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The Meisterstück 149 Calligraphy Appreciation Thread


fpupulin

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18 minutes ago, Fawate said:

Cap wiggling

Sorry if I arrive a bit late in this subject, but I also realised that the cap of my 90th Anniversary 149 also wiggles. In fact,it wiggles a lot compared to two 1990s 149 that I have and I tried to use the same amount of force when capping all the pens. 

After that, I contacted the AD of my city and examined their inventory. Yes, they were very accommodating. All the brand new pens of their store had this characteristic. I was thinking of sending the pen for service, but decided not to do it in the end.

I think that it is the new normal. 

 

Hi, I guess the tolerance is not what it used to be. Haha.

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quick question - is the MB 149 Calligraphy flex still available? Or was it a limited edition never to be seen again? Thanks!

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RE: CoolBreeze....still available, but relatively scarce.

In fact, I ordered one directly from MB's website last week & it arrived just yesterday!

 

I've recently seen it listed as available on at least one European seller too--e.g., I think it was PW Akkerman Amsterdam, but I might be confusing it with Appelboom or Fontoplumo or etc.

 

I've only just gotten mine, so want to give it more time before commenting at any length, but my first impressions are:

 

1) the 149 Flex produces a wonderfully smooth & steady EF line without any pressure, so should make an excellent daily writer. (This impression seems very much in line with what others have already noted here).

 

2) The nib seems firmer and less pliable than I had anticipated. It's possible I'm just being too polite with it (out of a fear of ruining the alignment or springing it), but it seems less flexible to me than my Pilot 912 FA nib. That is, in comparison with my FA nib, I have to apply noticeably more pressure to get the tines to spread and create a fatter line. My line variation seems to be fairly limited as a result. Without pressure, it seems like maybe a .3mm and with pressure (or at least as much pressure as I am comfortable using at this point), it comes closer to .7 or .8

 

But again, the pen is still new, so my sense of it may change a lot over the next few days....

 

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18 hours ago, seimodern said:

RE: CoolBreeze....still available, but relatively scarce.

In fact, I ordered one directly from MB's website last week & it arrived just yesterday!

 

I've recently seen it listed as available on at least one European seller too--e.g., I think it was PW Akkerman Amsterdam, but I might be confusing it with Appelboom or Fontoplumo or etc.

 

I've only just gotten mine, so want to give it more time before commenting at any length, but my first impressions are:

 

1) the 149 Flex produces a wonderfully smooth & steady EF line without any pressure, so should make an excellent daily writer. (This impression seems very much in line with what others have already noted here).

 

2) The nib seems firmer and less pliable than I had anticipated. It's possible I'm just being too polite with it (out of a fear of ruining the alignment or springing it), but it seems less flexible to me than my Pilot 912 FA nib. That is, in comparison with my FA nib, I have to apply noticeably more pressure to get the tines to spread and create a fatter line. My line variation seems to be fairly limited as a result. Without pressure, it seems like maybe a .3mm and with pressure (or at least as much pressure as I am comfortable using at this point), it comes closer to .7 or .8

 

But again, the pen is still new, so my sense of it may change a lot over the next few days....

 


Congratulations for your new pen, which I hope will give you a lot of fun!

 

Spreading out the tines of a new nib is always a risky feeling, but in this specific case I am sure you will become used to use the flexibility virtues of the Calligraphy. It is just question of time and confidence.

 

C46DF508-E3C7-4173-8638-35936C6B17DD.thumb.jpeg.4214fea14802d02abc560fd02c164bb1.jpeg

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A series of eights, with a reference rule to appreciate the actual width of the strokes:

 

733DE62D-3A2B-432A-AE39-931D3B069B39.thumb.jpeg.af533c0e62a30038fdd602d12c70bf35.jpeg

 

 

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3 hours ago, fpupulin said:

A series of eights, with a reference rule to appreciate the actual width of the strokes:

 

733DE62D-3A2B-432A-AE39-931D3B069B39.thumb.jpeg.af533c0e62a30038fdd602d12c70bf35.jpeg

 

 

Your artistry--and generosity--are both evident once again....this is both incredibly helpful and beautiful! To see the evolution of the eights with a visible measure really helps those new the the nib to visualize the safe zones and thresholds of the pen. 

