It was 1906, and Germany was embracing new inventions and ingenuity. Simplicissimus is Latin for “very easy”, and that’s what these inventors wanted for the new type of fountain pen they envisioned.

 

What distinguished the newly designed pen was that it had a built-in ink well. New partners Claus Johannes, Christian Lausen, and Wilhelm Dziambor took over the foundational business and propelled the company to international success. The emerging company was noted for its manufacture of highest quality fountain pens. By 1908, the business had established headquarters in Hamburg and was officially registered as a company.

 

The Meisterstück fountain pen was launched in 1924. Meisterstück is the German term for masterpiece, and this attention to quality allowed the company to expand into 60 countries that year. In 1929, the Montblanc Meisterstück received a new embellishment. Its nib was engraved for the first time with the numbers 4810. These numbers represent the height of Mont Blanc. The company also viewed the numbers as symbolic of supreme quality. From this time forward, all the Meisterstück pen nibs would be engraved with these numbers.

 

Only five years later, in 1934, the company rebranded itself with the name Montblanc Simplo GmbH. Just one year following, the company began to offer lifetime guarantees for its Meisterstück pens, and this encouraged the reputation that customers would reap the highest benefits from investing in an expensive writing instrument.

 

World War II was devastating for Montblanc, as all its facilities were destroyed. However, the company rebuilt quickly and produced its pens in Denmark during this time. The company also re-established its foreign offices. After the war, in 1952, the 149 Meisterstück fountain pen was introduced. The number 149 refers to the nib width, and other versions such as the 146 indicate narrower or wider nibs. The nibs are made of gold, and this ensures they will last for a lifetime of writing. This legendary pen became the symbol of writing culture. Many consider its design to be a perfect blend of style and function.

 

In 1963, former President John F. Kennedy offered his Meisterstück pen, a 149, to German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer. The event in Cologne, Germany was captured in a historic photograph, with Kennedy handing his pen to Adenauer to use when signing a German “Golden Book” (Guest Book in English).

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Source: moneyinc.com