149: Vintage Vs. Modern

[jcm499]

(This is my first post on FPN, so hi!)

 

Lately, I’ve been eyeing a new Montblanc no. 149. My daily writer is an original ‘60s 149, 14c medium-ish tri-tone nib with broad shoulders and some flex. The 149 is the perfect size and design for my purposes, but it seems like present day 149s are more precisely manufactured. My 149, and a lot of the other 149s from the same era I’ve seen in pictures, have slightly off-center slits, and somewhat cruder looking clip buttons than new pens. Of course, the writing characteristics are the most important thing, and I really prefer some line variation from flex. I’m not sure the modern 18k nibs could give me that. I love my 149 as a daily writer, but in the event of damage I’d like to be able to use Montblanc’s after-sale services without worrying about my resin piston and ebonite feed, etc, being swapped out for modern parts. So, if I can get a similar writing experience from a current-manufacture pen, I just might spring for it. I know we’re all enablers, but what’s your perspective on the quality of modern 149s vs ‘60s 149s? How much line variation (if any) can you safely flex out the current 18k nib?

 

I've attempted to post a few pictures so you can see what I mean. . .

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7389/9685977863_f84f883701_c.jpg

 

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5461/9685978475_b2fc874002_c.jpg

[isaacrn]

I think the vintage montblanc 149 has a better feel to it personally. I do have a modern 149 that has off centered slit. I really didnt notice it until i was doing a bit of maintenance work. I personally would tend to stick with vintage pens.

[Pterodactylus]

IMHO a modern one can't compete with your beauty, as they miss the great flexible heart of yours, the nib.

Vintage Mont Blanc nibs are fantastic.

Don't give it away or replace it, you won't get an adequate replacement, and I'm sure yours is good for another lifetime or two.

[jcm499]

Thanks for reassuring me. I'll stick with my vintage pen.

[skcheng]

I purchased 2 MB 149 pens this past week. One a late 60s/70s from a fellow FPN'er, and a current production pen off of Epay.

 

I'll post my thoughts on this thread once I've had a chance to live with both pens for a bit. But I'm sure one will sit with me in my shirt pocket for daily duty.

 

skc

[BrandonA]

I'm not a fan on vintage anique pens and far prefer the modern vintage circa 2013.

[Pterodactylus]

I'm not a fan on vintage anique pens and far prefer the modern vintage circa 2013.

I would also prefer new pens, but unfortunately Mont Blanc and the rest decided to sell only boring spherical unity nibs anymore, so they force me to stick to the old ones

[jcm499]

I would also prefer new pens, but unfortunately Mont Blanc and the rest decided to sell only boring spherical unity nibs anymore, so they force me to stick to the old ones

 

That's just it, isn't it. . . . I was also considering buying a vintage nib and a modern pen with a broken nib, and you can imagine the rest. I don't know how feasible that is, though, even assuming I'm able to find the parts.

[GemMayhem]

I have both a modern and vintage 149 and I much prefer the feel of the vintage nib. The flex is lovely. My modern nib was greatly improved by one of our talented nibmeisters who ground it to a delicious cursive italic Nib. Now I can get some satisfying line variation that was missing in its original form.

 

My recommendation is to continue taking great care of your vintage pen. Should it ever need service, there are a couple of great folks in our community who can keep it original for you while performing any repairs in order to keep your pen writing for another few generations.

 

P.S. welcome to FPN! It's great to have you with us.

[tenurepro]

yes; big fan of vintage 14c montblanc nibs..

i am not advising you to ditch the vintage body, but i wonder if vintage 14c nibs can be fitted onto modern feeds? - if so, then you can switch the lovely nib to a newer 149 body down the line to get the benefits of both

[Pterodactylus]

I'm not convinced that a combination of vintage nib and modern feed would work well.

When the nib is the heart of a pen then the feed is its soul.

I really doubt that a modern feed could keep up.

