Non-Boutique Mb Service Repairs, Nyc Or Generally

[peterb]

i had a 146 off ebay with damaged piston and tried to take it to MB boutique for repair/evaluation, but their quote was way to high or they may have even refused to do any work. what generally is an alternative for someone who does not have the time/tools etc to attempt a diy. is there a middle ground?

[Chrissy]

Montblanc service level 1 that will cover a replacement piston, plus any other associated parts that need replacement, such as feeder case and barrel, costs approximately $70 in the US.

 

I doubt you will find anyone who can do it for less.

[jar]

Brad Torelli can likely fix it for only slightly more than Montblanc.

[Chrissy]

Brad Torelli can likely fix it for only slightly more than Montblanc.

 

Does he replace the parts with new ones or just fit a new piston?

[jar]

 

Does he replace the parts with new ones or just fit a new piston?

Brad would likely just machine new parts.

[Chrissy]

Brad would likely just machine new parts.

 

Wow. For $70 that seems like good value. I would still prefer to send my pen to Montblanc though.

[jar]

 

Wow. For $70 that seems like good value. I would still prefer to send my pen to Montblanc though.

I would as well. You just can't beat Montblanc's level one service deal.

[empliau]

N=1, but when I sent my pen to Montblanc to replace a broken barrel, they also, without asking me, replaced my ebonite feed with plastic. There was nothing wrong with the feed. The pen has sentimental value, so I wish they hadn't. Brad will be transparent about what he could, should, and will (with your authorization) do.

[penparadise]

 

Wow. For $70 that seems like good value. I would still prefer to send my pen to Montblanc though.

 

+1

[penparadise]

i had a 146 off ebay with damaged piston and tried to take it to MB boutique for repair/evaluation, but their quote was way to high or they may have even refused to do any work. what generally is an alternative for someone who does not have the time/tools etc to attempt a diy. is there a middle ground?

 

Peter,

what did the Montblanc boutique ask for the repair?

[peterb]

i don't recall, but if it were $70 i would have had no reservations. this shop generally is not so pen friendly, even when you go there to buy le inks, they tell you they reserve those inks for people who buy the affiliated pens. they seem under pressure to hawk all their high end products. i will try them again i suppose, just came across the pen again in a draw recently. Generally been using my 149 at home for writing, so no urgency.

 

i was also a bit hesitant because i bought the pen second hand and had no receipts etc. but then again it is a 20-year old pen. suppose i'll give it another go at the boutique then. thanks for the advice!

Edited February 23, 2017 by peterb

[RoSpectre]

i had a 146 off ebay with damaged piston and tried to take it to MB boutique for repair/evaluation, but their quote was way to high or they may have even refused to do any work. what generally is an alternative for someone who does not have the time/tools etc to attempt a diy. is there a middle ground?

 

I received an ebay 149 with broken piston, and it also needs a tune up as flow or nib is bad (after I filled it eye-dropper style for a test). Luckily seller was a good guy and refunded some of the cost, so I'm wondering whether I should use that refund towards MB service, or buy a piston unit on ebay. I may resell the whole pen if I can't decide or don't want to risk it, so that's option #3 for a non-sentimental pen. I too am wary of asking them to repair a second hand pen, but it shouldn't be that way.

 

The problem is spare parts on ebay are terribly priced... for example I've seen a used 146 piston unit recently for about $100USD, which could be more than your repair quote? Not that swapping parts on your own is a cakewalk, either, not without the "precious wrench", anyway.

 

In the end, $70USD for MB service wouldn't be bad, but you think your quote was higher? Does anyone know if boutique repairs are more expensive than service center repairs because of convenience or some other silly reason? Or does the boutique basically ship it out to the repair center anyway?

 

If your boutique is full of snobs, send it direct to the repair center in Texas... they may be more reasonable.

Edited February 23, 2017 by RoSpectre

[peterb]

it was a while ago that i visited the boutique. i think the issue was more that it had taken a while for them to estimate the cost of the repair and potentially i would be liable for significantly more than $70 if i agreed to have it serviced by them. also, they seemed to have experience only with fully covered warranty repairs. like i said, much more aware of their other luxury wares rather than the nitty gritty of fountain pens.

 

i will give it another go at the shop. or perhaps consider shipping it to wherever the us repair center is myself to eliminate retail middlemen. $70 is a no-brainer. i have had excellent experiences getting my lamy's repaired for no fee other than cost of shipping, or in the case of a damaged nib, less than $100.

[jar]

it was a while ago that i visited the boutique. i think the issue was more that it had taken a while for them to estimate the cost of the repair and potentially i would be liable for significantly more than $70 if i agreed to have it serviced by them. also, they seemed to have experience only with fully covered warranty repairs. like i said, much more aware of their other luxury wares rather than the nitty gritty of fountain pens.

 

i will give it another go at the shop. or perhaps consider shipping it to wherever the us repair center is myself to eliminate retail middlemen. $70 is a no-brainer. i have had excellent experiences getting my lamy's repaired for no fee other than cost of shipping, or in the case of a damaged nib, less than $100.

The US repair center is in Texas and they can be contacted to set up shipment. They are good folk to work with.

[CS388]

it was a while ago that i visited the boutique. i think the issue was more that it had taken a while for them to estimate the cost of the repair and potentially i would be liable for significantly more than $70 if i agreed to have it serviced by them. also, they seemed to have experience only with fully covered warranty repairs. like i said, much more aware of their other luxury wares rather than the nitty gritty of fountain pens.

 

i will give it another go at the shop. or perhaps consider shipping it to wherever the us repair center is myself to eliminate retail middlemen. $70 is a no-brainer. i have had excellent experiences getting my lamy's repaired for no fee other than cost of shipping, or in the case of a damaged nib, less than $100.

 

There's not really a middle-man, for this situation. It's all top end stuff, or DIY.

 

I'd skip the boutique and follow Jar's route to Texas. Ask for a quote, before any work is taken out.

As long as your nib isn't damaged, I'd expect quotes to be at the basic service levels.

 

Good luck.

[elenita]

Reading these posts, it looks like going to the repair center in Texas might be your best bet. That said, since you asked about the NYC area specifically, you could drop by the Fountain Pen Hospital near Wall Street and see what they can do for you. Although I've never gone to them with a fountain pen, they were helpful in fixing my mom's Montblanc rollerball a few years ago.

 

Good luck, no matter what route you take! A 146 is too special to not write with!