Montblanc 149 Vs Montblanc 149!

[Uncial]

Just over a year ago I purchased a brand new Montblanc 149 and almost to the day I bought another one. Why? Well, they are somewhat different. I will get my bias out of the way first. While the 149 is not my favourite pen of all time (I appreciate a bit of bling) I do recognise that it is possibly the most perfect pen ever made. It is quality without being overly blingy. The size and balance (to me anyway) is perfect, the nib; a thing of beauty. The filling system, great. The first Montblanc I bought was a medium nib but I had a little fight to get it adjusted so that it was wetter as a writer (it skipped and dried a bit). The second one is a fine nib. So, one being new and the other being from the late 60's, I thought I'd have a bit of a face off to see which is best. Below is a list of the differences and similarities with a conclusion at the end that hopefully some may find helpful. I'm no expert, so if there are inaccuracies in this, please do correct them. Number 1 is the first one I bought (the modern one) and number 2 is the recent purchase (the late 60's model).

 

Nib.

1. Medium nib. Writes very wide for a medium, but I did have it adjusted for maximum wetness. It has a plastic feed with fins cut right across it. 18K gold with gold inner portion, then silver and then gold to the flanges. It is very firm but has a distinctive tooth that is very pleasing.

2. Fine nib. Writes nicely wet, but not overly so. It has a rounded ebonite feed that actually looks quite nice in comparison to the other, with fins either side. 14K gold with gold flanges only (maybe 'wings' is a better term than flange? Hopefully you know what I mean). The imprint on the nib seems more distinct and deeper to the eye on this one. It is soft and somewhat flexible. It's not quite a semi-flex but it is very pleasant to write with and provides nice line variation. It is very smooth and the distinctive 'toothless' is considerably less, although this may be more to do with age and use. The nib appears to be slightly wider (at the widest point), but sadly I lack the precision instrument to measure this, so it may be a trick of the eye.

 

Cap & Barrel.

1. The gold furniture is bright, the imprint on the cap band is crisp with the 'Pix'. The cap has the snow peak. There is a gold ring at the piston nob. There are six rings for the screw on cap. The ink window is slightly smoked in appearance and not always easy to see the ink inside. The point where the nib meets the barrel has a flat section of one piece with two rectangular holes opposite each other and a matt collar up onto the barrel.

2. The gold furniture is somewhat dulled, which is to be expected of an older pen and the imprint on the cap band seems a little less crisp (although this may be age and wear) and there is no 'Pix'. The snow peak, to the eye at least, seems to be a fraction larger. The gold ring at the piston nob, again to the eye only, seems a tiny hair thinner. There are six rings for the screw on cap but they are placed much closer together, therefore less noticeable under the fingers when writing and there is a fine line directly underneath them. There is a tiny touch of play to the cap and barrel, but again this could be age and wear, but it's not significant enough to worry about. The ink window is very bright and clear, seems a little fraction longer and the faceting is much easier to see. The ink inside is clearly visible. The point where the nib and feed meet the barrel appears to have a cut section parallel to the nib and feed (possibly made of two parts?) and there is no collar, but there is a ridge on the barrel at the end of the grip.

 

Filling System.

1. The piston mechanism is brass and feels sturdy and a small bit stiff. You can't really see the piston moving in the barrel through the ink window even when doing a flush to change inks. It adds a good bit of weight to the back of the pen, but not so much as to annoy me in any way.

2. The piston mechanism is black plastic and very smooth and easy to use. There is no stiffness and while it seems perfectly fine it does not feel as 'sturdy'. You can clearly see the piston coming down the barrel through the ink window. The weight is notably less due to the plastic piston and when posted, the balance of the pen is about as close to perfection as you could get in my book.

 

Conclusion.

I love my modern 149, but the late 60's model (at least I think it is late 60's!) just tips it to the post. Aspects of it feel a little better. I much prefer the softer nib and find the appearance of the nib a bit more satisfying, especially with the nice looking ebonite feed. The line variation and spring make it more interesting to use. The weight of the older model is perfection to me. Both of these pens are great and I would have no problem recommending it, but if you were looking to get a 149, I think I would strongly advise looking for a good older model. It is possible to get one at a quarter of the price of a new one with a bit of patience and a thorough search through various channels and you would end up with a pen that is probably as close to perfect as one can get. Certainly if price is a concern - and it should be, for a new 149 is not an insignificant purchase - then the older model is the way to go. I prefer the fine nib and find that it is a true European fine. I hope that makes sense, but if not and by way of explanation; I find American 'fines' tend to be 'medium' and Asian 'fines' to be 'EF's'. The older 149 wins in my book.

 

 

[Doug1426]

Great review. Thanks for posting it for all to see.

[Oldparkerguy]

Thank you.

 

I've recently purchased a 149 med that has a perfect wetness, split feed, 14K, uninked in box with docs, W. Germany.

Like you I would like another.

I missed one yesterday by a hair that had a stub half way between a fine and a med That might have been perfect.

 

I enjoyed your review. Good council I think.

 

Dana

[zaddick]

Hi Uncial. The vintage pen you describe sounds more 1970s to me at the earliest. A picture of the feed and nib would help. If the barrel of the pen is two parts (around the ink window is where the two parts join), that past of the pen is from about 1985 to 89.

Edited January 14, 2016 by zaddick

[Uncial]

Thanks. I will try and get a close up. I only have my phone camera which isn't very good for that sort of thing, but I will see what I can get. As far as I can see the barrel isn't in two parts.

[Nathanb]

Thanks for sharing, excellent read

[Uncial]

I tried to get a picture of it, but when my camera is in focus the feed is too small in the picture to give enough detail. However, with a little searching I found this thread

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/291395-what-exactly-is-a-split-ebonite-feed/

If you go to post number 4, my nib is a bi-colour and the feed labelled 'round ebonite, grooves face'.It matches the picture for the single unit barrel, but it is not yellow(ed) but clear. I presume this makes it early 70's?

[zaddick]

I think early to mid 1970s is a good estimate given what you are saying. What matters is how happy you are with the pen. If you enjoy the nib definitely hold on to it. starting in about the 1980s the nibs started to be very stiff and moderns pens are pretty much nails. I like the older nibs from the 1950s to maybe early 1970s - the 14C and 18C tri-tone (gold, rhodium plating, and gold again).

 

I tend to buy pens with the grooved ebonite face feeds as the nibs have a better chance of having some flex. Of course, in chasing the perfect nib I now have too many. I'll be posting some for sale soon to thin the herd a little. They can be addictive.

 

I hope you enjoy both your 149s and they do not reproduce too often.

Edited January 15, 2016 by zaddick

[Uncial]

Thank you, I appreciate your help. I really enjoy both 149s but the older one feels a lot better and does have a pleasing spring and line variation. It's a tiny but scratched up but I have a three step Polish that I will apply. I very much doubt they will reproduce! I must be honest, I have been very fortunate these last two years and now have more than I ever dreamed I would manage to, but now sense must prevail and I will use and enjoy what I have and sell what I don't use. There won't be any MB'S in the sell list (sorry to disappoint) but I guess that says a lot for the quality and the craft of the brand.

[niksch]

Uncial, your description, as fine it is, leaves much uncovered. As Mr Zaddick states, it's difficult to nail down the timeframe of your 149s production without some photos of the pen. Good quality shots of the nib, the feed, the section and the piston ring are what I would look at first.