a few Montblanc Meisterstück 134 & 136 variations (1937-1949)

November 8, 2015, 7:54 am

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A few 134 pens from c. 1937-1949. Note the different clips, cap tops & bands as well as the ink windows.

This appears to be an early, original design 134 Meisterstück from c. 1937 - 1942 with the typical Meisterstück tie-clip, long cap top, long ink window and raised cap band.

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Montblanc Meisterstück 136 bought in October 1941 in Cologne, Germany for 25,50 Mark. The original receipt is still with the pen.

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Wartime Meisterstück 134 & 136 from c. 1942 - 1946. Due to the restricted use of metals no actual cap band was used on those pens. The caps show a MONTBLANC-MEISTERSTÜCK engraving instead. During this time steel nibs were used.

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Originally the tear-drop clip was used on Meisterstück pens between 1930 - 1934 but is also found on many pens produced during wartime.

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A selection of Meisterstück 136 pens from c. 1937 - 1949 with a variation of different clips and cap bands. Early pens show a long ink window and long cap top, while later pens have a short and more streamlined cap top and medium or short ink windows.

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A set of Meisterstück 134 and 136 pens with flat and smooth cap bands and a mix of features from different periods of time.

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...don't aks; I "needed" all of those :-)

November 14, 2015, 3:18 am

≫ Next: 1952 - 1960 Montblanc Meisterstück 149 - part I

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1952 - 1960 Montblanc Meisterstück 149 - part I

November 22, 2015, 12:42 pm

≫ Next: 1960 - 1972 Montblanc Meisterstück 149 - part II

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Part I

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A Meisterstück 149 might be the most well-known Montblanc fountain pen; not only among fountain pen collectors but also as a popular status symbol. For over 63 years the black 149 has remained its status as the flagship model aside from precious metal or limited edition pens.

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later and early 149 fountain pens together with an all celluloid 139 Meisterstück (from top to bottom)

In 1952 it made its first appearance as an addition to the recently introduced series of streamlined 14x Meisterstück pens which replaced the flat-top 13x pens. The 149 directly replaced the 139, keeping some of its features like the #9 size three-tone nib, the thin silver cap bands surrounding the engraved center band, the ski-slope feed as well as the technically superior telescopic piston mechanism. Keeping up with the new design of the 14x series of pens of course the design was streamlined, a new clip design was added as well as a small golden ring separating the filler now from the barrel. Like other Montblanc pens from that period of time the 14x Meisterstück pens were made from celluloid. Different 1950's catalogues can be seen here and here.

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With those changes also the curved section was replaced by a straight section with a small raised lip while the design of the gripping section of smaller 14x models remained unchanged from the 13x series of pens. The newly designed, straight gripping section should remain untouched almost identically until today.

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a later 149 Masterpiece with corresponding engraving on the cap band which was made for export

The price was 90 Mark; for the comparison the smaller 146 Meisterstück fountain pen was sold for 54 Mark at the same time. While the smaller models 142, 144 and 146 came in schwarz (black), silbergrau (silver striped) and dunkel-seegrün (green striped) the large 149 was only available in black. A tradition which should be kept for many years to come. More information on the 146 pens can be found here.

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early medium length ink window with some ambering in comparison to a later short ink window with almost no discoloration (from bottom to the top)

During the next years one could observe some minor changes. The most obvious evidence of early 149 pens is a longer ink window which is approximately twice as long compared to the later design. In comparison to 13x series pens which came with long, medium and short ink windows, it is of medium length.

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some early pens were fitted with 139 nibs while later nibs show a 149 imprint at the base

Also the hard rubber feed was changed from the flat design of the ski-slope feed a round design which allows more ink to be absorbed during pressure changes. Also slight changes will occur to the font size of the heat stamped model numbers and nib sizes on the filler knob.

