What Kind Of Nib Is This ?

[Dr. Eriko]

Hello .

I just found one MB 149, but the Iridium ball is something weird, it looks like upside down, with a few iridium material in contact with the paper, and a lot of iridium material on the opposite side.

I have read about a few special ball rounded nibs , usually in the 146 tester box can find that special ball tipped nib, but I do not know if this ball tipped nib is also available for the MB 149.

Thanks for your help.

Regards

 

[Frank C]

That is an unusual nib. I will go check my MBs. I an also interested to see what others have to say.

[Mister Mont Blanc]

I have not heard of the Kugel nib on a 149, but even then, the tipping is usually equal all the way around (Kugel=ball). So the amount of iridium tipping on the bottom of the nib should be similar to the amount on the top and sides of the nib. I thought of two possibilities when I saw this nib. One is that it originally had tipping on the bottom of the nib but has been worn away due to heavy use, I have seen similar pictures on this formum of this. The second possibility I thought of was that the nib was incorrectly tipped at the time of manufacturing, this is also not unheard of. But I would think the original owner would not have settled for this quality when it was purchased.

[jar]

That looks to be an Arabic nib, thin vertical strokes and wider horizontal.

[jsolares]

that looks a lot like one of the 149 EF i have, except mine doesn't protude as much on the top side, and it does indeed have wider horizontal and thinner vertical strokes.

 

This is mine

[hari317]

Kugel nib IMO.

[Pen Nut]

I have had them that do seem to have an excess of material on the top of the nib but that does look way too much to be a manufacturing oversight....

[Barry Gabay]

Very nice photos, Dr. Eriko. Congratulations on your recent find. Lovely pen. I must agree with Hari about the nib likely being a K or Kugel nib. I have some photocopies of "fact sheets" Montblanc sent to its retailers in Jan 1953, Feb 1955, and Sept 1958. They all indicate that for the 149, as well as for all 140 and 250 series fountain pens, nibs were available in KEF, KF, KM, and KOB. These nibs were also available on the very expensive and less common 740 and 640 series pens. The writing samples for each nib suggest quite a wide line.

[Barry Gabay]

Just came across a copy of June 1962 catalogue which I didn't remember I had. It lists "Meisterstuck-Fullhalter im Diplomatenformat 149" (Masterpiece fountain pen in diplomat style 149 -- my translation) available with the following nibs: EF, F, M, B, BB, OF, OM, OB, OBB, O3B, and K.

 

No writing samples in this catalogue, so not sure what width the basic K is. My 252 has a K nib which writes as wide as a generous MB medium.

[Dr. Eriko]

Here I leave a couple of writing sample pictures.
The vertical down stroke is about 0.8 mm. The horizontal line is a little thinner.

Too narrow to be Broad,very thick to be Medium, but we already know that Montblanc tolerances are a couple of millimeters.
Actually this Tri tone 18C nib is not that "especially flexible" as you might expect, or me might expect.
I have a Bi tone 14C nib much more flexible than this tri tone 18C, even my 744N 14C wing nib is a lot much more flexible.
The flexibility of this tri tone 18C is almost comparable to my 114 Mozart or my Starwalker, which to my taste are almost as nails.

Probably this is just my personal perception, and that means that others may differ from my personal opinion.

Regards.

 

[Frank C]

Here I leave a couple of writing sample pictures.

The vertical down stroke is about 0.8 mm. The horizontal line is a little thinner.

Too narrow to be Broad,very thick to be Medium, but we already know that Montblanc tolerances are a couple of millimeters.

Actually this Tri tone 18C nib is not that "especially flexible" as you might expect, or me might expect.

I have a Bi tone 14C nib much more flexible than this tri tone 18C, even my 744N 14C wing nib is a lot much more flexible.

The flexibility of this tri tone 18C is almost comparable to my 114 Mozart or my Starwalker, which to my taste are almost as nails.

Probably this is just my personal perception, and that means that others may differ from my personal opinion.

Regards.

 

 

Do you know the approximate date of your pen's manufacture?

[Dr. Eriko]

 

Do you know the approximate date of your pen's manufacture?

Good question, I am not expert, but I think this nib is from 1952-1969, and the body configuration from 1969 -1975. Bought by the original owner between 1959 to 1971, he can not remeber exactly.

[Frank C]

Very nice photos, Dr. Eriko. Congratulations on your recent find. Lovely pen. I must agree with Hari about the nib likely being a K or Kugel nib. I have some photocopies of "fact sheets" Montblanc sent to its retailers in Jan 1953, Feb 1955, and Sept 1958. They all indicate that for the 149, as well as for all 140 and 250 series fountain pens, nibs were available in KEF, KF, KM, and KOB. These nibs were also available on the very expensive and less common 740 and 640 series pens. The writing samples for each nib suggest quite a wide line.

 

 

Just came across a copy of June 1962 catalogue which I didn't remember I had. It lists "Meisterstuck-Fullhalter im Diplomatenformat 149" (Masterpiece fountain pen in diplomat style 149 -- my translation) available with the following nibs: EF, F, M, B, BB, OF, OM, OB, OBB, O3B, and K.

 

No writing samples in this catalogue, so not sure what width the basic K is. My 252 has a K nib which writes as wide as a generous MB medium.

 

 

Good question, I am not expert, but I think this nib is from 1952-1969, and the body configuration from 1969 -1975. Bought by the original owner between 1959 to 1971, he can not remeber exactly.

 

So it is from the time when MB sold kugel nibs. It sounds like you have a nice find, there.

[Pen Nut]

My Kugel nibs always looked like a ball from any angle, this looks different like it has been nipped together at the point. Not a true kugel imo

[jar]

Here I leave a couple of writing sample pictures.

The vertical down stroke is about 0.8 mm. The horizontal line is a little thinner.

Too narrow to be Broad,very thick to be Medium, but we already know that Montblanc tolerances are a couple of millimeters.

Actually this Tri tone 18C nib is not that "especially flexible" as you might expect, or me might expect.

I have a Bi tone 14C nib much more flexible than this tri tone 18C, even my 744N 14C wing nib is a lot much more flexible.

The flexibility of this tri tone 18C is almost comparable to my 114 Mozart or my Starwalker, which to my taste are almost as nails.

Probably this is just my personal perception, and that means that others may differ from my personal opinion.

Regards.

 

Based on those pictures I agree it is likely a Kugel nib.