The Montblanc M series of pens.

Are there reasons so compelling we’d happily open our wallet and forgo several hundred dollars for the privilege of owning one? Perhaps some of us may waver a little in answering that question, others definite one way or the other.

Now substitute another make, model and type of pen in the AUD$500 plus price bracket and ask the same question. Heck, substitute another product instead – leather goods, watch, anything you care to think of. Same answer? Maybe, maybe not.

I recently bought one and I love the damn thing. I guess the kicker being I bought the ballpoint.

An obscene amount of money to spend when you won’t even find a nib on the end? Sure is, though if that’s the language we’re using, I’d suggest it’s probably no less obscene regardless of what hits the page at the end of the barrel. Once in the world of pens, we’re really into respecting choices rather than providing judgement aren’t we?

Now is the time to nod if that isn’t what you’re seeing in the reflection of your screen at the moment.

Outlining the rationale of such a purchase to a longstanding office cupboard company-supplied plastic throwaway user? Perhaps a little more challenging. That same challenge probably becomes insurmountable when having the words “oh I just really like using fountain pens” not available to you in said conversation.

Mind you, I have not actually had such a conversation, and were I to find myself in it, probably see it ending fairly quickly as I wandered off with a trailing “ha… yeah, oh well I like my pens, so you get that I suppose…”

I guess that’s why we write about them instead. Looking around, there are many interests, passions, or even vices to indulge us and lighten our wallets a little – or a lot. The online community then provides most of the conversation. So while I do not seek approval for adding a ballpoint pen to the stable, I find it interesting to think about how I ended up here, and what better way than to put you kind people through a blog post.

So what the heck happened?

In the latter part of last year my pen buying plans were non-existent, as they often are at any given time. Being lucky enough to own some outstanding fountain pens, contentment remains the first word that comes to mind when I think about them or what to use next. I have no pending “grail pen” as many do (which more often than not seem to be of the fountain variety, and fair enough), many recent acquisitions have been rollerballs (with the exception of a kindly gifted Lamy aion fountain pen), and as I’ve alluded to, my pen thoughts usually run to next use rather than next buy.

Having said that, there remained a gap to be filled. Not in my collection per se – more so a tool for a specific job. So I regret to advise the remaining applicants, for now at least – the role has been filled.

Working in Brisbane’s CBD, I am lucky enough to have two pen stores, the Montblanc boutique, and Dymocks, all within a couple of blocks from the office. Add to that some outstanding specialty coffee establishments, and the hobbies/interests/passions category of my existence is well and truly catered for within the radius of a 5 minute walk.

I happened to find myself perusing the wall of leather goods in the Montblanc boutique (you know…as you do on any given day), and upon turning to leave, those astute Montblanc marketing people had placed the M Ultra Black series display firmly in my eye-line.

Now, in the original (and high gloss) precious resin upon its initial release, the M design definitely appealed to me, however I have a bit of a thing for matte black and/or brushed type finishes. If you then add accents of silver rather than a gold, I’ll find it extremely hard to resist simply walking past your display.

Seed firmly planted, or if I am entirely honest – it had sprouted.

Do I really need a why?

Here, it would be easy to say no (particularly if I refer to some of my comments above), though in reality, spending not insignificant money on something as self-indulgent as an expensive pen (or alternatively say, an espresso machine) requires at least a few ink smudges in the yes column.

When I bought my first fountain pen (the Montblanc Meisterstück Classique I’ve written about before), I’d always planned to buy a ballpoint “in a few years time” to use as an everyday work writer. Well, a few years turned into twenty, and for the money, it was never going to be a priority any sooner than that. I guess nothing in the category had ever really caught my eye either.

Any list of this is why it isn’t a fountain pen I provide here can easily be refuted, however know that I’ve already considered any options and already done just that myself. In any event, I’m not here for the hard sell – you will no doubt have very good reasons for making your own choices, even if they are a 180 degrees from mine. Put simply, a half-dozen signatures on a document sent around a meeting room table; a number or note scrawled on a Post-It; annotating a folded document or taking meeting notes with a book perched on my knee; a brief comment on a 20 page document quickly closed.

The list of course is not exhaustive, and as I mentioned – yes, all of those and more could easily be the domain of a fountain pen. Personally, for the sake of smudge-free, simple and efficient, I’m simply more comfortable in my office environment for it not to be.

So did I necessarily set out to hunt down and buy a high-end ballpoint (if that in itself is not a contradiction in terms)? No I didn’t, however with my fondness for the M design (with that Ultra Black finish!), those specific (non-fountain pen) requirements, and a sale to boot – the Montblanc stars (well snow-covered peaks at least) were aligned to make this a compelling purchase.

It’s all Monty Python from here

Now as much as I enjoy wandering around the Montblanc boutique, my next port of call a few days later was to discuss my options with Mal and Melissa at Pen and Paper – my absolute favourite establishment in the CBD. For the warmest embrace into the stationery and pen family, a visit is a must if you are ever in Brisbane.

I’m not going into details here (this post is long enough), but let’s just say my decision tree wasn’t functioning in all its efficiency the day I went to actually buy the pen. Or maybe it was, and simply took every ounce of my willpower to stay on track for what I needed. Without the understanding of the two fine people I’ve mentioned above, I would have left the store, not looked back, and never returned. I’m almost not joking either.

You see, I had a torrid time deciding between the rollerball and the ballpoint. Maybe that’s laughable, I mean it’s not as though we are talking about fine tuning a custom nib grind are we. Anyway, it was an excruciating 20 minutes or so for all three of us I’m sure. Open this, can I see that again, how about the medium, no sorry – I mean the broad, actually can I try the rollerball again? Wow… I don’t know – what do you guys think? (Blank stares). No, no its okay… err, ummm…

And so on, and on… and on.

As someone who likes to think they are at least a little knowledgeable (though I’ve now learned perhaps not always rational) about pens, it was an absolute shambles I tell you. “That’s because you weren’t buying a fountain pen – it was a sign!” I hear you screaming. In many instances, I’d agree with you – but that wasn’t it, and I keep coming back to (as I held myself to on that day also) the right tool for a specific job.

I do thank Mal and Melissa from the bottom of my heart. It wasn’t a transaction that day – it was emotional support. Speaking of support – that’s Pen and Paper in Brisbane’s CBD (or online at the link above) – you know what to do.

Signing off

So what about the pen?

I’ll get to that more specifically in an upcoming post. I’ve kept you long enough this time. For now, I’ll just be content with ticking off quite a few boxes associated with filling that specific need, acquiring something I’d planned many, many years ago, and having something on my desk at the office with a design I very much enjoy taking the occasional moment to pause and stare at.

Just to be clear though – I love it. Yes, for all the reasons I’ve mentioned, however as a hardworking writer both in and outside the office – it is an outstanding pen. Sure, there was an emotional draw and I love the design, and if design didn’t matter we’d all simply be using nondescript nib holders instead of fountain pens.

To sum up this whole surprise, joy, turmoil, and utter contentment experience, I’m very pleased I managed to be objective enough about what I needed, to come away with what is now in use every day at work.

If, after reading all of this, you looked at me and said “Pete… really? It’s a pen mate?!” I wouldn’t disagree with you – yet at the same time that’s precisely the point isn’t it.