Pen Expert Reacts to "Are Montblanc Pens Worth It?" of Gentleman's Gazette

[@SamuelNaldi]

How do you like these Reaction Videos?

[@gihanzohdy3284]

They are imporant not only as comments to the content but also because of the liveliness you add.

[@SamuelNaldi]

@@gihanzohdy3284 oh thank you so much for your kind comment!

[@gihanzohdy3284]

In fact I have become a preacher for the use of fountain pens.

[@don43_]

love it please more!!!😍

[@alexanderbitarhistory]

Everything you do is GOLD 🤩

[@gihanzohdy3284]

Essencial to be reminded on the idea of owning and using a well designed and superb functioning fountain pen. I decided to begin a personal collection and oftentimes use one of them as an accessory with the outfit. Elevates one's image even as a woman.

[@SamuelNaldi]

Absolutely yes! 😍

[@lukaszpokoju]

One thing you have to take in consideration when talking Montblanc (but it also applies to many other older brands such as Parker / Waterman ) is that the brand evolved largely throughout the times. When evaluating these brands it is necessary to distinguish from what era you are talking about. Because Montblanc of 2020 as nothing to do with Montblanc back in the 80's. Back in the days, Meisterstück even if already branded as luxury items, were fairly priced based on their quality, had a huge variety of nib sizes available, ebonite feeds and good quality control on nibs. Very good pens indeed, a time when products quality and brand reputation where paramount they where making whet they were good at. Nowadays, Montblanc is just a luxury brand division of a bigger group and sells all sorts of accessories, bags, earphones, wristwatches and they still do some pens like they used to. A Meisterstück cost way more than what it used to. They use their brand name and old fame to bad the bill, while their models remained mostly the same, they don't propose many nibs options anymore, they went to a plastic feed and have a erratic nib quality control (sometimes, baby bottoms, misaligned tines) the only improvement was to change the plastic piston housing, to a brass one . Their customer service if you need repairs, is very random and slow (to say the least) because you have to pass by a brick and mortar shop who sells Montblanc and deal with resellers that most likely aren't always knowledgeable about fountain pens. If you are looking good quality gold nib fountain pens, their are many alternatives with equal quality at fairer prices . Or go for a vintage Montblanc from a reliable seller, if you manage to find one in good condition it's likely ti'll be even better than modern factory new model. Don't give me wrong Montblanc pens aren't bad pens. It's just that they're over-overpriced. And they also regularly propose limited / special editions with interesting designs such as their Heritage collection . In my opinion that what they are still good at. Their inks are good too By the way.

[@SamuelNaldi]

Thanks for sharing your opinion!

[@chrismartin4654]

Another not mentioned is the Pelikan pen. The 800 and 1000s are equally fine writing pen.

[@SamuelNaldi]

❤️

[@TheWitchsRattle]

I just bought my first Montblanc, the Meisterstuck. I'm pretty disappointed with it when considering the price. My Sailor Pro Gear actually writes better. This one has dry starts every time I pause in my writing.

[@SamuelNaldi]

I’m sorry to hear that. Usually Montblanc delivers quite a good writing experience straight out of the box.

[@donaldsegretti4721]

I have a 146 and a Sailor Pro Gear Realo ll and the sailor is far better.

[@maximilianschwab9668]

I have both too. If your Meisterstück does not write properly, you just go to the reseller and tell him to "tune" the nib and see if everything else is okay, in the first two years that service is free of charge. If you did not buy the pen new, you can also go there here in Europe the service should cost around 70,00 or 80,00 €.

[@BuffaloNickel9]

I have both a Meisterstuck 149 & 146 and a sailor 1911 large. The Sailor was awful & misaligned! 1911 Felt light & cheap compared to Mont Blanc. God awful actually, so scratchy it was like fingernails on a chalkboard. I despised writing with it in the fine nib which was more like an EEEF. I would never buy another Sailor.

[@zenrazor659]

​@@SamuelNaldi Come vedi non sono il solo a lamentarsi 😂

[@iAPX432]

I am beginning my fountain pen journey, chose Lamy Safari and AL-Star to begin with, then investigated which Pilot inks works the best for me (take-sumi, yama-guri, asa-gao & momiji), now looking for a Pilot custom 823 for the take-sumi, planning to go to Montblanc (149 and ink) and Visconti (yama-guri maybe) as my future move. I have to work on my writing, as the bests pens are nothing without an elegant and precise handwriting. Thus I replaced my Montblanc ballpoint and rollerball by my firsts fountain pens, to progress. I am a watch collector and appreciate beautiful crafted things in my life, I don't need a lot but you feel the difference.

