Montblanc 146 - Am I in Heaven ??!

[rochester21]

 

After many years of enjoying the hobby, I was finally blessed with finding a pre-1990 Montblanc 146 in mint condition at a very fair price($200), and so I'd like to share my meager first impresssion about the Montblanc 146 and more importantly, about the  mistique surrounding the brand.

 

On it's face, the Montblanc 146 is a high quality pen. The finish is perfect, the nib is perfectly aligned and the design is a mixture between class and bling and the whole thing is made from a pretty thick plastic, which seems to be durable. The piston is made from brass and it appears to be of very good quality.

If you think the words above justify the superlative reputation of the MB146 and 149, you'd be wrong. I can describe my Wing-Sung 630 in the same fashion and it would be true, that's a $30 fountain pen. The piston assembly on the Wing-Sung is inferior, other than that, the Wing-Sung is probably the best Montblanc 146 you can buy right now that doesn't cost 650 euro.
A comparison between the above mentioned pens is inevitable, if I were honest with you I'd say I bought the Montblanc specifically to compare it to the excelent MB copy made by Wing-Sung, but i digress.

 

Back to the "magnificent" Montblanc 146. Over the years I have read quite of number of reviews and everyone is in awe of the Meisterstuck series, they are the grail pens of every guy out there who thinks the best colour is black and the best fountain pen is the one that's being advertised in Golfer's magazine, along with Rolex watches and Mercedes cars. But the Montblanc 146 is more than just eye candy, it's a highly respected tool in the professional community, i hear it's nickname is the "The diplomat", because diplomats are using them. In my personal experience, I'd say the diplomats I knew personally had no interest in fountain pens and they preferred using ballpoints instead(as long as they are also Montblanc, of course/prestige matters), but who am I to question the Montblanc mithology?

 

If I had any complaints or reservations about the pens themselves, including the 146, is that the nicely decorated 14K nibs feel somewhat generic in use, a bit sterile. Like I said, the finish of the F nib is perfect, the thines are perfectly aligned, it's a good size and lays down a true fine line, but it's certainly not my favorite. I've also had the smaller 144 with a medium nib which was a good writer but again, not much character in the nib itself. Maybe that's the whole point here, Montblanc wanted to create the perfect fountain pen for every character out there(or lack thereof), a writing instrument that can be appreciated simply because it costs a lot of money and therefore, must be good and prestigious.

Indeed, if money is not the measure of all things in life, I ask you- what is?

 

In the history of hyped pens, the Montblanc Meisterstuck series is probably the most obvious example, simply because so many people obsess over them, however as far as the actual quality is concerned, I was more offended by my Parker Duofold 1988 series with its nib that's more rigid than an actual nail and also, the Sailor 1911L with the 21K nib, mine was dry and simply unbereable to use. When compared to these two, the 146 is actually a very reasonable writer, also with excelent shape and proportions.

 

A long time ago I read somewhere that the germans copied the design of the Sheaffer Balance when designing the Meisterstuck series and you can certainly tell that the 146 is basically a pimped-up Sheaffer Balance oversize. The germans did a very good job too, among all the cigar-shaped pens out there mimicking the 146, the Montblanc version is still the best looking one(and yes, the Sailor 1911 for example copied  the MB 146 which copied the Sheaffer Balance, making the 1911 a copy of a copy, LOL). Isn't history fun?

 

Regarding the filling system, again, people obsess over piston-fillers just as much as they do with finding the magic fish that, when caught, grants you 3 wishes. Well I had one wish regarding the Montblanc 146, it would be that there was also a cartridge filler version. The 144 was great in that regard, but the nib is one size too small and the body itself is compact, meaning not everyone would appreciate it.

If it's anything I learned about guys in particular, it's that they like big objects. Big car, big house, big fountain pen. However the 149, along with the Pelikan M1000, are clearly oversized pens, meaning they are impractical daily writers even with people with large hands. My girlfriend says I have huge paws, however I enjoy writing with sensibly sized pens and the 146 is such a pen.

 

Where was I? Oh, the filling system. Everything is nice and well with piston fillers(not really) until they reach the point where they need servicing. With the Montblanc 146, I need a special tool and a special grease to be able to make the piston move smoothly again. That's not all. The piston itself needs changing in some cases, in others the gasket that goes in the top of the section goes bad and then you have a luxury pen that leaks ink from both ends(some have reported ink accumulating on the ring behind the nib on the 145 and 146 models).

 

For the time being, I can only tell that in my case, the piston needs fresh grease to move smoothly again, but getting the special tool and grease is in itself a nuisance that could be avoided.

