Real 149? & Info About Pen Please

[ArchiMark]

Hi,



After many years without one, I just received a used 149 pen with 18C B nib.

Would greatly appreciate input from the knowledgeable Montblancerati here about this pen regarding:

1. Does this look like a real Montblanc 149?

2. If real, do all the components seem consistent or are they any parts that don't seem original to the pen (ie, a Frankenpen) ?

3. What timeframe is this 149 from?

4. Does the box look real and consistent with the one that should come with this pen? (came with a partial filled bottle (older design, rounded ends, of black MB ink)


5. Unfortunately, hard for me to get decent photo of underside of pocket clip, but up close it looks like there's pitting or corrosion there. Is that normal?


6. There's the imprint 'Germany' on back of ring at top of pocket clip. Does the imprint look correct? The 'Y' looks odd to me.

If other photos needed to provide proper evaluation, please let me know.

I still have time to return pen if I choose to do so....so, your timely input is very helpful now.

Any other feedback, comments about pen besides my questions, is welcome too.

Thank you!


Mark

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[Chrissy]

Would greatly appreciate input from the knowledgeable Montblancerati here about this pen regarding:

1. Does this look like a real Montblanc 149?

Yes it does without any doubt whatsoever.

2. If real, do all the components seem consistent or are they any parts that don't seem original to the pen (ie, a Frankenpen) ?

I think the nib was made for the French market in either the 1960's or 1970's as it is an 18c 3 tone nib so it's older than the rest of the pen and that would be standard if replacement resin parts have been fitted. The brass piston is a replacement.

3. What timeframe is this 149 from?

Maybe not all of the parts are from that same period it's difficult to tell and I don't know about earlier versions, but it might have a replacement barrel and piston probably from 1980's or 1990's

4. Does the box look real and consistent with the one that should come with this pen? (came with a partial filled bottle (older design, rounded ends, of black MB ink)

The box matches the period of the pen parts but not of the nib.

5. Unfortunately, hard for me to get decent photo of underside of pocket clip, but up close it looks like there's pitting or corrosion there. Is that normal?

Could that be the imprinted word "Pix" that could easily be there?

6. There's the imprint 'Germany' on back of ring at top of pocket clip. Does the imprint look correct? The 'Y' looks odd to me.

It looks OK to me. You don't mention a serial number and if there isn't one then the cap was made pre 1990 and probably wasn't replaced when the barrel and piston were.

If other photos needed to provide proper evaluation, please let me know.

No idea of a valuation but the nib and cap look well used.

I still have time to return pen if I choose to do so....so, your timely input is very helpful now.

Any other feedback, comments about pen besides my questions, is welcome too.

Thank you!


Mark

There is a Mb 149 chart on FPN showing details of when various parts were fitted. You might want to go find that and see if you can work out any more info. I find it tricky to date everything that I don't have on my pen but your pen is exactly like mine and everything on mine has been replaced except for the 3 tone 18k nib.

Does it write well? If so, then enjoy your pen. :)

[ArchiMark]

THANKS so much, Chrissy, for all your helpful input and info.....

Regarding question 5, I looked underneath clip again with magnifying glass and there's no text there, just the tiny dark spots all over the underside. I assume it's either plating wear or plating was not evenly applied originally.

And for question 6, there's no serial number.

As for writing well, I've only done a quick ink dip writing sample, but seems very good...thanks.



Best,

Mark

[Wile E Coyote]

Totally fake, send it and that horrible nib to me for disposal.

[Chrissy]

THANKS so much, Chrissy, for all your helpful input and info.....

Regarding question 5, I looked underneath clip again with magnifying glass and there's no text there, just the tiny dark spots all over the underside. I assume it's either plating wear or plating was not evenly applied originally.

And for question 6, there's no serial number.

As for writing well, I've only done a quick ink dip writing sample, but seems very good...thanks.



