Is A Vintage Montblanc A Good Daily Writer?

[Tom Kellie]

[Leogrando]

I don't use my Montblancs as often as many other makes but have ones from before the War right through to the 70s and even today. All have been reliable and functional. They range from the higher end pens through the 3xx series and the ones that most often get into rotation are from the 2xx family.

 

 

Celluloid MB pens tend to have less durability than the later plastic pens. I would say to stay away from those as a start. The 24 is a good pen, so is the 34 which can be lower cost.

 

I have a few celluloid MB pens and while I use them, they do require more care and maintenance. They are also harder to replace if they get lost. Older fountain pens were meant for heavy use so they can stand up to a full workload if properly taken care of.

 

 

I'm not sure that a vintage is the route to go for someone just beginning the hobby.

 

Vintage pen use is a labour of love that may be best left to those with a lot of FP experience.

 

Just saying...

 

 

I only use vintage pens ranging from a Parker Jack-Knife Safety (circa 1920) through MBs from the 1930s to the early 1950s. I've never had any problems of any sort with but one exception: use of some Noodlers inks in pens with rubber bladders has been a mistake and a costly one at that.

 

 

I enjoy seeing the line variation that comes from a flexible nib. However, for "industrial" writing, such as taking notes, I would choose a very sturdy NAIL of a nib. Yes, I think a Montblanc would be an excellent daily writer.

 

 

I have had more than a dozen MBs from the 50s and 60s. All of them were excellent daily writers.

 

 

 

[Leogrando]

 

 

 

 

Exactly !

 

regards

 

 

Just about ANY pre 1969 MB in working condition would be a good "daily writer" ! Myself of the 30+ MB's I have, one of two from the 1950's are usually in my shirt pocket at least 4 out of 7 days. First is a 256 with a soft winged BB 14k nib, piston filler with a slip fit cap.

Next is a 24 from 1959 with a soft semi-hooded M 14k nib and a slip fit cap also.

 

Both fit easily in a shirt pocket and bothe are piston fillers that hold a nice amount of ink and write well. My personal opinion of MB's pens is that around 1970 they started making pocket jewelry and stopped making writing instruments. I'd say ANY pre 1969 MB in good working condition would make a good "daily writer" for you

 

 

I started with the fountain pen hobby with 3 old and inexpensive firm nib pens, progressed to having a few LE ST. Dupont Chinese lacquer firm nib pens, both medium and fine nibs and then progressed to vintage flex pens, using a couple of Waterman pink nibs (one is a wet noodle) and a vintage Mabie Todd pen with flex nib. I never thought I would ever venture into owning and writing with any Montblanc pens, modern or vintage/ But when I discovered the post war Montblanc celluloid pens with flex nibs, I got myself 3 of them and I love the feel using them to write. I just wish I had discovered them earlier and in my opinion, the vintage Montblanc pens made between 1930's and 1950's that come with flexible nibs are simply marvelous daily writers.

 

My latest acquisition is a vintage Montblanc 144 green striated pen with a hard to find vintage OBB nib. I had some reservations before buying it, but after doing some research on FPN and other boards, I decided to give it a try. And to my surprise, I really, really like writing with this vintage Montblanc OBB nib. It has a certain feel to it and this pen has quickly become one of my favourites and I write with it daily, inking it with Montblanc Irish Green ink (to match the green striated pen body). The nib is a two tone OBB nib and it writes like a dream, with some line variation and even some shading out of the Montblanc Irish Green ink.

 

All in all, I am really, really glad I bought my vintage Montblanc 144 green striated pen with the two tone OBB nib. The nib itself is well worth the price, not to mention the beautiful green striated celluloid pen body. I feel like I am in heaven every time I write with it. No other pen in my collection gives me that feeling, not even my Waterman 7 with a wet noodle pink nib.

 

Unfortunately no one or no company are able to make such high quality writing instruments any more. The art and science and quality of the hand-made vintage Montblanc pens and nibs have disappeared.

 

Another one of my newly acquired Monblanc 44 pen was made in Spain in the late 1940's - early 1950's and it has a lovely wet noodle nib.

 

Overall, my vintage Montblanc 144 green striated celluloid pen with the 2 tone OBB nib gives me as much writing pleasure as this vintage Montblanc 44 wet noodle pen. I write with them daily and I am so happy writing with them.

 

 

I've just acquired a Montblanc 342G from the early 50s. The seller, another FPN member, told me that back then Montblanc had a number of product lines intended for every day use by students and others, not just the luxury line we see today. The 342G writes like a dream and holds a lot of ink.

 

No, I wouldn't shove it in a pocket, but it's a good daily carry in a case or other reasonably secure place. As for starting out early with a vintage pen, I don't think you can go wrong with a brand that was intended for regular everyday use, as long as you get one in good shape from a reliable seller.

