Issues With Multiple 149S

[TripleOne]

Hello everyone,

 

I have been away from FPN for some time now. I have had issues with 6 149s in 2018, most of them had babys bottom (hard starts and skippings), and one was a little dry (tines too closed). I really love this pen but the issues I kept having made me gave up on it. I decided to just give it all away.

 

Jumping back to the present, I am currently in Tokyo and theres so many fountain pens here! So I went to Itoya and bought a 149 Yellow Gold in Medium. I miss the size and the prescense of the 149. After inking it and using it for an hour or two, I noticed that it is a little scratchy. The next day, I brought it back to Itoya and the pen care guy told me he does not have the tools to fix it, and that I should bring it to MB which will take 1 month. My sales assistant from the other day came over, and told me that they will replace it with a new pen. I was shocked! I wonder if MB boutique would have done the same thing.

 

It was all fine, until it started to skip on the first stroke. Im not sure if Im unlucky, or if Im holding the pen wrongly, or if its Montblancs fault. I never had issues with their 146s, Writer Edition, and Patron of Arts.

 

I will bring it back to Itoya tomorrow and see what theyll say. I have recorded a video of the pen having trouble starting. Do you think MB would replace it? Or will they send it for service (1 month?) I am only in Tokyo for 2 more weeks, but I already have plans on getting another 149 as a backup.

 

Please kindly let me know your thoughts on this matter.

 

Thank you for reading!

[zaddick]

Sounds like bad luck as you are not new to pens and writing with them. I could say to use pen flush to try to clean the pen out. Maybe they can do that? I am sure a repair person there will be able to do that at least. I have not experienced MB service in Asia at all, but in the US i would not expect them to offer to do much other than send the pen in for service. And a month might be a short estimate.

 

Any reason not to give up on a new 149 and buy one gently used with all issues sorted?

Edited February 27, 2019 by zaddick

[TripleOne]

Sounds like bad luck as you are not new to pens and writing with them. I could say to use pen flush to try to clean the pen out. Maybe they can do that? I am sure a repair person there will be able to do that at least. I have not experienced MB service in Asia at all, but in the US i would not expect them to offer to do much other than send the pen in for service. And a month might be a short estimate.

 

Any reason not to give up on a new 149 and buy one gently used with all issues sorted?

It must be bad luck.

I have tried cleaning the pens multiple times, and it’s still have the same issues. I’ll try and bring it to the store that I bought it from and see what they say.

 

To be honest, there’s something about going to the boutique and buying a brand new 149, it’s a great feeling!

[siamackz]

I only bought one MB brand new - Hertiage 1912. It didnt write. I inked and tried for days. Changed inks too. Would not write. I had to grind the nib to take off the insane babys bottom. Now its beautiful. It could be bad luck, but I guess the point is that it happens. If I were you I would send it to a nibmeister in the US because MB wont give you a fantastic custom tuning like a nibmeister will. To me its a worthwhile investment to have such an expensive pen working not at 70% or 80% but 100% of what it can

[TripleOne]

I have left it at the reliable hands of Tomoko at Montblanc Ginza.

It should be back in 3 weeks, definitely looking forward to it!

[gyasko]

If you read Japanese, here's a list of Pen Clinics in Japan. They'll take care of things like hard starting on the spot the next time you're having trouble with a pen.

 

 

http://ochanoshizuku.hatenablog.com/entry/2014/05/28/144845