Another annoying fact about piston fillers is that sooner or later, the piston cap develops play, with my 146 the cap doesn't start moving the piston until after half a turn. Fixing this requires disassembly of the piston and careful reassembly, a process which I have not mastered.

So, are piston fillers worth going through all this trouble? Most certainly not. If my collection consisted of only piston and vac fillers, I would have gone insane a long time ago(some of my relatives tell me it's only a matter of time, in my case). Thanks but no thanks, the best design is the simplest design, cartridge fillers rule.

 

Conclusion. Whenever I discuss Montblanc fountain pens, I feel like I am betraying all Montblanc lovers out there, the type of people who don't know much about fountain pens and have very few of them, but are convinced that the Montblanc 146 and 149 represent the apex of things made by human hands, mostly because of that ad in Golfer's magazine, the same place where they learn that automatic watches are the best watches(because they have tiny springs and cogs in them that make funny tick noises) and that Mercedes cars are the best cars, because they're luxury and luxury means you're better than other people, and that's the whole point really, isn't it?

 

If Montblanc hadn't charged 650 euro for one Montblanc 146 and posted ads in lifestyle magazines, would anyone even buy them? Of course not. Imagine having the best fountain pen in the world, made from solid platinum and featuring a diamond nib, which nobody recognises. What's the point? Montblanc is the Rolex of the fountain pen world, they exist mainly to let other people know that you've made it in life, you are successful and whatever you say or do, it must be good.

 

I'm not saying Rolex and Montblanc don't make a good product, but as far as Montblanc is concerned, their best pens were made decades ago, not today. The best fountain pens ever were produced 50+ years ago, that's just facts of life.

 

I'm the "keeping it real" guy of the fountain pen world, my opinions are based on experience, not hearsay or fancy ads. For a more "on brand" approach to the Montblanc 146, read what this guy has to say(https://www.everydaycommentary.com/www.everydaycommentary.com/2021/7/15/mont-blanc-meisterstuck-146-review), his review is nothing short of breathtaking, in a hilarious way. Here's an excerpt:
"The 146 creates a supernal writing experience.  Over and over again, the word that comes to mind when using this pen is “flow.”  In both the moving of a liquid sense and the timeless focus of pure concentration sense, the 146 taps into a feeling of flow.  And that, more than anything else, is what a pen should do.  It should disappear and simply be an extension of your brain—thought to paper with no barrier.  Thanks to a fundamentally sound design, a superior nib, and excellent fit and finish, the 146 is an effortless pen that converts though to paper, all with the sense of ease and…well…flow.  ".
I had to look the word "supernal" in the dictionary, apparently it means "heavenly". Well my honest reaction to someone describing a Montblanc 146 as "heavenly" would be me thinking about the dangers of drug use. "This is your brain. This is your brain after using a Montblanc 146". Wow. Powerful stuff.

 

Imagine someone who doesn't know anything about fountain pens reading that article and thinking "Buy Montblanc, go to Heaven". By the time you figure out how far a MB 146 can take you, you're $650 poorer, your wife is mad at you and the very generous 24 month warranty has run out already. Not that you'll need it, most fountain pen purchases made today are for show purposes only, people whip out the Montblanc only when signing important documents, for day to day writing that $2 Bic will suffice.

 

If I were to imagine that the brand Montblanc doesn't exist and I am the only person in the world that possesses a Montblanc 146, I would say that it's a exceptionally good looking and proportioned fountain-pen, with a above average build quality and an average writing quality. I am not a fan of german pens, but I think Pelikan makes slightly better writers and their nibs have more character, at least when they're aligned properly. I can also claim that vintage Pelikan pens are tougher and easier to service than their Montblanc counterparts, but my experience here is very limited.

 

At the end of the day, Montblanc pens are 70% prestige and 30% writing experience and it's not as if prestige and brand names can be exchanged without a penalty to self esteem. In that regard, the only fountain pen a person can buy is a Montblanc Meisterstuck, all others are lower quality replacements for those less fortunate among us.

As for the people who regard fountain pens as efficient daily writers, there are certainly better options on the market today, however if money is no object, getting a Montblanc 146/149 is a no brainer, especially since they retain their value well over the years. Personally I feel somewhat embarrassed to been seen using any Montblanc branded instrument, simply because I immediately get the impostor syndrome.

That's partially why I am writing this opinion piece behind locked doors with curtains pulled.

 

I can appreciate a Montblanc 146, just as long as there is no hype attached to it. And no, writing with it isn't supernal, supernatural or any other over the top adjective. To be honest, it's a bit boring and lacking in character(like many people in this world), definitely not in my top 20 writing instruments. 

 

So there you have it. Montblanc 146, a triumph of form over essence. Should I wear a top hat from now? 

 

[Glenn-SC]

I am glad that you found a MB that you like at a price you can afford. 

