Mozart Or Classique?

[loyalarcher]

Hello everyone, I have a hard time deciding which one is better: the Mozart or the Classique? I went over to a Montblanc boutique and I checked their pens out. I first tried out the Le Grand and the 149, but I think they were too bulky. So it came down to the two I mentioned earlier. Which do you think is better? If you have any of the two I'm deciding on, please share your experience with them. Thanks!

[Joane]

Nice dilemma! If it were me, I would pick the Classique (144) because with the Mozart it's cartridges only while the Classique has the option of cartridges or filling from a bottle with a convertor. I prefer the latter.

[Brookzy]

Hello everyone, I have a hard time deciding which one is better: the Mozart or the Classique? I went over to a Montblanc boutique and I checked their pens out. I first tried out the Le Grand and the 149, but I think they were too bulky. So it came down to the two I mentioned earlier. Which do you think is better? If you have any of the two I'm deciding on, please share your experience with them. Thanks!

 

I'd pick the Mozart because it has a bigger box and a CD.

 

In terms of performance, I'd say they're identical.

 

Although as Joane said the 144 has a converter, which you may prefer - but they are more messy and hold less than cartridges after you have let 6-8 drops out after filling. In my Diamond Classique I only use the converter to avoid over using cartridges, which the Starwalkers rely on.

 

[carlosjaviercontreras]

The Mozart is a gorgeous and wonderfully built pen. It's metal barrel makes it feel very solid without adding too much weight. All my ink reviews are done with my Mozart due to its impeccable flow and stub-ish B nib. I would only consider it as a "main" or "only" pen for a person with very small hands and/or someone that doesn't write much in a single sit. Its tiny girth is tiresome for me just after 5-6 pages. It is a cartridge-only pen and you will be restricted to use international short cartridges only. There's not much variety of inks on those carts but you can refill them with a syringe if you want to experiment with bottle inks. If you don't want the hassle, intl' carts are relatively cheap, though.

 

About the 145 Classique, I'd rather get a nice Sailor m1911 for 120-140 dollars. Same dimensions and a nib as good as the MB one, for 1/4 of the price. The 145 is better built and its resin is much better than Sailor's, but not enough to justify paying 4 times as much. Consider also that Sailor's cap-band engraving are a joke if you compare them to MB's.

 

Some photos from the Mozart review in my blog:

 

http://misplumasfuente.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/montblanc-meisterstc3bcck-114-mozart-5-cac3b1c3b3n-y-seccic3b3n-inclinada.jpg

 

http://misplumasfuente.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/montblanc-meisterstc3bcck-114-mozart-9-detalle-del-plumc3adn.jpg

Edited May 4, 2011 by carlosjaviercontreras

[BrandonA]

That is one fat nib you have on the pen Carlo. I think I gotta try me a fat nib soon.

 

I'm not sure I agree with your "The 145 is better built and its resin is much better than Sailor's, but not enough to justify paying 4 times as much" statement. If you went through life doing this you'd have a small house in a rubbish area, drive a rubbish car, wear rubbish clothes and eat at Burger King when you want a meal out. If the MB contains better raw materials and is constructed better than I'd say why buy an inferior product when you can save and get the real deal.

[FredRydr]

Buy used and get both.

 

Fred

[carlosjaviercontreras]

That is one fat nib you have on the pen Carlo. I think I gotta try me a fat nib soon.

 

Ain't it gorgeous? But the best part is how it writes. Without question, the best nib out of the box in my 33 FPs collection.

 

I'm not sure I agree with your "The 145 is better built and its resin is much better than Sailor's, but not enough to justify paying 4 times as much" statement. If you went through life doing this you'd have a small house in a rubbish area, drive a rubbish car, wear rubbish clothes and eat at Burger King when you want a meal out. If the MB contains better raw materials and is constructed better than I'd say why buy an inferior product when you can save and get the real deal.

 

Sailors are not rubbish. Their nibs are very good, easily comparable to MB nibs, IMHO. The Sailor 1911m is very well built and the materials are good too, but I wouldn't compare them to MB standards. But I understand your point. Time and again I've finished with a second tier (although prime quality) pen, and a little after... the real thing.

[psychobabble]

I'm with Joane because the classique 144 (and 145) gives you the converter option. Plus it is less taxing to use for a long time since it's little bigger in size, close to a cheap ballpoint pen like a bic. I find the ink capacity is very close between the two, so it's really up to you on how small you like your pens. If you have small hands, you may not notice the difference :roflmho:

 

Like Fred said, buy used and get both. That's what I did. Then you'll never think...what if?