 

I also wanted to thank you for the reference to the Hildebrandt book on flourishing. It seems to be out of print, but I found a digital copy that convinced me a paper copy would be worth the investment. The paper version is on its way, but in the meantime I have been delighting in its detailed lore and attention to technique. I'm drawn to the more eccentric scripts (Roman cursive, Luxeuil, Bastarda, Chancery) and was ecstatic to discover Hildebrandt's explanation and tips for Cadel (cadeau) flourishes. I am still just getting into the book, but it's already revealed information and details that I have not come across elsewhere. So thank you again for sharing that reference too!

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On 4/30/2021 at 6:30 PM, seimodern said:

RE: CoolBreeze....still available, but relatively scarce.

In fact, I ordered one directly from MB's website last week & it arrived just yesterday!

 

 

Thank you!

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On 4/17/2021 at 1:24 AM, fpupulin said:

 

What I normally do is search the net for the word "font" or "calligraphic fonts". There are many pages that collect typographic fonts, and some show uppercase and lowercase letters on one screen. In this case, I make a screen shot and then print it, to have my "encyclopedia" of fonts to copy and modify to my taste.


The specific font you asked me about is called Avalon, and I often use it for my calligraphic divertissements and also - more or less modified - for common writing.

 

1258168164_Montblanc149CalligraphyAvalonFP.thumb.jpg.40a229262c6e9001cab928b3c410901d.jpg

 

...

@fpupulinI would like to thank you for such a wonderful suggestion, about searching for fonts online, which never occurred to me as an idea. I must admit that in the past I bought a couple of calligraphy books, and never had the patience to go through even a few pages. I couldn't even get the A4 size book to stay open while I tried to copy. 

 

So yesterday I tried what you suggested. Much easier to look at the screen while I tried to copy. I searched for "Avalon font" in google, and just copied whatever I liked seeing. Sorry for the inconsistency of spacing, ugliness and text which I didn't even copy correctly. But it was fun!

 

large.5C372A29-C16B-49FD-B7CE-A83888C018EF.jpeg.d3074f7e76c0b8ecedb12bd49c0ab6e6.jpeg

 

Thank you, Franco, for being such a continuous source of inspiration here on FPN! 

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Mine finally arrived after 11 months and 7 days.  I’ve been going through some calligraphy exercises.  I don’t have anything to say that hasn’t been said about the Calligraphy 149 before..  I will just say that i am quite pleased with it and enjoy using it.  

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23 hours ago, como said:

@fpupulinI would like to thank you for such a wonderful suggestion, about searching for fonts online, which never occurred to me as an idea. I must admit that in the past I bought a couple of calligraphy books, and never had the patience to go through even a few pages. I couldn't even get the A4 size book to stay open while I tried to copy. 

 

So yesterday I tried what you suggested. Much easier to look at the screen while I tried to copy. I searched for "Avalon font" in google, and just copied whatever I liked seeing. Sorry for the inconsistency of spacing, ugliness and text which I didn't even copy correctly. But it was fun!

 

large.5C372A29-C16B-49FD-B7CE-A83888C018EF.jpeg.d3074f7e76c0b8ecedb12bd49c0ab6e6.jpeg

 

Thank you, Franco, for being such a continuous source of inspiration here on FPN! 

 

Well done, my friend! I like your exercise and I find it very “Avalonesque”.  I also like very much the green ink you used, so shady... Which one is it?

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10 hours ago, gyasko said:

Mine finally arrived after 11 months and 7 days.  I’ve been going through some calligraphy exercises.  I don’t have anything to say that hasn’t been said about the Calligraphy 149 before..  I will just say that i am quite pleased with it and enjoy using it.  

 

What a great new, after almost one year of wait!

 

The Calligraphy is a secret treasure, hidden in herself... You will discover her virtues day after day, and you will be amazed of what this pen is able to do.

 

I have used it daily since I bought her, and I am still learning and having a lot of fun. To me, she has become an imprescindibile pen.

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6 hours ago, fpupulin said:

 

Well done, my friend! I like your exercise and I find it very “Avalonesque”.  I also like very much the green ink you used, so shady... Which one is it?

@fpupulinThank you for your encouragement. The ink is from the Zurich based stationery shop Landolt Arbenz, colour "Grasgrün". It's one of my favourite inks. I don't remember who told me this, but I somehow remember that someone said it was made by Diamine, and thought it was probably Diamine's Kelly Green, or something very similar to that. I somehow always get more shading out of this ink when I use a vintage pen vs. a modern one. The pen I used was a Wahl Eversharp Doric in Cathay Green with "FLEXIBLE" imprinted on the nib. I just dip-wrote with it.

