Montblanc Meisterstuck Pen. 72G Pencil Set

[SomersetSwan]

Hi,

 

I was generously gifted the below set and would love to restore / have it restored. I have done a basic pen restoration course with the UK Writing Equipment Society but recognise my capability currently runs to basic repairs and polishing etc with lever fills and button fillers. My knowledge is restricted to parker and Mabie Todd and know nothing about Montblanc (they were always out of my price range!)

 

Montblanc 136 Fountain Pen: 136 on the end piston knob. No visible markings. The barrel does apppear to be the see through kind but is very dirty at the moment.

 

The telescopic mechanism seems to work. It extends and retracts well. The seal is perished. How easy is it to replace a cork seal (I have seen on here advice on sealing it with wax etc). I have never done one before. Also, is the mechanism lubricated? If so, with what?

 

There is no cap clip. What type of clip would it have had and how easy is it to find one.

 

I would like to repay my friends generosity By writing a thank you note with the pen itself.

 

I have included photographs below.

]

[Michael R.]

Wow!

 

Looks rough now, but this can be brought back to former glory and it is worth it! It has lots of potential I think.

 

Would love to see the progress.

 

Can you do this by yourself?

 

Otherwise there a few people out there whom I would trust to do it for you.

 

Cheers

 

Michael

Edited June 5, 2020 by Michael R.

[niksch]

I echo Michael R's comment. This set is definitely worth restoration. I'm slightly jealous.

[Tom Heath]

A wonderful entry point into MB

well workk some bucks to restore

keep us advised as to your progress

TJ

[SomersetSwan]

Hi,

Thanks for chiming in guys. I guessed it was worth restoring and would love to use it. Can you date it to 1936, 37 or 38? Is it original with all parts correct? I assume it was a high end pen at the time but would be curious as to how much it would have cost then In relative terms to today. I would like to get a feel of what sort of person may have used it?

 

I have seen really great advice here on restoring a 136 (such as from Fountainbel), Is there a video on replacing a cork seal? Specifically, is there a trick on placing the cork seal on the piston so it is tight without breaking the cork?

 

I know I have lots of questions, but my maxim, like a doctor, is “do no harm”. Hence my cautiousness.

[iancorben]

Agree with others comments, totally.

 

I had a broken and sad looking MB 136 which I sent to Max at maxpens.de - and It is on its way back, and looking great. I see you are in the UK so sending to Germany is painless even at this time. ( My parcel landed back in the UK last night apparently...)

 

Your pen is from a golden age of pen design and production - I am happy to recommend Max as he was recommended to me, and given the fact it was a gift the €€s spent will be well worthwhile.

 

Let us see the after pictures if you do proceed.

 

Good luck!

[SomersetSwan]

Agree with others comments, totally.

 

I had a broken and sad looking MB 136 which I sent to Max at maxpens.de - and It is on its way back, and looking great. I see you are in the UK so sending to Germany is painless even at this time. ( My parcel landed back in the UK last night apparently...)

 

Your pen is from a golden age of pen design and production - I am happy to recommend Max as he was recommended to me, and given the fact it was a gift the €€s spent will be well worthwhile.

 

Let us see the after pictures if you do proceed.

 

Good luck!

Thanks for the recommendation Ian, I appreciate it.

[SomersetSwan]

Wow!

 

Looks rough now, but this can be brought back to former glory and it is worth it! It has lots of potential I think.

 

Would love to see the progress.

 

Can you do this by yourself?

 

Otherwise there a few people out there whom I would trust to do it for you.

 

Cheers

 

Michael

Michael, I have just seen your 136 pictures. Fabulous. Thank you for sharing them.

[Michael R.]

Max does great work on pens like this. So do Francis Goossens, Tom Westerich or Osman Sümer.

 

Best to chat with them and choose the one you feel the most comfortable.

 

All parts look original. But hard to tell if all parts are period correct. Montblanc pens from those darkest times come in so many variations and combinations of time.

 

It is not the original design (tie clip and raised cap band), not the wartime version without metal cap bands („cap bands“ only engraved in the celluloid), not the later versions (three cap bands, short ink window, short cap top, different clips, no D.R.P. Imprint) so I would put it just before or just after the wartime version.

