145 Vs 146 Performance

[Batman]

Hi everyone, i have both pens with a medium nib but I find that the 146 to be a superior pen in many aspects. Piston filler, larger body, larger ink capacity, larger nib, but most importantly though better writing performance. I've had 3 nib exchanges for my 145 all of which were to switch a medium nib which I thought was too dry and laid down too thin of a line in comparison to my 146. I even went to the service center to ask the kind lady to make the pen write like my 146, and though she tried, in the end she admitted that the 146 performed better. This isn't to say that the 145 is a bad pen in any way because the quality and craftmanship is still there but it writes like any other pen. So I've come to the conclusion that the reason why the pen is less wet and lays down a drier line is because of the feed and the smaller nib, which is also less flexible because the tines are shorter. Has anyone else had a similar experience with their 145?

 

Regards

Brad

[NHsueh]

Hi everyone, i have both pens with a medium nib but I find that the 146 to be a superior pen in many aspects. Piston filler, larger body, larger ink capacity, larger nib, but most importantly though better writing performance. I've had 3 nib exchanges for my 145 all of which were to switch a medium nib which I thought was too dry and laid down too thin of a line in comparison to my 146. I even went to the service center to ask the kind lady to make the pen write like my 146, and though she tried, in the end she admitted that the 146 performed better. This isn't to say that the 145 is a bad pen in any way because the quality and craftmanship is still there but it writes like any other pen. So I've come to the conclusion that the reason why the pen is less wet and lays down a drier line is because of the feed and the smaller nib, which is also less flexible because the tines are shorter. Has anyone else had a similar experience with their 145?

 

Regards

Brad

 

I have the opposite experience. I have 5 Montblanc fountain pens, one 145 (medium), three 146s (two in medium and a broad) and a 147 (medium), and my 145 medium writes the best out of all of them. The 146 in Broad is very close to the 145 medium though...

 

I think the 146 you have just happened to be made and tuned in a way that you find absolutely perfect and exquisite. All the nibs are hand made and individual, so each one is slightly different. It is amazing how different the nibs can be!

 

All of the pens I have write very well, but the 145 just has something slightly different and it is absolutely amazing.

 

If you find the nib writes too dry and thin, it is possible to increase the flow by increasing the gap between the tines. However, you have to be very careful if you do this yourself. I find that the wetness of the pen can greatly alter how well you appreciate a pen.

Edited November 24, 2013 by NHsueh

[hari317]

Has anyone else had a similar experience with their 145?

 

 

Nope Brad.

[pavoni]

Similar to NHsueh, I have a MB 147 (medium), a modern MB 146 (medium) and a MB 145 Chopin (medium).

 

All three pens give a slightly different writing experience, neither particularly better than the other but each serving the purpose for which I select them.

 

My Chopin is a wet and very reliable writer, satisfying me on each and every occasion.

 

Pavoni.

[Joane]

Not exactly. I think each pen has its own characteristics; even pens that are supposed to have the same nib are not alike. I had a 144 F and a 146 M and wanted to get a 145 F to write like the 144 F. In a MB boutique, I tried two 145 Fs to compare and bought the finer one and even so it is wetter with a heavier line than my original 144F somewhere between it and the 146 M.

[bernardo]

I've had a 144, a 146 and a 149 with medium nibs, and the writing experience with the first two was pretty similar, I would say, but the 149 was clearly superior. For further info, I bought the 144 brand new at a boutique, the other two were second hand.

[orfew]

My 145 is a nice wet writer. It is a very reliable pen.

[VanRocket]

A 145 was my first Montblanc and though I have added several more, it is still one of my favorite. It's a great writer and, as Orfew stated, very reliable. Performance-wise, I see it as equal to my 146.

[I like mango cheesecake]

My 145 lays down an extremely beautiful line. It's a medium and my 146 is an OB and also lays down a beautiful line as well. No problems with either. Both have Diamine ink in them.

[david6]

I have both the 145 and the 146 and they are both very good reliable writers. I tend to keep my 145 in my shirt breast pocket as it is a convenient size whereas the larger 146 stays in my pen case.

 

Both are very different pens size wise but both are excellent writers and a delight to use.

[Batman]

Thanks for all the replies. And yes I've increased the slit a tiny bit by clenching the shoulders of the nib and gently pulling the tines apart but all it does is increase ink flow but the line is still more like a fine, would this be a problem with the tipping size then? I will go back to montblanc again then.

 

Regards

Bradley

[NHsueh]

I think even after 3 swaps and you still haven't found a 145 in medium you like its going to be difficult to find what you want.

 

You should try a broad. Your 146 in medium could just be a very broad medium and its going to be hard to find one exactly like it.

[Montblanc owner and lover]

tried both when i bought my 146,i got no hesitation as 146 is piston filler,larger,biger nib and the handwriting test give the 146 winner too...but i think it depend on what you like= if you prefer butter smooth,wet nib go for 146 but some people prefer to have feedback on theyr nib if so i think they should go for thr 145

[Batman]

I just sent it to mb for service. Will let you guys know.

[Blade Runner]

I rather enjoy the individual variation of MB nibs as long as the flow is consistent. It's helpful for different kinds of stationery.

[Tom Aquinas]

I've had a couple of 146s, and regularly use a Noblesse B Italic nib and a 144 M nib. My little 144 is a loyal friend and almost indestructible. After being lost in a file for 4 years with a black MB cartridge in it that leaked, it only required a big clean out and showed how forgivable it is, and resumed writing immediately. I like the 144 it is good for a shirt pocket.

 

Ed. As regards the 146 with the 145, I cannot as I don't have a 145, but I would say that the are two different pens , both with unique aspects. I like the 144 over the 146 because of size and the fact that when travelling I can use a cartridge (and I like the MB cartridges) whereas with the 146 I am reliant upon an ink bottle, which has other benefits.

Edited November 30, 2013 by Tom Aquinas

[jdpenman1990]

out of my 144, 146, and my old 149, which all had medium nibs, the 149's nib topped them all. Today, I prefer my 149's EF nib. It all depends on your personal writing style. I've tried a 145 with a M nib, wrote a lot like a 146, but wasn't as comfortable to hold compared to the 146. I'd still choose the 146 over the 145 just because its a piston filler and can hold a lot more ink.

[kaisede]

hum... i had a similar experience I also did the nib exchange with my 145 but it didn't write as well as my other fountain pen (Pelikan M605). It was my first fountain pen with Mont Blanc so I consider it being unique and kept using it time to time. About six month later it just wrote really well and it wrote better than my Pelikan M605.

 

Thinking back maybe it had a longer "break in" period than my other pens that wrote better right out of the box.

I had similar experience with two 146 and one 149 so I don't think it's a 145 problem.

 

On the side note I think MB's quality control has improved from few years ago. I purchased 4 mont blanc fountain pens this year and it all wrote very well right out of the box.

Edited December 1, 2013 by kaisede