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What inks do people recommend for use in the 149 Calligraphy? I know that Franco likes Montblanc Permanent inks; he used the black for quite some time and lately uses the blue. I have had a similar experience with my pen. My first fill was Permanent Black and the second was Permanent Blue. I have also had more success with the Permanent Blue; it was fairly easy to get my nib to railroad with the black, but that doesn't happen with the blue. 

"One can not waste time worrying about small minds . . . If we were normal, we'd still be using free ball point pens." —Bo Bo Olson

 

"I already own more ink than a rational person can use in a lifetime." —Waski_the_Squirrel

 

I'm still trying to figure out how to list all my pens down here.

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That Pupulin script.....just wow! Goals!

 

And this book arrived today....thanks again for the suggestion! I hope the pen and book will (ahem) flourish together!

20210510_174006.jpg

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5 hours ago, Frank C said:

What inks do people recommend for use in the 149 Calligraphy? I know that Franco likes Montblanc Permanent inks; he used the black for quite some time and lately uses the blue. I have had a similar experience with my pen. My first fill was Permanent Black and the second was Permanent Blue. I have also had more success with the Permanent Blue; it was fairly easy to get my nib to railroad with the black, but that doesn't happen with the blue. 


I'm still trying to find the perfect ink, but the only ink I have had no railroading with has been Iroshizuku Kon Peki, which comes at no surprise to me anyway, as I have long ago realized this is the gold standard modern ink.

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10 hours ago, como said:

@fpupulinThank you for your encouragement. The ink is from the Zurich based stationery shop Landolt Arbenz, colour "Grasgrün". It's one of my favourite inks. I don't remember who told me this, but I somehow remember that someone said it was made by Diamine, and thought it was probably Diamine's Kelly Green, or something very similar to that. I somehow always get more shading out of this ink when I use a vintage pen vs. a modern one. The pen I used was a Wahl Eversharp Doric in Cathay Green with "FLEXIBLE" imprinted on the nib. I just dip-wrote with it.

No intention of going off topic, but talking of Landolt Arbenz, on my last visit to Zurich almost 2 years back, I found that it had moved off Bahnhoffstrasse, and was tucked away in another place with a new sparse atmosphere in the air, and don't intend to visit again. I really do miss the old place, a family run business, with its welcoming ambiance and a gallery full of displays!

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10 hours ago, Frank C said:

What inks do people recommend for use in the 149 Calligraphy? I know that Franco likes Montblanc Permanent inks; he used the black for quite some time and lately uses the blue. I have had a similar experience with my pen. My first fill was Permanent Black and the second was Permanent Blue. I have also had more success with the Permanent Blue; it was fairly easy to get my nib to railroad with the black, but that doesn't happen with the blue. 

 

Besides Iroshizuku inks (I use Kon-peki and Shin-kai), I've found that Waterman Mysterious Blue is a very pleasant ink to use with the 149 Calligraphy. I have had it in use with my 149 Calligraphy for several months now and have not had any problems with easy or excessive railroading with it, plus it gets rid of the nib creep that happens with both the Iroshizuku inks (although this is a purely aesthetic factor).

I have also successfully used Diamine Ancient Copper, which is a color I particularly like for flex nibs.

~N

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15 hours ago, Frank C said:

What inks do people recommend for use in the 149 Calligraphy? I know that Franco likes Montblanc Permanent inks; he used the black for quite some time and lately uses the blue. I have had a similar experience with my pen. My first fill was Permanent Black and the second was Permanent Blue. I have also had more success with the Permanent Blue; it was fairly easy to get my nib to railroad with the black, but that doesn't happen with the blue. 

 

1610505961_Myissue.thumb.jpg.e602e0e075ffdbe6522cb5e6eba8210c.jpg

 

Blue.thumb.jpg.37373018cde49f81c9cebb0aa067e144.jpg

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5 hours ago, Nabado said:

 

Besides Iroshizuku inks (I use Kon-peki and Shin-kai), I've found that Waterman Mysterious Blue is a very pleasant ink to use with the 149 Calligraphy. I have had it in use with my 149 Calligraphy for several months now and have not had any problems with easy or excessive railroading with it, plus it gets rid of the nib creep that happens with both the Iroshizuku inks (although this is a purely aesthetic factor).

I have also successfully used Diamine Ancient Copper, which is a color I particularly like for flex nibs.

 

I think I will give the Ancient Copper a try, as I really like the color and its shading. Thank you for the suggestion.

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