[Blade Runner]

As an owner of piston fillers, I'd probably go with the Mozart, a dedicated cartridge filler, for travel.

[jlalicker]

I would go with the Classique because it makes more sense for me as an everyday pen, but the Mozart is very nice and I love the fact that the cap screws on to the end of the barrel for posting, it makes the pen seem a bit more normal, especially if you don't typically post when writing.

[JonB55198]

Is it possible to find a super small converter that will fit the Mozart?

[JonB55198]

Is it possible to find a super small converter that will fit the Mozart?

 

To answer my own question, it looks like Typhoon has a "Bantam" converter that looks as though it will fit a 114. If true, you can have your cake and eat it too:

http://www.tryphon.it/catalogo.htm

 

So if anyone has a used 114 that they'd like to sell, please PM me.

 

-Jonathan

Edited May 23, 2011 by JonB55198

[Blade Runner]

I handled my first Mozart recently. Quite comfortable for such a small pen, because the posted cap makes it an adequate length (the cap screws onto the barrel, so there's marking of the barrel), and the metal barrel gives it some heft.

[Blade Runner]

 

http://misplumasfuente.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/montblanc-meisterstc3bcck-114-mozart-9-detalle-del-plumc3adn.jpg

CArlos,

 

Nice photo! How's the ink mileage with that B nib? How many pages can you write with one cartridge?

[carlosjaviercontreras]

http://misplumasfuente.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/montblanc-meisterstc3bcck-114-mozart-9-detalle-del-plumc3adn.jpg

CArlos,

 

Nice photo! How's the ink mileage with that B nib? How many pages can you write with one cartridge?

 

Hi Blade,

 

I've got between 6 and 8 A4 pages on a single cartridge, starting with a clean and dry pen. My handwriting is big and loopy, and I tend to leave a lot of space between paragraphs. I use the pen frequently, mainly for short burst before cleaning and changing inks, so ink capacity is not a problem.

 

A written sample:

 

http://misplumasfuente.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/20101204-montblanc-meisterstc3bcck-114-mozart-muestra-de-escritura-1-de-3.jpg

[fpupulin]

I can not say anything about the Classique as I never owned one, but I have a Mozart and it is a beautiful pen. I received it as a gift a few years ago, and it is probably one of those Meisterstück that I would never had bought by myself for its small size. In fact, the Mozart is quite a jewel, and perhaps more toward a feminine pen in my opinion, but it is also a fantastic writer, with a smooth, elastic nib, and I am happy to have it in my small collection. The finish of the pen is really precious and despite its reduced size, it give you a sense of well built and strong fountain pen. Having hands of medium size, I use it regularly posted, but even in this case it is a bit small for me, so it should be too small for people with large hands.

[Blade Runner]

Thank you Carlos and Fpupulin for your comments, and I enjoyed both of your photos and attractive samples! :clap1:

[carlosjaviercontreras]

I can not say anything about the Classique as I never owned one, but I have a Mozart and it is a beautiful pen. I received it as a gift a few years ago, and it is probably one of those Meisterstück that I would never had bought by myself for its small size. In fact, the Mozart is quite a jewel, and perhaps more toward a feminine pen in my opinion, but it is also a fantastic writer, with a smooth, elastic nib, and I am happy to have it in my small collection. The finish of the pen is really precious and despite its reduced size, it give you a sense of well built and strong fountain pen. Having hands of medium size, I use it regularly posted, but even in this case it is a bit small for me, so it should be too small for people with large hands.

 

Nice handwriting, drawing and ink! Would you mind mentioning your ink and notebook?

[fpupulin]

I can not say anything about the Classique as I never owned one, but I have a Mozart and it is a beautiful pen. I received it as a gift a few years ago, and it is probably one of those Meisterstück that I would never had bought by myself for its small size. In fact, the Mozart is quite a jewel, and perhaps more toward a feminine pen in my opinion, but it is also a fantastic writer, with a smooth, elastic nib, and I am happy to have it in my small collection. The finish of the pen is really precious and despite its reduced size, it give you a sense of well built and strong fountain pen. Having hands of medium size, I use it regularly posted, but even in this case it is a bit small for me, so it should be too small for people with large hands.

 

Nice handwriting, drawing and ink! Would you mind mentioning your ink and notebook?

Dear Carlos, thank you for your kind words. The ink is Waterman Red (cartridges), and the notebook is a Moleskine sketchbook 5"x8".

[Custom]

Whatever you do, NEVER get the Mozart with a Broad nib. Mine hard started and skipped so much, I wanted to break the thing over my knee. I ended up regrinding the nib by myself because those MB guys thought I got a lemon off the 'bay.