The “La Donna” Edition alludes to the six years she lived in Italy, with her four children and second husband Roberto Rossellini. One of her daughters, Isabella Rossellini, became a successful model and actress. Although acting was her constant love, the one that never disappointed her, she was a devoted mother and proud of her four children.

The “La Donna” edition is available as a cartridge fountain pen, a ballpoint and a rollerball.

Thomas Mann’s masterpiece “Buddenbrooks” has brought him immortality and has turned him into one of the most famous writers of the 20th century. Montblanc is paying tribute to this unique wordsmith with an equally unique Writers Edition. The platinum-plated inlays in the rich black lacquer of this writing instrument are inspired by the age of artistic creativity in which Thomas Mann lived: the Art Deco era. The interplay of colours and materials symbolises the different relationships between the characters in “Buddenbrooks”.

An onyx-coloured zircon is set above the teardrop on the clip, reflecting the depth of content of this family saga. The delicate engraving of the “Buddenbrooks” house on the rhodium-plated 18 K gold nib brings Mann’s birthplace in Lübeck to mind, which is now the home of the Thomas Mann Museum. His signature and the ivory-coloured Montblanc emblem on the top of the cap add the finishing touches to this exceptional edition in honour of Thomas Mann.

The Montblanc Meisterstück Special Edition for UNICEF emphasises the dedication and engagement for a more literate world. The collection unites the fine tradition of Montblanc Meisterstück Le Grand and Meisterstück Classique with UNICEF’s typical colour blue and UN’s emblematic olive wreath. Its distinguishing features, the blue sparkling sapphire and the gold-plated wreath adorning the cap, add up to a beautiful symbol of support for a good cause.

The Meisterstück fountain pens in the Signature for Good Edition features a handcrafted 14 K gold nib – perfectly crafted in 35 individual stages like every nib created by Montblanc, being ground, polished and tested by hand, with rhodium-plated inlay, three goldplated rings, a gold-plated clip and a precious black resin barrel. Each one also bears the famous Montblanc emblem on top of the cap. A matching ballpoint pen, rollerball and mechanical pencil with a twist mechanism are also available in the collection – distinguished by the same Signature for Good design elements on the cap.

]]> http://www.pencraftsa.com.au/blog/?feed=rss2&p=159 0 http://www.pencraftsa.com.au/blog/?p=77 http://www.pencraftsa.com.au/blog/?p=77#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:04:00 +0000 pencraft http://www.pencraftsa.com.au/blog/?p=77

Written by Sok Ping.

Sok Ping is one of our lovely customers and also is an avid fountain pen collector. She was most happy to provide us with a review on Private Reserve Inks.

Private Reserve (PR) inks are fast becoming very popular amongst fountain pen users. This brand of ink is made in the USA and has the properties expected in fountain pen inks, which include being pH neutral, non-clogging and smooth flowing.

In addition, the colours available (which currently stands at 37) are intense and vibrant (which is also known as being ‘highly saturated’). Most of the colours have some degree of ‘shading’, which is the variation seen in the colour once the ink dries. This gives an interesting character to one’s hand-writing.

PR inks are by far one of the best flowing inks available on the market. So, if you like your fountain pen to glide on the paper, this is the ink to try!

Pencraft the boutique would like to thank Sok Ping for writing this review and giving us an insight into these exceptional inks that we have in store.

How do I care for my fountain pen?

Do not press hard when you write, a fountain pen will flow as soon as you put it to paper. Pressing hard may result in ink flow problems or worse a damaged nib.

Never lend your pen to others, your pen adjusts itself to the way you write.

What ink should I use?

Always use fresh ink, a bottle should be replaced if it is more than 18 months old from opening. You can use any brand of water based ink, unless your warranty states that you use the manufacturer’s ink.

When, how and why should I clean my pen?

We recommend cleaning your pen every three months, every time you change ink colour or if you are not intending to use your pen for a while.

Use cold water only for cleaning your pen. If after cleaning your pen continues to have problems it may need a service from the manufacturer.

When clogging is extreme before you flush it with the converter, stand the pen up in a glass of cold water, and let the nib & feed soak for 1 to 2 hours. Be sure not to get water on other parts of the pen, just have enough water in the glass to soak the entire nib. Then rinse under cold running water from the tap (protecting the pen body from the water with a cloth).

Now proceed to flush out the nib and feed with the piston converter using cold water. Repeat flushing until there are no signs of clogging or old ink deposits.

Can I travel with my fountain pen?

Fountain pens do not like to travel by plane, always remove the ink from inside your pen as the air pressure inside the cabin can cause the ink to flow out of your nib into the cap, or worse into your bag.

For those who do not know the Pencraft team it consists of Joshua at the helm and Yolanthe, Cassandra and Larissa rowing as fast as they can to keep up with him…it makes for fun times and a very enjoyable working environment.

Our days here in store are constantly busy…everyone always asks how can this be so…you just would not believe how many people are addicted to pens!

We are very excited that at last our website is launched… it has been a huge undertaking as naming, pricing and describing each pen is no easy task…we hope that you love the site as much as we do and we really want to thank Kate from Adelaide web design firm, Woot Creative for her incredible ideas for our very amazing website…we can’t wait for you to enjoy this new way of purchasing pens and their accessories from Pencraft…but please do keep dropping in to the store if you are in town…we love a chat.

Pencraft the Boutique