MontBlanc pens - can they be had online for less than RRP?
Discussion
hi all
I know this isn't strictly watch related, but it's close
I'm thinking of buying Mrs D a nice pen for her birthday, but the Mont Blanc ones I like are swingeingly expensive (upwards of £400). Like a lot of luxury brands, they seen to have stitched up the market so that nobody openly sells them for <RRP, except EBay traders.
Has anyone out there used an online Mont Blanc dealer and got a reasonable discount to make it work the risk/hassle?
ta
Ewan
I know this isn't strictly watch related, but it's close

I'm thinking of buying Mrs D a nice pen for her birthday, but the Mont Blanc ones I like are swingeingly expensive (upwards of £400). Like a lot of luxury brands, they seen to have stitched up the market so that nobody openly sells them for <RRP, except EBay traders.
Has anyone out there used an online Mont Blanc dealer and got a reasonable discount to make it work the risk/hassle?
ta
Ewan
Slightly off-topic but I noticed the other day that Mont Blanc prices have gone pretty rapidly north recently. I bought a Meisterstuck ball-point pen a couple of years ago for £170 and they're now £220. A 30% increase in a couple of years seems a hell of a lot.
Also noticed that Raymond Weil watches have had an even bigger hike in the last few years - up from £575 to £775 for the model I was looking at.
Seems like these luxury brands just re-price when times get hard.
Also noticed that Raymond Weil watches have had an even bigger hike in the last few years - up from £575 to £775 for the model I was looking at.
Seems like these luxury brands just re-price when times get hard.
I'm not a masside fan of Mont Blanc pens, I think they're OK but I think they're quite common.
Have you considered Montegrappa: http://www.montegrappa.co.uk/

Nero Uno range
or Cartier (go have a look in Selfridges/Harrodds).

Roadster range (v.nice)
Both are nicer IMO and there's far less chance of seeing someone else with the same one...
Have you considered Montegrappa: http://www.montegrappa.co.uk/

Nero Uno range
or Cartier (go have a look in Selfridges/Harrodds).

Roadster range (v.nice)
Both are nicer IMO and there's far less chance of seeing someone else with the same one...
Fair enough. I'm now getting the guidance that only Pistonheads can provide and starting to look farther afield.
Just need to track down someone local in Glasgow that sells Pelikan. I know that the Pen Shop sell them bu they don't seem to have the Ductus range, online at least, that I'd consider.
I'm less fussed about the fountain pen as day to day I use a pencil and would go for that plus (maybe) a rollerball.
Dr Rick
Just need to track down someone local in Glasgow that sells Pelikan. I know that the Pen Shop sell them bu they don't seem to have the Ductus range, online at least, that I'd consider.
I'm less fussed about the fountain pen as day to day I use a pencil and would go for that plus (maybe) a rollerball.
Dr Rick
So, I'm now considering either:
Pelikan Ductus (silver, not gold)

or possibly the previously mentioned:

Just need to find someone in Glasgow who can let me have a try. Then to decide whether to go the whole hog and get fountain/rollerball/pencil to keep a set together.
Anyone any experience of these?
Dr Rick
Pelikan Ductus (silver, not gold)

or possibly the previously mentioned:

Just need to find someone in Glasgow who can let me have a try. Then to decide whether to go the whole hog and get fountain/rollerball/pencil to keep a set together.
Anyone any experience of these?
Dr Rick
I have a nero uno FP - its lovely. Writes very smoothly. Worth a look at www.pelikanpens.co.uk (no affiliation and not bought from them) as they seem reasonably priced?
BalhamBadger said:
I can certainly appreciate the value behind a fountain pen that moulds itself to your own style of writing and is almost an event to use, but surely any manufacturers ballpoints are merely glorified biros, and would be bettered by any of Pilot's gel efforts?
I don't doubt it and it may be a little bizarre to spend money on something that can be done by a cheaper manufacturer. BUT ... I have a bog standard engineers type Pentel propelling pencil and an array of BIC biros which perform the basic tasks adequately. However, Xmas is coming up and I'd like the treat of being able to perform the mundane everyday tasks of reviewing reports and marking up drawings with something that has a bit more class.I have no real need for a fountain pen, and would use the pencil/ball point/rollerball on a daily basis. The only reason to get the fountain pen wouldbe to make the set if it were likely to disappear from the market. Afterall, Parker seem to have had the same pen design (not broke, don't fix) on the shelves of WHSmiths for the last however many decades.
A Daihatsu Charade will get you from A to B but that doesn't mean you wouldn't prefer to be pushed along by something slightly more exotic.
Dr Rick
Dr_Rick said:
BalhamBadger said:
I can certainly appreciate the value behind a fountain pen that moulds itself to your own style of writing and is almost an event to use, but surely any manufacturers ballpoints are merely glorified biros, and would be bettered by any of Pilot's gel efforts?
I don't doubt it and it may be a little bizarre to spend money on something that can be done by a cheaper manufacturer. BUT ... I have a bog standard engineers type Pentel propelling pencil and an array of BIC biros which perform the basic tasks adequately. However, Xmas is coming up and I'd like the treat of being able to perform the mundane everyday tasks of reviewing reports and marking up drawings with something that has a bit more class.I have no real need for a fountain pen, and would use the pencil/ball point/rollerball on a daily basis. The only reason to get the fountain pen wouldbe to make the set if it were likely to disappear from the market. Afterall, Parker seem to have had the same pen design (not broke, don't fix) on the shelves of WHSmiths for the last however many decades.
A Daihatsu Charade will get you from A to B but that doesn't mean you wouldn't prefer to be pushed along by something slightly more exotic.
Dr Rick
SuperBaaaad said:
Or there's my favourite, also worth considering. The Pilot MYU 701 - from the 70's but you can still find them. Much nicer IMO than anything from Mont Blanc...


Amazing pen...
I picked one of these up a few years ago (Russ?) and they are great, I still use it regularly - it's a '72. I wouldn't say they were the smoothest writer on the planet, but the design is fantastic. Teamed up with some Pelikan brown ink at the moment, on Moleskine.

Amazing pen...
Edited by andy_s on Monday 25th October 17:28
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