[@BuffaloNickel9]

Outstanding! How's your current Fountain Pen handwriting & penmanship journey going? Which pen/s from Montblanc did you acquire?

[@iAPX432]

@@BuffaloNickel9 My handwriting is progressing, and changed some of my inks, now using yama-guri, shin-kai and yama-budo. For the next pen I will know on December 25 😉 Naturally a Pilot custom 823 will fit take-sumi, while a 149 might be better with the yama-guri. Let's see!

[@micheltran7115]

Received my first Montblanc in 2008 or so. It was a Starwalker RB. Wrote great but I needed to explore the Montblanc universe. Now, I have a few Montblanc. MB 149 Calligraphy and MB 149P O3B. Both are superb. Also got a MB Hemingway FP in Medium. Waiting for it to come back from Montblanc. But my favorites are the Sterling Silver Montblanc. I just love writing with the MB LeGrand Martelé RB.

[@SamuelNaldi]

Thanks for sharing Michel! Amazing Montblanc collection you’ve got there

[@gaeleus]

Hi Samuel, nice recap. I had already seen Rafaels video in his channel. He is a connoisseur of pens and other quality items. I have been collecting fountain pens for about 15 years now. I can tell you that as time goes by, I like them more and more. Nothing compares to writhing with a very well made, quality and timeless design. Having multiple pens in my collection, I can attest to the 149. It is probably my favourite pen. It has the right design and history behind it. While I have Pelikans and other MBs, I always chose my 149s . The service center is also great as they can service the pen and even offer a nib exchange programme .

[@gaeleus]

Are they worth it?? Well, that is a difficult and relative question. I derive a lot of pleasure by writing with them regularly. To me they are!

[@SamuelNaldi]

Thank you so much for this beautiful Feedback Gaeleus! 🙏🏼

[@ryanyu102]

Currently just recently acquired a Montblanc starwalker ultra black doué fountain pen. I love it, plus I've been eyeing for a Montblanc ever since 2015. Though I find myself taking more extra precaution using it more than any other pen

[@SamuelNaldi]

Amazing 😍 thanks for sharing!

[@_Francis]

EXACT SAME PEN HERE 😅 Montblanc starwalker ultra black doué! The detail that won me over is the clip overlapping the cap to reach the body of the pen, that's really elegant. I also got the precious resin StarWalker ballpoint for someone & she loves it too

[@shreyanshkapoor1324]

A Big Namaste and Hi from India :) I really liked your video and your genuine comments on the gentleman's gazette. I actually got lured into collecting fountain pens and particularly Mont Blancs after watching the 5 year old video of Sven from Gentlemans Gazette. He does a fine job in explaining the status symbol of 149 and the beauty and functionality of different nib sizes. I have owned Sailor, Pelikan, Sheaffer, Cross, Monteverde, Rotring, Lamy and Pilot Fountain Pens and also in all nib sizes but since I moved to collect Mont Blancs, I have fallen in love with the writing pleasure of them. I have collected more thank 20 pens of Mont Blanc of 149,145,144,Mozart and Special Editions of Around the World in 80Days in both Ball Pen and Fountain Pen. I carry both to work, the ball pen to do all random writing on all surfaces and fountain pen to make notes and sign cheques, I also finalise customer deals using my fountain pen and truly there is no comparable experience to writing. Please keep making such wonderful videos

[@SamuelNaldi]

Thank you so much my dear and so glad to know you got into Fountain Pens thanks to Gentlemans Gazette. Thanks for your comment and feedback

[@rafael55]

I have 5 Montblanc's, one fountainpen, 2 rollerbals and 2 ballpoints. The fountainpen is very good, but the rollerball is not as good as a cheap papermate ink joy gel 0.7. The papermate writes much better. In fact, there are several cheap japanese rollerballs that are much better than the Montblanc. I tried the Monteverde rollerball, but it's not as good as the cheap ones from Japan.

