Thinking Of Finally Taking The Plunge

[Bexinthecity247]

Anyone know if this is a good MB pen for a beginner?

 

http://www.montblanc.com/en-gb/collection/writing-instruments/meisterstueck/112676-meisterstueck-red-gold-classique-fountain-pen.html - if anyone can send me some writing samples or some reviews cos I couldn't find any from just searching the name (unless I'm being dumb).

 

Thanks

[jar]

That's a nice smaller MB and the only issue I know of is that there have been some complaints about the durability of the rose gold plating.

[Doug1426]

Just a suggestion, but you might consider purchasing one that is previously owned...it can be significantly less expensive. And in the yellow gold/black, rather than the rose gold if you are looking to make an initial entry.

[Bexinthecity247]

Just a suggestion, but you might consider purchasing one that is previously owned...it can be significantly less expensive. And in the yellow gold/black, rather than the rose gold if you are looking to make an initial entry.

Hi there thank you for your suggestions - is this the gold plated one you mean? http://www.montblanc.com/en-gb/collection/writing-instruments/meisterstueck/106514-meisterstueck-classique-fountain-pen.html

 

I shall start looking online for second hand ones - any places that are better than others? I'm not keen on eBay tbh.

[jar]

The current Classique (Montblanc has used that name on several different models) is a 145. Often you can find a very, very nice 146 or even a 149 for less than the price of a new 145.

[Monbla]

Personaly I don't have nor would I buy ANY MB made after 1970 which is when they started making pocket jewelry not writing instruments. Instead of bi-colored gold nails for nibs, most of the older MBs came with 14 and 18k nibs which had some flex and feeling to them and gave ones writing some character !! One series that you can find is the 2xx series of pens from the '50s . Here's a 256 I have with a beautifuly soft flexible 14k winged nib and this pen is about the size of the pen you have been looking at though it is a piston filler and holds probably twice as much ink as the convertor of the newer pen you are looking at, Price wise, most would be less than a new one !

 

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh215/michaelintexas/Fountain%20Pens/2563_zps4b0d8759.jpg

Edited September 26, 2016 by Monbla

[Rowbo]

Hi Bexinthecity247 (if I may call you just Bex, as it sounds less formal) I feel I must draw your attention to some oddities in the Montblanc naming of this pen.

 

The Classique has previously been known as the '145' and appeared with a music CD as the 'Chopin'.

 

To confuse matters further, the name 'Classique' has been recycled. It was previously used for the '144' - a slightly smaller and now discontinued pen, that may still be obtained secondhand. They are both cartridge/converter rather than piston fillers with ink windows i.e. the 146 (LeGrand) and even larger 149, also in the Meisterstuck range. The 147 Traveller (or Traveler, if from the US) is a cartridge-only, and similar size to the 146. To complete the set there is the tiny 114 Mozart.

 

Back to the 144 and 145. The 144 has a snap-on cap and a gold ring next to the nib (prone to corrosion), whereas the 145 has a screw cap. From pictures of them capped, when you cannot see these features, on the 144 the bottom cap ring is on the rim whereas the 145's is set back a small distance, like the 146, 147 and 149.

 

I managed to pick up a late model (resin, not celluloid), pristine 144 for a very reasonable price. I have also sold a 145 Classique for a friend (who bought it for his wife who did not want it!), in its box, and less than 6 months old, for half of what was paid for it.

 

If you can get to a boutique or authorised dealer to try the pens and nibs for size before buying new or secondhand, I would recommend doing so.

 

Know what it is you are buying (and who from) before parting with your cash. There are fakes out their, beware.

 

Edit: or get along to the London Pen Show this Sunday

 

HTH

Edited September 26, 2016 by Rowbo

[Bexinthecity247]

Hi Rowbo, (and others) bex is fine

 

I've looked at some of the older vintage models and have found a 252 From the 1950s for sale from an online retailer of vintage and classic pens. It looks like a good pen and the price is half of what j was looking at for a new 145. The reseller is Hepworth Dixon. Any one have any dealings with them?

