ST DuPont Montparnasse FP

I acquired this black lacquer Montparnasse fountain pen at a sale at the ST DuPont shop at Lot 10, Bukit Bintang, KL. It’s the smaller size version of the Montparnasse. After 24 years, the decorative gold coloured band near the grip is still in good condition without any chipping. The band has the words “Laque de Chine” and “ST DuPont Paris” engraved.

The gold nib is marked 750. The slimline clip has a black lacquer stripe and an engraved serial number that matches the warranty card. I think but cannot be 100% sure the price I paid was RM350 in 1998. In 2022 Ringgit that is the equivalent of RM690, factoring in inflation over the years.

ST DuPont has introduced a line of cheaper pens made not in France but in China. The nibs are steel and the barrels are plastic. But apparently the pens write well. In my writing experience, steel nibs are not always inferior to gold nibs. Some no brand made in China pens with steel nibs are superb writers. For example, my EDC (Every Day Carry) pen is a short brass pen with a steel nib that puts out a wet line, without skipping. It also costs less than RM12 on Lazada - less than what I think most pen aficionados pay for a plastic converter.