[guyless]

I am inclined to think this topic is a bit of a mine field, with loyalists to vintage or modern very much invested in every way to their side's cause.

 

Before 1994 when the Hemingway jumpstarted a huge lucrative market and audience for collectible high end Montblanc products, it was all a bit more straightforward, and my own feeling was that Montblanc had changed feeds and nibs to cater to what might be gently called a less experienced customer. And so, speaking in very broad generalities the 149 became an extraordinarily refined and lush "nail" that was solid and reliable and rarely failed.

 

I've not bought a new one in some years, so perhaps they've changed with their new, likely more demanding customer demographic since. But I went through perhaps 5-8 post 90s 149s over a five year period (all of which I eventually parted ways with, without regret) but have always cherished the two 1950s 149s I've owed. They each have a distinct personality which the later pens-- again in my own highly subjective opinion-- seem to lack.

 

The next crucial factor to bear in mind (as once the very expert Victor Chen explored at length, I believe in an old PENnant article) is that it AIN'T just the nib but the combination of nib and feed. And the 149 has had 7 quite different feeds over the course of its long production life (as well as various nibs). So inserting an old nib in another pen even of its own "correct" period may be rather less sure a tactic than you might think.

 

Finally, again in my experience, the 149 has had good periods and less good periods, and quality control (and the company's willingness to swap a pen you hate for another one) has varied over the years. But there have always been great pens and a few lemons that have exactly the same specs on paper.

 

Last time I bought a new one (probably 6-7 years ago), I made a point of going to a real bricks and mortar retailer, explained politely that I was insanely finicky, and they agreed to allow me to dip about half a dozen pens. Accordingly, whether you buy new or vintage, you might find the result a bit less hit or miss if you are patient, actually try in person a pen you think you might like, and avoid buying mail order to save a few dollars. As they say, your milage may vary. Good hunting.

[Pterodactylus]

http://imageshack.us/a/img850/8463/xosd.jpg

 

(Mont Blanc 264 - OBB ..... Rohrer & Klingner Cassia)

[Chrissy]

Pterodactylus I love your handwriting. I wish I could write like that.

[tenurepro]

good point... it tend to forget about the feed as i spend most of my time looking at the nib

i am wondering if anybody has actually done this experiment: put a vintage nib on a new feed or a modern nib on a vintage feed ?

I'm not convinced that a combination of vintage nib and modern feed would work well.
When the nib is the heart of a pen then the feed is its soul.
I really doubt that a modern feed could keep up.

[Blade Runner]

As an avid user of firm nibs, I am perfectly happy with modern 149s. Most examples of writing done with truly flex nibs I've seen don't look very good due to poor/inadequate training. And those that look good look like they take much more time and care than what I'm willing to invest, and the look would be out of place and unnecessary in my work setting, so at this point, I have no interest in truly flex nibs. And modern pens are relatively carefree in terms of repair, parts, maintenance.

As to the ebonite vs plastic feed comment, there was a thread that covered this some time ago with the conclusion by users and experts that they both work fine.

Edited September 9, 2013 by Blade Runner

[Chrissy]

I'm very happy with my modern Mb pens too.

[Pterodactylus]

http://imageshack.us/a/img819/7103/um6p.jpg

 

http://imageshack.us/a/img571/8205/92aq.jpg

 

(Mont Blanc 344 - M ..... Rohrer & Klingner Blu Mare)

[Blade Runner]

@pterdactylus,

there are other attributes of fps besides flex that are selling points for me, including stubs, ilalics, varying sizes ofnibs, shading, writing wirh less pressure, etc that differentiate from ballpts and gel. But regardless of what we like, the general public is more interested in a carefree instrument hat can write on various surfaces and one thst has great quality control, is cheap and readily available, so fps will always be a niche market.

[Opooh]

As with Porsche 911, although the 2013 version is the far more better car, some like the 1963 or another early version. I like all of my 149's , no matter their age.