The Numbers:
Weight:48g
Length (capped): 119.6mm
Length (uncapped): 124.5mm
Price: USD$834 from Amazon
Body Material: Resin with brass interior
Nib Material: 14k gold
Filling Mechanism: Piston filler
Colours: Black and Titanium
Intro:
Initially released in 2013, the Montblanc Heritage 1912 was in tribute to the Simplo Safety Filler. It is a modern take on a vintage pen. The Montblanc Heritage 1912 is available in two different editions. The first being the titanium version in a 333 piece production run. The second being the black resin version like you see in this review. The Montblanc Heritage 1912 comes with a 14K nib that is retractable, that’s the one special feature of the pen. It isn’t retractable like the Pilot Vanishing Point is. It is a retractable nib with a cap.
Packaging:
This being my very first Montblanc fountain pen, I am treated by the sight of the Montblanc packaging. It is a cardboard box with a glossy exterior. Inside there is a hefty box with a brushed metal band on the front. The logo and the words “heritage collection” is etched on the band. So far so nice! Opening the box, the pen is resting within the pillows of a soft bed. I almost wish there is a life size one for me. I love the simple but elegant packaging.
Performance:
The Montblanc Heritage 1912 is essentially an piston filler pen that is small but it packs a punch in the writing experience. The piano black and glossy exterior is seamless broken only by the silver clip and the snow white Montblanc star on the finial. Despite the glossy appearance, the pen isn’t much of a finger print magnet though it does attract lint. The Montblanc 1912 is a hefty 48g but the short length means the weight helps to centre the pen in your hand. The weight reassures me that the pen is going nowhere.
The cap takes slightly more than 1.5 revolutions to be uncapped. Don’t be alarmed when you don’t see the nib. This is a safety pen so the nib is retracted into the barrel. It just takes a less than a full revolution of the knob at the end of the barrel to reveal the nib. There is almost no grip section to speak of since it is a seamless transition from the barrel to the grip. The threads are almost flushed to the nib so there is no danger of the threads irritating your fingers. One thing to note, the cap will scratch the barrel of the pen just by the simple act of capping and uncapping the pen. For a pen of this price and caliber this is a serious flaw. If you tend to baby your pens, this will definitely bother you. My pen developed its scars quickly with only a couple weeks of use.
The barrel is narrower towards the nib and wider towards the piston knob. The barrel is mostly smooth but interrupted by the grooves at the beginning of the knob. These grooves are also found on the cap near the finial. The knob at the end of the barrel moves smoothly. In it’s retracted form it moves the nib in and out of its hidey-hole. Once the knob is extended, turning it would move the piston inside the pen up and down to take in or expel ink. One thing to note, there is no ink window on the Montblanc 1912, there is no way to know how much ink is left until you abruptly ran out of it mid sentence.
The nib is a nice 14k gold nib that’s rhodium plated. The nib is rather small when compared to the size of the pen. The design on the nib is rather simple similar to how nibs on vintages pens are. The EF nib I got on the pen is nice and bouncy. It gives a little line variations naturally from the pressures of writing. The nib writes smoothly with just a touch of feedback. It provides a generous ink flow and it doesn’t dry up easily even if you leave it sitting around uncapped for a little while.
There is a mechanism inside the cap that prevents you from accidentally capping the pen while the nib is extended. I personally have done that a time or two.
Conclusion:
The Montblanc Heritage 1912 is a great pen with a great writing experience. It is beautiful in it’s simplicity and flawless workings. However the price tag that comes with owning a Montblanc can hard to stomach especially with the self-scratching cap.
Pros:
- Beautiful and simple design
- A modern safety pen
- Great bouncy nib
- The extending and retracting piston knob
- Nib doesn’t dry up even when left out for a few minutes
Cons:
- That price tag!
- That self-scratching cap!
- The cap can’t be posted
Additional Reading:
- Inky Passion’s Review of Montlbanc Heritage 1912
- Gourmet Pens’ Review of Montblanc Heritage 1912
- The Pen Addict’s Review of Montblanc Heritage 1912
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