A. Eberstein and two his companions who launched the first fountain pen with white star on cap couldn't foresee the success of his venture. They struggled to survive in the tough competition between fountain pen makers – Parker, Waterman and other brands. Presumably they benefited from the stars being benevolent to them, and Montblanc pens avoided the destiny of being sold as rare samples on Sotheby's auction.

Though to be honest, there's more than just functionality of writing instruments in the Montblanc pens. The company was quick enough to cease mass production and concentrate on strategic PR and handcrafted items. They turned a simple pen into a status symbol making part of business image. Montblanc owners clearly know why they put a pen costing a small fortune into a pocket. That little white-starred cap tells a lot about its owner. With a Montblanc pen, you don't pretend to be rich because you are. You don't have to drive an expensive car because a small pen tells you own a garage of posh cars.

Montblanc pen company exploited its historical background to the fullest. For example, they carried a campaign around 4810 – that is, the height of the Montblanc peak in Europe in meters. 4810 dollars paid for every opinion about the power of word gathered from famous people over the world made a striking impact on the popularity of the brand, which lead to more loyal customers, more sales, more exposure to potential buyers. Now having a Montblanc pen means much more than just being financially able to afford one. It means to be part of the pool of those who value the power of written word. Emails and chatting don't tell anything about you. But a couple of words scribbled on a plain sheet of paper describe your character as precisely as a thorough psychological test would do.

Of course, you don't scribble with Montblanc. As any good fountain pen, this one writes smoothly, correcting the worst handwriting. Yours may be awful with ballpoints, but it becomes at least readable when you touch a paper with a Montblanc fountain pen.

Rouge et Noir was the first pen produced by Mont Blanc. Contemporary limited editions (Agatha Christi, Hemingway, Alexander Von Humboldt, Sakura, etc) may cost considerably more and may be even harder to find a spare one. To prevent the production of fakes, Montblanc runs a chain of boutiques in many countries. While there's a good chance of getting an authentic item on ebay, experts say that online auctions are full of counterfeit pens.