[jar]

Hi Rowbo, (and others) bex is fine

 

I've looked at some of the older vintage models and have found a 252 From the 1950s for sale from an online retailer of vintage and classic pens. It looks like a good pen and the price is half of what j was looking at for a new 145. The reseller is Hepworth Dixon. Any one have any dealings with them?

No dealings with thye seller BUT ...

 

The 25x series was very nice with one pretty common flaw, the cap lips were known to develop cracks. The cap is a slip on type and the flex as it is capped and uncapped may have been the cause. The 252 is a small pen so get the capped and body only measurements before deciding. Half of a new 145 price does also sound somewhat near the high range in price for the 25x series.

[Bexinthecity247]

No dealings with thye seller BUT ...

 

The 25x series was very nice with one pretty common flaw, the cap lips were known to develop cracks. The cap is a slip on type and the flex as it is capped and uncapped may have been the cause. The 252 is a small pen so get the capped and body only measurements before deciding. Half of a new 145 price does also sound somewhat near the high range in price for the 25x series.

Yeah I'm reading about the cap crack problem with some trepidation :/ they have others from different ranges. There's a 146 for £270 which I'm really leaning towards

[Erik Dalton]

Yeah I'm reading about the cap crack problem with some trepidation :/ they have others from different ranges. There's a 146 for £270 which I'm really leaning towards

You're getting the idea now Bex. Buying a Montblanc is a big move. The pen and nib have to be right for you and how you intend to use it, also, because it will last you a lifetime.

Keep reading the threads here. Soon you will know what models to look for and common flaws to be aware of.

The big question is modern or vintage. That's a personal choice. Flex nib or semi nail, piston fill or converter/cartridge.

The 146 and 149 are the workhorses of the line. They are piston fill and can take everyday use. One is a fat pen and the other a medium diameter. They can both be obtained pre owned at much less than the cost of a new 145.

[Erik Dalton]

Here is a 146R and a 149 that I just finished rebuilding. I buy them pre owned, tear them down completely, replace any worn parts and they are ready to go. There has to be someone in the uk that does this as well.

[Erik Dalton]

Oops forgot the pix..lol

[Erik Dalton]

Try again. This uploaded is not being kind to me today.

[Bexinthecity247]

Thanks for your help guys.

 

I had a lengthy discussion about the one I saw on Hepworth and Dixon and went ahead and bought the 146 in excellent condition for £270. I had extra money left over from my holiday and was going to buy an additional Tiffany necklace for £250 so it's only a bit more than that.

[Erik Dalton]

Good for you..enjoy

[Bexinthecity247]

Thanks sadly the pen comes tomorrow but I have to wait for my order of ink to come probably next week.

[Bexinthecity247]

Also it's a 1980s model cos I liked the idea (and price!£) of a vintage one.

[Erik Dalton]

1980's is fine. They are built like a tank. If it has been refurbished, and inspected, it should last you a very long time. You'll get a lot of pleasurable writing out of that pen.

I stopped by the Hepworth and Dixon site. It looks like they know what they're doing.

Let us know how the new pen works out.

[pavoni]

Congratulations on your new pen Bex, and on your excellent decision. Welcome to the Club.

 

I bought my MB 145 'Hommage a Chopin' (complete with fancy box and CD), when it first came out. Wonderfully reliable pen that served me well. However, my (first) MB 146 proved to be a completely different instrument, such that my trusty MB 145 was quickly relegated to the subs bench.

 

I would have thought it virtually impossible to go wrong with a MB146, particularly when you factor in all the help and support that is available to you here on the FPN, should you need it. And, if for some very strange reason you don't get on with the pen , I would have thought that you would find it far easier to find a buyer for a 1980s MB 146 than for the modern MB 145. Great choice. I hope tomorrow comes quickly for you

 

Once you become acquainted, please let us know what sized nib you have, what ink you will use for your new pen, and whether you will purchase a case for it. Oh, and a small writing sample always goes down well here!

 

Pavoni.