[iveyman]

Here is my recently acquired MB 204 coral red celluloid pen and pencil set. They come in their original MB box. The nib of the pen is nicely semi-flexible. I am enjoying writing with it daily along side with my LE ST Dupont pens and vintage Waterman pens with pink nibs. I didn't think I would ever be buying any MB pens, but as soon as I have found out about the vintage flexible MB nibs, I started looking for them.

 

They were made in Denmark in the early 1950's and I believe the coral red celluloid pens have only been made in 1 to 2 years in those days.

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[iveyman]

Here are the photos of the most recent addition to my pen collection - a vintage MB celluloid pen made in the 1950's in Spain that comes with a wonderful wet noodle nib. I am enjoying writing with it daily, inking it with Monblanc Honore de Balzac turquoise ink which gives me beautiful shading when writing with this vintage Montblanc wet noodle pen.

 

Manufacturer/Model: Montblanc /44 /Spain

Year of production: Early 50's
Filling system: Piston filler
Nib: Solid 14K 585 gold; Ultra flexible wet noodle nib. Size EF extra fine, flexes to BBB with ease
Material: Tortoise brown striped cellulose, gold filled clip and ring
Length (pen closed): 132mm, Posted 154mm

Condition and information:
The is now one of the most special pens my collection, a rare celluloid pen made in the Spanish Montblanc factory, the model 44, in mint condition. It has been perfectly preserved.

 

It is one of the rare and collectible Montblanc pens; only a handful of these are known to exist. The pen is simply astonishing design, perfectly shiny and reflective due to the tortoise pearl design. Very beautiful long yellow ink window, (the cap does not cover the entire ink window, so one can read the ink window even when the pen is closed.)

 

The best part about this pen is the nib; 14K 585 solid gold EF, extra fine, and is a wet noodle nib which flexes to BBB with ease. I feel like writing with a paint brush.

 

The old Montblanc Mountain Range logo is located on the side of the cap and the Mountain star logo is on top of the cap. It is an unique vintage masterpiece, one of the rare vintage celluloid Montblanc pens that I am glad I am able to add to my humble pen collection, along side with my LE St Dupont pens and Waterman pens with pink nibs.

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Here are the photos of another one of my recent acquisition of vintage post war Monblanc celluloid pen. It is a pearl green striated Montblanc 144 G that comes with a hard to find vintage flexible, two tone OBB nib, made in the 1950's. The lovely OBB nib writes a dreamy wet and double broad line, with some line variation. I ink it with Montblanc Irish Green ink to match with the pearl green pen body. The pen is lighter green than what the photos show. It really is a beautiful celluloid pen fitted with a lovely two tone flexible OBB nib. The "G" in German stands for "Glatt" which means shiny/glossy. It is a pleasure to hold this pen and write with it. I am really glad I discovered the post war Montblanc celluloid pens.

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Edited September 2, 2016 by iveyman

[Redbarchettayyz]

Hello,

 

I started using fountain pen a couple month ago and i'm loving every use of it. My first pen is a pilot Metro and My Second pen is a Pelikan 120. I'm thinking of adding another pen to my usage, so I thought maybe a montblanc would fulfil that spot. I don't have a lot of money so i'm thinking of buying a vintage or secondhand pen. I would like to buy a montarosa, or a montblanc 24, because i like a design and hoping it to have a semi-flex nib.

 

I want to use the pen as a daily writer and I will use it for heavy lecture notes. so i want to know if a vintage montblanc could be use as a daily writer? does a vintage montblanc/ Montblanc 24 durable enough to withstand daily uses? does a vintage montblanc monterosa needs special maintanace or care ?

 

Please tell me your experience with a vintage montblanc, Tell me the pain, the sorrow, the joy, and the happy moment of using a vintage montblanc!

 

Thank you for anyone who replies and told their story,

AIS

 

PS. Hope to join the montblanc family soon.

PPS. I'm mainly interested to buy a used 24 or monterosa. but if their any other recomendation for other vintage montblanc that maybe a good place for my uses. please tell me! Thank you

 

A bit late, but my daily writer for a long time was a 24 with an OM nib, it's an excellent choice. The whole 14/24/34 line are some of my favourite pens of all time, any one of them would make an excellent daily user.

[Tom Kellie]

[zaddick]

Leogrando- plastic for the 149 came into play in 1958 or so and by 1960 for other pens like the 146. I would say the start of the 1960s is roughly the dawn of the resin era and when a lot of thr slimme pens came about. Some earlier student level pens may have been plastic, I am not sure.

 

Roughly speaking, the hard rubber era ran into the 1930s, the celluloid era ran into thr late 1950s and then plastic after that. Hope that helps. Please remember these arerough guides, not every single pen follows this timeline.

