Montblanc 149 Skipping

[kennieken]

Hi all, after reading all the reviews about the gorgeous 149, I got myself one. Its the 90th anniversary edition the one with rose gold furniture. Its a gorgeous pen but it seems to be skipping at certain angles (im a lefty) especially on the upstrokes (picture nib pointing 45 deg downwards, doing a cross stroke towards the top right corner of the paper). Attached are some close ups I managed with my phone. I really would like to be able to solve this without sending it to mb as that will mean a few days without my pen so could anyone help and try diagnosing the problem? Im using montblanc mystery black ink (and would only try other inks as a last resort), have tried flushing the pen multiple times, tried writing in the skipping way on brown paper (the rough kind) and no use so far. I do tilt my pen a little when writing and maybe as this is an ef nib the sweet spot might be a little small but other fountain pens dont seem to give me this problem. Thanks alot for your help guys greatly appreciated!

 

(I cant seem to post pics now but will do so later. The nib seems perfectly aligned to me)

 

*edit: sometimes the pen does not write on its own weight, a little, but significant, force is required to be used in order for it to write

Edited May 16, 2014 by kennieken

[fountainbel]

Could be the nib tines are to close together.

Normally one should have a gap of 0.02/0.025 mm between the tines at the tip of the nib

Francis

[Vlad Soare]

tried writing in the skipping way on brown paper (the rough kind)

 

Don't! You might damage a perfectly good nib.

My first test would be to ask someone else to write a few lines with it. This would show whether the nib is really at fault, or it's because of the way you tilt the pen.

Edited May 16, 2014 by Vlad Soare

[chunya]

Could you take it into a local MB Boutique for them to see the problem first hand?

[kennieken]

Hi guys thanks for the feedback. Upon further writing I think it might be a feed problem as when I draw long straight lines on the downstroke there is some skipping. Guess I have no choice but to send it to the service center? Thanks for the help anyway!

[pmhudepo]

When flushing the pen, have you tried luke-warm water with a drop of dish washing soap? And possibly a bit of ammonia added to it, diluted roughly 1:10? That should work better than using just cold water.

[WilsonCQB1911]

I know this issue! I'm a lefty and had the same problem with my 90th 149. Exactly what you describe. I took it to a nib tech. He replicated the issue and said that I had a bit of baby bottom. He recommended doing nothing but writing it in. Just write. After a couple of weeks of writing with it exclusively it disappeared.

 

If in the meantime you want to mask the issue, use a wet ink. With the increased flow you won't notice as much.

[kennieken]

Oh I see okay will give it a try! Did yours skip if you made long downstrokes? Thanks alot!!

[WilsonCQB1911]

Oh I see okay will give it a try! Did yours skip if you made long downstrokes? Thanks alot!!

Mine would hard start and skip on up strokes. But I hold my pen as a left handed overwriter. So the nib is actually pointing to the right.

[kennieken]

Oh okay thank you it seems like exactly the same problem. Thanks alot!!

[TheModernGent]

I know this has been answered but, I'm a lefty too and I had the same problem (with another pen) and it went away after 3 or 4 days of writing with it. Now it's my one of my best pens and writes beautifully. Hope it works out for you in a few days, keep us posted

[DecafAmericano]

I also want to encourage you to use a wetter ink and write with your pen for a few weeks - and a few refills - after you have rinsed it out a few times.

 

I have been finding that new pens, esp. MBs, will be hard starters, skip, and just perform poorly right out of the gate until everything is well saturated with a wetter ink and had the chance to rid itself of the chemicals involved in the assembly of the pen parts.

 

I have found Private Reserve to be a very inexpensive, common but perfect ink for these new pens. Good luck!

 

Please let us know how this goes!

[kennieken]

Thank you guys so much for your help I really think its a baby bottom like what some of you mentioned its still skipping a little but its much much better today after a very long writing session.

 

its still skipping but im pretty sure as I write more the problem will dissappear. Once again thanks so much guys!!

[meiers]

Thank you guys so much for your help I really think its a baby bottom like what some of you mentioned its still skipping a little but its much much better today after a very long writing session.

 

its still skipping but im pretty sure as I write more the problem will dissappear. Once again thanks so much guys!!

I would send it in for service. MB can and should take care of this.

The pen is under warranty.

Edited May 18, 2014 by meiers

[Fabienne]

you pay that much for a pen you are entitled to have a pen which writes. Send it to the service center.

[kennieken]

Hi guys thanks for all the advice so far. I just had it looked at by a nib master yesterday and there was nothing wrong with the nib apart from some paper fibers in the nib, but when I got it brand new it was also skipping. So I guess I will be sending it back to montblanc for servicing!

[georges zaslavsky]

rince the pen with water or herbin's flushing solution and then try to fill it with a not so saturated ink normally it should work

[arran]

I know this issue! I'm a lefty and had the same problem with my 90th 149. Exactly what you describe. I took it to a nib tech. He replicated the issue and said that I had a bit of baby bottom. He recommended doing nothing but writing it in. Just write. After a couple of weeks of writing with it exclusively it disappeared.

If in the meantime you want to mask the issue, use a wet ink. With the increased flow you won't notice as much.

Exactly what I did with a very smooth writing conway M nib

[_Stormin_]

My 146 was a champ right out of the gate, but I've had some in the past that were a pain initially which wrote great after a week or two. Honestly, losing my pen to the service center for a couple of months was a LAST resort, not the first solution.

 

Give a wet ink a shot and give her a couple of weeks of exclusive use. If the issue persists, send it off to the service center and you're no worse off. The warranty isn't "thirty days from purchase," or something absurd. You have time... I'd hazard a guess that in two or three weeks time the issue is gone and you're left with a fantastic pen.

[TLMG]

Hi all, after reading all the reviews about the gorgeous 149, I got myself one. Its the 90th anniversary edition the one with rose gold furniture. Its a gorgeous pen but it seems to be skipping at certain angles (im a lefty) especially on the upstrokes (picture nib pointing 45 deg downwards, doing a cross stroke towards the top right corner of the paper). Attached are some close ups I managed with my phone. I really would like to be able to solve this without sending it to mb as that will mean a few days without my pen so could anyone help and try diagnosing the problem? Im using montblanc mystery black ink (and would only try other inks as a last resort), have tried flushing the pen multiple times, tried writing in the skipping way on brown paper (the rough kind) and no use so far. I do tilt my pen a little when writing and maybe as this is an ef nib the sweet spot might be a little small but other fountain pens dont seem to give me this problem. Thanks alot for your help guys greatly appreciated!

 

(I cant seem to post pics now but will do so later. The nib seems perfectly aligned to me)

 

*edit: sometimes the pen does not write on its own weight, a little, but significant, force is required to be used in order for it to write

 

This is a problem I had with my first 149. I returned it after they sent it to service two times and couldn't fix the problem. The 149 I have now is the opposite: it writes TOO well under BARELY any weight. Extremely wet lines :-(

 

You and I are doomed.