B Or Bb On A 149? Perhaps M Or Bbb?

[Centurion]

Thinking of purchasing a 149 so I went into Boston's Montblanc store to test out some nib sizes. The sales associate brought out some tester pens for me to use. It was helpful, but I also believe these nibs aren't a complete accurate reflection of the nib I will be getting on a new 149. Who knows how many people who don't know how to write with fountain pens used those tester pens!

 

The sales associate said most customers of the 149 chose B or BB. I wonder why?? I initially thought M as I will be using the 149 as a daily writer. Do MB nibs tend to be narrower? That is a MB M is more like a F, a B more like a M, and so forth?

 

What your reason for choosing your nib size? I am looking for an extra smooth nib that I can take notes and write letters. The Signature nib (03B) which I think means BBB sounds intriguing (must be very very smooth), but I would probably need to write too big (font size) for my writing to be legible.

 

The obliques do produce interesting and varying line widths, but I found with obliques I have a smaller margin of error in having a smooth writing experience. I have to hold the pen at just the right angle.

 

I like the smoothness of the Waterman Edson, but don't like its stiffness. I probably like the Stipula Etruria nibs the best with its springy feedback, although it's not as smooth as the Edson. With that in mind, which 149 nib comes closes to what I am looking for? Does the 149 deliver what I am after in a writing experience? I haven't bought a pen in a long time so I am wanting the 149 because of its big pretty nib, its cigar size, and its iconoclastic standing.

[Makar]

As somebody else recently stated in another thread, the hand tuned Mb nibs all tend to be slightly different. That said, M nibs tend to write a solid M line with little variation - B nibs tend towards a stub finish and can be just as easy to write as small as you would with a medium. It is such a personal thing of course.

 

I have a F nibbed 60s 149 which writes just superbly and is one of my favourites for long writing sessions. I also have OBB nibbed MBs which come very close and can be used on a daily basis too.

 

Good luck with your nib quest

 

Stephen

Edited July 29, 2011 by Makar

[enricof]

I happen to have two 149s with extreme nibs: EF and OBB (I think, but see this topic).

 

 

Used the EF for daily workhorse for several years, then I met FPN and GhostPlane and the EF got boring...

 

 

IMHO, the OBB (and the BB, I assume) is a great signature nib (with good variation but wide sweet spot), but is useful for "normal writing" only on suitable paper.

definetely not as "business writer on whatever paper you have to use".

 

 

Should I get another one for that kind of use, it would probably be a B (slightly stubbish, but manageable size).

 

 

I assume you have seen this topic.

Edited July 29, 2011 by enricof

[FredRydr]

The tester pens give you the best idea of which nib you'll prefer, more so than replies here. Based on what you wrote, I'd choose the B, and take it back for a free nib swap to a broader BB if you are hankering for yet even more line variation. Be sure to ask them how long you have to do so, and whether they will do it in the boutique or send it to Texas.

 

Your observation on the oblique nibs is a wise one.

 

Fred

Edited July 29, 2011 by FredRydr

[Sidestreaker]

Generally, MB nibs tend to be broader than other manufacturers. No two nibs are the same as they are all hand tuned.

 

My first was a B nib, stubbish with great ink-flow, writing is effortless and I thought there will be no better writing pen. My next target was to get perhaps an OBB as I have really enjoyed an OB nib on my 146.

 

However, to my surprise, I was hooked to my second 149 that comes with a F nib. The F nib really writes almost like a M nib and I find it to be a better pen for regular use. I cancelled my initial plan to change it to an OBB, for now.

 

The nibs are so good it just gives me another excuse to get another 149, with and OBB as soon as my financial recovers. :roflmho:

Edited July 29, 2011 by Sidestreaker

[Makar]

The tester pens give you the best idea of which nib you'll prefer, more so than replies here.

 

 

This is true but I think that you also need to spend a little time with a nib to see if it is right - more than a shop visit.

 

Another thing to note is that your taste in nib size will almost certainly change or develop, following the trend of members here. You may also find that you want a variety of nibs.

 

I have gone for the 'buy and try' tactic. After a few months, if it isn't working for me then off it goes. We all have individual preferences and that is what will slant any advice here.

 

best

Stephen

[vickiehof]

It will be your personal preference.

 

I have a medium nib on my 149 and a broad nib on my 146. I prefer a medium nib for work because my writing must fit in smaller spaces and not be an illegible blur. I actually use 2 Esterbrook desk sets in different colors at work for quick notes and signatures and only use my other pens for taking notes at meetings or when I have a longer writing project. I like the broad nibs but they aren't suitable for my daily writing needs at work.

[agentdaffy007]

I got myself a MB 149 F nib for everyday use and a MB Mark Twain BB for note taking and random play! )

 

If i was you, get a MB 149 B nib. Then, a Starwalker Rollerball for legal document signing.

