Montblanc Can Customize Your Nib

You could just bring your pen to one of the nibmeisters that deal with the masses, but if you’re the type to buy your pen directly from Montblanc, you’re probably not reading this blog anyhow.

Meet Axel Nier, Montblanc’s fountain pen and nib expert

Montblanc’s fountain pen and nib expert Axel Nier took more than a decade to perfect the art of designing pen nibs

South Africa-born craftsman Axel Nier (above) was in Singapore recently to showcase Montblanc’s pen nibs, all of which are engraved with different designs.ST PHOTOS: JONATHAN CHOO

The 47-year-old studied tool-making in a specialised school in Hamburg, Germany, and says it took him over a decade to perfect the art of designing and handcrafting nibs at Montblanc….

…Besides some of its best-selling ranges such as the Meisterstuck, the brand also creates limited-edition High Artistry pieces every year, which are shown to selected VIPs at private viewings.

Pens in this range are often created in collaboration with artists and are handcrafted with premium metals and gemstones, so each piece is a one-of-a-kind work of art. They are released in limited quantities and can cost more than€1 million (S$1.6 million).

With such precision at the heart of its products, it is no surprise that the company set up a department for creating personalised nibs nine years ago. There are now 50 specialists across the brand’s three writing instrument manufacturers in Hamburg, Germany, where the nib department and Montblanc’s bespoke programme are based.

Clients who choose to get a customised nib will have their handwriting analysed, taking into account nuanced factors such as writing speed and handwriting size, writing pressure, pen rotation, swing range and inclination angle.

The Montblanc experts based in Hamburg will then take six to eight weeks to handcraft a nib that works specifically for the client’s hand, including the engraving of a name, signature or an inscription such as a wedding date, directly onto the pen or the nib to complete the personalised order.

Costing an additional €1,400 above the cost of the pens – which are priced between $750 and $2,540 for the Meisterstuck Le Petit Prince Special Edition range – customisation can be expensive….