We receive a lot of visitors to our fabulous boutique in picturesque Carmel-by-the-Sea; some are seasoned penthusiasts looking for the latest and greatest releases, while others may be new to the experience of fine writing with fountain pens. One of our favorite things to tell people is that local law mandates that you have to have tried a fountain pen before you leave our fabulous town — so it’s a good thing they happened by!

It might be a cheesy joke, but it usually gets a smile, and from there we’re happy to answer everyone’s pressing questions regarding new and amazing writing instruments.

What’s Your Favorite Pen?

This one depends entirely on who you ask. As the only authorized independent Montblanc retailer on the West coast, pointing to the company’s iconic snowcap logo emblazoned high on our wall is an easy choice. There’s a reason why when people think of fountain pens, they think of Montblanc and the company’s iconic Meisterstück line.

But we have others as well — as does just about everyone you might ask. Some would say that if they could have only one fountain pen, it would be the Pilot Custom 823 (usually in amber with a medium nib). There’s something about the balance of it and how it feels in your hand.

Of course, we’re always quick to point out our exclusive pens you can’t find anywhere else. Visconti’s Lover’s Point is long sold out, but we still have a few remaining of Retro 51’s Cruising California. We’re down to our final few of Montegrappa’s exquisite celluloid Pebble Beach Noir, a gorgeous black-and-white masterpiece with a stunning smooth 18k gold nib; we know for certain it sparked one romance for the ages, and we wonder how many other stories it will capture.

What’s Your Most Expensive Pen?

When you visit our store, you’ll find you might think most of our pens look more like jewelry than writing instruments given how we display them: in gorgeous cases, behind sparkling glass, and under dazzling lights that make them shimmer and shine. When we note that a Meisterstück features an 18k gold nib, or that Visconti crafted the Homo Sapiens from lava, people are stunned — and naturally curious about prices.

What we usually say is that all our pens have value to the people who own them, or receive them as gifts. They’re writing instruments you refill, and use over the years through life stages, and none of that magic is captured by any particular number.

Sometimes, we’ll point to David Oscarson’s exquisite Fabergé pens or Yard-O-Led’s intricately sculpted Viceroy — or even the fanciest BIC pens we’ve ever seen. But just as often we’ll delight people with the spring-action on a LAMY Pico or the satisfying magnetic cap on S.T. Dupont’s Defi Millennium collection.

Why Is This Pen So Expensive?

A companion question to asking what the most expensive pen is would be a simple: “Why?” — and there are lots of reasons, like the aforementioned 18k gold nibs and lava, or the intricate Yard-O-Led sculpting.

The truth is a combination of factors, from precious resin and metals to the remarkable amount of craftsmanship and innovation that went into them. The idea of “innovation” might sound unusual with regard to a pen — which seems more like an everyday object given our familiarity with and use of them. But what people forget is that a pen holding its own source of ink is relatively new, and there are many filling mechanisms that are intricately designed and required years of study, practice, and craft; we’re thinking specifically here of the myriad pens that fill using a piston, or even Pilot’s innovative Vanishing Point mechanism that enables the nib to retract.

It’s worth noting that this question isn’t limited to higher end brands. People ask the same thing about a LAMY Al-Star, especially when you can get a BIC for a dime at most corner stores.

What Makes This Pen so Special?

As all good writers know, it’s better to show than tell — and that’s why when we’re asked this question we simply hand someone a Montblanc (or a LAMY Al-Star, or a Pilot Vanishing Point). We can explain all day that fountain pens and rollerballs used water-based inks, while ballpoints use petroleum . . . but it’s something entirely else to feel how different the writing experience is.

Truly, what makes pens so special is exactly our name: The Pleasure of Writing. It’s the feel of the nib drawing ink onto the page, the sense of elation that comes with finally completing the first draft of the next great novel, the sense of delight one experiences when receiving a hand-written letter from a loved one.

Problem is that we can’t just hand you the Montblanc Meisterstück you can feel for yourself, so you just have to trust us when we tell you how carefully we curate the pens we feature — we guarantee they’re all special and will delight you.