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| Montblanc
2nd Generation Noblesse c1981
In 1973, Montblanc decided that a thin model pen similar to the Aurora Hastil would be a good edition to line, and actually engaged Aurora to create a batch of pens to test market. The pen, like the Hastil, was tubular in design and of metal construction and had the Montblanc white star logo on both the barrel end and the cap top. The test marketing was a success and the Noblesse line was introduced in 1973 and continues in production to this day.
The earliest Noblesse is both similar in construction and yet very different in design than the pen currently marketed. The early pen is narrow, clean and simple, where the current pen, while still a metal tube design, is larger in diameter and more ornate. The first "generation" came in the metal finishes of stainless steel, silver plate, plain gold plate, and gold plate with longitudal lines down the cap and barrel. Matte satin anodized paint finishes in black and blue were also available. The pen cap has the Montblanc logo as a plastic inset flush with the top of the cap and the barrel end had the logo "snowflake" as a cutout mounted in a dish shaped indentation.
The cap and barrel ends are gold plated, as is a band at the base of the section where the cap meets the barrel. The first pens have a plain straight clip with a narrowing taper toward the tip and a bend downward toward the cap. The pen was complimented with a matching rollerball and a push-button ballpoint and pencil which were tapered both at the barrel and cap ends. The earliest pens have a somewhat square and plain nib with only "MB" as an identifying mark.
The Noblesse has had three or four "generations" since its introduction. The second generation pen, shown here, is more of an evolution in design from the first, being basically the same pen with a wider but straight and flat clip which is decorated at the tip with a plastic Montblanc logo insert.
The pen was offered in the same finishes and trim as the earlier style, including stainless and gold plate, but the matching pencil and ballpoint were a new design, still pushbutton, but a more conventional "Parker Jotter" shape. The complete list of matte anodized paint finishes is: black, brown, blue, red, green, and white, with white being the rarest color. The second generation pen has the same nib with the Montblanc star logo and "Montblanc" spelled out on two lines. All four of the pen, rollerball, pencil and ballpoint had the new clip and logo design, and all have the logo as an inlay to the cap or plunger top.
The third generation Noblesse is a bigger evolution from the original design. The clip design from the second generation pen became much wider and clip logo insert that proved fragile and caused numbers of returns, was dropped. The gold plated trim at the cap and barrel ends widened to about 1/4 inch and the cap lip and the barrel top both were gold plated trimmed, creating a wide band in the middle of the pen when capped. The section has a trim ring near the nib and the nib is a more traditional "flared" open nib, with the Montblanc logo and scrolling.
The current, or fourth generation Noblesse is a bigger pen with many of the design elements of the third generation pen, with a newly designed clip that is open in the center. The cap top is crowned, flared from the end of the cap tube, being something of a derby. Performance The matte black Noblesse shown in this article is fitted with a super-smooth medium nib that glides on paper. The pen, being very thin, not much bigger around than a standard size pencil, is surprisingly long, at about 5 1/2 inches long capped and 6 1/8 inches posted. It's a standard cartridge / converter pen with a very smooth operating converter and uses standard international cartridges. The clip mounts very high on the cap, which should make it sit flush in a pocket, but you will have to have a really deep pocket for this to happen! The cap snaps onto the end of the barrel very securely. No matter how vigorously you write, it's going to stay put. I wish all pens posted this well. The nib is not large and is rather squared off and plain, save the Montblanc white star logo engraved. This is one smooth nib, however. It's one of the best writers I have ever used. My daughter, who has pretty open access to my collection, finds this to be her favorite pen. I think that's a combination of the thin body, that although it's all metal, it's not particularly heavy, and that it puts ink on the paper immediately when the nib touches down. This pen is a real joy to write with.
If you are looking for a showpiece, look elsewhere. The matte finish and limited amount of trim flash is not going to get you noticed. Probably the only thing that will garner any attention with this pen is the three white stars that adorn each end and the clip. I can attest to the durability of the Noblesse, probably the most bullet-proof pen in the Montblanc stable. I've dropped this pen numerous times on hard and soft surfaces (I don't know why I'm so hard on this pen!) and I've only managed to put a few minor dings in the cap top. The paint only shows minor scuffing from 20 years of hard use (I'm the original owner). No "precious resin" here! The current models have more brightwork, but appear to be about as durable. This model is my favorite because of the star clip. They were only made for a few years, but they don't command outrageous prices, not much different than when new. Highly recommended. Acknowledgement Thanks to Michael Rapps for additional information on the Noblesse. Comments on this article may be sent
to the author, Jim Mamoulides |
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PenHero.com - All Rights Reserved Use of photographs, scans and illustrations is not granted without prior written permission. This includes internet auctions. Contact Jim Mamoulides Last Update 8/26/04 |
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