344, The Humble Montblanc

[Frederyck]

On 12/16/2021 at 7:59 AM, Rosetta59 said:

I want to add some news to this "brown" sub-topic.

Recently I have seen on eBay a brown 344 fountain pen (without ink window). Actually it seems a burgundy one, where the colur is somehow faded, changing to red-brown. Historically no citations to a brown 344 appeared.

 

I own one of these brown Montblancs without an ink window. It's a 342, and I've photographed it here together with a burgundy 254, and a black later model 342. The brown colour is the same all over the pen and under the cap, and there are no indications of sun fading such as dry cracks etc. I'd be very interested if anyone knows anything more about this pen. The one I have has been inscribed with a name, Kerstin Bertéus, which indicates that it was sold normally in a shop here in Sweden (and that it's not some form of test model or something).

 

Information about the pen (most of which can be seen in the pictures:

Nib: 14 ct, size engraved on knob (EF in this case)

Section: concave

Body material: ? (I would guess plastic, but I'm not an expert)

Feed: ski slope

Ink window: none

Piston nob: short

Seal: ? I haven't taken it apart.

MONT^^BLANC engraved on cap

Cap band doesn't cover the lip

342G engraved on knob (no dash)

MB star: outline

 

(The ink window of the burgundy 254 green in the photo, but that's because it's filled with Diamine Garland )

[Rosetta59]

Definitely brown. Up to now an outlier. We'll see in the future if other examples will surface