Doing battle with Montblanc over warranty repair

[jdwhitak]

So, I purchased a 149 directly from Montblanc back in June. My first Montblanc! Five months later it started leaking ink where the nib assembly mates to the grip.

In the intervening five months I had purchased a Montblanc 146 from a local retailer who is an authorized dealer. I mentioned my problem with the 149 on a visit to this retailer and they offered to send the 149 in for repair for me. I took them up on this offer. I gave the retailer the pen and a copy of my receipt.

Got a call last week saying its going to be $130 to fix my pen. WTF? I would think whatever is causing it to leak ink would be covered under warranty. Montblanc outsources repair to MJR and everyone is pointing fingers at someone else. Very frustrating experience.

[Chrissy]

We already have a couple of threads discussing several members experiences with MJR, none of which have shown MJR in any sort of a good light.
If it was me I would be asking Montblanc exactly what is covered under their warranty and exactly what is their authorised repairer authorised to charge you for within that warranty period.
If no-one ever asks Montblanc why or WTF then they will never know that there is something to sort out.

[FredRydr]

Have you provided to both the retailer who sent the pen and to My Jewelry Repair copies of the June purchase receipt and of the stamped warranty page of your 149's booklet? Is My Jewelry Repair claiming the leak was caused by owner damage rather than manufacturer defect?

[jdwhitak]

Have you provided to both the retailer who sent the pen and to My Jewelry Repair copies of the June purchase receipt and of the stamped warranty page of your 149's booklet? Is My Jewelry Repair claiming the leak was caused by owner damage rather than manufacturer defect?

Sure did. Got a call from the retailer this past Friday. They are going to fix it under warranty. I don't know why Montblanc outsources this. Probably does more harm to their brand than good.

[Chrissy]

Have you provided to both the retailer who sent the pen and to My Jewelry Repair copies of the June purchase receipt and of the stamped warranty page of your 149's booklet? Is My Jewelry Repair claiming the leak was caused by owner damage rather than manufacturer defect?

Sure did. Got a call from the retailer this past Friday. They are going to fix it under warranty. I don't know why Montblanc outsources this. Probably does more harm to their brand than good.

I agree with the last sentence.

[724Seney]

Have you provided to both the retailer who sent the pen and to My Jewelry Repair copies of the June purchase receipt and of the stamped warranty page of your 149's booklet? Is My Jewelry Repair claiming the leak was caused by owner damage rather than manufacturer defect?

Sure did. Got a call from the retailer this past Friday. They are going to fix it under warranty. I don't know why Montblanc outsources this. Probably does more harm to their brand than good.

I agree with the last sentence.

+1
I do, too.

[dneal]

If it's leaking from where I think you're describing, there are two causes:

1. It's an actual leak, and the Montblanc "Bubblegum" sealant has failed. Definitely a warranty repair.
2. Sometimes ink gets in that join when filling, and comes back out when you use it.

It's a stupid design, and I don't know why they do it.

IMG_1951.jpg

[Chrissy]

I always wondered if they make the slight "flare" as part of the whole collar/nib assembly so that they don't need to make a flare on the end of the section?
I agree that it's not a great design and have had two fail while they were just sitting inside a screwed on cap on unused pens lying in a collector box.

[Chuck Naill]

If it's leaking from where I think you're describing, there are two causes:

1. It's an actual leak, and the Montblanc "Bubblegum" sealant has failed. Definitely a warranty repair.
2. Sometimes ink gets in that join when filling, and comes back out when you use it.

It's a stupid design, and I don't know why they do it.

IMG_1951.jpg

Do you own this pen? The MB I owned never leaked.

[FredRydr]

...I don't know why Montblanc outsources this. Probably does more harm to their brand than good.

Richemont bean counters held sway when the decision was made. I wouldn't be surprised if they had given thought to spinning off pen manufacturing while holding onto the Montblanc brand.

[bunnspecial]

If it's leaking from where I think you're describing, there are two causes:

1. It's an actual leak, and the Montblanc "Bubblegum" sealant has failed. Definitely a warranty repair.
2. Sometimes ink gets in that join when filling, and comes back out when you use it.

