Montblanc is back with a new Great Characters Edition, this time featuring the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley.  Despite his roots in Gospel and Country music, his claim to fame was his distinctive voice, signature coiffure, flamboyant outfits, vocal “breaks” and hiccups (an influence from Country music which he incorporated) and of course, his stage presence and hip gyrations which stole teenage girls and women’s hearts the world over. But, more importantly, he was also responsible for yet another cultural turning point in history and pop culture, for breaking the barriers between Black and White music – back then, it was black musicians like Little Richard and the like, that sang Rock ‘n’ Roll while white musicians sang in the Country genre – to create his own brand of Rock ‘n’ Roll for which he was immortalised.

To commemorate this legendary singer, Montblanc has created a Special Edition inspired by his 1968 comeback concert, a Limited Edition 1935 as a tribute to his time in Las Vegas, and a Limited Edition 98 based on the “Aloha from Hawaii” concert broadcast via satellite to 1.5 billion people across 40 countries.

The Great Characters Elvis Presley Special Edition, crafted in black resin symbolises the colour of the leather suit he adorned for his 1968  NBC “Elvis TV Special”, which marked his return to the stage after being drafted to the army. Here, he presented his early Rock ‘n’ Roll hits unplugged for the very first time, which became one of his many career highlights. Enhanced with platinum-coated finishings, the rhomboid texture on the cap and barrel is inspired by the pattern on his gold ring that he had made for his “Aloha from Hawaii – via Satellite” live concert. Having owned over 300 models during his lifetime, which he usually gave as gifts, he had a particular fondness for V8 engines and the way they purred, and we see that incorporated into that gold-coated clip right here, represented by its V shape and 8-hole design. And, as with most Special Edition Montblanc pens, the details are always in the nibs, and for this particular Elvis-themed creation, you’d find a rhodium-coated Au 585 solid gold nib engraved with one of his hit songs, “Blue Suede Shoes.” The Elvis Presley Special Editions come as a fountain pen, rollerball, and ball point, at MYR 4,140, 3,515, and 3,230, respectively.

Next, the showstoppers (haha, pardon the pun) for this Elvis collection come in the form of 2 Limited Edition models. First up, the Montblanc Great Characters Elvis Presley Limited Edition 1935 fountain pen features one of his most flamboyant, and extravagant outfits. Yep, I’m talking about his white jumpsuit, also known as his “Aloha Eagle Suit” from 1973, with the bald eagle (the symbol of America), in the colours of the American flag, thus demonstrating his nationalistic pride. This iconic symbol is found on the pen’s cap, as a lacquered inlay inspired by his cape from his “Aloha from Hawaii” performance, with each of the 246 lacquer windows individually filled by hand in order to achieve this effect. You’d see the same V8 engine inspired on the clip, this time, in precious gold. On its rhodium-coated AU750 solid gold nib, you’d see “Jailhouse Rock” engraved on the Oh, but why 1935? Well, that’s because these pens pay homage to the year he was born, and as such, both the fountain pens and rollerballs are Limited to 1,935 pieces globally.

To complete this collection, this final pen, is once again inspired by is “Aloha From Hawaii” concert. The Great Characters Elvis Presley Limited Edition 98 also features the very same bald eagle from his costume, created using various layers of coloured lacquer inside a skeleton frame, with each individual dot then meticulously lasered out at different depths to create the different colours and intensities in colours. The cap top features a floating Montblanc emblem with gold dust beneath as a reference to his electrifying performance, and the little pillar in the centre of the dome is a reference to the “Aloha in Hawaii” concert. The barrel, too, has the same rhomboid pattern as all the other pens in the collection, with a quote “Elvis has left the building” in contrasting letters. Just like Elvis himself, this is a rather exxxxtra-looking Limited Edition pen and to complete the flamboyance, it’s finished off with an Au750 solid gold nib embellished with an engraving of his song, “Suspicious Minds”.

Now available at Montblanc boutiques and authorised retailers as well as their official website, this collection of Elvis writing instruments are certainly something a true blue fan would want to add to their collection of Elvis memorabilia. *mic drop*

Images courtesy of Montblanc