Seeking after Mozart trivia

[Ernst Bitterman]

I'm doing a write-up for my site about the 114P, and as is usual, I run out of resources before I fill in all my blanks. A couple of questions for those more deeply focused on modern Montblancs than I:

- I am assuming that the model was introduced in 1992, but we all know the joke about what assuming makes of "u" and Ming the Merciless. Am I far off base, or can I get away with putting down "c.1992"?

- Looking at the current MB site, I don't see the basic black/platinum trim model, as seen in this review (http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/118226-meisterstuck-hommage-a-wa-mozart/page__p__1168936__hl__%2Bmozart+%2B114+%2Bhari__fr omsearch__1#entry1168936); I find white-bodied Mozarts, and ones with a teeny diamond in place of the basic white-on-black trademark derby. Has MB discontinued the relatively plain versions, or is this just their website concentrating on the more expensive versions?

Thanks to all for any help.

[mhguda]

I bought my Mozart MB in 1991, and I think that was the year it was introduced. 1991 was the bicentennial of W.A.'s death, you may remember. That was the occasion.

[Ernst Bitterman]

That is helpful. An inquiry elsewhere shows my folly in looking at the COLLECTIONS part of the site rather than the SHOP ONLINE bit, where all trims are to be found. This may, unless a dissenting opinion arises, settle all my worries.

[mhguda]

As I indicated, I've had mine since it came out, more than twenty years now. I bought it for 99 dollars in Joon's in NYC - they had a special. It has gold trim but is otherwise similar to the one on your website (ravensmarch). Our local MB boutique carries the current crop, much more expensive and not much more pen, to my mind, so even though I had an accident with the pen, whereby I lost the cap, maybe four years after I got it, I don't intend to replace it. I sent it out to MB just after losing the cap, in fact; they wanted 100 for just the cap, which I thought was ridiculous (still do). So, for a while I used a felt-tip pen cap, but last year, I got lucky; the local Waterman dealer had a small FP cap with an engraving gone amiss; she gave it to me and it fits the Mozart exactly. The engraving is not too large, so it does not bother me... they stopped after the second letter was not in line with the first.
I'm still sorry that I wasn't so into collecting pens when I bought it, though: I understood only later how iconic that shop was, and it was the only time I ever was in there... missed opportunities!

[Ernst Bitterman]

I know what you mean. I passed through the whole of the 1980s and '90s not even really looking at pens-- I already had one. :rolleyes: