Product Specifications
| Brand Name | Montblanc |
| Model number | M164 |
| Color | Black |
| Manufacturer Part Number | M164 |
Meisterstück Classique 164 Ballpoint pen with twist mechanism, pen is
made from black precious resin with gold-plated clip and rings.
Features:
- Ballpoint pen with twist mechanism
- Barrel and cap crafted in precious resin, finished in jet black
- Inlaid with Montblanc white star
- Trim is three gold-plated rings with embossed logo
- Gold-plated clip with individual serial number
Technical Details
- Crafted of precious resin with a Jet-Black finish
- Reliable, swivel mechanism
- Engineered for precise handling and comfort
- Inimitably smooth writing performance
- Long-lasting ink supply
- Authentic Mont Blanc Pen designed for corporate appreciation gifts
- Made in Germany
- Meisterstück Classique Collection
-
Item Weight:
3 ounces
- Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
- Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
By.Tim Naff "Tim" (Huntsville, AL USA)
The Classic Design that Made Montblanc a Modern Standard, July 16, 2011.
There was a time when slim pens, notably those made by Cross, were the IN
thing in the business world. Montblanc, which had been around since
1906, was thought of more as an aristocratic brand. Then, in the
mid-nineties, Montblanc suddenly became the ultimate business-class pen.
At that time, the product you see here sold for $100 -- considerably
more than the Cross designs. The Montblanc pens, because they were
thicker, were more comfortable to hold, and didn't tire out the hand
like the slimmer pens and pencils. As others have said, the Montblanc
pens also write incredibly smoothly. Other brands followed suit with
thicker pens, but, if you wanted the ultimate, you bought a $100
Montblanc Meisterstuck pen. It was the gold-standard. If you were in
the technical disciplines, you bought a pen-and-pencil pair.
It wasn't long before Montblancs became so widespread, that they
lost a bit of their cache. Montblanc Corporation also offered a wide
range of special designs, including limited-editions, and while they
sold enough to make a profit, business people, particularly men, tended
to treat them as a bit frivolous for everyday use. Montblanc faced a
problem: most of the people who could afford Montblancs and valued them
as symbols of success as well as practical writing instruments already
had them. Could Montblanc count on new professionals entering the
workplace buying their pens? Or would new professionals see them as
symbols of the previous generation? Would they go the way of the slim
designs?
Montblanc made a smart business decision. They decided to raise the
price of the Meisterstuck. I don't know how long Montblanc took to get
to the current price point of $350, or exactly when they made the first
price increase beyond $100. Maybe someone else will comment. I do
believe that the ploy worked. The Meisterstuck is now, more than ever, a
symbol of success. My wife and I have bought two them as gifts in the
past two years: one for a woman who had graduated to executive status
in her company and another for a nephew who had just graduated
med-school.
Montblanc pens carry a guarantee. You may want to read the details online.
I had several Montblanc pens and pencils that had been damaged in
various ways over long use. A couple of years ago, I took them all into
the Montblanc store at Phipps Plaza in Atlanta and had them repaired
while I waited. Repair was done by parts replacement. The repair cost
was reasonable, considering the current retail price. The message is
that you need not consider a Meisterstuck pen as a fragile investment.
One the other hand, if you buy one of the limited editions, you should
probably handle it with extra care, because parts may not be available.
I bought my wife, whose resume includes editorial work, an Edgar
Alan Poe limited-edition model on sale in the same Phipps Plaza shop
some years ago for $350. On eBaY, in the present rotten economy, they
fetch from $800 to $1000. So the limited editions are not a bad
investment either.
Today, I carry a Montblanc similar to the one listed here, which I
also own. The one I carry is thicker than this one and is no longer
listed on the Montblanc website. Montblanc does still carry the parts.
In about 10 years of use, the gold plating has never worn off. The pen
is an old and trusted friend. I have to take a lot of notes by hand
with the pen, and I don't like to be without it. The only time I don't
carry it is on vacations, when I'm afraid that the break in my routine
might cause me to lose it. One downside of an expensive pen is fear of
loss.
If you make heavy use of your pen, and you can afford a Montblanc,
you owe it to yourself to have one. I predict that it will become as
much a part of your getting-dressed routine as your wallet and key ring.
Tim Naff