[Ghost Plane]

Consider that the M is a round tip and will blob down the same amount of ink at any angle and the B is stubbish and will give you line variation which is more distinctive and helps some folks with smaller writing to avoid closed in letters. Much depends on YOUR individual handwriting and the paper you use the most. If you click on the link to my blog in my signature, you'll see the same Conway Stewart IB nibs [about a 1.3 stub - pretty equivalent to a large BB MB] using the same inks on 2 different line rulings on Habana paper - normal and narrow. You'll get an idea how the wider nib would fit on the page.

 

I have an MB 149 BB as well as B and prefer the BB, but I've been using broader nibs for years. Your mileage may vary, as they say.

[Blade Runner]

In regards to the 146 testers, 149s run a tad wider than 146s in my experience.

[razr]

Originally I had ordered a 149 B but I quickly sent it back for a nib exchange (to a BB). The BB has a great stubbish quality with good line varation.

[Centurion]

I like the line variation that a stubbish nib provides, but would a stubbish nib also have a smaller sweet spot as compared to the same nib size that's rounded? In other words, 2 nibs both B, but one is stubbish and the rounded, would the rounded have a larger more forgiving sweet spot?

 

Thanks everybody for their feedback. I also read up on some good threads on MB nibs. It's back to the boutique to do more testing and this time I'll know what to look for. If the B has a good size sweet spot so that it's forgiving I am leaning towards that. Otherwise, I am also slightly considering the M and the BB.

[ozwill45]

B, BB and BBB nibs are lovely to use but can cause problems with everyday writing given the amount of ink they leave behind.

 

My 2 BBs are daily users but they don't like all papers.

[Ghost Plane]

Consider changing inks, then. With Waterman on board, my BBs will write on things that few other inks will handle.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Modern nibs and I think it was true in quality vintage too, a tester can not be 'ruined' by folks scribbling with them. I doubt if that nib has that miles on it to be changed.

 

 

Actually, any one who uses a fountain pen and holds a fountain pen like a fountain pen should not be able to 'damage' a tester nib of any quality, who is not using it as a jack hammer. The nib should still be with in limits.

 

IMO unless a pen had been in service for a very, very, long time....that is a nice way to tell some one .... you can't use my fountain pen....'Because of changing the nib'.

That could well have been with no tip or early teen's or 20's nibs.

[yachtsilverswan]

Congrats on planning for a new MB 149. It's an amazing pen. I've used the same 149 almost daily for thiry years. Montblanc makes cheaper pens than the 149, and Montblanc makes more expensive pens than the 149, but Montblanc does not make a better pen than the 149. The 149 is the fifty year old flagship of company. That huge wet springy nib is a thing of wonder.

 

MB does not offer a BBB nib - only M, B, BB, and OBBB (Oblique triple broad - which MB also calls a Signature Nib). The OBBB (or O3B) offers some additional line width variation in some writers' hands, adding visual texture to your handwriting. But most of us find the O3B to be too broad for use as a daily writer.

 

If you are constrained by forms and fixed line spacing, a Medium nib may be best. If your writing is free form, then a B or BB Montblanc nib will produce some pleasing line width variation in your handwriting - wider vertical strokes and narrower horizontal strokes. The B, BB, and OBBB nibs from Montblanc are ovoid in shape at the tip, rather than spherical. Customizing the nib through a private nibmeister can exaggerate that effect by regrinding the nib to a stub or to a cursive italic - but a nibmeister's regrind may void the Montblanc warranty and would certainly void the free nib exchange program.

 

I use a BB, reground by a Nibmeister to a 1.1 mm ultra-smooth ultra-wet cursive italic.

 

To estimate the line width needed to give your own handwriting a classically proportionate look, write out the alphabet in small case letters, using your normal sized handwriting - the size in which you write most often. Then circle the miniscules. Miniscules are small case letters without ascenders or descenders: a,c,e,m,n,o,r,s,u,v,w,x

 

Carefully measure the height of each miniscule in millimeters and average the series.

 

Divide the average height of your Miniscules by 5 to get the line width (not nib width) of the nib that should produce classically proportionate handwriting without filling in your loops.

 

If you like a bolder handwriting, add 0.2 mm to the calculation. If you like a finer look - or for math and science exponents and subscripts, subtract 0.2 mm.

 

Remember this calculation applies to line width, not nib width - because nibs of the same width but differing shapes can lay down lines of differing width. So you'll also have to take your caliper to the Montblanc Boutique to measure the line width of the pens you are considering. I prefer a 0.9 mm cursive italic line for daily writing and a 1.1 mm cursive italic for my social carry - always ultra-smooth, and always ultra-wet.

 

Here is a writing sample with every available MB 149 nib from one of our most knowledgeable contributers: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/131613-montblanc-nib-sizes/

 

Have fun with your new 149.

Edited July 31, 2011 by yachtsilverswan

[pelman]

Thanks for such a nice description Yachtsilverswan. I guess I have work to do this weekend.

[georges zaslavsky]

Try OBB, it will give you much more line variation than the BB.