Best,

Mark
All of my Mb's have serial numbers and are therefore post 1990 so I've never seen any plating loss on any part of a clip. It's possible that whatever is on the underside of the clip might have happened when it's been clipped to something.

I thought that pre 1990 clip bands were marked as W.Germany and hope someone else could come in here and comment on whether that cap, nib and feed might have been produced at the same time. Then you have a pen with replacement barrel and piston and someone who replaced the box. :)

[ArchiMark]

THANKS so much, Chrissy, for all your helpful input and info.....

Regarding question 5, I looked underneath clip again with magnifying glass and there's no text there, just the tiny dark spots all over the underside. I assume it's either plating wear or plating was not evenly applied originally.

And for question 6, there's no serial number.

As for writing well, I've only done a quick ink dip writing sample, but seems very good...thanks.



Best,

Mark
All of my Mb's have serial numbers and are therefore post 1990 so I've never seen any plating loss on any part of a clip. It's possible that whatever is on the underside of the clip might have happened when it's been clipped to something.

I thought that pre 1990 clip bands were marked as W.Germany and hope someone else could come in here and comment on whether that cap, nib and feed might have been produced at the same time. Then you have a pen with replacement barrel and piston and someone who replaced the box. :)

Thanks again for your helpful input, Chrissy!

Yes, definitely seems like a FrankenMB.....not necessarily a bad thing in some ways, but not what I thought I was purchasing.

I decided to return the pen for a refund.

Will keep looking for another 149.....

Best,

Mark

[Barry B. Gabay]

Very nice 149. I agree with Chrissy that not all parts date from the same era. I suspect someone sent a 149 with older nib to Montblanc and the entire pen, except for nib, was replaced.

1. Your two-piece barrel with brass piston threads dates from 1990-91 and continues in production.
2. The first-generation plastic feed on your pen was made from 1992-96.
3 The three-tone 18C nib on your pen is seen on 1950s celluloid 149s and was used well into the plastic era. It was discontinued in the mid to late 1970s. It is an exceptional nib.

I have owned a couple of these re-built (or replacement) 149s with older nibs in newer pens. Bought all of them used. They are quite nice, and the older nibs fit perfectly with newer feed and collar housing.
All in all, it's a great pen for daily use. Enjoy.

[ArchiMark]

Thanks for your input, Barry....

Great info and confirms what Chrissy was saying about mix of parts......

Maybe I overreacted in returning pen, but it bothered me that seller didn't disclose the nature of this pen having such a mix of parts and felt that I overpaid for this pen. Didn't like what seems like corrosion to plating under clip and there were other places on trim with missing plating. This contributed to my sense that I overpaid for the pen.

From the quick ink dip test drive, the nib did seem very nice and looked like it had been ground a bit. Seller did acknowledge after I let him know I was returning pen that he had used different parts on this pen.

So, I'm looking over listings for used MB 149s to see if I can find one that looks good to me....would like a nice B nib and pen in very good condition.

If you or anyone else has any suggestions for where to look for a good used 149, please let me know, either here or if you prefer, message me.

THANKS!

Mark

[ArchiMark]

btw, one reason I'm sensitive to getting the right pen, is that the situation with the 149 pen described up above, is that this came on the heels of getting another 149 that looked good in pics and description, but had a broken piston rod as I discovered when unscrewing the end cap and it came off in my hands.......

Fortunately, was able to return that pen for refund.....don't think seller was being deceitful, just ignorant it seems....had inherited pen from a relative and didn't know about fountain pens, let alone piston filler systems.....

But having gone through 2 recent 149 pen transactions that didn't work out for me, I'd like to avoid a third......hence my question above about good sources for 149s.....

Thanks,

Mark

[Chrissy]

The seller of the pen pictured in your original post might not have known anything about the way Mb don't repair parts when they break but replace them with current parts instead.

IMHO to replace the barrel and the end cone when replacing a piston is a much better practice than trying to replace a new piston into a piece of existing resin/plastic that may have degraded over the years and this practice extends the life of a pen that might only have had a piston break.

