Debating on a Montblanc

[jmiicustomz]

So my first Montblanc is incoming. I have used several in the past but never owned one. I picked up a Leo da Vinci FP via the classifieds here and can't wait to get it. The debate is to whether or not to go ahead and grab a Tolstoy before they are gone. I love the look of the pen but not being able to handle one that you would use is rough. The da Vinci I like because whether I like using it or not, I LOVE the look and details so it's worth it to buy without handling first. Anyone have any feedback to offer on the Tolstoy line up?

[Bisquitlips]

The MB Tolstoy is a good FP. I would have no problem acquiring the pen with no hands on.

What you have to determine is whether it is worth the $$$ to you. I love the MB Writer's series and will someday own a complete set hopefully. The question to ask yourself is whether you will be collecting or using or a combination of both.

For me personally, there is not a FP that I own that I do not use. The were created to write and not to sit in a box or safe, so that is my plumb bob.

The genuine joy of collecting FPs for someone like me is the "hunt". I don't care about pristine, just the MB that I am looking for and whether it works when I get it for my purposes. Of course the best of both worlds is when I find a pristine pen in mint working order.

Again, the Tolstoy (Tolstoi) is a great pen and beautiful with all its hand hammered craftsmanship. I wish you well on your search!

Richard

[jmiicustomz]

Originally Posted by Bisquitlips

The MB Tolstoy is a good FP. I would have no problem acquiring the pen with no hands on.

What you have to determine is whether it is worth the $$$ to you. I love the MB Writer's series and will someday own a complete set hopefully. The question to ask yourself is whether you will be collecting or using or a combination of both.

For me personally, there is not a FP that I own that I do not use. The were created to write and not to sit in a box or safe, so that is my plumb bob.

The genuine joy of collecting FPs for someone like me is the "hunt". I don't care about pristine, just the MB that I am looking for and whether it works when I get it for my purposes. Of course the best of both worlds is when I find a pristine pen in mint working order.

Again, the Tolstoy (Tolstoi) is a great pen and beautiful with all its hand hammered craftsmanship. I wish you well on your search!

Richard

I would certainly like to use it thus my trepidation on buying without handling. Were it just to sit in a safe I wouldn't care if I held it first. Everything I buy I buy to use sans framed art. I swim with my rolexes, write with my pens, wear my shoes and suits, work with my vintage tools, eat on 200 yr old China, etc. I buy quality items so that I don't have to fear using them. Thank you for your input on the pen as well. I really like the appearance of the hand hammered section and of the pen as a whole. My concern is that the feel will bug me in a fp. I can use the visconti van Gough rollerball or ballpoint, but the fp drives me nuts as the facets of the pen don't line up with how I hold it. If the angle didn't matter like in the rb or BP it would be great. I know I may be odd in this regard but I am who I am I guess.

[bdex75]

I have handled it many times and mine is sitting at my MB AD waiting for me to get there to claim it. He is trying to track down the ink so that it is complete. I would not hesitate at all. The colors on it and the hammered finish are beautiful.

Congrats on the DaVinci. I wondered who got it as I was watching it.

I just bought a JFK rollerball off of the forum and it is very cool.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jmiicustomz]

Originally Posted by bdex75

I have handled it many times and mine is sitting at my MB AD waiting for me to get there to claim it. He is trying to track down the ink so that it is complete. I would not hesitate at all. The colors on it and the hammered finish are beautiful.

Congrats on the DaVinci. I wondered who got it as I was watching it.

I just bought a JFK rollerball off of the forum and it is very cool.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you for you input on the Tolstoy. Thank you for the congrats as well. I can't wait for it to show up, it is scheduled for Wednesday! The JFK didn't speak to me and I really do not care for the Kennedys either. Not a bad looking pen though. Congratulations on it and hope you enjoy using it. I am thinking I will track down a Tolstoy.