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early ski-slope feed and later round and grooved version (from left to right)

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the typical thin silver cap rings which were used earlier on the flagship models 129 and 139 were kept for the original design 149 pens

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the original 149 pens made from celluloid are large, impressive pens but still slightly smaller compared to the later resin models

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for some export markets 18 C nibs were used instead of 14 C ones

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most nibs show some flex and came in a variety of sizes like EF, F, M, B, BB, 3B, OF, OM, OB, OBB, O3B and ballpoint nibs KEF, KF, KM, KOB. Broad and oblique broad nibs can show stub-like characteristics; ballpoint nibs are more rare and most often catch a premium

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MEISTERSTÜCK, MASTERPIECE or on more rare occasions CHEF D'OEUVRE are possible engravings on the cap bands

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IMPORTE D'ALLEMAGNE imprint for export

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early L 139 G with hard rubber cap and filling knob and long ink window, late all celluloid 139 G with short ink window, early 149 with medium length ink window, later 149 Masterpiece for export with short ink window (left to right)

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c. 1930s coral red 30 Masterpiece (Danish), black 30, early 138, later all celluloid 138 in addition to pens shown above

The early 149 pens made on a lathe from celluloid remained in production until c. 1960 when they were replaced by a resin version. Those early celluloid pens are sought after and considered highly collectible as well as great performers. From the regular and non-precious metal version those pens are also the ones which are priced the highest. Like always condition will have a significant effect on value. Ambering of the ink window, worn stripes but also wear of the black celluloid coating will decrease the value as well as cap cracks and loose cap rings or celluloid shrinkage. Early pens and models for export are likely to be priced higher; the same is true for exotic nib sizes.

Keep your eyes open for part II dealing with the first resin versions of the 149 introduced in the early 1960's.

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1960 - 1972 Montblanc Meisterstück 149 - part II

November 29, 2015, 2:22 am

≫ Next: misty Frankfurt

≪ Previous: 1952 - 1960 Montblanc Meisterstück 149 - part I

Part II

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In the early 1960s Montblanc's line of pens underwent significant changes including their flagship pen: the Meisterstück 149. While keeping its basic shape, most importantly the construction of the 149 was modified but also materials were replaced. The largest Meisterstück pen was no longer made from celluloid on a lathe but rather put together from parts made out of plastic. What later would be marketed as precious resin is not unlikely to be some sort of plexiglass or Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), also known as acrylic.

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later 1950s celluloid pen and early 1960s resin pen (from top to bottom)

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early 1960s and 1970s pen (from top to bottom)

The original 1950s 149 pens used a two-piece construction for the barrel with a separate gripping section which screws onto the barrel. This was omitted and a single barrel construction made its appearance. Also one of the technically most advanced features of the previous Montblanc fountain pens - the multi-stage telescopic piston mechanism - was replaced by a more simple, single-stage piston mechanism made from all plastic parts.

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Also this newly constructed piston-unit was friction-fit rather than being screwed in. The friction-fit piston unit also was used on other Montblanc pens of that period of time like the Meisterstück 12 and 14 but also on pens of the second and thirtier series. For the 149 it was used only for a few years before being replaced again with a screw-in unit at the beginning of the 1970s.

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parts of the piston unit; please note the little golden barrel ring which is still curved like on the on the celluloid models and the white colored helix rod for the piston

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The material used for the barrel end of the early 1960s pen was thinner compared to later 149 pens using a screw-in piston unit. From today's point of view this is a weak point of the early resin pens. The friction-fit piston unit requires special caution when having to remove it for maintaenance. The thin material leads to cracked barrels quite commonly.

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single piece barrel from a 1970s showing the internal threads for the piston unit and early 1960s pen for friction-fit piston units (left to right)

The early 1960s 149 is a very light weight pen since the only metals parts are clip, nib, barrel and cap rings as well as a tiny c-ring holding in place the helical rod in the filler knob. Later models will have a brass made threading on the piston unit adding significant weight to the pen and shifting balance to the back of the barrel.

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1970s pen with screw-in piston unit and flat barrel ring in comparison to a 1960s friction-fit piston unit with rounded barrel ring (from top to bottom)

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1970s and early 1960s pens (from top to bottom)

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for professional removal a special tool is used to pull out the piston unit; my thanks go to Horst-Max Schrage from Astoria Schreibkultur, Hamburg (www.astoriapen.hamburg& www.maxpens.de) for allowing me to show the original Montblanc tool

While later 1970s models still were of similar construction minor changes were made to the design of the raised lip of the barrel's front opening as well as to the threaded area. Still caps are interchangeable between all single-piece barrel models from the 1960s and 1970s.

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1960s and 1970s barrel (top to bottom)

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the heat stamped marking of the model number on the filler cone was omitted on the newer resin pens; 1950s celluloid pen, early 1960s pen with rounded barrel ring and 1970s pen with flat barrel ring (left to right)

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Either 14 C or 18 C tri-tone nibs were used in the 1960s with a design almost identical to earlier ones. Still most 1960s nibs show less flexibility to their predecessors. The nib-feed assembly also was similar to the ones installed in the celluloid pens. At least two new versions of feeds were used on those pens still using ebonite. Early pens have a round feed with two grooves which were left out later.

