Mont Blanc - I don't see it

[omb76]

So I saw my first Mont Blanc pen this evening... underwhelmed would just about sum up my feelings. But then again, maybe overwhelmed because I can't believe someone actually paid $550 for this pen. It looked cheap and felt cheap. I tell ya, I'm definitely not charging enough for my high end pens! I suppose it is all in perceived value and the name Mont Blanc. I also saw a Cartier pen a couple of weeks ago...ditto.

I'm obviously hanging out with a crustier crowd now...LOL! They are preferring my pens to theirs though. Don't care who you are a Majestic will "out bling" those any day. :biggrin:

 

[PenMan1]

I couldn't agree more, David!

I carry a pair of Mont Blanc Miesterstucks to shows. I some times have potential customers write with the MB, then write with a "jazzed up" perfect fit with EZ FLO 9000 ink.

The Perfect Fit wins every time!

I sometimes put the MB refill into the Perfect Fit. While this refill dimishes the quality of the writing, the Perfect Fit still wins because of better balance and a more precise twist mechanism.

 

[Smitty37]

What's in a name?

Mont Blanc---$25.00 for the pen...$525.00 for the name. SOP in the world today. At one time Mont Blanc was for the "old money" folks, it had the name but no one had to ask and no one had to tell that it was a Mont Blanc but it better live up to the name. Style and glitz were not necessary.

Today it is aimed at the Nuvo Rich....people who may have been born middle class but now earn $500,000 or so per year...they can now afford to buy a Mont Blanc or two or three. They lack the back ground of always having top quality and generations of finding the right taylor, the right shoe maker, the right pen maker etc.

That's not a condemnation of the nuvo rich, my daughter is one -- she grew up with her 5 brothers and sisters in an old farm house and had to take her turn milking the family cow....but she and her husband are now knocking down as much money per year as I made in half a career --- and I had a good job. They spend money like it was going out of style and they buy "name" brands. If they went looking for a pen they'd probably buy a Mont Blanc or some other "famous" brand.

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

At most if not all the shows I show at Mont Blanc shows up in the patrons Shirt pocket the most, of course as soon as I see the white bird droppings on the cap, I always say to them as the are trying one of my Bella Penna's "I see you have the Lexus of pens in your pocket, a very nice production pen."At this point their chest pops ever so slightly being told their pen compares to a Lexus. Then I drop the hammer. Now sir your holding the Bugatti of pens, just like the Bugatti it's hand made of the finest materials available. Now are you a fountain pen person or a rollerball ETC.Etc Etc. you get the drift. I have taken two in trade, both had thier Precious Resin (Plastic to those not familar with their advertising)cracked. One I allowed $50 trade in on a $475. fountain the other $75 on a $600 fountain Pen.

 

[Smitty37]

Hmmmm

At most if not all the shows I show at Mont Blanc shows up in the patrons Shirt pocket the most, of course as soon as I see the white bird droppings on the cap, I always say to them as the are trying one of my Bella Penna's "I see you have the Lexus of pens in your pocket, a very nice production pen."At this point their chest pops ever so slightly being told their pen compares to a Lexus. Then I drop the hammer. Now sir your holding the Bugatti of pens, just like the Bugatti it's hand made of the finest materials available. Now are you a fountain pen person or a rollerball ETC.Etc Etc. you get the drift. I have taken two in trade, both had thier Precious Resin (Plastic to those not familar with their advertising)cracked. One I allowed $50 trade in on a $475. fountain the other $75 on a $600 fountain Pen.

Roy, I bet you have a line for selling snowballs to Polar Bears in winter.

