jar
December 7th, 2012, 10:55 AM
In this thread I reviewed a 146 from the 50's (http://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread.php/1460-Something-old-but-likely-not-quite-vintage-yet?p=13298&viewfull=1#post13298) and in this thread I looked at a 264 from the 50's (http://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread.php/1480-Montblanc-264-an-underappreciated-pen-from-the-50s?p=13453&viewfull=1#post13453) so now I'd like to look at the 144 and 254 from the same era.
At that time the 144 sold for about $10.75, the 254 sold for $6.75 and the 264 was a bargain at just $5.95. They were all about the same length and width, about the same size as a modern Pelikan 200 or 400.
http://www.fototime.com/E632794B5D2EB5A/medium800.jpg
The 144 had the traditional two narrow cap bands surrounding a wide central band but the 2xx series pens had a different arrangement of two bands, instead of the two narrow bands found on the 24x pens they had a narrow band above a wider band that extended down to the cap lip.
http://www.fototime.com/85CBB41242FAE6B/large.jpg
The 144 had a traditional open two tone 14C nib with the concave section, screw on cap and a striped ink view window.
http://www.fototime.com/6A4FA663846242A/medium800.jpg
http://www.fototime.com/2D287CEE0409930/large.jpg
The 254 though was a complete departure from the traditional Montblanc screw cap/open nib design. It maintained the cigar shape and the white snow cap but became a slip on cap and a new wing nib.
http://www.fototime.com/4D404D7D012C8F0/medium800.jpg
http://www.fototime.com/39B407DBA58FDF2/medium800.jpg
The new wing nib though is one of the most enjoyable of all my Montblancs to write with, lushly wet, very controllable with a small amount of flex. But it looked "different" and was not immediately accepted and had a fairly short life. The caps also are very subject to cracks and so it's fortunate to find one that is in perfect shape.
http://www.fototime.com/B5831C9C7703C17/large.jpg
At that time the 144 sold for about $10.75, the 254 sold for $6.75 and the 264 was a bargain at just $5.95. They were all about the same length and width, about the same size as a modern Pelikan 200 or 400.
http://www.fototime.com/E632794B5D2EB5A/medium800.jpg
The 144 had the traditional two narrow cap bands surrounding a wide central band but the 2xx series pens had a different arrangement of two bands, instead of the two narrow bands found on the 24x pens they had a narrow band above a wider band that extended down to the cap lip.
http://www.fototime.com/85CBB41242FAE6B/large.jpg
The 144 had a traditional open two tone 14C nib with the concave section, screw on cap and a striped ink view window.
http://www.fototime.com/6A4FA663846242A/medium800.jpg
http://www.fototime.com/2D287CEE0409930/large.jpg
The 254 though was a complete departure from the traditional Montblanc screw cap/open nib design. It maintained the cigar shape and the white snow cap but became a slip on cap and a new wing nib.
http://www.fototime.com/4D404D7D012C8F0/medium800.jpg
http://www.fototime.com/39B407DBA58FDF2/medium800.jpg
The new wing nib though is one of the most enjoyable of all my Montblancs to write with, lushly wet, very controllable with a small amount of flex. But it looked "different" and was not immediately accepted and had a fairly short life. The caps also are very subject to cracks and so it's fortunate to find one that is in perfect shape.
http://www.fototime.com/B5831C9C7703C17/large.jpg