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nib-feed assembly with early ebonite feed with two grooves underneath

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three generations of Montblanc 149 pens showing their feeds from underneath: later 1950s round feed with long grooves, early 1960s feed with two short grooves and later round version without grooves

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broad, medium oblique and extra fine nibs on a 1950s, 1960s and 1970s Meisterstück

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Among the most obvious changes was the replacement of the two silver cap-rings which were typical for the flagship models 129, 139 and 149 during the previous decades with gold plated rings. Also the famous trademark depicting the snow covered summit of the Mont Blanc mountain now shines and stays in bright white resin.

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unfortunately most caps from early 1960s pens show hairline cracks in the cap lip today

While the clip ring of 1950s Meisterstück pens show no inscriptions, the clips of the first resin caps were marked either "MADE IN GERMANY" or "GERMANY". A serial number was yet to come.

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clip, cap band imprints and cap top underwent minor changes during the production period allowing to determine their place in time

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1950s, 1960s and 1970s cap bands (bottom to top)

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parts of an early 1960s pen

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a few 149 Meisterstück pens from the 1950 to the 2000s (from left to right)

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In the early 1960s the 149 retailed for c. US $ 35. For comparison a Sterling Silver Parker 75 was sold for US $ 25. During this time, smaller and thinner fountain pens became en vogue along with a growing variety of ballpoint pens. Today a new 149 is sold for US $ 935 or 750 € (Dec. 2015).

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The Diplomat Meisterstück 149 was one of the last few true oversize pens available in the 1960s. Even most Montblanc pens showed a more sleek and modern design like the 1x, 2x and 3x series. Until today the Meisterstück is recognized as a distinctive mark and holds a special place in the history of fountain pens.

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Today the early resin 149 fountain pens are on the verge of being considered vintage pens but collectors or users still show more passion for the original celluloid version. They are still around, but finding one in original condition ist getting more difficult. Some pens have undergone repair or maintenance were parts have been replaced with more modern parts. This also is true for work which has been performed by Montblanc's service centers. A nice user grade 149 can always be found for a fair price with some patience and in some rare cases this might be an early resin model. Today's market prices are still lower compared to a a 1950s celluloid model but in excellent condition the early resin 149 might be sold for the price of a brand new one or even above.

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Part III will follow to see what happened to the big Meisterstück in the 1970s. Check out part I here.

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misty Frankfurt

December 13, 2015, 1:08 am

≫ Next: Montblanc price list 02/96

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Montblanc price list 02/96

December 13, 2015, 4:43 am

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≪ Previous: misty Frankfurt

In 1996 I became more and more interested in nice writing instruments and inks. Interestingly at the beginning of 1996 my grail pen was a Montblanc Meisterstück Classique Rollerball. 255 DM was a lot of money for me, still attending High School.

On my search for a good deal I ended up with a copy of parts from Montblanc's price list, which I recovered a few days ago when looking through some old stuff.

...by the way, I ended up with a used Meisterstück Classique Solitaire Rollerball in pinstripe Sterling Silver which I still use today once in a while. It was purchased from an antique store in Munich for slightly less than the list price of the black resin model.

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A few numbers for your reference:

the exchange rate for US $ to DM was in average: 1 US $ = 1,505 DM in 1996
the exchange rate for DM to € was set to: 1 € = 1,95583 DM in 1998
the list price for the Meisterstück 149 was 665 DM; today's list price is 750 € (c. 1467 DM) in Germany and US $ 935 (Dec. 2016)

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happy holidays

December 25, 2015, 3:52 am

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happy new year 2016

January 2, 2016, 7:29 am

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first new Montblanc for 2016

January 5, 2016, 1:25 am

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...and not the only one. In Hannover I was able to purchase two new old stock Montblanc Leonardo ballpoint pens (titanium/gold & gold) in their original boxes. Cool 1980s design!

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Montblanc golden yellow ink

January 6, 2016, 10:24 am

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In December 2015 the first bottles and cartridges of Montblanc's newest ink became available. The outer cardboard box of Montblanc Golden Yellow Ink shows the same design as the previous Pink Ink. The bottle is the typical rectangular 30 ml glass bottle which has been used for other past limited production inks.

