Every year Montblanc pays tribute to some of world’s greatest figures of literature, and this year was no exception. The Writers Edition series has expanded with another fantastic collection dedicated to British physician and legendary writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, whose novels, stories and poems have captivated us all. Before we dive into details, join us to discover some facts about Arthur Conan Doyle and the stories that inspired this collection.
Born in 1859, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote his first short story called “The Mystery of Sasassa Valley”, followed by “The American Tale” while he was a studying at University of Edinburgh. Although he studied medicine, his dream was to become a writer. However, before giving up his medical career and devoting himself entirely to writing, Doyle worked as a medical officer aboard a steamship, then another few years in Portsmouth.
Among many other novels written by the British author, the stories of the detective Sherlock Holmes became the most read of his works. For those wondering what inspired Doyle to create Sherlock Holmes, there was his mentor at University – Dr. Joseph Bell, whose keen powers of observation inspired the author to bring this fictional detective character to life. The character first appeared in “A Study in Scarlet” alongside his assistant Watson. This was the first of 60 stories Doyle created about Sherlock Holmes over the course of his writing career.
The collection we will be talking about comprises four editions, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Writers Edition, Writers Edition Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Limited Edition 1902, the Limited Edition 8 and the Limited Edition 97. Symbolic details beautifully adorn the pens adding character to each edition.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Writers Edition
The collection opens with this blue/grey fountain pen featuring a barrel and cap crafted from precious resin embellished with a pattern reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes’ original tartan. Another detail to mention is an old street map of Victorian London displayed on the barrel including “Upper Wimpole Street” where Doyle’s medical practice resided and “Baker Street” where Sherlock Holmes lived.
To match the overall grey look of the pen, ruthenium plated elements were preferred to platinum plated ones. The clip is designed as a magnifying glass symbolising the tool used by Holmes to solve the crimes. Behind it, a set of initials JB refer to Dr. Joshua Bell – the man that inspired the character, as we noted above.
On the cap, there is the author’s signature displayed along with a reference to the date and year in which Doyle received copyright of his Sherlock Holmes tale. The solid gold nib is finely engraved with Doyle’s portrait and a Pterodactyl dinosaur from “The Last World” then is ruthenium coated.
Price: EUR 1010
Writers Edition Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Limited Edition 1902
The second variation is this Limited Edition fountain pen made of brown precious resin reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes’ pipe. Limited to only 1902 numbered pieces for both fountain pen and rollerball. The 1902 number is symbolising the first publishing date of Doyle’s most famous tale “The Hound of Baskervilles”.
As on the grey model, the clip is also crafted in a magnifying glass shape and underneath it there is a silhouette of a hound from “The Hound of The Baskervilles”. The solid gold nib is adorned with a beautiful engraving of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle along with a magnifying glass. If you take a closer look on the cap’s ring there is engraved “February 1925” as the date when Doyle opened a Psychic book shop in London with his wife.
Price: EUR 4000
Writers Edition Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Limited Edition 8
Celebrating Doyle’s spirit of exploration during his younger years when the author was offered a ship’s surgeon post on a whaling boat setting sail for the Arctic Circle. Therefore, you can see both cap and barrel adorned with three-dimensional icebergs in 18k white gold surrounded by blue lacquer symbolising the waters of the Arctic.
Unlike the other editions, this one also has a magnifying glass-shaped clip, but a moveable one, includes the author’s initials in red and displays a sapphire at the top. The cap top ring is engraved with “I came of age at 80º north latitude,” taken from the author’s diary on the day of his 21st birthday. The 18k white gold nib is embellished with an engraving of Arthur Conan Doyle and a ship’s mast taken from the short story “The Captain of the Pole Star”. This edition is limited to only 8 numbered pieces worldwide.
Writers Edition Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Limited Edition 97
Last but not least, a the 97 edition draws inspiration from the year 1897 when Doyle wrote many of his best-known novels. We have to admit that Montblanc took this edition to a whole new level because the fountain pen displays a beautifully crafted solid white gold skeleton overlay. This edition also features a magnifying glass-shaped clip that reveals the author’s initials. On the cap top, finely engraved, is displayed one of Doyle’s articles written on spiritualism entitled “A new step into the unknown”. The ruthenium-coated solid white gold nib also showcases Doyle’s portrait and a ship’s mast from the short story “The Captain of the Pole Star”.
