Montblanc 149 Review - 2021

[NickUK]

13 minutes ago, Detman101 said:

1. The MB-149...Do you think it will still be sold in the "Calligraphy" version in the upcoming years?

2. The MB-149...is this bigger than the Opus-88 Demo? You referenced the Jinhao-159 and from pictures that pen is HUGE!

 

Wouldn’t be nearly qualified to comment on the first question. Although my gut feel is that if there is a demand anywhere in the world, someone will have it!

 

As for point 2, see below (measurements are fairly accurate, but taken from the internet).

 

They all look pretty darn close to me.

 

MB 149

14.7cm X 1.6cm

 

Jinhao 159

14.9cm X 1.6cm

 

Opus 88-Demo

14.8cm X 1.6cm

[Detman101]

4 minutes ago, NickUK said:

 

Wouldn’t be nearly qualified to comment on the first question. Although my gut feel is that if there is a demand anywhere in the world, someone will have it!

 

As for point 2, see below (measurements are fairly accurate, but taken from the internet).

 

They all look pretty darn close to me.

 

MB 149

14.7cm X 1.6cm

 

Jinhao 159

14.9cm X 1.6cm

 

Opus 88-Demo

14.8cm X 1.6cm

WOOHOO!!!
THANK YOU!!!!
YES!!! I'm still in the race!!

[Barry Gabay]

Hello NickUK, 

 

Thank you for your detailed and precise thoughts regarding the 149.  Your approach is one of scientific observation which I appreciate. We can all learn from the views and experiences of others.

 

While my preference is for older 149s (currently my youngest one dates from ca.1985-90),  the newer models are high quality and perform very well. I have owned & enjoyed several made since the 2010s. There is no other fountain pen which matches the feel of a 149 in one's hand. The writing experience is superb. Though fairly large, its weight is so well proportioned and  its barrel & posted cap so balanced that I find it comfortable for long  periods of writing.  Unposted, it is also comfortable & convenient. There are many smaller fountain pens which feel heavier and less well balanced than the 149.  The 149's nib, in any width, is  consistent and reliable on the page. 

 

Thank you  again for your contribution to our understanding of the whole 149 experience. 

I hope your new 149 brings you years & decades of writing pleasure.

Stay healthy. Get both jabs. 

Enjoy the remainder of your weekend.

Best wishes,

Barry

[Zdenek]

Hi NickUK,

Thank you for the valuable thoughts on 149 pens.

I dare to add a survey of some MB nibs and inks.

 

[Frank C]

53 minutes ago, Zdenek said:

Hi NickUK,

Thank you for the valuable thoughts on 149 pens.

I dare to add a survey of some MB nibs and inks.

 

I think this illustrates my point. Your first MB 149 may not be your last. 

 

@Zdenek, which one of these nibs is your favorite? Which one gets the most use?

[Frank C]

2 hours ago, Detman101 said:

1. The MB-149...Do you think it will still be sold in the "Calligraphy" version in the upcoming years?

2. The MB-149...is this bigger than the Opus-88 Demo? You referenced the Jinhao-159 and from pictures that pen is HUGE!

One month ago, or so, I asked at my local boutique. They told me that they are no longer able to order a Calligraphy 149; they only received one and it was pre-ordered. They also told me that MB is releasing some new pen in the Calligraphy line in the Fall.

 

Last week, I looked online. None of the MB Boutiques in the USA had any Calligraphy 149s. They were available throughout Europe, though. (I purchased mine by messaging MB USA and they connected me with the boutique in Orlando, Florida.)

 

I would say that if you want a Calligraphy 149, you should start looking—and saving up your money—now. I would guess that as long as there is a market for them, MB will make them, but no one seems to know the what MB is going to do—including, perhaps, MB.

 

Years ago, I purchased two Jinhao 159s from Goulet Pens. I couldn't get them to write well, they still had some machining oil on them, and the plating came right off in my ultrasound. Goulet took them back. I do have some Jinhao 992 pens that work quite well and they only cost about $2 USD.

[AcLondon]

I love this thread, thanks for kicking it off NickUK.  A lot of fountain pen users fall into 'collectors' and 'writers' camps.  Many, I'm sure, are in both.  I have a very small collection but definitely I'm in the collector category, meaning history, age and variety over periods are really important to me.  The forensic aspect of writing is not as important to me as history.  Though my favourite ever pen to write with is a late 60s 149.  I think it's because it feels like a great writer, but perhaps I'm clouded by its impressive history!

[gyasko]

I think that since currently produced pens were compared to previous versions, which remain plentiful on the used market, even changes that occurred decades remain relevant.

My point was that Montblanc has made design changes precisely to reduce labor and material costs. MB also work within the framework of evolving state regulation and labor agreements, and these may also dictate changes. These changes sometimes benefit consumers and sometimes do not, but all are intended to benefit MB -- just as one would expect of an industrial product in a capitalist economy.