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It is believed that Golden Yellow was originally intended as the new Great Characters Andy Warhol ink but Montblanc did not have the rights for marketing as such. The orange yellow color of this ink matches the thin orange ring, separating the filling knob from the blue barrel of the Andy Warhol pen pretty well.

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Golden Yellow is a bright yellow colored ink with orange hues. It is very similar to Diamine Amber and Sailor Jentle Yellow Orange. Diamine Amber shows just a bit more shading and slightly less orange while Sailor Jentle Yellow Orange is just a tad more towards orange. Noodler's Highlighter Sunrise is another similar color but shows less shading and even more orange tones.

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Sheaffer Skrip King's Gold is slightly darker and muted. Both Pelikan Edelstein Amber and Private Reserve Shoreline Gold are also much darker and more towards a beige or orange-brown color.

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Golden Yellow behaves nicely and has a good ink flow. The ink is just dark enough to appear readable when using a modern Montblanc fountain pen with a regular, fine nib.

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In comparison Montblanc's previous Mahatma Gandhi Saffron ink is a true orange with red hues (Saffron matches the thin orange colored ring at the end of the gripping section of the Andy Warhol pen nicely; this ring actually shows a slightly different color. This is not obvious on all images!).

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In conclusion Montblanc's Golden Yellow Ink is a nice, bright ink which can be used for normal writing with very good performance.

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The new Montblanc Golden Yellow Ink might not be available in all stores yet. I've got mine from Appelboompennen in the Netherlands. The paper is from a Clairefontaine notebook (writing) and Rhodia Uni (color patches). The pen in use was a Montblanc Great Characters Andy Warhol with a factory fine nib.

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Montblanc UK price list January 1993

January 10, 2016, 8:01 am

≫ Next: 1924-1928 Montblanc 8-sided no. 6 safety

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1924-1928 Montblanc 8-sided no. 6 safety

January 23, 2016, 7:50 am

≫ Next: Montblanc German price list April 1990

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In the early years of Montblanc the safety filler was a more advanced construction compared to eyedropper of lever filler pens. Safety pens were offered from c. 1908 until 1939. Both Meisterstück and non-Meisterstück pens were available.

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The nib of the pen remains inside the barrel when uncapping the pen. This also has the advantage that the nib is always surrounded by ink when the pen is capped. This way a safety pen would start writing right away after retracting the nib.

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Unfortunately this wonderful c. 1924 to 1928 Montblanc safety pen came to me with a broken, non-Montblanc nib. So far it is waiting for me to find a suitable, original replacement nib. Most Montblanc safety pens have a smooth and round barrel, but this one is a 8-sided pen which was available in 4 different sizes. This no. 6 was the biggest compared to no. 1, 2 and 4.

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8-sided no. 6 (middle) in comparison to the smaller no. 4

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matching no. 6 sized classical nickel plated clip with worn plating

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Originally Montblanc's safety pens came without a clip. However accommodating clips were available from Montblanc and other manufacturers which would simply slide over the cap and hold in place by friction. Designs ranged from classical nickel platted clips to snake clips - which were popular in Germany - made from silver or even gold.

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silver snake clips in comparison to the classic Montblanc branded clip; reproduction snake clip on a Meisterstück 35, original snake clip on a Meisterstück 25 and classic Montblanc clip on a 8-sided no. 6 (from left to right)

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Montblanc clips were marked with size numbers matching the pen's size

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Interestingly this pen does not feature any Montblanc markings nor a cap top with the famous white star on top. Instead a transparent red lense is used which lets you see a logo, printed on paper which is placed underneath. It is suspected that no Montblanc markings are found on pens like this so they do not distract from the advertised brand.

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a small paper insert shows the old Siemens logo

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under good light conditions the Siemens logo is visible under the transparent red lense

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the pen came to me in an original Montblanc pouch and with a nice silver pencil

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8-sided no. 6, Meisterstück 25 and Meisterstück 35 (from left to right)

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Meisterstück 35, Meisterstück 25 and 8-sided no. 6, (from left to right)

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three size 6 safety pens from Ric-Lei, Astoria and Montblanc

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So far the Montblanc has not been restored. Since it is in pretty good condition without any discoloration on the hard rubber surface it won't take much to bring it back to former beauty. Finding a matching Montblanc no. 6 nib will be the biggest challenge.

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