Everyone, whether you are into pens or not, has heard the name Montblanc. It's one of those brands that has ascended the binds of being "just a brand" and is now a deep rooted Icon in not only the pen world but also in what it means to be luxurious. Montblanc has been around since 1906 with their Meisterstuck line being launched in 1924, they quickly rose to international acclaim due to the quality of their writing instruments. Before we get into the list I want to have a quick disclaimer that none of these items are in any specific order and are just in a top 10 list format. I've tried to pick things that leaves something for everyone whether you're into fountain pens, ballpoint or rollerball I firmly believe that anyone who receives something off this list for graduation will be very happy. Starting off the list is the 149 which is by far the most famous Montblanc model and is a contender for the most famous and internationally well known pen in general.
Montblanc 149
Often referred to as the "diplomat" the 149 has been in the hands of some of the worlds most important leaders and entertainers which has resulted in its legendary status. The 149 is the flagship of Montblanc's Meisterstuck line and for good reason, it's their biggest nib which is a joy to write with and the classic black precious resin design makes it not only a classic looking writing instrument but also an elevated accessory for the breast pocket. The 149 is available in 3 trim options, yellow gold plating, platinum plating, and a newer rose gold option. Overall this is the Montblanc with the nib that I enjoy writing with the most because the #8 just feels so elegant gliding across the page despite it's rather large size. All 3 iterations of the 149 can be purchased from Pen Boutique for the price of $935 in the case of the rose and yellow gold or $985 for the platinum option. Since we are an authorized retailer it means that you also get Montblanc's warranty with every pen purchase you make.
Montblanc 146
The 146 is like the younger sibling of the 149 and is essentially a smaller version with everything else being similar including overall design and filling mechanism. The main thing that sets the 146 apart from the rest of the Meisterstuck line is that it is available in a multitude of different special editions and is often used as the blueprint for things like the great characters lineup and other editions similar to that like their solitaire line which consists of precious metal work on the caps. The 146 is more of a regular sized pen whereas the 149 would be considered oversized so it may fit smaller hands a little better depending on preference. The base 146 is available in the same three trim colors as the 149 yellow gold, platinum, and rose gold but it comes in at a slightly lower price than the 149 and can be purchased at Pen Boutique for $710 for the yellow and rose gold or $720 for the platinum trim. There are also some more specialty editions available for a higher price.
Pix Ballpoint & Rollerballs
The pix holds a special place in my eyes because I just think that they are so fun due to all the bright colors that they are available in. Kind of the entry point for modern Montblanc writing instruments, the pix is a compact midsize pen that's available in both ballpoint and rollerball and I think it was really smart for them to offer both, I do wish that they were available in fountain pen but I understand that it may be difficult to keep an entry level price when introducing gold nibs and filling systems and all that. The biggest benefit of this pen is that you get to use all of Montblanc's fantastic BP & RB refills in all their speciality colors, my personal favorite is the Beatles special edition called Psychedelic Purple. The Pix can be purchased from Pen Boutique in a multitude of colors for the prices of $250 for the ballpoint and $285 for the rollerball variant.
Starwalker Fountain pen
The Starwalker is Montblanc's modern take on the fountain pen and is quite a stark contrast to the classic look of their Meisterstuck line and that's a good thing. It shows that Montblanc has been open to the natural change and evolution of some peoples tastes when it comes to the writing instrument in recent history. The Starwalker is a little bit smaller than the 146 when un posted but has a good, solid twist to post mechanism on the end of the pen that keeps the cap in place for longer writing sessions. Overall a very intriguing looking pen that is made with the attention to detail and quality standard that Montblanc has been known for for over 100 years. The Starwalker is available in numerous finishes including sterling silver and even ceramic but the entry level model made of precious resin can be purchased for $500 and goes up to $2,000 for the ceramic model.
Gift Sets
Another aspect where Montblanc shines is making comprehensive gift sets that include most if not everything to get you writing in style. Most of the sets we carry contain at least one pen whether it be FP, RB or BP and one of their premium leather bound notebooks which are sure to provide a quality writing experience. It's a good way to save a couple bucks and still have the reassurance that you are getting high quality luxury writing instruments and especially for gifts like for graduation or birthday, they make sure that everything to get you writing is included. We have a couple of gift sets available with different pens and notebooks that can be purchased anywhere between $500 to a couple thousand so there is something for everyone, check them out in store or on the site now!
Specialty ink
Maybe my favorite part about Montblanc is how they make special themed ink that is immaculately presented and that is some of the best ink I've used to date, in fact, one of my top 5 inks is a Montblanc special edition called Pierced Sky that was an homage to king Moctezuma. The thing you'll notice is that the packaging and the ink bottle are very unique looking, the bottle itself is very understated and is actually fairly heavy with that classic snowcap on top and that's stored in a drawer style box with the color and theme on the outside along with the color. This is my favorite style of ink packaging, sure you pay a little more but it really feels like you are buying something special whether its for yourself or a gift, every time I fill a pen up with pierced sky it makes me happy opening the drawer box and doing the whole thing. Most great character inks and other special edition inks will set you back around $40 and they have a more classic ink line that is less expensive as well.
Notebooks
Much like their specialty inks, Montblanc's notebooks usually are dedicated to some type of theme or come out at the same time as their special edition pens to commemorate the same thing, the Moctezuma notebook is really cool. Bound in leather with various designs or flat colors, they really do have something for everybody hither its for office use or if you just wanted to start a new journal. The pages in most of them are lined 85gsm paper that is silver cut meaning that when the notebook is closed, all the edges of the paper are silver which makes for a really cool vintage effect. We carry a ton of these in a bunch of different finishes so either take a look on our website by clicking the link or stop by to check them out in person and try the tester for yourself!
- Kyle