[jchch1950]

Some of the Montblanc 146 can give you very good writing mood for a relative not expensive investment .

[Rosetta59]

Personally I employ, as daily writers, both my new M and my old (actually as old as I am...) 344.

In my opinion, the M has a fantastic F nib, but the 344 has the most impressive EF nib I ever had.

As suggested before try to avoid a celluloid pen for daily use, celluloid are more collector pieces; instead an old plastic fountain pen may be your best friend for your life...

If you are interested in the 344's story, I posted a sort of review here:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/302368-344-the-humble-montblanc/

 

Greetings from Italy !

[Tom Kellie]

~ In a class of 18-year old freshmen this week, a student saw me writing notes on the attendance sheet using a 1951 3-42 G semi-flex BB fountain pen.

She asked what it was, noting that it “looked old”. I briefly explained that it was a German Montblanc fountain pen, two years older than me.

Looking surprised, she asked: “Where do you get the ink for it?”

After I told her that there were any number of sources, including Montblanc boutiques in China, or the on-line Montblanc store, she shyly explained that she'd supposed that it would only function with 1951-vintage ink.

***********************************

As long as students are asking questions about fountain pens, I'm happy!

I'm also glad that yours truly functions without having to requisition 1953-vintage victuals.

Tom K.

[SpecTP]

I got a nice MB34 off ebay.. it's one of my EDC now.. instantly writes even when left sitting for a long time.

 

 

[wastelanded]

Montblanc's 3xx pens are fantastic writers which can be had for less than $200. Although these were their third-tier pens, they were very well made.

 

I have a late model 344 with an OBB nib that is to die for. It's a great size, built like a tank, and cost about $150. I actually prefer it to my 50s 144. Cast your line in German eBay and be patient, enjoy the hunt.

[Tom Kellie]

Montblanc's 3xx pens are fantastic writers which can be had for less than $200. Although these were their third-tier pens, they were very well made.

 

I have a late model 344 with an OBB nib that is to die for. It's a great size, built like a tank, and cost about $150. I actually prefer it to my 50s 144. Cast your line in German eBay and be patient, enjoy the hunt.

 

 

~ Strongly agree with what wastelanded has written!

Tom K.

[Monbla]

Another nice vintage MB to use are the Danish production pens made from the late '40s till the mid '50s in their Danish factory. I got one last year, a nice Corral 216 with a nice soft 14k OM nib. The Danish pens were all button fillers and if the one I have is any indication, all were great writers. Here;s some pics from the seller of my pen:

 

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh215/michaelintexas/Fountain%20Pens/5802g1.jpg

[Jerome Tarshis]

There seems to be a current of thought at FPN to the effect that pens manufactured last month are easy to get along with and should be recommended to newcomers, whereas pens made in the 1940s and 1950s and 1960s are problematic and require long experience to use.

That is the opposite of my own experience. But then I am a vintage item myself, and when I was growing up a 1950s pen was an object in current production.

 

If we read FPN we find that many, many people who have recently bought a pen of the 21st century are having trouble of one kind or another and are asking what to do, whether they should send it back to the manufacturer, how to improve flow, all in all they are having a world of trouble and they think buying a nib with the tines too close together and a baby's bottom grind is normal.

 

By contrast, ordinary people wrote with 1950s pens and although fountain pens were not wholly free from problems, the 1950s were not a time when people routinely expected that their pen would need help. You bought the pen, the shopkeeper might do a simple nib adjustment or might not, and you just used the pen. None of mine had any work done on them. They wrote.

 

Let us consider advising beginners to write with pens that were, on the whole, better made than today's pens and less in need of being sent back to Germany or Italy. This thread includes postings from many people who are writing with old pens and who are not struggling as they might be if they had just bought a modern pen that should be better than it is.

[sandy101]

I'd just like to add that I bought a MB 254 at the London Pen Show, and it is a lovely writer.

 

Mine came with a left oblique BB nib.

 

It fills well, and writes well, and was priced at just less than the same price as a second hand 146. Certainly, it is a pleasant experience to write with.

 

So, thank you to those who started, and contributed to this thread. It inspired me.

 

That said, I do like the size of the 254 compared to the 146 - it's a bit more comfortable to hold. Perhaps MB are missing a trick by focusing on a particular style, and price of pen?

[farmdogfan]

Another nice vintage MB to use are the Danish production pens made from the late '40s till the mid '50s in their Danish factory. I got one last year, a nice Corral 216 with a nice soft 14k OM nib. The Danish pens were all button fillers and if the one I have is any indication, all were great writers. Here;s some pics from the seller of my pen:

 

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh215/michaelintexas/Fountain%20Pens/5802g1.jpg

Beautiful pen!

You state that that danish pens were button fillers, but they made both piston fillers and also push-button fillers.