With its origins in the culture of writing, Montblanc champions the transformative power of literature and celebrates the creativity and artistry of writers. One collection in particular – Montblanc Writers Edition – pays special tribute to the authors who have had a significant imprint on culture. Montblanc’s latest Writers Edition honours Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859) Grimm, known as the Brothers Grimm. The German academics, philologists, lexicographers and authors collected and published folklore during the 19th century. They popularized traditional oral tales such as Cinderella, The Frog Prince, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood and Snow White. Their classic collection, Children’s and Household Tales (Kinder- und Hausmärchen), was published in two volumes — the first in 1812 and the second in 1815.
Inspired by their collection of fairy tales and linguistic research, the Montblanc Writers Editions Homage to Brothers Grimm collection explores various fairy tales but also references their magnum opus – the German Dictionary – the first attempt to consolidate all existing German words into one encompassing dictionary.
Each of the four editions is shaped like a wooden wandering stick as a reference to the tradition of wandering storytellers travelling from village to village to tell stories. The Brothers Grimm’s passion for language and research into linguistic “roots” is reflected in the unusual shape of the clip – when looking at it frontally, it appears as a gnarly root but when turned sideways, it reveals the facial profile of the Brothers Grimm. The cap ring on each writing instrument is engraved with the famous words “ES WAR EINMAL…” or “Once Upon a Time”. Every nib is engraved with burning flames symbolic of the fires around which children sat to hear the fairy tales, and a central element in many of those tales. Every edition features the title of their first publication “Kinder- und Hausmärchen” (Children´s and Household Tales) on the cone, as well as their number in the book.
Homage to Brothers Grimm Limited Edition
The edition pays tribute to the beloved folk tale of a young girl named Rapunzel who is imprisoned by her mother in a high tower and finally rescued by a prince when she lets down her hair so the prince can climb up. The black resin on the cap and barrel of this edition is decorated with a wavy pattern symbolizing Rapunzel´s hair. The platinum-coated clip and fittings contrasts with the sinister appearance of the cap and barrel, reminiscent of walking deep into the woods. Resembling the shape of a spindle since many stories were traditionally exchanged by women in spinning rooms, the ruthenium-coated cone is engraved with the title of the Grimm fairy tale collection (Kinder- und Hausmärchen), the number ’12’ for fairy tale Rapunzel and the year of publication, 1812, while the cap features the letter “R” for the fairy tale “Rapunzel”. The circle around the clip is decorated with “GÖTTINGER SIEBEN”, a group of seven liberal professors from Göttingen of which the Brothers were part of, as well as the years in which the German Dictionary was written. The Homage to Brothers Grimm Limited Edition is available as a Fountain Pen, Rollerball, Ballpoint Pen and Mechanical Pencil (only as part of a set).
Homage to Brothers Grimm Limited Edition 1812
The Sleeping Beauty tells the story of a young princess who is led into a trap and falls asleep for a long time before a prince awakens her with a kiss. During her dreamless sleep, the castle is abandoned and is overgrown with roses, thorns and leaves. Crafted from metal with a ruthenium coating, the cap and barrel of the Limited Edition 1812 are enhanced with a yellow gold-coated overlay with a vintage look. The design is inspired by the Grimm’s interest in nature and the foliage that grows through the castle. The cone is engraved with the title of the Grimm fairy tale collection (Kinder- und Hausmärchen), the number ’50’ for fairy tale The Sleeping Beauty and the year of publication, 1812. The Letter “D” on cap stands for the fairy tale’s German title “Dornröschen”. The Montblanc Emblem that crowns the writing instrument is in Mother-of-Pearl surrounded by red lacquer, reminiscent of roses that wrap the castle. The limitation number of 1812 Fountain pens and 1812 Rollerballs comes from the year the first edition of the “Kinder- und Hausmärchen” was published in 1812.
Homage to Brothers Grimm Limited Edition 86
The tale of Hansel & Gretel is about two children abandoned in the forest by their parents who cannot care for them anymore. After attempting to retrace their way back home and getting lost in the forest, they find a gingerbread house owned by an old witch who lures them into the house. The children trick the witch into climbing into the burning oven, before returning home to their father with many riches. The cap and barrel of the Homage to Brothers Grimm Limited Edition 86 are made from blackened Ebony Wood to resemble both the dark forest of the fairy tale as well as the fires that burn the witch at the end of the fairy tale, contrasting with Au750 solid gold inlay flames and fittings. The cap is made from Au750 solid gold and coated in black PVD, with the signatures of the authors revealed in gold. A cast piece made from Au750 solid gold set in the back of the cap features flames and the letter H (for Hansel & Gretel), evoking the moment in the story when Gretel pushes the witch into a burning oven.
The two gold inlays on the barrel feature famous words in their original version: “Knuper knuper kneischen…Wer knupert an meinem Häuschen?” (or “Nibble nibble like a mouse, who is nibbling at my house?”). The Montblanc Emblem is set as a cast piece made up of the letters A to F with F being the last letter that the Grimm Brothers finished in their German Dictionary during their lifetime. The solid gold cone is set with a cabochon made of Mother-of-Pearl symbolizing the treasure Hansel & Gretel discover after they burn the witch. The limitation of 86 Fountain Pens is a reference to the number of fairy tales published in the first edition of the Children´s and Household Tales in 1812.
Homage to Brothers Grimm Limited Edition 8
Described as a beautiful girl with skin as white as snow, Snow White is the object of her evil stepmother’s anger after her mirror identifies Snow White as the most beautiful in the country. She orders that Snow White be taken to the woods to be killed, but instead she is taken in by seven dwarfs who care for her. Her stepmother tracks her down and tricks her into eating a poisoned apple, but the prince finds her. While her coffin is carried back to the castle, it falls down and Snow White spits out the apple and she awakens to marry the prince.
The cap and barrel of the Homage to Brothers Grimm Limited Edition 8 are made from Au750 Solid White Gold with a structure that resembles leaves coated in yellow gold as well as inlays made from matte Au750 solid white gold that represents precious ore from the mountains mined by the dwarves. The barrel contains a real faceted rock crystal which serves as the “coffin” for Snow White and is hand-engraved on the backside with the imagery of Snow White taken from a drawing by Ludwig Grimm. The cap features two white gold inlays with a crystal structure, mattified to appear like ore. One crystal contains the letter “S” as a reference to the fairy tale Snow White. Two lines of diamonds across the rings as well as a line of diamonds on the cap and barrel are reminiscent of the shimmering beauty of Snow White. The Au750 solid yellow gold nib is engraved with the flames as a symbol of the setting during which the tales were told, and the apple given to Snow White by the witch, while the forepart is decorated with leaves.
The edition is crowned with a Montblanc Emblem set as a cast piece made up of the letters A to F, and covered with a sapphire glass. The cone is embellished with hand-engraved leaves, precious rubies set as a “7”, an embossing of “KHM ” representing the Kinder- und Hausmärchen and the 53 for the number of the fairy tale Snow White in the collection. The bottom of cone contains a spinel cabochon symbolizing the black hair of Snow White.
The Montblanc Writers Editions Homage to Brothers Grimm collection includes a selection of accessories inspired by the opus of the Brothers Grimm. A calfskin leather notebook is decorated with a large illustration of the letter “G” in the style of old fairy tale books. Montblanc has created a dark green ink based on the forests of the Grimm fairy tales. A pair of round cufflinks and a woven leather bracelet, both with the design of the Montblanc Emblem on the writing instruments, complete the collection.