[@febed01]

Hi, for the rollerballs they now have felt-tip refills. Tried it, different feeling I like more than the roller refill.

[@rafael55]

@@febed01 The felt tip is called a fineliner, and yes, they write much better that the MB rollerball, but they don't last very long. I wish I could refill them. I tried to do it with fountain pen ink but it did not work out good.

[@SamuelNaldi]

🙏🏼

[@Lucan1n1]

Montblanc quality is NOT the same today as it was 20 or 30 years ago; it has unfortunately deteriorated. Lots of them have problems with the ink flow or the tines of the nibs are NOT properly aligned, & I'm talking about their brand new high-end pens 🙄 Japanese have excellent quality control 👍

[@SamuelNaldi]

Thanks for sharing your thought!

[@mmmssbb23]

10000% true. I have mb146 f,it's a terrible purchase. My m200 pelikan is far ahead of this.

[@Lucan1n1]

@@mmmssbb23 sorry to hear that 😢

[@BuffaloNickel9]

Not always, my sailor 21k 1911 Fine Nib wrote horribly. Returned.

[@Lucan1n1]

@@BuffaloNickel9 Sorry to hear that :-( I'm talking about Japanese pens in general not exceptions👍

[@extrastops]

Great stuff! Subbed!

[@SamuelNaldi]

Thank you so much!

[@noiseterrorcodes]

if you like fountain pens ✒️ you got to have a Montblanc in your collection but just for the romanticism, to be honest they are expensive and boring i prefer my Sailor with a zoom nib or my Opus 88 with Franklin Christoph nibs they are more fun and fast writers

[@SamuelNaldi]

Thanks for sharing your opinion

[@stevehuffman7453]

Regardless of the "expert's" reaction and opinion, a Montblanc and other pens at that price point or higher are not "worth it" to me. There are a lot of things a need much worse than an $800~$900 plus fountain pen in my twilight years. Inexpensive fountain pens write just fine for my needs.

[@SamuelNaldi]

Thanks for sharing your feedback and opinion. Wish you a great week!

[@maximilianschwab9668]

Sure ... you can have a CV3 ... or a Lamborghini ... it depends on your use of the money you possess. So the question is: Why did you watch this video? It should be completely uninteresting for you ...

[@stevehuffman7453]

@@maximilianschwab9668 What makes you think I just didn't answer the question posed by the title? 😊

[@maximilianschwab9668]

@@stevehuffman7453 I did not say, you did not answer the question proposed by the video. I just said the video must have been interesting for you, because you obviously use less expensive pens, so why to waste time watching a product that you won't buy.

[@neghinanick82]

I like them very much!! Looking forward to more 😎

[@SamuelNaldi]

Thanks Bro!

[@Anonymous594]

I knew somebody that thought the white Montblanc symbol was the Star of David because they thought that Montblanc was a Jewish company lol

[@SamuelNaldi]

Hahaha yes, there were rumours going around about that.

[@X1GenKaneShiroX]

One Swiss franc is now worth less than one US dollar. I guess Switzerland have some devaluation of their currency lately. CHF1,000,000 = $998,221 USD

[@SamuelNaldi]

👍🏻

[@chrishoyt7548]

Samuel, I just subscribed and enjoyed this vid. Pelikan is the underdog of the German pen industry and is as good a writer as Montblanc. The quality is similar. Reference ballpoints there is great pleasure in having a high-quality ball point such as a Mont Blanc Ceramic and platinum Solitaire, of a high quality steel BP from Lamy (Lamy 2000), or a Lamy 2000 LTD edition from 2005 in also in platinum and ceramic. Caran D'ache also have an excellent ballpoint the Leman Bleu. All these companies have excellent refills that are very smooth. A side note, I have a celluloid Parker Duofold deluxe with a # 6 nib that writes equally as well as any modern pen or slightly better. I will ha e it restored in Canada soon. Thank you for the narrative and your time. Regards and Tschuss. Chris

[@SamuelNaldi]

Thank you very much for your comment Chris!

[@Chida_o_0]

Sorry - investing in fountain pens will NEVER be the same as investing in a broad index fund. These types of comments are financially irresponsible at best. Enjoyed the video otherwise.

[@SamuelNaldi]

Thanks for your comment

[@iaido01]

It is not that kind of investment dumb@ss

[@neilpiper9889]

I like my Jinhao X159 with it's wonderful number 8 nib, £10 well spent. I hate piston filler pens.