[Bisquitlips]

Originally Posted by jmiicustomz

I would certainly like to use it thus my trepidation on buying without handling. Were it just to sit in a safe I wouldn't care if I held it first. Everything I buy I buy to use sans framed art. I swim with my rolexes, write with my pens, wear my shoes and suits, work with my vintage tools, eat on 200 yr old China, etc. I buy quality items so that I don't have to fear using them. Thank you for your input on the pen as well. I really like the appearance of the hand hammered section and of the pen as a whole. My concern is that the feel will bug me in a fp. I can use the visconti van Gough rollerball or ballpoint, but the fp drives me nuts as the facets of the pen don't line up with how I hold it. If the angle didn't matter like in the rb or BP it would be great. I know I may be odd in this regard but I am who I am I guess.

Yeah... so...!

If you are not going to use it as a writer, what purpose does the pen have?

I use EVERY one of my FPs. I have FPs that are worth $2000.00 and I use them. I have FPs that are worth $40.00 and I use them.

Just make sure that your are acquiring a pen that you will enjoy! That is something to consider.

[jmiicustomz]

That's just my point. I don't want to buy and not like as I want to like and use it. I got the mont blanc da Vinci today and spent the rest of the day using it.

[bdex75]

Originally Posted by Bisquitlips

Yeah... so...!

If you are not going to use it as a writer, what purpose does the pen have?

I use EVERY one of my FPs. I have FPs that are worth $2000.00 and I use them. I have FPs that are worth $40.00 and I use them.

Just make sure that your are acquiring a pen that you will enjoy! That is something to consider.

True. I thought about keeping the Tolstoy in the safe and seeing what happens when they are gone as far as the value goes. But I cannot do it. It will likely not leave the house often but I will use it in my home office. I do not have an "office" that I go to every day as I have a pretty much mobile job. If it ended up lost I would not be able to live with myself.

[jmiicustomz]

The one crappy thing about my job is that I have to do 85% of my writing on triple carbon copy paper. FP and RB suck for that so I really need BP. I use my FP for my appraisals and correspondence, and when I am out with the clients from my personal business.

[Bisquitlips]

Originally Posted by bdex75

True. I thought about keeping the Tolstoy in the safe and seeing what happens when they are gone as far as the value goes. But I cannot do it. It will likely not leave the house often but I will use it in my home office. I do not have an "office" that I go to everyday as I have a pretty much mobile job. If it ended up lost I would not be able to live with myself.

As far as loss do remember it is just a "thing". It can be replaced and the joy that comes from pulling that pen out of your pocket and using it is priceless.

Some of the MB writer series are truly works of art. I would consider the Tolstoy to be in that league.

[Ruud Van Driver]

I have ten MB 'pens'. Six are for work, one stays home and the Carlo Collodi set (No. 1501 of 3000) is unused.

I'll probably pick up a few more over the years but I wouldn't go for a Limited set again as they're too good for day to day use.

I'm trying to pick up a discontinued 107554 platinum plated but darned if I can find one at a reasonable price.

[Lion]

Originally Posted by Bisquitlips

As far as loss do remember it is just a "thing". It can be replaced and the joy that comes from pulling that pen out of your pocket and using it is priceless.

Some of the MB writer series are truly works of art. I would consider the Tolstoy to be in that league.

I'm with Richard, fountain pens are bought to be used and that's what I do with my pens…..

I have a friend who likes to put me down in front of others and thinks it's pretty stupid to spend such serious cash on a Fountain Pen and then carry and use them. To him a pen is a simple tool and it could be lost or broken by carrying and using such FP's…so he buys cheap Ballpoint pens!!!

So far I have been nice and let him go off on his tangents since this is the same person who goes to the "Boats and Land based Casino's" and can gamble away thousands of dollars a week. Sometimes he does win but overall he loses(Casino's are in business to make money and that's why the odds are in their favor)…….

I look at it as these FP's are for me to use and enjoy and I do not lend them to others to use. And at the end of the day I still have my fountain pen and he has empty pockets from gambling!!!

So each to their own and life is too short to worry about the "what ifs."

[vman]

Pens must be used. Period.

[jmiicustomz]

Originally Posted by vman

Pens must be used. Period.

Very true!