I certainly don't consider any Mb with a new piston/barrel any sort of a "frankenpen" and think you were very, very fortunate to get a 149 that came with such an exceptional and rare 18c 3 tone nib. You will probably have to wait a very long time before you ever see another one or get any sort of a 149 with as good a nib as that one was.

If you want to be sure to buy a 149 with all parts from the same time period then the only way of getting one will be brand new from a Mb store.

[Chrissy]

Very nice 149. I agree with Chrissy that not all parts date from the same era. I suspect someone sent a 149 with older nib to Montblanc and the entire pen, except for nib, was replaced.

1. Your two-piece barrel with brass piston threads dates from 1990-91 and continues in production.
2. The first-generation plastic feed on your pen was made from 1992-96.
3 The three-tone 18C nib on your pen is seen on 1950s celluloid 149s and was used well into the plastic era. It was discontinued in the mid to late 1970s. It is an exceptional nib.

I have owned a couple of these re-build (or replacement) 149s with older nibs in newer pens. Bought all of them used. They are quite nice, and the older nibs fit perfectly with newer feed and collar housing.
All in all, it's a great pen for daily use. Enjoy.
I totally agree with you Barry. :) I was fortunate enough to get a 149 with 3 tone BB nib when I bought my pen but my nib is later as it's marked 18K. Even when I lived within the EU and could buy stuff from France I was never lucky enough to see a 3 tone nib marked 18C, but my 149 came from a French seller and the BB nib was a surprise after seeing less than great photos of the nib tip.

Many potential buyers would pay a premium to get that pen with the included 18C nib. Back in the day I might have done so especially as most of those I see advertised now on ebay seem to come with EF nibs.

In the UK we are still fortunate enough to be able to buy 149's with 18 carat gold nibs (now marked as 750) as standard from Mb stores so I hope to get a decent price when I sell my 149 despite the fact that on my pen only the 3 tone nib is now original. Everything else has been replaced because when Mb replaced the piston and barrel as a level one service they replaced my cap at the same time. I was very lucky to get a brand new pen. :)

[Barry B. Gabay]

If you or anyone else has any suggestions for where to look for a good used 149, please let me know, either here or if you prefer, message me.

THANKS!

Mark


Hello Mark, Since you are California, maybe it will be convenient for you to attend the LA show in February. Not too far off. It's a large & very well attended pen show. There you will have your choice from dozens & dozens of well maintained used 149s as well as new ones. In purchasing a fountain pen, especially a used one, there is no situation more reliable than handling, examining, and test writing with the pen at a pen show. Good luck with your hunt. There are countless 149s in circulation.
Best wishes, Barry

[ArchiMark]

Hi Barry,

THANKS so much for your great suggestion.....

I'm up in northern California....so, not sure I'll be able to make it down there.....

Meanwhile, looking around for a 149 that meets my criteria.....

Best,

Mark

[Cyril]

This is good old pen and I love the box. No doubt it dose not belongs to this pen but a lucky box that belongs to another special edition pen.
This Pen bears some marks how harder it has done seems to carry the history in the past. It definitely needs some CLC and cleaning and removing the micro-scratches.
This pen seems to have a italic M nib I think, also it is worth giving some polishing to the nib and so-on- so-forth!
For me it not that important to have a 18K nib as they were the part of of that period of many pens. It is lucky to have good pen . I mean a complete pen for a reasonable pen. I got my first 149 completely for a good price. During that time I already had a 146 and I never wanted to get a 149 as it was too hefty and too big for me .
But when I found that 146 for that price and the condition it was I was very tempted to get it. That is how it came to me. Now I have mini collection of MB pens and I always love to add a pen to that.

This thread reminds me of what I bought today . I am at the time trying to buy a removal tool for my" 146 pens" and I ordered it asI found a tool by chance.