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Montblanc Solitaire Platinum 149


Joshua Pen Collector

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Greetings,

 

Twenty-five years after seeing this model for the first time in a MB boutique, I was finally able to acquire one, used, on eBay.   That was no small feat as it involved (a) finding one that was for sale (b) at a reasonable price, and (c) being financially positioned to make the investment.  Since I have long scoured the Internet for videos showing the beautiful luster of this pen and never could find one, I am pleased to share pics from the unboxing here.  I haven’t written with it yet as I’m pondering what nib tip to affix, perhaps a custom grind.  It came with a medium which is the most boring nib size to me (ironic, I know).  
 

While this is certainly the most expensive pen I own, my favorite has always been the blue Waterman Edson which I’ve had for two decades.  

 

Have a good day.  Thanks for reading.  

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Hello and Welcome to FPN!! So glad to have you as a member!! Beautiful pen, congrats!!

 

PAKMAN

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Thank you, Pakman.  Glad to be here and sharing my passion with this community. 

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That's a beautiful pen. As for nibs, you might just want to keep it as is. While a medium nib may be "boring", it is also very practical. I currently have three 149s inked, an extra-fine, a medium, and a broad. To be honest, they all write similarly. I can see the difference in line width, but each one is a pleasure to write with. I really can't choose a favorite. I have a few other 149s. I find each nib to be useful and fun. 

 

Thanks for posting your photos. Please let us know which nib you end up with. 

"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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Nice Pen!  Welcome to FPN!

 

Cliff

“The only thing most people do better than anyone else is read their own handwriting.”  John Adams

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1 minute ago, gyasko said:

I second the vote for keeping it as is.  Once tipping is gone you can’t get it back

Yes.  I agree.  As the saying goes, "measure twice...cut once."

 

Cliff

 

“The only thing most people do better than anyone else is read their own handwriting.”  John Adams

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Thanks for the insight, Frank and Bristol.  I see your point about leaving the nib as is.  The part that gives me more pause is sending the pen off into the hands of a stranger.  Frank, that's an interesting point.  I have a resin 149 with a medium nib as well.  Here is a side-by-side view.  The platinum's medium nib appears thinner to me, closer to a fine.  Or is it just my eyes playing tricks on me?

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And a follow-up question:  Any thoughts on why the design of the upper portion of the feed was changed?  On the left there's rubber material almost as if it's meant to lie across the paper (although I can't fathom that was the purpose).  On the right is the triangular cutout.  Now I'm curious to study up and learn more about nib feed designs and how they facilitate ink flow.

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13 hours ago, Joshua Pen Collector said:

Thanks for the insight, Frank and Bristol.  I see your point about leaving the nib as is.  The part that gives me more pause is sending the pen off into the hands of a stranger.  Frank, that's an interesting point.  I have a resin 149 with a medium nib as well.  Here is a side-by-side view.  The platinum's medium nib appears thinner to me, closer to a fine.  Or is it just my eyes playing tricks on me?

 

13 hours ago, Joshua Pen Collector said:

And a follow-up question:  Any thoughts on why the design of the upper portion of the feed was changed?  On the left there's rubber material almost as if it's meant to lie across the paper (although I can't fathom that was the purpose).  On the right is the triangular cutout.  Now I'm curious to study up and learn more about nib feed designs and how they facilitate ink flow.

All Montblanc nibs are hand finished. There is variation from nib to nib, even with the same size listed. Over the years, Montblanc has updated materials and manufacturing processes. You can read pages and pages on FPN debating which changes are improvements. Your feeds are just from different eras. I looked at some of my pens; the older ones have the feed on the left, newer ones have the feed on the right in your photo. One of the reasons one pays a premium price for a Montblanc pen is that they are well-designed and well-made. Montblanc is one of the few brands of pens that always work well for me out of the box. 

 

If you want to have your nib modified, I would recommend attending a pen show. The major nibmeisters will be there and will work with you to get your pen working perfectly. I have attended the LA Pen Show and the San Francisco Pen Show. I always show up with a handful of problems pens and get them turned to perfection. I don't recall having any MBs tuned; they always work well. 

 

Here's a link to an article about feed design:

 

https://fountainpendesign.wordpress.com/the-feed/fountain-pen-feed-design-test-criteria/feeds-made-of-plastic/ 

 

I would also send you to:

 

http://www.richardspens.com 

 

The reference pages have articles about many aspects of fountain pen design. 

 

I wish you well with your pen. MB hasn't made many pens in the 149 size—my favorite. "Go big or go home." 

"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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Thank you for the resources and the insights, Frank.  Looking forward to reading the two sites.  At first glance, it seems like the author of Fountain Pen Design has debriefed comprehensively everything one could hope to learn about feeds and ink flow. 

 

I had similar experience with my 146 and 149; they both worked flawlessly out of the box.  I may bite the bullet and ink up the Solitaire Platinum.  After all, I didn't buy it for it to sit in a safe like it did for the last 30 years for the previous owner.  If and when I write with it, I'll send pics.  That will be an exciting moment.

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Hello and welcome to FPN.

Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous  Who taught by the pen

Taught man that which he knew not (96/3-5)

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  • 3 weeks later...

You have successfully entered a rabbit hole, who knows what it'll yield and where it'll lead.

Enjoy the fascinating journey and feel free to ask/share...  thumbup.gif

 

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Engineer :

Someone who does precision guesswork based on unreliable data provided by those of questionable knowledge.

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