Montblanc Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Limited Writers Edition 97 Fountain Pen
This pen has seen regular use and shows noticeable wear throughout, with clear signs of handling and surface wear. It comes with an inner box and papers only (no outer box or white sleeve). It is equipped with an 18k Medium nib and fills via a Piston Filling System. There are some significant scratches on the metal overlay and cap trims. There is also some damage on the inner box (see last image). The protective plastic film on the section is still in place. The skeletonized overlay is made of solid 18k white gold on the cap and barrel.
“When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth!” – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Sign of the Four, Chapter VI
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his master detective
Sherlock Holmes may be a fictional character, but his fame knows almost no bounds. The lovably eccentric master detective was first penned in 1886 by the Edinburgh-born Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930). For over 40 years, author and protagonist remained inseparable through four novels and 56 short stories. To free himself for other projects – including his defence of the British cause in the Boer War, for which he was knighted – Doyle decided in 1893 that Sherlock Holmes should meet his literary demise. He later reversed that decision on receiving an outstanding offer for short stories from an American magazine. To the delight of his fans, Holmes was resurrected in 1903 for many further adventures. Doyle’s urge to write never ceased, and though he dreamed of becoming known for his historical and political works, it was the brilliant mind behind his mysterious detective stories that made him famous. His medical career eventually gave way to his writing career. He served as a ship’s surgeon and then practised medicine for close to ten years on land before settling as an ophthalmologist in London. The Montblanc Writers Edition Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Limited Edition 97 is dedicated to the author and spiritual father of Sherlock Holmes.
The skeletonised overlay made of Au 750 solid white gold on cap and barrel depicts a plaid pattern (cap) in reference to Holmes’ coat and parts of a historic London city map (barrel) as an homage to his hometown. It also shows Victoria Street, where Arthur Conan Doyle opened The Psychic Bookshop in 1925. The different translucent lacquer colours within the pattern are inspired by the leaded glass windows of his house Undershaw, which Doyle built in 1897. In reference to this year, the edition is limited to 97 pieces.
The tool so often used by Sherlock Holmes served as inspiration for the shape of the clip, which reveals a real magnifying glass when turned. The engraving of the initials ‘ACD’ on the top of the clip is inspired by a glass window in Doyle’s house Undershaw, while the clip ring bears an engraving of the title of an article written by Doyle on spiritualism: A NEW STEP INTO THE UNKNOWN. The cap top – crowned with the Montblanc emblem in resin – features a removable ring inspired by a sideric pendulum, a medium for communicating with spirits.
In homage to Doyle’s first story featuring his master detective, the Au 750 solid white gold cap ring is decorated with the vine motif from the title page of A Study in Scarlet, the author’s signature and ‘March 21, 1927′, the publication date of Doyle’s book about his communcations with spirits, Pheneas Speaks. Another reference to the author’s interest in supernatural phenomena is the engraving of’A NEW REVELATION’ on the Au 750 solid white gold cone, referring to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s essay about spiritualism.
In 1883 he published The Captain of the Pole-Star, a collection of mystery tales, involving ship voyages, shipwrecks and fairy tales. The author embraced spiritualism in 1916 and devoted much of his remaining sixteen years to its cause of life beyond the grave and the ability of the living to communicate with the dead. The Montblanc Writers Edition Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Limited Edition 97 honors the author on the handrafted, rhodium- and ruthenium-coated Au 750 solid white gold nib with an engraving of his portrait and a ship’s mast, as an homage to The Captain of the Pole-Star.
This Writers Edition Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Limited Edition 97, created in 2021, is limited to 97 pieces worldwide, which is proven by the engraved number. This writing instrument has been crafted with precision and skill by a master craftsman using precious materials.
