Best Montblanc Pen?

[sunnerd]

Of past offerings - the 1999 Montblanc 75th Anniversary Limited Edition (NOT Special Edition) Meisterstuck 149 with rose gold trim and mother of pearl star - same lengendary pen with upgraded trim. Current secondary market price $2,500 - $3,000.

 

Has the 75th 149 LE price gone up that far? I mean, is there confirmed sale/s on that price range? Or these are fancy ebay seller trying to sell inflation?

[yachtsilverswan]

Of current new offerings - the flagship of the Montblanc company - the Meisterstuck 149 - iconic understated Teutonic design...

 

With all respect, calling the 149 'understated' is way off the mark. It's huge.

 

I should have been more clear. I was trying to be succinct and clever, but brevity and tag lines should never be allowed to intrude on clarity and full disclosure. Sorry 100km. I'll take a Mulligan and swing at this ball again.

 

By "understated Teutonic design" I meant the design and appearance of the pen was not flashy - not blingy. Simple black torpedo shape with thin gold plated bands and an unadorned clip, capped by a white star logo. No jewels, no ornate adornments, no flashy colors, no scrollwork. Simple clean lines in a fluid shape with simple ring trim. The 149 looks just as good tucked into a polo on Saturday morning as it does pulled from a tuxedo on Saturday night.

 

You're quite right - the 149 is absolutely huge. The pen needs to be that large for the huge 9 sized nib to look proportionate. And that huge 9 sized nib, handcrafted in House is what gives the 149 the spring, wetness, and reliability that many other pens lack (the even larger Pelikan M-1000 nib is similarly springy). The huge pen also means a huge girth at the section, so the writer's fingers don't crowd in the grip - more girth means more comfort.

 

Now I will not claim the 75th Anniversary LE 149 is understated. That single ill-considered pinprick of a diamond-lette in the cap band renders that claim laughable. Note to Hamburg - gentlemen do not wear diamonds - ever - (Burton's Third Rule). But if gentlemen ever did wear diamonds, the diamonds would not be quark-sized punctuation marks - they would be rocks requiring a Royal Palanquin and bearer elephant - think Indian Raja. Fortunately the diamond is mostly unnoticed, and when I saw the rose gold and the mother-of-pearl star, I willed myself to get over the diamond. It's my most common dress pen carry.

Edited January 30, 2011 by yachtsilverswan

[yachtsilverswan]

Of past offerings - the 1999 Montblanc 75th Anniversary Limited Edition (NOT Special Edition) Meisterstuck 149 with rose gold trim and mother of pearl star - same lengendary pen with upgraded trim. Current secondary market price $2,500 - $3,000.

 

Has the 75th 149 LE price gone up that far? I mean, is there confirmed sale/s on that price range? Or these are fancy ebay seller trying to sell inflation?

Hi Sunnard -

 

$2,500 - $3,000 was the price range I most often encountered in the year long search for my 75th 149 LE. I saw one pen sell for $1,700. I saw more than a few not sell for asking prices of $4,000. I paid in the low end of the range I quoted.

 

Others will have different experiences, and I expect prices on all luxury goods in the secondary markets are still dropping. I think they will continue to slide through 2011 and 2012.

[sunnerd]

Hi Sunnard -

 

$2,500 - $3,000 was the price range I most often encountered in the year long search for my 75th 149 LE. I saw one pen sell for $1,700. I saw more than a few not sell for asking prices of $4,000. I paid in the low end of the range I quoted.

 

Others will have different experiences, and I expect prices on all luxury goods in the secondary markets are still dropping. I think they will continue to slide through 2011 and 2012.

 

Thanks Ray. I've stopped checking the 149 LE prices since getting mine in April last year, and I paid approx $1700 plus 10% tax when I got whacked by Customs. Even though my cost was like $2k but at that time the market value was approx $1700-1800. So I'm very surprised to see it quoted on the >$3k range nowadays. It's a very beautiful pen with the rose gold and MOP cap top, but for $3k there are other options - e.g. a Hemingway or a nice PoA.

[shrinknib]

Carnegie 888

 

That would do me fairly nicely.

[Martius]

First series 149 introduced in the early 50's with the sterling cap bands and "ski slope" feed. In my opinion the 1950's OB nib is something you should try if you want to experience a characteristic, all-hands-on-deck Montblanc. Note that nibs manufactured after the mid 1970's tend to be good but without the flexibility and character of the nibs from c. 1940-1970. If you have ~ 2,000 USD to spend, you could get yourself a nice example of the above mentioned.

[Martius]

First series 149 introduced in the early 50's with the sterling cap bands and "ski slope" feed. In my opinion the 1950's OB nib is something you should try if you want to experience a characteristic all-hands-on-deck Montblanc. Note that nibs manufactured after the mid 1970's tend to be good but without the flexibility and character of the nibs c. 1940-1970. If you have ~ 2,000 USD to spend, you could get yourself a nice example of the above mentioned.

