Montblanc 146 EF Asymmetrical Nib

[thinkerpro]

I'm thinking of purchasing this used Montblanc 146 EF. However, I did notice that the left and right parts of the nib are asymmetrical; one side is higher and the other is lower. From the picture, there appears to be a very light scratch on the back of the nib. Is it possible that this nib has been ground or repaired? Or is this normal for a Montblanc EF nib? Thanks in advance!

[meiers]

The asymmetry is not an issue. This nib appears to be mint. How does it write?✍️ 

 

[thinkerpro]

I'm on the fence about purchasing this pen. The seller noted it's only been used to write fewer than 500 words, but I have a couple of reservations. Firstly, I'm wondering if the asymmetrical nib is a result of a third-party regrind—perhaps from a broader size like a Medium down to an Extra Fine. Secondly, I'm concerned that this asymmetry might compromise the writing smoothness. Maybe someone could give some ideas?

[JCC123]

it's not likely that's re-grind down from M to EF, F perhaps, but not M. The taper of the nib suggest that it's not M. Different Montblanc nibs have different taper profiles. The M nib has much smaller tapers.

[Karmachanic]

2 hours ago, thinkerpro said:

Maybe someone could give some ideas?

 

It's your thing do what you wanna do

[thinkerpro]

3 hours ago, JCC123 said:

it's not likely that's re-grind down from M to EF, F perhaps, but not M. The taper of the nib suggest that it's not M. Different Montblanc nibs have different taper profiles. The M nib has much smaller tapers.

 Thanks a bunch for the info! Based on your experience, did you spot any Montblanc nibs that were uneven or asymmetrical, like the one in the photos?

[thinkerpro]

3 hours ago, Karmachanic said:

 

It's your thing do what you wanna do

 

Thanks for sharing the song! 🙂

[thinkerpro]

17 hours ago, meiers said:

The asymmetry is not an issue. This nib appears to be mint. How does it write?✍️ 

 

 

I’m curious about this “asymmetry is not an issue” thing. Is that something that could happen with Montblanc? If so, I may pull the trigger and buy this pen.

[Karmachanic]

My understanding is that MB nibs are ground by (imperfect) humans.  Two (contemporary issue) of my MBs have nibs re-ground by a person other than an MB employee.

 

Right side of my asymmetric body is larger than the left. It's not an issue. 

[thinkerpro]

Thank you Karmachanic!

[CS388]

Ask the seller how it writes.

Ask if it has been reground.

 

Looks mint. Asymmetry is not uncommon and doesn't affect writing.

This one is not far off dead-centre, I've seen other more extreme examples (from most manufacturers)

Nothing jumps out at me about the grind? You'd need more detailed close-up photos to authenticate (or otherwise) the grind. 

I'd personally prefer the slit to be dead centre, but it's not a deal-breaker for me. 

If you like everything else about the pen and it's a good price then go for it.

 

If you have doubts about the seller's story, or anything appears suspicious to you: walk away, there are plenty of 146 pens for sale. 

 

Good luck.

[JCC123]

6 hours ago, thinkerpro said:

 Thanks a bunch for the info! Based on your experience, did you spot any Montblanc nibs that were uneven or asymmetrical, like the one in the photos?

Seen it many times. Photos are not very accurate for something so tiny. All the previous times I bought pens where it looked like your photo turned out to be just image aberrations. When you see it in real life with your eyes / loupe it's symmetrical. Good luck.

[thinkerpro]

15 hours ago, CS388 said:

Ask the seller how it writes.

Ask if it has been reground.

 

Looks mint. Asymmetry is not uncommon and doesn't affect writing.

This one is not far off dead-centre, I've seen other more extreme examples (from most manufacturers)

Nothing jumps out at me about the grind? You'd need more detailed close-up photos to authenticate (or otherwise) the grind. 

I'd personally prefer the slit to be dead centre, but it's not a deal-breaker for me. 

If you like everything else about the pen and it's a good price then go for it.

 

If you have doubts about the seller's story, or anything appears suspicious to you: walk away, there are plenty of 146 pens for sale. 

 

Good luck.

 

Thanks for the super detailed response! The asymmetry was my only worry, and the seller seems really cool. I’ve decided to go ahead and buy the pen. It might take a bit to get it shipped to me, but I’m excited! Thanks again!

[thinkerpro]

13 hours ago, JCC123 said:

Seen it many times. Photos are not very accurate for something so tiny. All the previous times I bought pens where it looked like your photo turned out to be just image aberrations. When you see it in real life with your eyes / loupe it's symmetrical. Good luck.

 

II’ll take a closer look at the nib once the pen arrives. If there’s anything worth mentioning, I’ll update this thread. Thanks a bunch!

[meiers]

Yes please. 

[Opooh]

I have my doubts about the asymmetry. Remember, they are macro recordings. If both Tines are not at the same distance (and we speak of tenths of millimeters) from the lens, you also get asymmetrical images.

[thinkerpro]

On 6/13/2025 at 7:39 PM, Opooh said:

I have my doubts about the asymmetry. Remember, they are macro recordings. If both Tines are not at the same distance (and we speak of tenths of millimeters) from the lens, you also get asymmetrical images.

I understand. Thank you! I’m eagerly awaiting the delivery of the pen. It may take a few weeks.

[meiers]

I am looking forward to hearing all about your adventures with it. 

[Arcadian]

I have a similar issue with the EF nib on my Dumas. It does cause some issues, some skipping. I have been meaning to send it to a nib meister to have it fixed, but I haven't gotten around to it yet. 

 

 - P. 

[meiers]

Please show us your nib. And a writing sample.