[MichaelFlash]

Agree! I also use all my fountain pens. Otherwise, what's the point? I derive much pleasure from opening the pen box and deciding what pen to use the following day. I look forward to signing my name at work because it is almost ceremonial to me. I compare it to how the Japanese handle tea ceremoniously, it's not just the drinking but everything else that goes with it. Finally, in this age of emails, texts etc., using a fountain pen allows me to step back in time to when things were more personal.

[Bisquitlips]

My Agatha Christ FP is a show stopper.

I can't tell you how many times I have pulled that pen out of my pocket to sign something or to write in a meeting that the attention is redirected to "what kind of pen is that..."! :)

I was in our local pen shop once and had that pen with me at the time and you would have thought a someone famous walked in. The owner of the shop stopped what he was doing and took the pen from me and the shop stopped for the next 10 minutes or so. That was a fun day!

I would hate losing that pen, but if I did I would keep the memories and then go acquire another!

[Bisquitlips]

[jmiicustomz]

Originally Posted by Bisquitlips

I wish I could get the photo to load. It sounds amazing!

[jmiicustomz]

finally loaded for me. That is a beautiful pen!

[Ruud Van Driver]

Originally Posted by Lion

I'm with Richard, fountain pens are bought to be used and that's what I do with my pens…..

I have a friend who likes to put me down in front of others and thinks it's pretty stupid to spend such serious cash on a Fountain Pen and then carry and use them. To him a pen is a simple tool and it could be lost or broken by carrying and using such FP's…so he buys cheap Ballpoint pens!!!

So far I have been nice and let him go off on his tangents since this is the same person who goes to the "Boats and Land based Casino's" and can gamble away thousands of dollars a week. Sometimes he does win but overall he loses(Casino's are in business to make money and that's why the odds are in their favor)…….

I look at it as these FP's are for me to use and enjoy and I do not lend them to others to use. And at the end of the day I still have my fountain pen and he has empty pockets from gambling!!!

So each to their own and life is too short to worry about the "what ifs."

I'm not sure someone who likes to put you down in front of others is someone that can be considered a friend. Real friends don't do that.

As for the rest of your analogy, it's spot on. I have a friend here in Singapore who wants to turn the consumption of alcohol into an Olympic sport. He guzzles his way through about S$800 (US$ 560) per week. He's a great guy and I wish he'd back off on the sauce but that's how I justify my Rolexes, MB and Mulberry. At the end of the week, he has added to his health issues and I have cash towards a new 'toy'.

[Lion]

Originally Posted by Ruud Van Driver

I'm not sure someone who likes to put you down in front of others is someone that can be considered a friend. Real friends don't do that.

As for the rest of your analogy, it's spot on. I have a friend here in Singapore who wants to turn the consumption of alcohol into an Olympic sport. He guzzles his way through about S$800 (US$ 560) per week. He's a great guy and I wish he'd back off on the sauce but that's how I justify my Rolexes, MB and Mulberry. At the end of the week, he has added to his health issues and I have cash towards a new 'toy'.

I understand your thoughts on friends and friendships as I only see him once in awhile now as our paths have gone in different directions(I only see him once in awhile at a Starbucks Coffee Shop)…..but each to their own!!!

I just find that people are fascinating and interesting even if they can be antagonistic at times. Everyone has their own priorities and interests and there is no right or wrong in how we spend our disposable income. But I'm with you…I'd rather have "Toys" like fountain pens, watches and other hobbies instead of gambling away my money or spending it on booze in clubs…..

Take care…..Leo

[Ruud Van Driver]

Originally Posted by Lion

I understand your thoughts on friends and friendships as I only see him once in awhile now as our paths have gone in different directions(I only see him once in awhile at a Starbucks Coffee Shop)…..but each to their own!!!

I just find that people are fascinating and interesting even if they can be antagonistic at times. Everyone has their own priorities and interests and there is no right or wrong in how we spend our disposable income. But I'm with you…I'd rather have "Toys" like fountain pens, watches and other hobbies instead of gambling away my money or spending it on booze in clubs…..

Take care…..Leo