| Montblanc (pens) |
Limousines in Montblanc |
Website Links For Montblanc |
Information AboutMontblanc (pens) |
|
Montblanc International GmbH is a German manufacturer of fine Pen s often identified by their famous “White Star" logo. Founded by a Hamburg stationer in 1906 , the company began as the Simplo Filler Pen company in 1908 , then adopted the Montblanc Trademark in 1911 . The company's pens are praised for their Quality , Beauty and Originality of design, but have been criticized for their cost and the alleged inferiority when compared to competing pieces of a similar price. Many of these complaints have been quelled with the withdrawal of the controversial 144, a pen with both admirers and detractors. Nonetheless, it can be argued that the Montblanc company is by degrees one of the most successful pen manufacturers today, having firmly ensconced itself in a solid Market Niche . BRAND The trademark most clearly identified with Montblanc is the white star (a white stylised six-pointed star with rounded edges, representing the snowy peak of Mont Blanc in the Alps and highest peak in Europe). The idea for the trade mark reportedly came to the Montblanc Board Of Directors in a "stroke of inspiration". Collectors will also almost universally recognize the inscription of the number "'''4810'''" on warranted Montblanc nibs. 4810 metres is the height of Mont Blanc, the mountain from which the company is named. For decades Montblanc rarely deviated from its Flagship Meisterstück line of pens, but in recent years has begun to establish new lines. The Bohème (formerly "Rouge et Noir"), Scenium and Starwalker ranges are recent additions to the Montblanc family. The Bohème was renamed due to Copyright issues with the original line name. Montblanc pens are often stigmatized as being purchased for cachet as opposed to practical writing value. Consequently, detractors of the brand often see them as inferior to other similarly priced pieces. Supporters of Montblanc counter that much of this is due to uninformed jealousy of a legitimate and often superior product. The Montblanc company has a longstanding policy of prohibiting the sale of its products over the Internet . Ostensibly, the policy is based on the idea that E-commerce would be a vulgar way to market luxury goods; more realistically, the company is trying to combat the flourishing traffic in counterfeit products by making it clear that any Montblancs sold on the web must be fakes. SPECIAL EDITIONS Montblanc produces ), Donation Pens (usually unlimited, but different from regular pens and much more costly), the Writers Series (15,000 to 30,000 pieces), and the Patron of The Arts series (4810 /888 pieces). There are also exclusive "one-offs" to commemorate special events, and other pens in editions limited to as few as 3. These are obviously the best pieces produced by Montblanc, but they are largely unavailable to the casual consumer and indeed to most collectors. OTHER PRODUCT LINES Originally manufacturing only writing instruments and relevant accessories, Montblanc has recently branched out into other luxury goods. Montblanc now sells Watches , Leather goods and Desk accessories in addition to writing instruments. EXTERNAL LINKS
|
|
|