Experience On Montblanc Octavian?

[bluebirdy2]

I'm looking forward to buy a Montblanc Octavian.

It is a great collector pen, but I aim to buy it for my everyday writer in my room, and in my office.

 

So rather than its value or anything else, I'm curious if the pen has correct grip/weight to be a writer. Since it is based on vintage montblanc, I'm certain that its performance is not as great as 146 / m800.

(I'm sure MB would have sold a new fountain pen with Octavian base if that design was more suitable for writing than 146)

 

Also is it a durable fountain pen? it has thin sterling silver layer on its entire body, and even any NOS Octavian is already 30 years old now.

Agatha is very weak to crack and damage but that is reasonable since the now pricey pen was only around $500 at that time, maybe not a really high-end solid pen.

But is Octavian also a weak, easy-damaged pen that has many issues so I have to take care for every day?

 

I don't want to risk paying my money for a pen that I cannot use easily like a MB 146. (I will put away m800 as a comparison because m800 is too solid and durable)

 

Can you share me your experiences with Octavian?

 

Thank you!

[Bo Bo Olson]

Vintage MB's............OK, I like the great balanced medium-large '50-60's 146 more than the modern post 1970 Large 146. The latter pen had a regular flex pen the vintage one had a maxi-semi-flex nib.

I've a rolled gold 742 with a semi-flex ++ nib, not quite maxi-semi-flex. It too is a standard sized pen, but heavy.

 

My standard sized MB 234 1/2 Deluxe semi-flex KOB ('52-54 only), is one of my three top balanced pens from when I was a 20 pen nooble (MB 234 1/2, Geha 725 & P-75 were the top three the 400NN ended up 4th.).........don't worry about which of my top 15 are in my top five much any more. Too much work and top 5 is quite a spread, that 15 or more pens can fit in there.

Enough folks didn't care for the torpedo shaped 146/9 that MB spiffed up the 234 1/2 into the Deluxe, with a Meisterstuck clip and a different than the regular 234 1/2 cap ring. (don't have, in I have the Deluxe but think it would be well worth having.)

 

Montblanc Octavian...took a gander, no size listed.........is based on a '20's pen......but at best all you would have is a modern 'Springy' MB nib, good tine bend, but only 2X tine spread. Should be somewhat stubbish if you got M and above.

I do have a Large Virginia Woolf, with such a nib............sigh, when I got it at the B&M, it was the B width M I wanted. I had read MB is a tad fat....

At home I tested it on better paper and it was only an M...............I made a major mistake in not insisting the replacement nib be in the middle of tolerance or even on the skinny side. So my B replacement nib is a fat B or more a BB.

Always take your paper with you to a B&M, so you get the proper width....what is marked has tolerance and modern MB's are not marked on the nib.....not on the piston cap either, like my Deluxe.. Each company has it's very own standards, that change with the era. MB is a much fatter nib than it use to be my Deluxe's KOB which is so skinny compared to the Woolf B. Is B width for the era though.

 

I'd not take that pen to work, unless your secretary can guard your office very well, such a pen can do Olympic Walking.

[Michael R.]

The Octavian is based on the 146 of 1993. Same nib and feed construction so it just writes like any MB 146 from that time (just like the Agatha as well).

The gripping section is curved (just like on the Agatha) and not straight like on the 146.

It has a classic silver overlay but the pen still is light weight like I prefer. All other parts are resin like on Agatha or 146.

Mine is a great writer and it appears to be as solid as a 146 (but I'd say the same about the Agatha!).

Cheers

 

Michael

[zaddick]

The Octavian is based on the 146 of 1993. Same nib and feed construction so it just writes like any MB 146 from that time (just like the Agatha as well).

 

The gripping section is curved (just like on the Agatha) and not straight like on the 146.

 

It has a classic silver overlay but the pen still is light weight like I prefer. All other parts are resin like on Agatha or 146.

 

Mine is a great writer and it appears to be as solid as a 146 (but I'd say the same about the Agatha!).

Cheers

 

Michael

 

+1 it is as robust as a 146 of the same year. The nib decoration is different and the pen weighs more with more weight towards the back end due to the metal, but otherwise it is performs like a 146. I have not heard of any weakness in the design (which has been the case with some other Writers Editions), but if the pen was used and stored with ink that dried in it might need a service. Even an unused pen may need some lubrication after so many years.

[bluebirdy2]

Thank you for all your reviews.

 

zaddick / it is unused and the piston seems fine. But I should see the service.

 

 

Michael / honestly I

 

Vintage MB's............OK, I like the great balanced medium-large '50-60's 146 more than the modern post 1970 Large 146. The latter pen had a regular flex pen the vintage one had a maxi-semi-flex nib.

I've a rolled gold 742 with a semi-flex ++ nib, not quite maxi-semi-flex. It too is a standard sized pen, but heavy.

 

My standard sized MB 234 1/2 Deluxe semi-flex KOB ('52-54 only), is one of my three top balanced pens from when I was a 20 pen nooble (MB 234 1/2, Geha 725 & P-75 were the top three the 400NN ended up 4th.).........don't worry about which of my top 15 are in my top five much any more. Too much work and top 5 is quite a spread, that 15 or more pens can fit in there.

Enough folks didn't care for the torpedo shaped 146/9 that MB spiffed up the 234 1/2 into the Deluxe, with a Meisterstuck clip and a different than the regular 234 1/2 cap ring. (don't have, in I have the Deluxe but think it would be well worth having.)

 

Montblanc Octavian...took a gander, no size listed.........is based on a '20's pen......but at best all you would have is a modern 'Springy' MB nib, good tine bend, but only 2X tine spread. Should be somewhat stubbish if you got M and above.