 

[PenMan1]

Roy, you are stealing my "best stuff"......or vise versa

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

Mr. Polar Bear having claws that make it vertually impossible to make a hard snow ball I offer these well packed..........about now I would be running for my life

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

Grasshopper! Seems you've learned well but not well enough. I use Bugatti and taught you to use Austin Martin, you need to be Italian to use Bugatti.:biggrin:

Roy, you are stealing my "best stuff"......or vise versa

 

[PenMan1]

Grasshopper! Seems you've learned well but not well enough. I use Bugatti and taught you to use Austin Martin, you need to be Italian to use Bugatti.:biggrin:

Roy, you are stealing my "best stuff"......or vise versa

Yes, Sensei.....back to the dojo..."wax on"...."wax off"...."paint the damned fence"

 

[fred holsclaw]

Grasshopper! Seems you've learned well but not well enough. I use Bugatti and taught you to use Austin Martin, you need to be Italian to use Bugatti.:biggrin:

Roy, you are stealing my "best stuff"......or vise versa

i am Italian i think i suffer from there old decease MYFUNDSARELOW

 

[Smitty37]

hmmm

Grasshopper! Seems you've learned well but not well enough. I use Bugatti and taught you to use Austin Martin, you need to be Italian to use Bugatti.:biggrin:

Roy, you are stealing my "best stuff"......or vise versa

Ya know, I was wondering how a good paisano like yourself ever got a name Roy.....your mother must be from British or French stock.

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

Actually Mom is from Romanian stock, Dad Italian and Spanish and Leroy we share the same first name, Dads concession to raise me Catholic, was shortened to Roy by all but family, they all call me.....sorry this is a family site.

Grasshopper! Seems you've learned well but not well enough. I use Bugatti and taught you to use Austin Martin, you need to be Italian to use Bugatti.:biggrin:

Roy, you are stealing my "best stuff"......or vise versa

Ya know, I was wondering how a good paisano like yourself ever got a name Roy.....your mother must be from British or French stock.

 

[Smitty37]

close

Actually Mom is from Romanian stock, Dad Italian and Spanish and Leroy we share the same first name, Dads concession to raise me Catholic, was shortened to Roy by all but family, they all call me.....sorry this is a family site.

Grasshopper! Seems you've learned well but not well enough. I use Bugatti and taught you to use Austin Martin, you need to be Italian to use Bugatti.:biggrin:

Roy, you are stealing my "best stuff"......or vise versa

Ya know, I was wondering how a good paisano like yourself ever got a name Roy.....your mother must be from British or French stock.

Actually mine is LeRoy although a lot of folks call me Leroy...

 

[ohiococonut]

Actually Mom is from Romanian stock, Dad Italian and Spanish and Leroy we share the same first name, Dads concession to raise me Catholic, was shortened to Roy by all but family, they all call me.....sorry this is a family site.

Grasshopper! Seems you've learned well but not well enough. I use Bugatti and taught you to use Austin Martin, you need to be Italian to use Bugatti.:biggrin:

Roy, you are stealing my "best stuff"......or vise versa

Ya know, I was wondering how a good paisano like yourself ever got a name Roy.....your mother must be from British or French stock.

Actually mine is LeRoy although a lot of folks call me Leroy...

Kinda reminds me of Raymond J. Johnson Jr. :biggrin:

... "now you can call me Ray, or you can call me Ray J, or you can call me RJ, or you can call me RJJ, or you can call me RJJ Jr.".............. "but you doesn't hasta call me Johnson!"

 

[Smitty37]

What's in a name

Actually Mom is from Romanian stock, Dad Italian and Spanish and Leroy we share the same first name, Dads concession to raise me Catholic, was shortened to Roy by all but family, they all call me.....sorry this is a family site.

Grasshopper! Seems you've learned well but not well enough. I use Bugatti and taught you to use Austin Martin, you need to be Italian to use Bugatti.:biggrin:

Roy, you are stealing my "best stuff"......or vise versa

Ya know, I was wondering how a good paisano like yourself ever got a name Roy.....your mother must be from British or French stock.

Actually mine is LeRoy although a lot of folks call me Leroy...

Kinda reminds me of Raymond J. Johnson Jr. :biggrin:

... "now you can call me Ray, or you can call me Ray J, or you can call me RJ, or you can call me RJJ, or you can call me RJJ Jr.".............. "but you doesn't hasta call me Johnson!"

Actually there is a slight difference in the way LeRoy and Leroy are pronounced. Most people don't even know that. LeRoy is pronounced LuRoy (u as in up. accent on 2nd syllable) Leroy is prounounced like it is spelled (long e, accent on 2nd syllable).