My experiences with 11 of the 12 MB fountain pens that I have tried (owned and used by friends and colleagues) has been vastly different that yours.  Only one, a Starwalker, wrote in a manner I consider just acceptable. 

[Tashi_Tsering]

10 hours ago, rochester21 said:

If Montblanc hadn't charged 650 euro for one Montblanc 146 and posted ads in lifestyle magazines, would anyone even buy them? Of course not.

There has never been a Golfer's magazine in our country (I only heard about it from you today), but I have 67 Montblancs in my collection. What's wrong with me?

 

PS Diplomat is the nickname for 149, not 146.

[jmccarty3]

Although I have more than my share of modern Montblancs, I prefer their vintage pens. Look for a 344 or a xx66. These pens were made to be everyday writing instruments, not luxury items, and they provide a marvelous writing experience. The modern MBs are not bad, but you are paying for all the design, marketing, product placement, celebrity endorsement, etc. I don't hesitate to recommend MB inks--they are uniformly excellent.

[jmccarty3]

Your 146 has a beautiful split ebonite feed. That alone makes your pen superior to the current model.

[jchch1950]

I own and sometimes use Montblanc pens. Most of them write quite well and don't give problems. The 146 have a good size and the nibs are good. Enjoy your new pen.

[PAKMAN]

Congratulations on your 146!

[Bo Bo Olson]

I prefer the medium-large 1948-59 146 to the modern large 1970-now versions.

The medium large one has IMO better balance and a better maxi-semi-flex nib.

I have a 264 with a grand semi-flex nib and good balance. With MB etui.

 

My first MB was not wanted but part of a live auction lot. The 234 1/2 is a thicker girted standard sized, brass piston, so back weighted pen, that shocked me by having the best balance. The 400nn that was in that lot, came in 4th.

I have a light and nimble semi-flex 32 that I had thought it would give my # 2 pen a Geha 725 a run for the money, but it didn't. A difference in class, but I enjoyed the hell out of that 32 and will again. 

 

The first 146 I got there was no one in the auction hall, back pre Telephone and computer and this poor mint 146 just laid there and I felt sorry for it, and raised my hand on a pen I had no intentions of bidding on. I got it for minimum bid of €150. Same with my second modern 146 OB but it had an inkwell with it that I got for the same start bid. 

I find the modern 146 (mine seem to be @ 1990) to be stately. Better balanced than a Pelikan 800. The modern large 146 MB nib is a nice springy regular flex, no better than a nice and springy '82-97 400 or '82-2018 200 (pre-double ball) nibs.

 

I did run into an MB 14...nothing else, but it has a semi-nail, so will be sold. Nice balance. I had thought I had gotten around having to buy a 144, but because of the nib, no.

 

Looking at it realistic, I doubt if a modern 144 can match that darling lively, long MB 32. My 264 is a wonderful medium-large pen, and then there's that 234 1/2 that I need to use again.

 

I won a @ 1990 149 as part of a live auction lot I won, and never looked at the pen when looking at the two of the pens in the lot that interested me. One was a W. Germany 800.

I have learned to like the silver plated OB Nobliese.

...................................

My wife was out at a street flea market and she stopped and talked to one guy infront of his hose, he had no inkwells, and he brought down a MB Safety pen, that he gave to my wife for free, for spapre parts. He couldn't get the nib to come out.

Having a '30's Fendomatic Milan made Safety Pen, I knew how. Francis did wonders in cleaning up that MB beater.

The nib is a Wek Kneed Wet Noodle, a term invented by the Brittish nib grinder John Sorowka. A Simplo # 6. It had good balance until I had the emerald eyed 950 Parisian silver snake made for it.

WNWN uses half the pressure of your normal run-of-the-mill wet noodle to max the nib. 

MB Safety pen.

I now have three WKWNs.

This, a '27 Parker Duofold, and a Frankie Osmia with a Morton nib. Those were used by Kaweco from 1900-1914, when they bought up machinery and had the family and other American workers come to Germany and show them how to make a great nib.

After the crash of '29 the owner of Kaweco went bankrupt from the crash. And the first thing the new owener did was stop making such a grand nib, and let Kaweco fall down to Sonnecken & MB level.

When the Morton and Dufold get back from a new sac and gasket. I'll test them vs the MB #6 Simplo nib. 

 

 

 

[sebastel23]

On 7/5/2025 at 6:17 PM, rochester21 said:

Regarding the filling system, again, people obsess over piston-fillers just as much as they do with finding the magic fish that, when caught, grants you 3 wishes. Well I had one wish regarding the Montblanc 146, it would be that there was also a cartridge filler version. The 144 was great in that regard, but the nib is one size too small and the body itself is compact, meaning not everyone would appreciate it.