 

The use of gold was not allowed anymore from for civil use from c. fall 1938. So first palladium and then steel nibs were used until c. 1945.

 

It looks like it has an early flat (without grooves) feed, long ink window and other features which are typical for earlier pens. So maybe it is from the transition of the original design model to the true wartime model.

 

I‘m curious what others think but I‘m also afraid that no one can put the real date on such pens. Even after the war supplies and old parts were used to put pens together at the factory from different periods.

 

However the 136 is one of my favorite pens!

 

Cheers

 

Michael

[Michael R.]

PS:

material of cap, "Montblanc Meisterstück" imprint on cap can give an indication of "early" or "later" also.

So you have seen this already?

Very similar to your pen (except that it has a medium length ink window and steel nib):

P1520894 by pensninks, auf Flickr

 

P1520891 by pensninks, auf Flickr

 

While this one is closer to the original design:

P1520872 by pensninks, auf Flickr

Cheers

 

Michael

Edited June 6, 2020 by Michael R.

[SomersetSwan]

Thank you Michael,

 

The more I read about it the more I love it, the addiction of the hobby!

[iancorben]

Really interesting Michael. I fell in love with this era of pens, not so good for the bank balance but boy do they look good.

I agree with Michael on dates, very difficult to be precise in what we can imagine was a chaotic time in the Hamburg pen manufacturing world! If not everywhere! Just imagine where yours and others pens have been over all those years.

 

Looking at a 1939 Montblanc catalogue as you mentioned cost, that shows 27 Reich Marks - that would have been a ‘luxury’ purchase in those times for sure - maybe google can help with comparison to today? I don’t know.

 

I posted some before pics of my MB 136 which turned into a little more than the feed but will be well worth it, and I will update that with ‘after’ pics when I receive it back.

Max explained the nib is an early 235 Type, which I must admit to needing to go do some research on, but essentially an early model and with the long window, hopefully some of the pictures help?

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/353600-anyway-i-took-pity-on-this-broken-136/?do=findComment&comment=4318793

[SomersetSwan]

 

Looking at a 1939 Montblanc catalogue as you mentioned cost, that shows 27 Reich Marks - that would have been a ‘luxury’ purchase in those times for sure - maybe google can help with comparison to today? I don’t know.

 

I posted some before pics of my MB 136 which turned into a little more than the feed but will be well worth it, and I will update that with ‘after’ pics when I receive it back.

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/353600-anyway-i-took-pity-on-this-broken-136/?do=findComment&comment=4318793

Hi Ian,

 

Many thanks for the info. Looking at the exchange rate it was 1 RM = 2.5 USD. So 27RM is $67.50 (I cant find UK rate). Back then a top of the range Parker Duofold Was $10!

[Michael R.]

Max explained the nib is an early 235 Type, which I must admit to needing to go do some research on, but essentially an early model and with the long window, hopefully some of the pictures help?

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/353600-anyway-i-took-pity-on-this-broken-136/?do=findComment&comment=4318793

I look forward to seeing the restored pen.

 

Yes, long window, imprinted cap, 235 nib, some HR parts are all early features. But not very early (like 36 - 38) bit more like 39, 40, ...maybe even one or two years later. First was 235 gold nib, followed by palladium nib, then steel and finally gold again after the war.

 

Cheers

 

Michael

Edited June 6, 2020 by Michael R.

[SomersetSwan]

I look forward to seeing the restored pen.

 

Yes, long window, imprinted cap, 235 nib, some HR parts are all early features. But not very early (like 36 - 38) bit more like 39, 40, ...maybe even one or two years later. First was 235 gold nib, followed by palladium nib, then steel and finally gold again after the war.

 

Cheers

 

Michael

Thank you Michael,

 

The nib is gold but not two tone, so is it a 235 nib?

[SomersetSwan]

Hi,

 

Well I asked Max @ Maxpens.de to restore them and they arrived back today. He has done a wonderful job. Thankfully, the 136 telescopic mechanism was fine so just a new cork seal; add in some gold plating and a period cap clip and it is fantastic.

 

Unfortunately, my handwriting does not do it justice, thankfully my wifes is better though she claims the pen as hers on those grounds I am not so sure about!)

 

Once again, a big thanks to Max for such a fantastic job.

[iancorben]

I had a parcel back from Max today too. He is busy!