Edited January 31, 2011 by Martius

[DetlevCM]

No price limit!!

In the market to buy a pen from each different famous pen brand

Which Montblanc pen do you think is the best?

thanks lots!!!!

 

...The one you do not buy.

 

To be honest, a question like this cannot be answered as everybody will have their own definition of best - also, best... best weight balance... best writing experience? What?

[karmakoda]

As in Life, it's more about the journey rather than the arrival.

With every Grail pen ticked off my list, another has appeared on the horizon.

The most beautiful MontBlanc creation, to me, is the L 139 G, circa 1949, Sterling rings, gorgeous celluloid, beautiful big nibs. Still my personal Grail.

My favorite pen is the 149, vintage sixties perfection with an 18C nib.

Enjoy your Quest.

greg

[WRob]

No price limit? I'd go for the Lorenzo de Medici, or the Proust.

 

If you mean literally no price limit, go for this I'm sure it's totally worth it

[cwnidog]

My late-80s 146.

[torstar]

Proust

[GardenCity-NY]

1960-1970's mb 149 with 18c nibs as well as 1970's-early 1980's mb 146 with 18c remain my favorite.

 

The 18c vs the 14c.... hmmmm. I've heard the 14 was the most springy of the flock. :hmm1:

[Soot]

If defining by price-- you might as well CUSTOMIZE your own MB if price is not an issue. Bling out the pen with diamonds~

 

If defining by weight balance/writing experience-- say no more. The 149

http://i.ebayimg.com/20/!B-Er5zQB2k~$(KGrHqV,!lEEy+jC2vJ!BM7o5Pv8Vg~~_3.JPG

[mr goldfink]

No price limit? For me, it would be the vintage 139, with the long ink window. A distant, distant second would be the Hemingway, which very much resembles the 139.

 

 

Couldn't agree more with emphasis on 'distant second' for the modern copy.

[RSVP]

 

Thanks Ray. I've stopped checking the 149 LE prices since getting mine in April last year, and I paid approx $1700 plus 10% tax when I got whacked by Customs. Even though my cost was like $2k but at that time the market value was approx $1700-1800. So I'm very surprised to see it quoted on the >$3k range nowadays. It's a very beautiful pen with the rose gold and MOP cap top, but for $3k there are other options - e.g. a Hemingway or a nice PoA.

 

 

I venture the 1924 149 will soon exceed the Hemingway in price. There exists over twenty times as many Hemingway (even excluding the ballpoint), and the 149 is (with the Parker 51) the most iconic fountain pen for at least three generations.

[meiers]

Thanks Ray. I've stopped checking the 149 LE prices since getting mine in April last year, and I paid approx $1700 plus 10% tax when I got whacked by Customs. Even though my cost was like $2k but at that time the market value was approx $1700-1800. So I'm very surprised to see it quoted on the >$3k range nowadays. It's a very beautiful pen with the rose gold and MOP cap top, but for $3k there are other options - e.g. a Hemingway or a nice PoA.

 

 

I venture the 1924 149 will soon exceed the Hemingway in price. There exists over twenty times as many Hemingway (even excluding the ballpoint), and the 149 is (with the Parker 51) the most iconic fountain pen for at least three generations.

 

I am very happy with my contemporary 149. ...just filled it with royal blue ink (Graf von Faber-Castell).

[Blade Runner]

Thanks Ray. I've stopped checking the 149 LE prices since getting mine in April last year, and I paid approx $1700 plus 10% tax when I got whacked by Customs. Even though my cost was like $2k but at that time the market value was approx $1700-1800. So I'm very surprised to see it quoted on the >$3k range nowadays. It's a very beautiful pen with the rose gold and MOP cap top, but for $3k there are other options - e.g. a Hemingway or a nice PoA.

 

 

I venture the 1924 149 will soon exceed the Hemingway in price. There exists over twenty times as many Hemingway (even excluding the ballpoint), and the 149 is (with the Parker 51) the most iconic fountain pen for at least three generations.

 

I am very happy with my contemporary 149. ...just filled it with royal blue ink (Graf von Faber-Castell).

+1

 

Thus far I've chosen to stay with modern 149s, because

 

-I really don't like flex nibs

-lower cost

-much easier and less expensive to service

-I don't want to own a pen so rare or expensive that I wouldn't use it in a carefree manner

 

Now if I came across a nice vintage one at a reasonable cost, I certainly would consider it.

[chakrawal]

Every 149 and Gandhi.

[mlr8]

Of current new offerings - the flagship of the Montblanc company - the Meisterstuck 149 - iconic understated Teutonic design...

 

With all respect, calling the 149 'understated' is way off the mark. It's huge.

Understated compared to say

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jelb/PENS/visconti3.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/jelb/PENS/visconti4.jpg

 

Can you please provide more information about the pens in the photo? Thanks! Mark