Jump to content

How To Remove Montblanc 146 Feeder Case?


rtrinkner

Recommended Posts

I purchased a Montblanc 146 from eBay. I also bought tools to remove the nib and piston units.

 

All went well when I opened the piston end and remove the piston. I greased the barrel interior and screwed the piston unit back into the pen.

 

Sadly, when I unscrewed the nib, I found the lip of the "feeder case" to be broken.

 

I think I need a new feeder case. So, two questions:

 

1. How to I remove the existing broken feeder case from the barrel? Does it screw out from within the barrel?

 

2. Is there a source for buying new feeder cases? I checked on eBay, but didn't find any.

 

To help ID my 146 year etc.: 2-tone nib, ink view with stripes, nib socket holes at 4 and 8, tracking number etched on clip, "Germany" on clip.

 

I'm experienced with pen restoration, but I'm new to Montblancs. I know I could send the pen to Montblanc, but I'd rather fix it myself if I can get the spare part.

 

Thanks very much!

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 12
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • rtrinkner

    4

  • Erik Dalton

    3

  • Chrissy

    2

  • CS388

    1

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

Finding parts is always a challenge with Montblanc. Does your pen leak? Why do you want to replace

the nib unit housing? And yes, they unscrew from the section. But, there is Sealant in there so approach with caution.

 

Once you start messing with these nibs it can get dicey. It’s not a sign of failure to let Montblanc to do some of the work. Every so often nib units come up on eBay. Some European dealers often have parts, but these days with the price of the dollar down against the euro, not my first choice.

Would like to see some pix of what you’ve encountered.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was recently advised about this collar by my Montblanc colleague. There's a complete nib/feed unit containing the nib and feed, that comes with the collar on it. This prevents the nib/feed unit from going too far into the outer feeder case (what we might call the grip.)

 

It's fine to buy a tool so that you can remove the nib unit. However the collar is incorporated, and as you've found, is easy to break. In fact I had one break in half and drop off while one of my pens sat in it's box, unused since brand new. :(

 

In order to buy a replacement unit on ebay or elsewhere, it's most likely to come with a nib. That's usually what comes up for sale. I've seen several for sale with no collar on them, so they are already broken. -_-

 

They will all cost you more than a flat rate level 1 service with Montblanc, that will replace your nib into a new unit with a new collar, feed and outer feeder case. Incidentally that flat rate service would have also included complete replacement of all of the piston assembly. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was recently advised about this collar by my Montblanc colleague. There's a complete nib/feed unit containing the nib and feed, that comes with the collar on it. This prevents the nib/feed unit from going too far into the outer feeder case (what we might call the grip.)

 

It's fine to buy a tool so that you can remove the nib unit. However the collar is incorporated, and as you've found, is easy to break. In fact I had one break in half and drop off while one of my pens sat in it's box, unused since brand new. :(

 

In order to buy a replacement unit on ebay or elsewhere, it's most likely to come with a nib. That's usually what comes up for sale. I've seen several for sale with no collar on them, so they are already broken. -_-

 

They will all cost you more than a flat rate level 1 service with Montblanc, that will replace your nib into a new unit with a new collar, feed and outer feeder case. Incidentally that flat rate service would have also included complete replacement of all of the piston assembly. :)

+1...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks very much for your replies!

 

I'll send the pen off to Montblanc for their professional repair service. Although I'd prefer to fix the pen myself just because I like to tinker with pens, the lack of replacement parts does make the MB repair center sound like the best option.

 

I have to say that I really do love this pen. It's really a treat to write with it!

 

Richard

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks very much for your replies!

 

I'll send the pen off to Montblanc for their professional repair service. Although I'd prefer to fix the pen myself just because I like to tinker with pens, the lack of replacement parts does make the MB repair center sound like the best option.

 

I have to say that I really do love this pen. It's really a treat to write with it!

 

Richard

 

Yes, they're wonderful pens.

 

Parts are incredibly difficult to find. Once people get their hands on parts, they can be reluctant to let them go. I went through a few 146 feed-cases over the years. I used to be able to pick them up from certain sellers I knew, or occasionally on ebay - but when another 146 feed-case fell apart last year, I couldn't find a replacement anywhere. There were other issues with the pen, so it went off to Hamburg for a level 2 service.

I'd rather do my own repairs/work on my own pens and only send them in as a last resort - but the quality of work done during the service is first class.

I think you've done the best thing and (hope) you will be pleasantly surprised with the outcome.

 

Enjoy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks very much for your replies!

 

I'll send the pen off to Montblanc for their professional repair service. Although I'd prefer to fix the pen myself just because I like to tinker with pens, the lack of replacement parts does make the MB repair center sound like the best option.

 

I have to say that I really do love this pen. It's really a treat to write with it!

 

Richard

 

You don't need to "tinker" with 146 or 149 pens as a general rule. They can sit around for years and still work perfectly as soon as you want to fill and write with them. :)

I would recommend that you resist the temptation and "tinker" with other pens that you can easily get replacement parts for. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi folks,

 

As requested, here's a photo of the damaged feeder case. I'll send the pen to MB this afternoon.

 

I couldn't get good light with my camera to make the damage obvious in the photo. See the arrow in the photo. A portion of the feeder cap's collar has broken off and is missing. The missing arc is 6 mm long, located at the "8" socket in the feed.

 

Thanks again for your advice!

post-13701-0-32527300-1524596759_thumb.jpg

Edited by rtrinkner
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Excellent post, that, Francis. I wonder why MB changed the design. Is the new design much cheaper to produce? And why not create a dependable, serviceable part, if this part is known to be likely to fail?

 

Thanks, as usual, for an excellent drawing. Your drawings always help me to understand pen mechanisms, especially Sheaffer Vac-Fils.

 

Richard

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...

I love my two Montblanc Meisterstucks, but for the life of me I cannot understand why Montblanc makes removing the nib and feeder so incredibly difficult--and dicey. I always take apart my other pens to clean them thoroughly. What is it about Montblanc that the company does not want its owners to accomplish this?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love my two Montblanc Meisterstucks, but for the life of me I cannot understand why Montblanc makes removing the nib and feeder so incredibly difficult--and dicey. I always take apart my other pens to clean them thoroughly. What is it about Montblanc that the company does not want its owners to accomplish this?

Perhaps because you really don't need to take everything apart to clean the nib unit. You certainly can't do it easily on a properly fit vintage nib and feed, and I don't recommend doing it on any pen on a regular basis. Pen mechanics don't unless there is a good reason to. There are risks involved on both on both disassembly and reassembly, so it is possible to damage a pen. If you constantly remove them on a modern pen, you eventually end up with a loose nib and feed. I've seen cases where this has happened many times.

spacer.png
Visit Main Street Pens
A full service pen shop providing professional, thoughtful vintage pen repair...

Please use email, not a PM for repair and pen purchase inquiries.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33501
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26627
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...