The Fountain #017 - MontBlanc Haus - Not Your Average House
There is a building in Hamburg, Germany, dedicated to the art of writing with the finest of fine writing instruments - the fountain pen.
(Ok they also have other pens but we don’t talk about these here 🤫🙂)
Located next to the headquarters of luxury pen maker MontBlanc is MontBlanc Haus, a permanent exhibition and homage to all things fine writing.
I watched a tour video this past week and was struck by the breadth of what was on display. A testament to well known Germany engineering.
From the evolution of the nib and how it is made, to the pen itself and all the stages of its production.
You can take a tour of the manufacturing facility and understand the effort and process involved in delivering these art pieces to your hand.
There are writing classes as well - calligraphy, handwriting, lettering techniques - from a Writing Master.
You can browse the boutique for the latest in MontBlanc products and accessories (and exclusive items only available at the boutique!). And you can even have lunch and a glass of red in the cafe.
All in all, as a fountain pen lover, MontBlanc Haus belongs on your bucket list.
It’s definitely on mine 🙂
Until next time.
Maker
MontBlanc history
Resources
Fun Fact
MontBlanc is french for “White mountain”.
Each Montblanc Meisterstück pen is engraved with a tiny number on its clip ring. This refers to an individual series number known as a "Quo Vadis" number, which translates to “Where are you going?”. This number gives every Meisterstück its own identity.
(from 10 Pensive facts about MontBlanc)
Tip
Being new to fountain pens, I assumed that to change the ink in the pen meant waiting for the ink cartridge, or cartridge converter, to run dry.
Not so.
You can change the ink in your pen any time you wish, provided you follow some basic instructions.
The most important one is to ensure you flush the pen well so that there are no remnants of the previous ink.
A simple google search will provide all the help you need.
P.S.
Please reach out with any comments or suggestions for future editions.
Once a month, I will have a guest poster. It may be a review of a pen or ink, a recent shopping experience, or how they started with their first pen.
If you are interested in contributing, please let me know.
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