New (To Me) 149 And Its Age

[hit2cho]

Hi folks! So I recently acquired a Montblanc 149. I've wanted one for quite some time, and I finally got my hands on one.

 

It is commonly known that piston MBs are rarely counterfeited, and upon looking/examining the pen, it seems legit. I went over to the MB boutique earlier today to pick up some ink and the clerk, while nice, had no idea that MB made pens without serial #s. Heck, she didn't know about the "W. Germany" on some, so I just asked her to show me a current 149 for me to compare.

 

So here's the dilemma I'm facing. I'm looking at the chart on dating 149s and some things don't quite add up.

 

Feed: it seems like my pen has a "late plastic" feed. (1996 to present). The underside of the feed (near the nib's tip) has an "A" on it.

 

Nibs: 14C bi-color (1973 to 1985)

 

Barrel Construction: 2-section barrel (1983 to present)

 

Piston Mechanism & Filler Threads: threaded mechanism & plastic threads (1968 to 1985)

 

The cap obviously has no serial number. The ring that holds the clip has "W.-Germany" . This "W.-Germany" is not on the same position where the newer MBs have the serial #, but instead on the back of the cap (opposite of the clip).

 

The cap screws on and off extremely smoothly.

 

At this point, I'm not quite doubting the authenticity of the pen. The nib is buttery, buttery smooth, flow is great, and the nib looks very beautiful. The nib appears to have no imperfections. Might one of the pen's owners have damaged the feed and sent it in for service, and MB replaced with a modern feed? Thoughts? Questions? Thanks all!

[zaddick]

Probably a barrel repair so you keep the old nib and clip and piston, but got a new barrel, feed, and maybe cap. Does not sound like anything to be concerned about. Pictures posted would help.

[hit2cho]

So, here are a few photos... And I included my 146 and a Sailor in one of the photos to show some folks the difference in sizes.

 

http://imgur.com/a/sMrcU

 

Probably a barrel repair so you keep the old nib and clip and piston, but got a new barrel, feed, and maybe cap. Does not sound like anything to be concerned about. Pictures posted would help.

[Brufen6OO]

I agree with zaddick, it's most likely that the pen has been repaired and had some parts replaced. Not to worry, enjoy the new pen!

[sd10521]

The W-Germany is the same as on my 149.

Enjoy the pen.