Montblanc International GmbH is a German manufacturer of writing instruments, watches and accessories, often identified by their "White Star" logo.
Founded by the stationer Claus-Johannes Voss, the banker Alfred Nehemias and the engineer August Eberstein in 1906, the company began as the Simplo Filler Pen company producing up-market pens in the Schanzen district of Hamburg. Their first model was the Rouge Et Noir in 1909 followed in 1910 by the pen that was later to give the company its new name, the Mont Blanc. The first pen (a fountain pen) known as the Meisterstück or Masterpiece (the name used for export) was produced in 1925. Today the Montblanc brand is on other goods besides pens, for instance watches.
The company was successful despite its founder, Eberstein, fleeing to the US to avoid prosecution for stealing company funds in 1909. In 1934 the company changed its name to Montblanc-Simplo GmbH, and introduced its first piston filler.
The company was acquired by Dunhill in 1977, following which lower price pens were dropped and the brand was used on a wide range of luxury goods other than pens.
Today Montblanc forms part of the Richemont group. Its sister companies include luxury brands Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Chloé, and Baume et Mercier. Since 2000, Montblanc has manufactured all the components for Montegrappa and Cartier branded pens.
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montblanc_pens
Friday, January 8, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Pelikan Souveran 400 Black/Green GT Fine Point Fountain Pen - 994855
I have a small fountain pen collection and I'm fortunate enough to own some of the world's best pens, including Montgrappa, Montblanc, Delta and many others.
While not as elite as some, I have always liked the Pelikan pens. They hold up to day-to-day use, and are generally solid performers with few shortcomings.
The Pelikans come in three different sizes ranging from oversized to one that would be appropriate for a woman. I usually prefer this one, which is the middle size...it handles well without feeling too bulky in my hand. It's simple to use...ink filling is a standard piston-type affair, or you can use the supplied adapter to have it work with standard cartridges if you don't like to draw your ink from the bottle.
One other positive is that it's an easy pen to clean. I rotate through my pen collection, using one for a few months and then moving on. Thus, many of my pens sit unused for months at a time, and I prefer to drain and clean them rather than leaving ink in the pen. The Pelikan makes this fairly easy by just running water through the filling system.
With fountain pens, everything comes down to the feel of the nib on the page. Some inexpensive pens have a "scratchy" feel, or tend to skip across the page leaving blank spots because the ink didn't get fed quickly enough. I usually like a fine point, which sometimes makes this tendency worse. The Pelikan excels in this area, with a nib that feels "right" as it glides across the paper, and the ability to put down a smooth, consistent line of ink. Everyone's writing style is different, but to me, the Pelikan feels every bit as good as some pens costing five times as much.
As for inks, I tend to load mine with Pelikan's blue. It lasts a long time and dries quickly on the page. I've noticed some other brands of ink tend to have a gritty feel, or flake off the page in small bits after drying. The Pelikan inks have none of these problems and they tend to be among my favorites.
Overall, highly recommended
While not as elite as some, I have always liked the Pelikan pens. They hold up to day-to-day use, and are generally solid performers with few shortcomings.
The Pelikans come in three different sizes ranging from oversized to one that would be appropriate for a woman. I usually prefer this one, which is the middle size...it handles well without feeling too bulky in my hand. It's simple to use...ink filling is a standard piston-type affair, or you can use the supplied adapter to have it work with standard cartridges if you don't like to draw your ink from the bottle.
One other positive is that it's an easy pen to clean. I rotate through my pen collection, using one for a few months and then moving on. Thus, many of my pens sit unused for months at a time, and I prefer to drain and clean them rather than leaving ink in the pen. The Pelikan makes this fairly easy by just running water through the filling system.
With fountain pens, everything comes down to the feel of the nib on the page. Some inexpensive pens have a "scratchy" feel, or tend to skip across the page leaving blank spots because the ink didn't get fed quickly enough. I usually like a fine point, which sometimes makes this tendency worse. The Pelikan excels in this area, with a nib that feels "right" as it glides across the paper, and the ability to put down a smooth, consistent line of ink. Everyone's writing style is different, but to me, the Pelikan feels every bit as good as some pens costing five times as much.
As for inks, I tend to load mine with Pelikan's blue. It lasts a long time and dries quickly on the page. I've noticed some other brands of ink tend to have a gritty feel, or flake off the page in small bits after drying. The Pelikan inks have none of these problems and they tend to be among my favorites.
Overall, highly recommended
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Pelikan M150 BLACK Fountain Pen-Fine
I bought this beautiful pen off Amazon.com. I have some other pens, some of which cost $100-350. Pelikan writes better than any of them. It's writing is very smooth and effortless. Excellent finishing and mehanisms. The only thing I was disappointed about is that this pen is about 0.5 inch shorter than a standard size pen. Not a significant problem but I wish it was little larger. Anyhow, this pen immediately catches peoples eyes and they comment me for this "fancy", "beautiful" and "classic" pen.
It is a piece of German manufacturing excellence.
It is a piece of German manufacturing excellence.
Monday, January 4, 2010
How to Remove Ballpoint Ink from Vinyl
Ballpoint ink is fairly easy to remove from most surfaces, including vinyl. Follow the guidelines below to remove the ink.
You will need:
You will need:
- All purpose spray cleaner
- Household ammonia
- Mild soap
- Water
- Spray bottle
- Paper towels or soft cloths
History Of Ballpoint
Hungarian journalist Laszlo Biro was well aware of the problems with normal pens. Biro believed that the idea of a pen using a quick-drying ink instead of India ink came to him while visiting a newspaper. The newspaper's ink left the paper dry and smudge-free almost immediately. Biro vowed to use a similar ink in a new type of writing instrument. To avoid clogging his pen up with thick ink, he proposed a tiny metal ball that rotated at the end of a tube of this quick drying ink. The ball would have two functions:
- It would act as a cap to keep the ink from drying.
- It would let ink flow out of the pen at a controlled rate.
How to Remove Ballpoint Ink From a White Leather Jacket
Many people love a nice bright white leather jacket.
Instruction
1.Apply hairspray to the area where the ink is. Rub it in gently with a sponge or damp rag but take care not to wipe it off. Keep pets and children away, as hairspray could be harmful to them.
2.Let the hairspray sit on the area for at least 10 minutes. For larger stains, you may want to leave it for half an hour to 45 minutes. This will give the hairspray time to react to the ballpoint ink and lift the stain.
Instruction
1.Apply hairspray to the area where the ink is. Rub it in gently with a sponge or damp rag but take care not to wipe it off. Keep pets and children away, as hairspray could be harmful to them.
2.Let the hairspray sit on the area for at least 10 minutes. For larger stains, you may want to leave it for half an hour to 45 minutes. This will give the hairspray time to react to the ballpoint ink and lift the stain.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
RSS Feed (xml)