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Montblanc 420


Philips

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Introduction

This is my first ever fountain pen review and I've chosen to review the Montblanc 420. I've collected a few of Montblanc's lower end fountain pens from the 1960s and 1970s over the past two years. Many of their pens from that time have an understated style and they seem to be lovely, reliable, everyday writers. The Montblanc 420 was manufactured in the early 1970s, I have read that it was introduced in 1968 but I haven't been able to confirm that. This pen was spotted on an internet auction site last weekend and I rather liked the shape of the nib and thought it would be a fine addition to my small collection. I won the pen and it arrived yesterday on a cold, snowy, morning. The pen was well wrapped up inside a cardboard box by the seller. The pen was described as being in good condition but not mint, I certainly wasn't disappointed, there are no chips, cracks or bad marks. There are only a few light scratches, the patina of a well used pen. My first job was to clean the pen and it was flushed several times in cool water, removing a fair bit of old ink. It was left to dry overnight and was then filled with Lamy blue-black ink.

 

http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/yy318/Philips1209/2010_1205-MB420a.jpg

 

http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/yy318/Philips1209/2010_1205-MB420b.jpg

 

Appearance & Design (7/10)

The Montblanc 420 has a very plain appearance, it is simple and elegant. It has a black plastic (acrylic perhaps) body and slip-on cap with a gold coloured clip and a single gold coloured band at the open end of the cap. The gold coloured band bears the inscription, "MONTBLANC 420 GERMANY". The fine scratches on its barrel and cap will polish out at some point in the future. The cap and the barrel carry Montblanc's famous white logo.

 

Construction & Quality (8/10)

Despite being a well used 35 to 40 year old plastic pen it still feels solid, there are no loose parts that you might worry about if you were using it as an everyday pen. The cap slips on very securely, retained by a split metal ring incorporated into the dark-grey coloured translucent ink window. The split metal ring has three small loops which snap over a thin hoop on the inside of the cap holding it firmly - no worries about the cap coming loose if you were to carry the pen clipped into a shirt pocket for instance. The ink window is translucent and a low ink level is visble although I find it a little more difficult to see the level in comparison with the blue coloured window on my other Montblancs. The threads on the barrel and section are still in excellent condition and the two screw together securely.

 

Weight & Dimensions (7/10)

This isn't a large fountain pen, 135mm capped and 148mm posted. The body is slim, the barrel's maximum diameter is 11mm. Although I haven't physically weighed the pen, it is as you would expect with a plastic pen, quite light. The pen's dimensions suit me, they may not be to everyone's liking. The pen feels better balanced when the cap is posted, my preference however is to write unposted.

 

Nib & Performance (7/10)

The nib is gold plated steel and has a simple streamlined shape with only a slit and no breather hole, it is not elaborate. The nib on this pen is an oblique-medium and it has a little flex. It is quite a wet writer and, once you have rotated the body of the pen in your hand to find the nib's 'sweet-spot', rather pleasent to write with, it feels smooth and there is very little 'tooth'. I do not have any experience of higher-end Montblanc nibs, or other makes for that matter, so I realise that my description of the nib's feel is subjective.

 

http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/yy318/Philips1209/2010_1205-MB420c.jpg

 

Filling System & Maintenance (8/10)

The pen is a piston filler, a knob at the top of the barrel rotating a helix along which the piston travels up and down the barrel. The mechanism is smooth to operate, there is no 'slop' or play in it and the pens draws in a good quantity of ink on the first fill. I haven't measured the quantity of ink per fill. I have not completely disassembled the section or the filling mechanism, mostly through fear of damaging something. The pen seems easy to flush and I feel that even without dismantling the section and feed it can be cleaned sufficently.

 

Cost & Value (7/10)

I paid around £50 for this pen which is perhaps a little high for this low-end 'economy' Montblanc. I am not disappointed though and feel that you get a good quality German pen that will still last many more years yet.

 

Conclusion (Final Score 44/60 - 73%)

These are lovely pens and I think they would make an interesting alternative to some of the more modern 'student' fountain pens. They are solidly built and I don't think you would have any qualms about using it as your everyday writer.

Edited by Philips
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Hello Philips

 

I am new to FPN and the world of FP's I have just bought a Mont Blanc pen which I am dying to use, but I bought it new to collect so I won't be using it until I have saved up to buy a used one. I have really enjoyed your review of the 420 having seen it previously and admired it. I love the very minimalist look with angler look around barrel, specially the nib.

 

I will now be looking for one of these pens.

 

And please post more reviews in the near future regarding some of the other Mont Blancs you get further time.

 

Cheers

 

Hand

Edited by hand
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congrats on your mb :thumbup:

Pens are like watches , once you start a collection, you can hardly go back. And pens like all fine luxury items do improve with time

 

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