I do have a Large Virginia Woolf, with such a nib............sigh, when I got it at the B&M, it was the B width M I wanted. I had read MB is a tad fat....

At home I tested it on better paper and it was only an M...............I made a major mistake in not insisting the replacement nib be in the middle of tolerance or even on the skinny side. So my B replacement nib is a fat B or more a BB.

Always take your paper with you to a B&M, so you get the proper width....what is marked has tolerance and modern MB's are not marked on the nib.....not on the piston cap either, like my Deluxe.. Each company has it's very own standards, that change with the era. MB is a much fatter nib than it use to be my Deluxe's KOB which is so skinny compared to the Woolf B. Is B width for the era though.

 

I'd not take that pen to work, unless your secretary can guard your office very well, such a pen can do Olympic Walking.

 

 

 

 

That is great. I always wanted a vintage montblanc, maybe 139.

 

My Octavian is M so I think it will be stubbish too?

 

By the mean, what does stubbish or stub exactly mean?

Does it just mean the width of nib? Or any certain feeling of the nib?

[bluebirdy2]

The Octavian is based on the 146 of 1993. Same nib and feed construction so it just writes like any MB 146 from that time (just like the Agatha as well).

 

The gripping section is curved (just like on the Agatha) and not straight like on the 146.

 

It has a classic silver overlay but the pen still is light weight like I prefer. All other parts are resin like on Agatha or 146.

 

Mine is a great writer and it appears to be as solid as a 146 (but I'd say the same about the Agatha!).

Cheers

 

Michael

 

 

 

Yo, I heard that Agatha, or 146 nib in 1993 was different to other nibs. They used different techniques or crafting maybe.

One said that his octavian is more smooth than agatha, but that is very personal.

 

Actually I was worried if Octavian the 30 yr old pen might break easily, get cracks in the body, the silver overlay goes loose(actually saw this issue in FPN) if I use it daily.

But seeing others inking and using the pen relives me a bit.

[bluebirdy2]

 

+1 it is as robust as a 146 of the same year. The nib decoration is different and the pen weighs more with more weight towards the back end due to the metal, but otherwise it is performs like a 146. I have not heard of any weakness in the design (which has been the case with some other Writers Editions), but if the pen was used and stored with ink that dried in it might need a service. Even an unused pen may need some lubrication after so many years.

 

I hope so. Writers Edition at that time was only $650(approx). So I don't think Agatha was built solid unlike our modern Writers Edition and other Solitaire lines.

[zaddick]

Stubbish refers to line variation. It refers to when the down stroke (north to south) is noticeably wider than the cross stroke (west to east). A stub had rounded edges and is easy to write with quickly.

 

Montblanc M nibs are not stubbish as a general rule but B or wider nibs are.

[bluebirdy2]

Stubbish refers to line variation. It refers to when the down stroke (north to south) is noticeably wider than the cross stroke (west to east). A stub had rounded edges and is easy to write with quickly.

 

Montblanc M nibs are not stubbish as a general rule but B or wider nibs are.

 

I got it!

Like those M+ nibs from OMAS?

Those iridiums that looks like a flat disc?

[bluebirdy2]

Vintage MB's............OK, I like the great balanced medium-large '50-60's 146 more than the modern post 1970 Large 146. The latter pen had a regular flex pen the vintage one had a maxi-semi-flex nib.

I've a rolled gold 742 with a semi-flex ++ nib, not quite maxi-semi-flex. It too is a standard sized pen, but heavy.

 

My standard sized MB 234 1/2 Deluxe semi-flex KOB ('52-54 only), is one of my three top balanced pens from when I was a 20 pen nooble (MB 234 1/2, Geha 725 & P-75 were the top three the 400NN ended up 4th.).........don't worry about which of my top 15 are in my top five much any more. Too much work and top 5 is quite a spread, that 15 or more pens can fit in there.

Enough folks didn't care for the torpedo shaped 146/9 that MB spiffed up the 234 1/2 into the Deluxe, with a Meisterstuck clip and a different than the regular 234 1/2 cap ring. (don't have, in I have the Deluxe but think it would be well worth having.)

 

Montblanc Octavian...took a gander, no size listed.........is based on a '20's pen......but at best all you would have is a modern 'Springy' MB nib, good tine bend, but only 2X tine spread. Should be somewhat stubbish if you got M and above.

I do have a Large Virginia Woolf, with such a nib............sigh, when I got it at the B&M, it was the B width M I wanted. I had read MB is a tad fat....

At home I tested it on better paper and it was only an M...............I made a major mistake in not insisting the replacement nib be in the middle of tolerance or even on the skinny side. So my B replacement nib is a fat B or more a BB.

Always take your paper with you to a B&M, so you get the proper width....what is marked has tolerance and modern MB's are not marked on the nib.....not on the piston cap either, like my Deluxe.. Each company has it's very own standards, that change with the era. MB is a much fatter nib than it use to be my Deluxe's KOB which is so skinny compared to the Woolf B. Is B width for the era though.

 

I'd not take that pen to work, unless your secretary can guard your office very well, such a pen can do Olympic Walking.

 

 

My Octavian will be M, so I hope it is not stubbish.

[Lucas LKS]

Hello,

 

I have both Octavian and Agatha Christie (silver version).

 

I changed their nib from a M (boring in my opinion) for a B nib. Both are really great and are stubish. Ones of my best nibs (50 Montblanc pens).

 

Octavian is a solid pen and not heavy at all.

[LargeSofa]

It's a perfect pen. it's not fragile by any means. I often use it daily for long periods of time. I also have the Pelikan Gaudi, which is also a magnificent pen based on the M800.