Writers Edition Pens, why did I start,
No doubt these are fine pieces of art,
Limited edition, hard to seek and find,
Smooth and silky writing, in every line.
Each is a bliss, in its own special way,
Always different and unique, what’s more to say,
Owning one or two, I thought I've seen it all,
That is until I've touched the George Bernard Shaw,
Green marble lacquer, with rings of white gold,
Truly a marvel, surely it has a soul,
But wait, what's this? It has an ink window,
It is always good to know when your ink is low, no?
The wild beauty is not only in its looks,
Tis a beast to tame, yet one may be hooked,
For its nib may not be as smooth as butter,
The secret may also be in the choice of paper,
Best angle of writing demands the user's attention,
It rewards strength by flowing ink of passion.
To judge it fairly, a brief jury is unjust,
Took it to work I did, used it all the time I must,
Some pen are made to please, most to serve,
Tis Irish writer only rewards those who deserve,
With a mind of its own, mastering it is not easy,
Till this moment, I'm unsure if I am yet worthy
Appearance and Design: 8/10
Without sounding too direct, this pen is FREAKING AWESOME! If you want people to look at your direction when you walked into the room, THIS IS IT! The polished platinum and green lacquer just shouts out and attention seeking mode is constantly on with this pen. Don't get me wrong, this is not in any way a distastefully ornate pen, but a really beautiful piece of work and engineering. The green lacquer is of multiple depth and has a tint of blue glitter in it under certain angle of light. The polished platinum is well made and the engraved signature and serial number is subtle and elegant on the platinum rings. I'll let the pictures speak for itself, yet they do not do it justice. Not to mention, the large size Montblanc emblem is one of my favourite part of the pen. The clip is simple and practical, good idea as not to distract it from the silver and green band pattern.
Construction and Quality: 9/10
Clearly one can see that this is a solidly constructed pen with exceptionally well selected materials that are made to last. Polished white platinum rings and green marbled lacquer offers the user years if not a lifetime of great looks with good care. All the joints are even and well put together. The piston knob and the pen shaft contact point are both finished with the platinum ring, half the actual width of the width of the progressively narrowing width of the platinum ring pattern throughout the barrel of the pen, and it closes perfectly. Very neat indeed. However, I find that the knob turns out on its own quite easily, so it is important to ensure that it is securely closed at all times, as sometimes posted cap on the end may accidentally turn the knob. Hard as cold steel!
Weight and Dimension: 8/10
This is a full size pen, comfortable to hold and one of the heaviest pen I’ve owned particularly in the Writers Edition range. I find writing without is best without the cap. It may be a bit heavy for the pocket, and I’d keep it in my pen case. Here’s a comparison with the rest and the 149.
Refill System: 9/10
Two words, ladies and gentlemen, INK WINDOW. Not a common feature amongst the writers edition line and surely an appreciated feature. It suggests an instrument of everyday use perhaps or maybe it is begging for me to fill it up with Irish Green? Anyhow, the more important point here is that, again, this is a piston refill system. The knob is made from mainly lacquer and there's a neat transition of materials there. The system works smoothly as how it should and so far, I've not any problems with it.
Nib and Performance: 7/10
I have a medium nib, with a bit of ‘teeth’ and require adequate pressure applied to it to ensure satisfying ink flow to the paper. No shortage of feedback there and with the nib that is semi-flexible to stiff. My experience with FP is rather limited to a few that I've been using so far, and this is the first time I'm using such a nib. It starts immediately, no skipping (only at off angle or writing really fast, especially on the anti-clockwise strokes, may thin down the strokes but hardly skips, perhaps I should try other inks), but can maintain a good ink-flow, as it is rather wet, though not as much compared to Twain and Faulkner. The written text looks confident and holds true to its width. There's an optimal angle of writing for this nib, and I had to adapt my writing style to bring out the best from the nib. So far it has worked well and has been rewarded with some satisfying writing experience. It may not be the nib for everyone, particularly to most who would love a smooth one. Eliza Doolittle's flower is the theme for the pattern on the nib and it is one of the most beautiful nib design I've seen so far, delicate and well detailed.
Value: 8/10
Again I managed to obtain this at below MSRP with the latest offers they are having here. At the moment, I’ve seen other WE are still readily available on the market, such as Faulkner, Schiller and Woolf, but the G.B. Shaw is gradually disappearing, and I was lucky to find the nib that I want after much searching.
Summary: 8.17
This is my third WE pen and every new pen I’ve taken out from the shelf just continues to amazes me. I have been staying away from FP which are not black or has too much chrome on it but this one just totally took me by surprise. If there is a quality or feel of a product that actually speaks, this is it. Though it may not be for everyone or for every occasion and the nib may not be suitable for everyone, but for a collector; this is one pen that should not be overlooked. .
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