Just to be fair, there have been a few changes that were made to increase reliability/repairability. For example, MB made the barrels of the 1970s models thicker than the 1960s barrels. This reduced ink capacity and required a change in piston seals, but made the barrels stronger. MB also threaded the piston mechanism in the 1970s, making it easier to remove and facilitating repair. The nibs have become easier to remove in recent years.

[maclink]

On 7/24/2021 at 4:01 PM, NickUK said:

But don't be put off with buying brand new. The experience, the choice of nibs, the warranty, the fact you are the first owner, and the peace of mind is all worth the extra cost for me.

Agreed. 3 of my MB’s I bought brand new.  Great post and have fun with your pen!

[Detman101]

13 hours ago, Frank C said:

One month ago, or so, I asked at my local boutique. They told me that they are no longer able to order a Calligraphy 149; they only received one and it was pre-ordered. They also told me that MB is releasing some new pen in the Calligraphy line in the Fall.

 

Last week, I looked online. None of the MB Boutiques in the USA had any Calligraphy 149s. They were available throughout Europe, though. (I purchased mine by messaging MB USA and they connected me with the boutique in Orlando, Florida.)

 

I would say that if you want a Calligraphy 149, you should start looking—and saving up your money—now. I would guess that as long as there is a market for them, MB will make them, but no one seems to know the what MB is going to do—including, perhaps, MB.

 

Years ago, I purchased two Jinhao 159s from Goulet Pens. I couldn't get them to write well, they still had some machining oil on them, and the plating came right off in my ultrasound. Goulet took them back. I do have some Jinhao 992 pens that work quite well and they only cost about $2 USD.

Thank you! It will be at least another year before I have the ability to acquire one.
I'd planned to receive one as part of my 15-year work anniversary gift. No idea how much it may cost by then, but if it's under $2k I should be fine.

[NickUK]

20 hours ago, Barry Gabay said:

Thank you for your detailed and precise thoughts regarding the 149.  Your approach is one of scientific observation which I appreciate. We can all learn from the views and experiences of others.

 

Thank you Barry! Much appreciated.

 

20 hours ago, Zdenek said:

Thank you for the valuable thoughts on 149 pens.

I dare to add a survey of some MB nibs and inks.

 

Fantastic sample there - One of the better ones that would have helped me for sure.

 

The hand finishing of the nibs really throws out some difficulty in buying blind. Your sample shows the Medium and Broad to be virtually identical (which, of course, they can be if you have a fat Medium and a thin Broad).

 

I find this point is often lost by newcomers posting (based on what I've read), with the expectation that a very expensive pen would have the very best tolerances.

18 hours ago, AcLondon said:

I have a very small collection but definitely I'm in the collector category, meaning history, age and variety over periods are really important to me. 

 

Thanks @AcLondon- To "balance the books" on my initial post, I was *very* close to buying an "Unused" pen from the year of my birth (late 80's). I would have bought it solely for the reason that it would have had nostalgic meaning to me.

 

However, the seller was just an eBay chap, and there was no way he could have known it was the specific year of my birth (14K, Split Ebonite, Plastic Threads on the piston & W Germany marking) - He did have the original receipt from his father (which showed a purchase date of '89), but that would still leave a good few years it could have been made.

 

He also wanted more than it would cost to buy a new one...... and that's just a big "no" from me.

 

Of course, if I'd bought it, no doubt I'd have convinced myself the Split Ebonite feed was out of this world, and the 14K nib was a sheer delight.......

 

16 hours ago, gyasko said:

Just to be fair, there have been a few changes that were made to increase reliability/repairability. For example, MB made the barrels of the 1970s models thicker than the 1960s barrels. This reduced ink capacity and required a change in piston seals, but made the barrels stronger. MB also threaded the piston mechanism in the 1970s, making it easier to remove and facilitating repair. The nibs have become easier to remove in recent years.

 

All of your points have been super valid, no denying that. It'll be really interesting to see what the "collectors take" is in 50 years time. Will the 2020 pens be lusted over, or will the 1960's still be going strong!? 

 

Will be amusing to look back at previous discussions  

 

12 hours ago, maclink said:

Agreed. 3 of my MB’s I bought brand new.  Great post and have fun with your pen!

 

Thanks! I guess some of us have to keep MB in business

 

 

[NickUK]

Siena Single Pouch

 

I thought I'd post this here, rather than start a new topic (or put it in the classified etc, as I think they'll get snapped up quite quickly).

 

I've just bought the Siena Single pouch (brand new, with papers) for £65 (plus £3 shipping).

 

Not sure on the rules here, and I'm in no way affiliated with this seller at all - Am I allowed to post the eBay link?

 

I was speaking with her yesterday, and she works for a corporate gifts company, who used to stock Montblanc (amongst others), but no longer do - Hence the sell off.

