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…is sometimes just so much claptrap. The popular mantra, “Montblancs suck,” is one such instance.
A while back I wrote about today’s Montblanc and why I think it’s not the ogre that Montblanc haters make it out to be. I do have to admit that I’m probably not going to acquire more modern Montblancs, but the more vintage ones I work on the better I like them. This week I worked on four, all of which are pretty nice pens — and they are proof positive that Montblanc pens do not suck, unless it’s ink we’re talking about.

The first two came from a single client. A 139 and a 138, they seemed to be in poor shape: hard rubber oxidized, pistons no longer sealing, and — worst of all — snowcaps shrunken and distorted and fallen loose from the caps. It turned out that the pens were really in good condition after all, and they came up very well under restoration…

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Hey everyone, I could sure use a hand with something.  I while back, my mother managed to score a sumgai deal on a “51″ and “51″ set at a rummage sale for $1.50.  Yes, you can imagine my elation.  The first one was an old vac that restored beautifully.  The second… I’ve had trouble.

First, the feed was broken and the breather tube was rotted.  Luckily, I found someone with a brand new pair of both that they were willing to give me.  Only, the feed was broken in shipping.  So, I need a new feed again.  So not a huge deal there (I hope).  That’s the first part.

The second part is… sadder.  In disassembling the pen, I set the parts down in the case.  I became distracted by needing to leave town the rest of the day, and when I’d returned, I noticed the cap had rolled up next to the old breather tube.  Turns out, this didn’t mix.  The damp tube literally ate away a line down the steel on the cap.  See the photos below.  So, now I also need a cap that goes with a 1949 “51″, the style with the longer art deco arrow and mother of pearl jewel.

So that’s what I need.  A feed and a cap.  If you can help me out, please contact me and let me know if there’s some kind of deal we can reach.  I’d love to get this pen tip top shape again.

Okay, here’s the latest round of new and updated stuff in the wiki.  Run through them and see if there’s anything you can add, enhance, or correct.  Some are new, some have had additions.  Thanks to everyone contributing!

• Bexley 56
• Reform 1745
• Pilot Prera
• Stipula
• Sailor Sapporo
• Vanishing Point

A lot of you are aware that I’ve been working on redesigning the Herald.

Feedback that I received was that the pen could use the centerband eliminated, as well as the trim ring on the barrel.  Most people also wanted the ability to post the cap.  The other comment that I received is that it would be very nice to have an eyedropper filling system.  Well, I’ve paid attention to my customers requests, and all four of the above changes have been made.

As you can see, the black centerband has been eliminated…

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There’s a thread on the Fountain Pen Network that is titled What is the most beautiful pen ever designed in your eyes ? That thread, as I posted my reply, got me to thinking about beauty and pens, and what makes a pen beautiful. Here are two pens.

Are these pens beautiful? The upper one has an intarsia finish, while the lower one is girdled with a mosaic of abalone shell. Neither was inexpensive. They’re both pretty to look at, but is beauty skin deep? For these two pens, it might well be. They were both sent to me because they were just plain crappy writers. The upper one has a cheap injection-molded feed made of a hydrophobic material that’s been coated with something to make it pretend it doesn’t repel water (and, hence, ink). The lower one likewise has a feed that’s hydrophobic even though its design is otherwise better. Both have metallurgically soft (“bend once”) nibs that were misaligned until I adjusted them — and will probably become misaligned again through use. So I ask again: are these pens beautiful…

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