What has that got to do with fountain pens I can almost hear you saying? I’ll try to explain.
It has always struck me that the two titans of the fountain pen world – Pelikan and Montblanc – are a little bit like Xbox and PlayStation. More specifically, their respective flagship models the M1000 and 149. Many people across the world regard them with zealous devotion. I won’t go into the reasons why this is but needless to say they are both wonderful pens.
If you have ever watched ‘The Big Bang Theory’ there is an episode where Dr Sheldon Cooper is unable to decide on an Xbox or PlayStation. He sums up the pros and cons of each and still cannot decide which way to jump. Eventually a possible solution is put to him that he should just buy both!
It seems to me that there are some parallels with this predicament – do we buy the M1000 or the 149?! It’s a hard one.
I have a couple of 149s and love them. The last time I owned an M1000 was about ten years ago but – so often is the case – sold it to fund something else. I have always regretted this and it is magnified every time I try out someone’s M1000. I try to convince myself that I have gone down the 149 route and have nailed my colours to the mast, however there is that little voice coming through the ethers, telling me I really should get an M1000 as well.
To answer the question this blog post posed, we have both the Xbox and PlayStation in our household. I am slowly reaching the conclusion that this analogy will be applied to an M1000!
My question to you dear reader is, Xbox or PlayStation…or both?!
