar contract (so he could afford another MB and a Rolex or two to boot!).


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## monophoto

My boss gave me a MB many years ago.  It was a nice pen, and I enjoyed using it.  But - - - the nib was gold, which meant that it was soft and needed frequent tuning.  And mine experienced corrosion that led to leaking around the section.  I sent it in for very expensive repair several times - - - until it finally hit me that I had spent more on repairs than the pen had cost in the first place.  So now it sits in a nice stand on my desk where the white star shows off just as well as it did in my pocket, and my daily carry pen is either a cheap no-name Chinese pen or a CSUSA Artisan FP.


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## dgscott

A minority opinion:

It's not hard to do some big name pen bashing, whether it's MB, Waterman, Pelikan, whatever. But, it has to be said that the big production companies that place a hefty price tag on their pens elevate the expectations of a buying public thus seeding a market for each of us who are addicted to producing quality pens -- I can sell a high end custom because all those companies paved the way in grooming people's thinking that writing by hand is now and always was elegant, sophisticated, and worth an exceptional instrument. The people who are satisfied with a dollar bag of stick ballpoints will never be interested in what I do, while those familiar with famous names will give my work serious consideration.

So thanks for piquing interest, MB and others -- you made a market for people like me.

My $0.02, not intended to disagree with or diminish other folks' opinions.

Doug


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## AnachitlPut

I never owned one. Well a real one but I have to hand it to them, they have manage something most people can't selling something for three or four fold o it's true value. There ink is good though. And what ink is better?? Does it work with Parker type pens?


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## its_virgil

Hmmmm that would be "precious resin":biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
Do a good turn daily!
Don



walshjp17 said:


> MB "plastic"


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## Tom T

I asked my wife who knows most everything what SWMBO means.  
My wife looked it up and started howling out loud.
It is good, very good.
I think it have Grand Daughters like that.


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## tim self

Marketing, perception and name recognition. 

At my last show I had a lady at my booth, I ask her "when was the last time you wrote with a FP?"  She said a long time and she had sold MB.  She wrote with a Jr Gent with a Bock fine.  She was simply amazed at how smooth it wrote.  Stated it wrote so much better than a MB.


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## Penultimate

I must respectfully disagree with those that say there is nothing special about a Mont Blanc. My wife bought me a RB many years ago and it is the finest pen I've ever written with. The design and shape fit my hand perfectly. It is definately better than any kit pen I've made. I hope to reproduce the feeling of the MB as I design custom pens. 

I like it so much I copied the shape for my custom stylus.


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## butchf18a

There are some of means that adhere almost religiously, to the concept that as long as its too expensive for most other people it therefore must be better. Perception is a powerful tool. My boss is a person of means. If its not expensive he doesn't want it, of course much less expensive is good for everyone else. Well, gave him a custom Cambridge roller ball for his birthday, now his MB isn't used. Only pen he uses is the one one made for him. Once people write with a quality instrument, as we produce, they accept that price is not a direct indicationof quality.


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## jttheclockman

HamTurns said:


> What makes a Mont Blanc Special?
> 
> I was in a meeting this morning and noticed my VP's Mont Blanc "164 Meisterstuck". He said it was his third one, as he'd lost the other two. I asked if he'd ever re-filled it, he had and noted that the only refill that writes well is the Mont Blanc refill and is costly.
> 
> So I got to wondering what's so special about a Mont Blanc?
> 
> From a "hold, feel and look" viewpoint I'm not seeing anything special, maybe except for their special cap with the star-burst. I didn't have a chance to write with it.
> 
> So I figured it must be better components and of course the marketing name recognition that makes it special(and worth a lot of $$$).
> 
> I did do a "Mont Blanc" search here and found threads discussing how others here make their "Mont Blanc" comparables.
> 
> I don't have any experience with Mont Blanc and was just wondering what others here thought about why people think they are special.
> 
> Tom


 

I will tell you what makes them special for me and no I do not own any. I am not a collector. But what I get from them is ideas. I have used some of their pen designs in my own making of blanks. Now no one is going to mistaken my pens for theirs but some ideas come up from looking at some of the big name pen makers. I think others should give them a look-see.


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## terryf

Doug
The problem with that, however, is that a lot of people will retort, "$300? Are you mad, I can buy a MB for that sorta layout."
Whilst I agree there is a sense of sophistication and an aura surrounding writing instruments, most people who are prepared to fork out the big bucks generally want something that their peers recognise. (I say generally because this isnt always the case)



dgscott said:


> A minority opinion:
> 
> It's not hard to do some big name pen bashing, whether it's MB, Waterman, Pelikan, whatever. But, it has to be said that the big production companies that place a hefty price tag on their pens elevate the expectations of a buying public thus seeding a market for each of us who are addicted to producing quality pens -- I can sell a high end custom because all those companies paved the way in grooming people's thinking that writing by hand is now and always was elegant, sophisticated, and worth an exceptional instrument. The people who are satisfied with a dollar bag of stick ballpoints will never be interested in what I do, while those familiar with famous names will give my work serious consideration.
> 
> So thanks for piquing interest, MB and others -- you made a market for people like me.
> 
> My $0.02, not intended to disagree with or diminish other folks' opinions.
> 
> Doug


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## plano_harry

I think the hardware and plating is higher quality on the MB than what we get out of China.  Especially my 163DS!  But they don't write any better than a Schmidt refill.


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## Smitty37

When I completed 25 years with the company I worked for I was offered a 'quarter century' gift.  All of the gifts were easily recognized names like Rolex, Mont Blanc, etc. They were chosen to give the employee something they would not normally have the means to own, and something that friends and relatives would recognize the name.  

Mont Blanc is one of those names, many people who have never even seen a Mont Blanc pen will know that it is a name that carry's prestige.  It has probably earned the reputation it has - if they were making junk they would have long since dropped off the map - by delivering a product worthy of 'presentation' where the object being presented is supposed to say "we are giving you the best".


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## OLDMAN5050

One was gifted me great pen I found I can put a Parker refill in an works great don't have to buy MB REFILLS it does get attention from folk who reconize the snow cap....


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