Jump to content

Early 149's ? Masterpiece Vs. Meisterstuck


tablaman

Recommended Posts

Hey everybody, I had a question regarding the early MB 149'S. In particular when purchasing the "silver band" models....What is the price variable when comparing the Meisterstuck band VS. the Masterpiece band ? Thanks in advance!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 11
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • niksch

    3

  • Barry Gabay

    3

  • jar

    1

  • tablaman

    1

In my experience, there is not much difference at all for two celluloid 149s of otherwise equal condition.

 

Hey everybody, I had a question regarding the early MB 149'S. In particular when purchasing the "silver band" models....What is the price variable when comparing the Meisterstuck band VS. the Masterpiece band ? Thanks in advance!!

Hard times don't last, but hard people do.

 

Thank a Veteran.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Among the celluloid models, "Masterpiece" seems more common than "Meisterstuck." According to post-war literature from MB, most pens were intended for export to the UK and North America in an attempt to earn hard currency for the devastated German economy. Thus, most pens were marked "Masterpiece," as they were intended for English-language speakers. Later came the "Meisterstuck" which would be recognized by German speakers. Lambrou's first book shows a German ad which reads in part: "These pens are for export only. Be patient and you will once again be able to purchase a Montblanc at home." Once, about 20 years ago, I saw a rare French-market 149 with "Chef d'Ouevre" engraved on the cap band. That phrase, of course, is French for Meisterstuck which is English for Masterpiece.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dear Barry,

 

With all due respect, I would beg to differ that "Masterpiece" came before "Meisterstuck" after the war. We know that L139G was being made before 149G pens for sure. The proof is 149G had L139G nibs. I have here a L139G with "Meisterstuck" on the ring that I sourced from Germany. I also have 3 149G pens here, which are the first model 149 pens, that have the Meisterstuck on ring. I have never seen a "Masterpiece" cap on a 149G.

 

Did the French 149 pen have a 18C nib with the guilloche M? That would really be special. The French export pens I have (144G and 146G) says "Fabrique de Allemagne" on barrel and have 18C nibs with the guilloche.

 

Jim

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Interesting commentary Jim. My hands on experience with 50s vintage 149s is that I have handled far more Meisterstück banded 149s than Masterpiece banded 149s. Of course, 30-38 pens is not a significant sample size, but I do agree on a couple of points. Please allow a snip or two of your post...

 

We know that L139G was being made before 149G pens for sure. The proof is 149G had L139G nibs.

 

That is a documented fact and I am also lucky to have a 149G with a 139 nib and corresponding nib marking on the turning knob. I have noticed that many of my other later model celluloid 149s do not have nib markings on the turning knob.

 

I have here a L139G with "Meisterstuck" on the ring that I sourced from Germany. I also have 3 149G pens here, which are the first model 149 pens, that have the Meisterstuck on ring. I have never seen a "Masterpiece" cap on a 149G.

 

I did have one about ten years ago, and regrettably sold it for another pen. I searched for some time tonight to find the photos, but cannot find them. N=1 is not a good sample, I'll admit, but it is what it is.

 

Did the French 149 pen have a 18C nib with the guilloche M? That would really be special. The French export pens I have (144G and 146G) says "Fabrique de Allemagne" on barrel and have 18C nibs with the guilloche.

 

Great question, and I would like to see photos of a "Chef d'Ouevre" 149. Maybe I would pay out the nose for one too? I'm a glutton for the very old 149s.

Edited by niksch

Hard times don't last, but hard people do.

 

Thank a Veteran.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello Jim, Thanks for your correction. I didn't mean to suggest that the Meisterstuck engraving did not appear until after WWII, just that it appeared after Masterpiece on the 140 series models. You know, if I'm remembering incorrectly, I'll stand corrected. I'm looking right now at my 642 and 644, both of which are marked "MONTBLANC Masterpiece." I don't recall the nib on the one French chef d'oeuvre, other than it was 3-tone. By "guilloche M," I assume you mean the engraved background to the circled M on the nib. I've seen that on a celluloid 149 I once owned as well as on pens owned by friends and acquaintances. It also appears on the nib of my 642 Masterpiece from the 1950s. Have also seem it on a 139 nib I once owned. As for the elusive celluloid French 149 with "chef d'oeuvre," it was brought to the Washington DC pen show years ago (when it was still held in Crystal City, Virginia) by an Asian collector who lived in Paris. It was purchased by a noted US collector. Hope this clears up my errors. But now I'm really curious about Masterpiece engraved on the 149s. Just dug out Lambrou's Fountain Pens: Vintage and Modern, and on p 171 he says the 142, 144, and 146 models were marked "Meisterstuck," but doesn't specifically describe the engravings on the first 149s which appeared 3 years later. I'm ready to be corrected. I'll second your question: Who has seen "Masterpiece" on a 149 cap band? Thanks again, Barry

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Barry,

 

With all due respect, I would beg to differ that "Masterpiece" came before "Meisterstuck" after the war. We know that L139G was being made before 149G pens for sure. The proof is 149G had L139G nibs. I have here a L139G with "Meisterstuck" on the ring that I sourced from Germany. I also have 3 149G pens here, which are the first model 149 pens, that have the Meisterstuck on ring. I have never seen a "Masterpiece" cap on a 149G.

 

Did the French 149 pen have a 18C nib with the guilloche M? That would really be special. The French export pens I have (144G and 146G) says "Fabrique de Allemagne" on barrel and have 18C nibs with the guilloche.

 

Jim

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There were some 149s which were exported to france and on which "chef d'oeuvre" and "fabriqué en allemagne" mentions where engraved. They all had 18c nibs, not to forget that there were some custom made silver and gold 149s that were made by artisans in France during the late 50's early 60's.

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

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll second your question: Who has seen "Masterpiece" on a 149 cap band? Thanks again, Barry

Barry,

 

I assume the question you posed was related to the very early 149s. The late 1950s 149 I have does have Masterpiece engraved on the middle cap band. The turning knob has 149 imprinted not 149G.

 

Mark

"None of us can have as many virtues as the fountain-pen, or half its cussedness; but we can try" Mark Twain (American Humourist, Writer and Lecturer. 1835-1910)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Guys, Thanks for the replies, especially Eric, Georges, & Mark. The question was not only posed to seek information, but also to check the competence of my memory. Having sold my celluloid 149s & 146s, I don't have any of the early ones to check. Glad to know that I really did own "Masterpiece" banded 149s and that I actually handled the "Chef d'Oeuvre" 149 at the DC show. Sometimes we need others to confirm what we believe we've experienced.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sometimes we need others to confirm what we believe we've experienced.

 

This is a statement that many here would do well to remember. I'm adding it to my list of important quotes.

Hard times don't last, but hard people do.

 

Thank a Veteran.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

: Who has seen "Masterpiece" on a 149 cap band? Thanks again, Barry

 

I have 2 MB 149 with Masterpiece cap band, Short inkwindow, Flat feeder, L139 Nib. Would love to find a Meisterstuck.

So i can confirm they do exist thumbup.gif !!

 

Kind regards

 

Vasco

Best regards
Vasco

http://i1330.photobucket.com/albums/w580/Vasco_Correia_Pisco/INGENIVM-PC/Avatar/simbolo-e-nomesmall2_zps47c0db08.jpg

Check out "Pena Lusa by Piscov". Pens added on a regular basis!

Link for Vintage Montblanc pens here

Link for Vintage Pelikan pens here

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

Announcements


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33501
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26627
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...