[@SamuelNaldi]

Ok

[@belphegor_dev]

You don't buy these pens for actual writing, but for their perceived value. I have several expensive Montblancs and I don't even ink them.

[@r.g.2095]

I actually use my 149 on a daily basis for taking notes on meetings and signing documents. These pens were designed for writing not to sit in a drawer . The best part is that with regular throw away pens I don't even like taking notes just when it is absolutely necessary but with my 149 I enjoy it...

[@aych131]

I owned a vintage 1970's 149 and traded it away. Montblanc is truly just a name, for $1000 there are infinitely better writing more beautiful pens from Nakaya, pilot, sailor, and other vintage options. $1000 for a "Precious resin" plastic pen is obscene.

[@SamuelNaldi]

Thanks for sharing your opinion!

[@peterruppert2452]

I was also a bit remorseful hearing he sold off most of his collection. However, sometimes it gets overwhelming.

[@theronwolf3296]

Collecting is very different from using. It appears he kept enough to really appreciate and use. That to me makes sense.

[@tomtran9442]

“Worth it” is highly subjective. If perceived image is what one go for, sure. The guy sells image after all……

[@SamuelNaldi]

you rationalize everything, everything becomes subjective. Montblanc pens are worth it... for many reasons... that are also mentioned in the video.

[@yourname3336]

I will always take a Pelikan 800 or 1000 over a Montblanc, there are 1000 pens that look exactly like a Montblanc.

[@SamuelNaldi]

Thanks for sharing 🙏🏼

[@racerx1326]

I don't think MB is anything special. I think you're just paying for brand name. It's made out of "precious resin" which to me is just plastic. At least Pineider's plastic you could hit with a hammer and it won't break. Drop and a MB and you're done. It's a simple piston filler which is nothing special. Would rather get a Visconti Homo Sapiens or something unique. There's nothing a MB pen provides that a Pilot Fountain Pen could provide. And if you're going to say the nib is better, you could just send your pen to a nib meister to tune it up for you.

[@SamuelNaldi]

Thanks for sharing your opinion

[@marcguevara162]

Pen Experts… WTF! How is this a job?

[@mellow-jello]

With the cost of a Montblanc Meisterstuck, you can get a high-performance laptop to trade stocks, code apps, office use, and make you $$$. FPs are a bad investment, as they can fall out of social favour, and end up in antique shops..

[@SamuelNaldi]

That's what they thought of Watches too, 30 years ago, when the Japanese Quartz Watch was introduced...

[@Harry-tb8yo]

Nonsense. The MB149 will not only last much longer than your high performance laptop, it will also keep its value much better. Other than that you don't need a high performance laptop to do the things you mentioned. Any middle of the road computer can do those jobs sufficiently.

[@BuffaloNickel9]

And lastly the Op is completely confused about the clientele who buy Mont Blanc pens. The gentleman buying these pins are not needing to decide between a laptop, which they already have several of, and a pen. These are financially well- off individuals.

[@idid1866]

I lost interest, because I have many other interests, lol!

[@SamuelNaldi]

Yep, didn’t like that either!

[@zenrazor659]

Quel tizio Ha fatto una recensione orribile tipica di un rivenditore! Tutte le penne che ho di Montblanc avevano gravi difetti che nemmeno la casa madre ha saputo risolvere! A cui ho dovuto e potuto ,non sempre!, provvedere spesso a mie spese! Montblanc è rinomata per questo motivo😢!. Non ti rispondono nemmeno! Grande discrepanza tra estetica e qualità. Il vero loro punto di forza. Come italiano dovresti fare recensioni anche in italiano 😮!

[@SamuelNaldi]

Mi rivolgo ad un pubblico internazionale, certamente non ad un pubblico prettamente italiano. Perciò i miei video sono e rimaranno in inglese, sia che io sia svizzero, italiano, francese o tedesco. 😉

[@alangazeley5497]

WHY are you "Reacting" ??? No one is interested !!!

[@SamuelNaldi]

17’000 people were interested you little looser 😂

[@BuffaloNickel9]

I'm interested, and it looks like you were too enough to leave a comment, Alan.

[@BuffaloNickel9]

@@SamuelNaldi haha! 👍