Montblanc Fountain Pens - History

Montblanc is the one brand that plenty of pen buffs love to hate because of its variety of reverse snobbery. Historically, Montblanc is one of the few survivors among the large and diverse German fountain pen industry after two world wars. Montblanc Fountain Pens are thoroughly representative of German pens: conservative in style, heavily built, and expensive.

Around 1909, Simplo Fillor Company was established in Hamburg. Later, after a couple of year, Simplo adopted Montblanc as one of their numerous trade names. Safety and eyedropper pens using hard rubber barrels and caps and US-made gold points were their first products. Until 1930s, Montblanc forward on producing safety pens for the conservative German market. Afterwards, they also offered button and lever fill, and intervening these twist piston filler similar to that adopted by Pelikan some years before. Montblanc's facilities were heavily damaged by allied bombing at the end of Second World War.

During the 1960s, many of Montblanc Fountain Pens showed the influence of contemporary Parker models. Although Montblanc produced less expensive pens under "junior" brands like Monterosa, the Montblanc name was found among pen with most price points by 1970s. Montblanc was taken by numerous partner and minority shareholder Dunhill of London in the year 1977. During these years, Montblanc introduce spin off items, such as cuff links, leather goods, and even watches. Ultimately, Swiss luxury-goods that combine Richmond absorbed both Dunhill and Montblanc. Montvlanc sold its products through a huge variety of dealers during the 1980s and 1990s.