First Vintage Pen - 146. Need Help!

[luckduck369]

I finally made the move to buy my first vintage MB - a 146. My pen has got celluloid body, yellow ink window, and telescoping piston. I hope I correctly categorized my pen as a vintage piece. I bought this pen at our community wide garage sale and paid a reasonable price for it. 146 and OM - is engraved on the turning nob (could someone tell me the dash after OM means?). The pen writes smooth and pretty flexible. The piston moves very smooth as well, as smooth as the new pen I bought about a month ago.

 

However, for a pen that is at least twice as old as me, I do have a few questions.

 

1. The clip does not seem like the original clip. I tried to fit this clip on my classique sized rollerball, it seems a bit big. So which pen this clip should fit? Most importantly, where can I find a clip that fits the 146?

 

2. The cap rings are a bit loose. They tend to move around and up-and-down a bit. Any suggestions to take care of this issue?

 

3. From my research, the nib should be a bi-tone gold nib. However my pen has got 14C on it. But it looks like a monotone. When I look at this pen outside, I can see a hint of silver color. I would assume that the previous owner buffed the coating off. Can I conclude that the pen is an original pen instead of a franken pen?

 

I have attached a few pictures. Sorry about my dirty patio table since our winter was just over.

 

Thanks everyone in advance.

 

[bluujeanz]

I see a few red flags here... I'll put in my two cents and await other comments from more experienced members. I am very detailed oriented when it comes to purchasing pre owned Montblanc writing instruments. In this industry and this day in age you have to know exactly what you are looking at / for. First red flag... obviously the clip. Huge red flag due to the fact it is obviously not the correct clip. Second red flag... The three gold rings around the cap. They should not be raised off the clip that high. Third red flag... The actual engraving around the center gold band on the cap, looks a little off to me. Fourth and most important red flag.... The nib. The nib should not be flaking with silver under the gold?! A MB nib a monotone gold nib is GOLD, not plated.... my recommendations... try the led light trick behind a hallowed section of the resin body. It should glow a dark red. Hold a strong magnet to the nib. If the nib reacts to a magnet it is unfortunately fake. However I do not have an exact answer. I would do a few tests. Light and magnet test. First and foremost

[playtime]

this link may help:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/197605-montblanc-meisterstuck-146-1940s-1970s-including-the-rare-transitional-model/

 

also, can you take a pic of the feed?

 

sometimes, celluloid can shrink - and therefore explain the looseness of the rings. OM should mean oblique medium.....and to my eye it does look like a "Left Foot"-ed nib. Were this a fake, it would seem odd to choose an Oblique nib for the deception.............

 

 

[luckduck369]

I see a few red flags here... I'll put in my two cents and await other comments from more experienced members. I am very detailed oriented when it comes to purchasing pre owned Montblanc writing instruments. In this industry and this day in age you have to know exactly what you are looking at / for. First red flag... obviously the clip. Huge red flag due to the fact it is obviously not the correct clip. Second red flag... The three gold rings around the cap. They should not be raised off the clip that high. Third red flag... The actual engraving around the center gold band on the cap, looks a little off to me. Fourth and most important red flag.... The nib. The nib should not be flaking with silver under the gold?! A MB nib a monotone gold nib is GOLD, not plated.... my recommendations... try the led light trick behind a hallowed section of the resin body. It should glow a dark red. Hold a strong magnet to the nib. If the nib reacts to a magnet it is unfortunately fake. However I do not have an exact answer. I would do a few tests. Light and magnet test. First and foremost

Thanks for your comments and concerns. I really like your attention to detail.

 

I think I can address your concerns myself. 1) I know the clip is not original, that's why I am asking suggestions for a replacement in my first question. 2) the cap rings are loose, that's why it looks like they sit a bit high. And I am asking for a solution in my second question. 3) and 4) I am sure this is an authentic pen. It is a celluloid body rather than the modern resin pens. I am 99.99% sure the nib is real. The original nib on this pen is two-tone, with iridium plate in the middle area. The silver thing you see used to be on top of the gold. In my third question, I want to make sure this nib used to be a two-tone nib by looking at the silver color residuals on the nib.

 

Hope I addressed your concerns.

[playtime]

How far are you from the Chicago area? The Chicago Pen Show is this Friday, and would be a good place to search out the parts you need......

 

 

 

Thanks for your comments and concerns. I really like your attention to detail.

 

I think I can address your concerns myself. 1) I know the clip is not original, that's why I am asking suggestions for a replacement in my first question. 2) the cap rings are loose, that's why it looks like they sit a bit high. And I am asking for a solution in my second question. 3) and 4) I am sure this is an authentic pen. It is a celluloid body rather than the modern resin pens. I am 99.99% sure the nib is real. The original nib on this pen is two-tone, with iridium plate in the middle area. The silver thing you see used to be on top of the gold. In my third question, I want to make sure this nib used to be a two-tone nib by looking at the silver color residuals on the nib.

 

Hope I addressed your concerns.

[luckduck369]

How far are you from the Chicago area? The Chicago Pen Show is this Friday, and would be a good place to search out the parts you need......

 

 

I am about 3 hours away. I have already booked hotel for the show but an unexpected event happened that I can't attend the pen show. It would be my first pen show experience if I could go.

[AndrewC]

Good chance of cap shrinkage,especially if the cap rings are loose. Someone may have used a clip with a smaller ring if the clip ring sticking out bothered them. Nib looks like it was buffed until the the plating was gone. (Who goes to the trouble to counterfeit a 14C OM nib?) Not a Frankenpen probably. As playtime says, if you can hit the show, explain you are fairly new to the hobby to someone with MB parts and ask them for help. Just about anyone at the show will be happy to help, especially those that recently come to the hobby.(Well, that has been my experience in the past.) Mind sharing what you paid? It is always fun to see others good luck, even if we get a little envious.

[provis]

Not a frankenpen.

 

The rings are loose because the cap has shrunk. You will need to swag them so they are tight again. Mr Francis Goosens will be able to help.

 

As for the clip, I can't say with absolute certainly without a frontal picture but I'm pretty certain it's original.

 

50s 146 are smaller than today's 146, but larger than classique. Dimensions are all different. You can't compare apples with oranges.

 

If the clip ring is flush with the star dome, it should be alright.

 

For the nib, the silver/rhodium masking is probably worn. But it's 100% original, and the best part of owning a celluloid pen.

 

As for the markings beside the OM, no one knows for sure what they stand for. There's a thread here that shows off these engravings -- dashes, arrows, dots etc.

[Pelikan Vera]

I agree with Provis and congratulations on one of MBs greatest pens ever produced to the OP.

[luckduck369]

AndrewC, Provis, and Pelikan Vera, thanks for your inputs. I start to have a warm feeling about the pen now.

 

When the piston needs a service, I will definitely send the pen to Francis to have all the problems addressed. For now, I think I want to enjoy writing with the pen for a bit longer.

Edited April 29, 2014 by luckduck369