M1000 vs MB 149 weight

[smoore99]

I own both of these large pens, and like them both. However, I am perplexed about the comments I read on FPN stating that the M1000 is larger than the 149, and heavier. I have even read in a review of the M1000 something along the lines of "if the 149 is just not big enough for you, get the M1000."

 

Now, the M1000 is a big pen, but it is only larger than the 149 when posted. Otherwise the 149 is larger (width and length). Most perplexing for me, however, is the weight: Although the excellent and infromative chart on nibs.com shows the 149 as weighing 29 grams and the M1000 as weighing 32.7 grams, and I have read often on FPN that the M1000 is a bit heavier than the 149, I cannot feel it when I write with the pens. Hefting the pens, together and separately, in writing position and just lifting the pen into its case, the 149 always feels heavier than the M1000.

 

Is this due to the small difference in weight? Or, is it perhaps the superior balance of the Pelikan? Am I alone in this? Does anyone else who has experience with these two pens notice the same thing? (I don't have access to a scale of enough accuracy to verify the weights.)

 

Steve

 

[pilgrim]

on my kitchen scale both pens weight 33 g, but pel1000 seems to me heawier. brass elements on the back side of the pelikan are quite heawy.

pelikan also seems bigger (although is not) because of its shape.

and ... I love booth pens.

[niksch]

This is an interesting thread for me, because I am an avid vintage Montblanc collector who is now considering an M1000. I use 149s with a few different nib sizes everyday. I took a friend to Airline International and he chose an M1000 over any of my 149s he used, but he also picked an EF or F nib that I did not have in my 149s. For Pelikan users, does the M1000 offer me something the 149 does not?

 

Regards, Eric

[Kalessin]

I think it's really more of a personal preference thing when you get to that point.

[Greg D]

I own both of these large pens, and like them both. However, I am perplexed about the comments I read on FPN stating that the M1000 is larger than the 149, and heavier. I have even read in a review of the M1000 something along the lines of "if the 149 is just not big enough for you, get the M1000."

 

Now, the M1000 is a big pen, but it is only larger than the 149 when posted. Otherwise the 149 is larger (width and length). Most perplexing for me, however, is the weight: Although the excellent and infromative chart on nibs.com shows the 149 as weighing 29 grams and the M1000 as weighing 32.7 grams, and I have read often on FPN that the M1000 is a bit heavier than the 149, I cannot feel it when I write with the pens. Hefting the pens, together and separately, in writing position and just lifting the pen into its case, the 149 always feels heavier than the M1000.

 

Is this due to the small difference in weight? Or, is it perhaps the superior balance of the Pelikan? Am I alone in this? Does anyone else who has experience with these two pens notice the same thing? (I don't have access to a scale of enough accuracy to verify the weights.)

 

Steve

 

 

I agree with you Steve. The 149 seems bigger to me, although the M1000 does feel heavier/more solid in the hand. I do not post the cap on either of these so I attribute the weight difference to the M1000's brass piston. I don't have the 149 in front of me but my guess is that its' cap is heavier than the Pelikan's, making the weight difference more pronounced when writing with the caps unposted. To me, the 149 feels noticeably larger in the hand due to its' larger section, as well as noticeably lighter.

 

Greg~

[smoore99]

I own both of these large pens, and like them both. However, I am perplexed about the comments I read on FPN stating that the M1000 is larger than the 149, and heavier. I have even read in a review of the M1000 something along the lines of "if the 149 is just not big enough for you, get the M1000."

 

Now, the M1000 is a big pen, but it is only larger than the 149 when posted. Otherwise the 149 is larger (width and length). Most perplexing for me, however, is the weight: Although the excellent and infromative chart on nibs.com shows the 149 as weighing 29 grams and the M1000 as weighing 32.7 grams, and I have read often on FPN that the M1000 is a bit heavier than the 149, I cannot feel it when I write with the pens. Hefting the pens, together and separately, in writing position and just lifting the pen into its case, the 149 always feels heavier than the M1000.

 

Is this due to the small difference in weight? Or, is it perhaps the superior balance of the Pelikan? Am I alone in this? Does anyone else who has experience with these two pens notice the same thing? (I don't have access to a scale of enough accuracy to verify the weights.)

 

Steve

 

 

I agree with you Steve. The 149 seems bigger to me, although the M1000 does feel heavier/more solid in the hand. I do not post the cap on either of these so I attribute the weight difference to the M1000's brass piston. I don't have the 149 in front of me but my guess is that its' cap is heavier than the Pelikan's, making the weight difference more pronounced when writing with the caps unposted. To me, the 149 feels noticeably larger in the hand due to its' larger section, as well as noticeably lighter.

 

Greg~

 

I agree, Greg. I think it is the cap on the 149; it's quite heavy. And the Pelikan does feel larger when writing, I find, due to the nib being slightly bigger. Thanks for that, and I will just add that I had a chance to visit KC last year, and I loved it. I can't say enough good things about my time there.

 

In answer to niksch, I would just say that I wrote with my 149 daily for over ten years (fine nib), and I liked it a lot. Until, that is, I bought an M1000. It is immediately apparent why many people consider the M1000 a "writer's pen." Its slightly springy nib makes it the smoothest writing experience I have ever had with a fountain pen, and I own a Parker Duofold Centennial as well. Just my opinion; both the 149 and the M1000 are nice pens.

 

Steve

Edited March 6, 2008 by smoore99

[georges zaslavsky]

I like them both and have absolutely not particular preference between the two.

[smoore99]

on my kitchen scale both pens weight 33 g, but pel1000 seems to me heawier. brass elements on the back side of the pelikan are quite heawy.

pelikan also seems bigger (although is not) because of its shape.

and ... I love booth pens.

 

 

Interesting . . . I finally got hold of an accurate digital scale today, and I find that my M1000 weighs 33.5 grams (almost exactly what it should weigh), but my 149 weighs 38 grams (9 grams more than it should, according to the information I have been able to dig up).

 

I don't know what to think. It does worry me a bit - is the 149 perhaps a fake? (I very much doubt it, as I purchased it from Vancouver Pen Shop, in original box, with papers, serial number, etc.). I have had it for over 15 years, so maybe it is heavier than the recent models? Curious . . . very curious . . .

[andromedia226]

From a total newbie, so take a bunch of salt:

 

MB probably "streamlined" their production/design in the last few years to shave off precious material and production costs... You might have a more robust, better designed pen than modern day. Maybe they replaced some of the brass piston components with plastic?

 

I had an old MB 149 that I bought broken off of ebay...and MB replaced the pen with a new one FOR FREE!!!

 

I cannot remember or vouch for weight differences between the two, as I had to send one back before I picked up the replacement, so I never had a chance to compare the two simultaneously.

 

Mike

[absent_minded]

smoore,

 

Some 149s have plastic piston threads, others have brass ones, depending on when the pens were produced. If your 149 has brass threads, I suspect that is the cause of the extra weight. The chart on nibs.com lists the 149's weight as 29 g, but doesn't specify whether the specimen weighed had plastic threads or brass ones.

[Serpentum]

My impression is also that 149 is much heavier than M1000, my 149 was 10 years old, but i've lost it and can't compare now.

[Johnson]

For Pelikan users, does the M1000 offer me something the 149 does not?

 

I prefer the clip on the M1000 more. It makes it a little bit easier to clip into my front pocket. I always carry my pens in my front pocket at work, and am constantly pulling them out of it and putting them back in, so this is important to me. Having said that, I love both pens equally, and might even still use the MB149 more because of its classic cigar shape.