 

I've ordered one, and I would be happy to report back when it arrives in a few days if people would rather wait.

 

But I thought it was a cracking deal!

 

Let me know if I'm allowed to post the link.

 

Many thanks,

[agentdaffy007]

Amazing thread NickUK and congratulations on both of your purchased. You'll love both items as they are very well-made.

 

About 10 years ago, I was chasing the first resin release of the MB 149 1959 and found one on eBay in near mint condition. It was a great writer for 10 years. I loved it because it had history and it had a beautiful flex nib with an ebonite feed that would flow so well.

 

Since the last 12 months, I purchased 3 new MB pens and sold off my "perfect MB 149 1959". The reasons were quite simple, after trying the MB 149 Calligraphy, I found that the newer pen is actually better for my needs. It flexes more and has a faster snapback, it has a better feed. Yes, I prefer plastic feed over ebonite. I really love pigmented inks and for some reason, the ebonite feed ends up clogging after a few days of using pigmented ink only. The clog would not be permanent but still annoying nonetheless.

 

So all this to tell you that I much prefer my brand new MB.

 

Oh, and the latest brand new MB 149 O3B I just received is such a joy to write with out of the box. Had to wait 6 weeks for the nib to be exchanged buy totally worth the wait.

[NickUK]

53 minutes ago, agentdaffy007 said:

Oh, and the latest brand new MB 149 O3B I just received is such a joy to write with out of the box. Had to wait 6 weeks for the nib to be exchanged buy totally worth the wait.

 

I've read this too many times for it not to be true now! I love the properties of thicker nibs (more ink, interesting lines etc) - But for starters, I wanted that "if you could only have one pen" type experience.

 

Something I could use to write on *everything* (OK, most things).

 

I can see the O3B being amazing for certain things (cards, bigger writing in general) - But I don't think it would get as much use as a M or B for me personally.

 

The fact so many people have said how much they love them, likely means I'll end up adding one in future

[agentdaffy007]

3 hours ago, NickUK said:

 

I've read this too many times for it not to be true now! I love the properties of thicker nibs (more ink, interesting lines etc) - But for starters, I wanted that "if you could only have one pen" type experience.

 

Something I could use to write on *everything* (OK, most things).

 

I can see the O3B being amazing for certain things (cards, bigger writing in general) - But I don't think it would get as much use as a M or B for me personally.

 

The fact so many people have said how much they love them, likely means I'll end up adding one in future

If I had to get only 1 MB 149, it would be either the Calligraphy or the Broad nib. But I am sure you will end up with many! 😁

[bunnspecial]

18 hours ago, NickUK said:

 

The hand finishing of the nibs really throws out some difficulty in buying blind. Your sample shows the Medium and Broad to be virtually identical (which, of course, they can be if you have a fat Medium and a thin Broad).

 

Take a close look at the M and B examples and you'll see a subtle but distinctive difference.

 

Since the M nibs have perfectly spherical tipping, direction line variation is non existent.

 

On the other hand, the B example shows this clearly. Look at how, for example, the loops on the P and B are wider than the downstroke, or how the "tail" of the t and the cross on it both show some wider lines than the downstroke. I see it other places too, such as in the top of the r.

 

This is WHY I love 149 B and OB nibs nibs. The oblique grinds tend to(sometimes) shift the thin strokes more to an angle than up/down-side/side.

 

I love "flair" that a 149 B adds to my writing. It's mostly useable for daily writing(although I tend to grab an M or F for math) but definitely gives things a nice look.

[NickUK]

5 hours ago, bunnspecial said:

Take a close look at the M and B examples and you'll see a subtle but distinctive difference.

 

Since the M nibs have perfectly spherical tipping, direction line variation is non existent.

 

You are 100% right, but I'd hazard a guess that 99.9% of people wouldn't notice (and the 0.01% of people who do, are probably on this forum!  )

 

I'm hoping mine arrives today, and I'll try and get a sample posted - Alongside a Lamy 2000 Medium (as a pen that most people know, with PLENTY of samples online to compare it to).

[NickUK]

Ok guys, I’ll keep it all in this thread rather than starting a new one. 

 

Pen received (woo).

 

Hard starts like an absolute monster (booooo). 

 

I flushed it before I inked it up, and will keep writing to see if it fixes itself. 

 

As for a writing sample; see below. 

 

The paper is William Hannah A5 with 7mm lines. 

 

[Detman101]

Congrats on the receipt of your pen!!
I have heard that they become finer with use and settle down after about a week of use. (I would bet that the experienced will chime in shortly)

[NickUK]

3 minutes ago, Detman101 said:

Congrats on the receipt of your pen!!
I have heard that they become finer with use and settle down after about a week of use. (I would bet that the experienced will chime in shortly)

 

Is that so? Because I am very close to sending it back for a Medium.

 

The hard starts cause it to write really poorly - It doesn't feel very smooth at all.