 

 

well, there is (was) the traveller, or 147. however, no way to adapt a converter here.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Up to about 10 years ago, everyone bought the myth piston pens carried more ink than cartridges.

 

There is a Visconti piston pen with over 2.20ml. I don't know how much a Conid, carries, but it's close to 3ml. A pen Francis designed. Those are minority pen brands. So I'm leaving them a bit out of this.

 

The '50-65 400/400nn could load 1.95/2.00ml, depending on whom measured.

 

Then the modern truth came out. That shot down the piston gas bag flame war vs cartridges, in a hell of a hurry. 

The modern '80's-now Pelikan 400/200 carries only 1.25ml.

600-1.35ml along with the 800.

The oversized 1000 could load 1.45ml...the same amount as the MB 146.

The oversized MB 149...1.60........................I don't know what it could load with the telescopic piston of the '50's.

MYTHS WERE BUSTED.

The Shaffer large cartridge, 1.60. Two short internationals (.74 each) 1.48. I have forgotten what the long international carries but about 1.50.

It was ten years ago suddenly for most, that pistons carry more ink, was no longer true. 

............................

I grew up with lever fillers and was happy enough with 1.25ml 400's. (But of my pens on a desert island thread, it would be a 400nn, which balances for me after only two years of dithering in a balance test, the slightest best with the 400. The 1.95/2.00ml pens.) I also love that era's stubbed semi-flex nibs. One of these days, I got to balance test my vintage medium-large 146 MB vs a good 400nn. Or my 264. I love it's nib, & it has nice balance.

 

 

 

There is no reason to prejudge, when they lay over there. (The medium large 146 is off for repair it didn't need.) Got to find a 400/400NN with the same size nib. I do hate MB's so seldom nib or pen marking to nib size. My MB 264 is a semi-flex M. Now to find a '50-65 400/400nn in semi-flex M. That might be harder to do that I expect. I never did a spreadsheet on them, but have more B's, OB's or OF's than M.  Both are medium-large/long.

 

After dithering about changing nibs with an unmarked OM 400 and a KF 400nn...before getting my good sense back. The 400 is standard sized vs the medium-long 264, but the 400/400nn is so very close in balance it shouldn't matter in this case; and I won't forget to put the nib back on the right pen.

The girth on the 264 is that half a hair one can almost see back to back.

 

Off to see the Wizard, and someone has to pave over these uneven yellow paving stones.

 

Up to now, I'd not noticed any difference between MB and Pelikan in widths. An F looked F, M-M and wide was wide. I've read here and can say my only post 2000 pen is wider than older nibs. My 1990 146 B is nowhere as wide as my 2006 Virginia Woolf B (=BB).... A while back I'd said I have few, now I have much of a cup full; without even trying.

I'd not done them, using the same ink and paper.  But here in my first comparison of nib between Pelikan and MB I noticed a difference.

 

Paper #32 HP Premium paper. The '50-54 400's OM nib is wetter, so has a wider line than the MB 264's M. Being drier, the 264 shades better.

In this case, I like the MB nib more. The Pelikan 400 is 16g, the MB 264 18g, and that makes a difference. The 400 is livelier. 

 

My top 10 balanced pens is some 25 pens...and the Mb 264 is in the top ten as is my 400 for ages.  Balance is not everything...the MB wins because it's nib shades better. Balance on both was nice, as expected from an age when balance was paramount to being able to sell a pen every decade.

 

I had to bring out the CT because on that American HP paper even if #32 there was a bit of woolly line on the back of the page. (Front also.) I only had three sample sheets and ran out. It was a paper I originally thought well of, but then less and less.

 

The Pelikan nib being wetter was darker and shaded. The MB nib was drier, so shaded more, and the color was a bit lighter that made the ink dance better.

Paper, ink and wetness of nib makes a difference, and in this case the nicely balanced drier nibbed MB 264 beat, the better balanced, more lively 400, because that nib danced better with that ink. 

 

The Pelikan had a bit more line variation, but the MB's line variation was better because of the better shading and cleaner line.

 

 

I don't know how old that HP #32 sample was, but at #32 it shouldn't have had even a hair of woolly line. I am AR about feathering and woolly lines. I've heard how HP has fallen off the cliff in quality. 

 

I use a Honking Big 2.8cm/1.5" by 10cm/4" magnifying glass to check for woolly lines.

 

I was totally enthused by R&K's AltGoldgreen, in that 264...now to dither between that ink and who knows what. Probably load a sentence's worth of ink in each and then clean...a word new to my vocabulary. It must be in when I last cleaned pens, I had 40 in three dirty pen cups.