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View Full Version : 644G Worth it?



attika89
December 28th, 2013, 12:12 PM
Hi everyone!

I have my eye on a Masterpiece 644G right now. As the seller states it writes nicely (EF?), but the piston leaks a little at the top.
How risky is it with that piston?
I have no idea for how much do they go these days....

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tandaina
December 28th, 2013, 04:11 PM
There are folks in the US (or UK, etc) who can replace piston seals for old Montblancs. I'd be not AS worried about a leak as I would about the mechanism itself. If the piston mechanism fails my understanding is you are pretty much out of luck. (Someone please correct me if that is wrong.)

It is a lovely pen, I'd love to have one!

attika89
December 29th, 2013, 03:05 AM
That is a good question that when will the mechanism fail. As far as I know it is "just" leaking when its going down, so far.

CS388
December 29th, 2013, 04:56 PM
I don't know much they go for these days, either. Don't think that there's enough of them around to get an idea of 'average price'? (Or maybe I just haven't seen them)

Nice, though. The slip-on cap means that the whole barrel/section arrangement has a smooth streamlined look. My favourite feed and nib, too.
Never been keen on the doue pens, prefer a single colour scheme, myself - but this one pulls it off nicely.

In the UK, a standard version of this pen (black 144 from 1950s) in good working condition will go for anything from £150 - £200+. Mint examples can command much higher prices. Even beat-up pens pull in decent cash. The market is strong for the old Meisterstucks. I imagine that the gold cap should push the price up by a decent amount - but, as I said, don't really know.

If it's a total bargain, buy it and hope the piston fault is a simple fix (eg worn seal, as Tandaina says). If it's pricey, get more information first. A major overhaul of the two stage telescopic piston would be an expensive job. (There are specialist repairers in Europe, who could undertake this sort of work.)

FWIW, my 144 had a leak at the top of the pen, caused by a worn out cork seal. Easy fix. YMMV

Good luck

attika89
December 30th, 2013, 02:26 AM
Thank you very much! I really appreciate your answer!

Its not a huge bargain for around £170, but I want to get it for like £150.
Lets hope that its just the cork seal, but is there any way to tell if the piston needs to be fixed without taking the pen apart?

tandaina
December 30th, 2013, 07:27 AM
If the piston moves up and down properly when the knob is turned then you are probably OK. If you can turn the knob and the piston doesn't move at all? That's where you worry.

JLS1
December 30th, 2013, 08:57 AM
...or conversely, if you try to move the knob and it's stuck, then you have a problem. If this happens, DON'T force the knob - you might break/damage the piston mechanism (which is quite complex)! Send it to an expert who can disassemble it properly and then give you an idea of the problem(s).

HTH!

attika89
December 30th, 2013, 09:29 AM
Thank you again!
The seller says the piston moves smoothly and the pen sucks up ink as it should.

orfew
January 4th, 2014, 07:53 PM
If you do buy it I would recommend that you send it to Francis Goosens in Belgium for repair ( his name on FPN is fountainbel). He has repaired several of my vintage MBs and sis a great job. The pens came back much better than I expected.