It's a stupid design, and I don't know why they do it.

Montblanc no longer uses that design.

The current 146 and 149 do not use adhesive to secure the nib unit. The nib and feed are in a collar not unlike what the older(one piece barrel) design used but can often be installed/removed without tools.

For the most part I've found it a really solid design. I THINK it's been in use since 2014, but don't hold me to that. Both my 146 and 149 bought this year use it.

[dneal]

Yes, they do use that design; but you can post a pic of your pen if they haven't updated their site. I'd be curious to see it.

A screenshot from Montblanc's website today.

Screenshot 2022-12-13 at 8.16.28 PM.png

[bunnspecial]

I thought I had taken some of my 146C but can't locate them. I'll try to do so tomorrow.

Externally the design looks exactly the same aside from the "gap" between the smooth and rough sections being essentially non-existent(where previously it has been the lip on the nib collar). You wouldn't know they had changed it unless you took it apart-in fact I had heard it described but hadn't realized anything was different until I tried for myself to take my 146C apart(and then later my Italic Edge 149).

[dneal]

The point is that the collar/sleeve has a 90 degree lip on it (the flare in the newer style), to hold the section to the barrel; rather than the size of the gap. It still should be threaded, and those threads have to be sealed somehow or it will leak between the collar/sleeve and the section. Maybe they did stop using the "bubblegum". I used a rosin/castor oil mix on my 80's 146 (pictured). It's what Omas used on their later pens with the removable section, and works well.

Usually any ink that seeps in is miniscule, but I've learned to wipe it thoroughly when I fill it. Leaks are a different story, and it's not a new issue. Chrissy mentions it above too.

There's an older thread HERE that shows a disassembled (older gray window) 146. Mine is built identically and I wasn't aware they changed other than the slight flare.

-edit-

Please don't disassemble your pen just for this thread.

[bunnspecial]

Already done (couldn't sleep)

Here's the new style construction. This is not a great photo, but note that there's a washer/gasket at the base of the threads. I'm not sure what it's made of-I'd suspected Teflon at one time but it seems to discolor too much for me to think that. Regardless, I think this is key to how these seal without sealant.

IMG_2577.jpg

Here's the barrel profile compared to my favorite c.1990 146. In hand it takes a really close look to see the difference, but it's there.

IMG_2576.jpg

Compare this to this 2000s 149. This was the first photo of one of these I came across in scrolling through my archives, and someone had tried to seal it with what seemed to be silicone caulk. I use the non-hardening Sheaffer formula sealant that Ron Zorn sells.

IMG_2307.jpg

(and yes, @dneal I know you're familiar with this second construction as it's what you've been describing in this thread-just showing it for the sake of completeness and comparison).

[dneal]

Ok, I stand corrected. Two things though. Is the new 146 slightly smaller in diameter at the section? Also, I wonder why the flare is textured.

[Chrissy]

I've never seen a 146 or a 149 with the brand new design but I was aware that Montblanc had changed both models to a new "user friendly" screw-in nib that is "Pelikan style."
As I've never seen one I wasn't sure that it meant that the flared lip was now somehow "bonded" to the end of the section. This is such a great revelation to me and I would love to have one.

I have a "nib tool" that would allow me to swap a nib on my "nineties/noughties" 146 pens but have never been brave enough to use it as the pins on it are so thin they look like tiny needes and my concern is that one might break off during use and that would be the start of a massive problem.

[bunnspecial]

Ok, I stand corrected. Two things though. Is the new 146 slightly smaller in diameter at the section? Also, I wonder why the flare is textured.

I don't THINK so, although the photo certainly makes it appear that way.

With that said, I admit to never having paid attention until I posted that photo last night, and I noticed the apparent size difference as soon as I posted. I'll try that one again when my office isn't as much of a cave this afternoon. I've found that my last couple of new 146s(the 146C is the only one I still have) seem to feel less "friendly" in my hand than my 80s-90s ones, although that could be because the gray ink window one above was my first 14x series pen and virtually the only pen I used from about 2016 to 2020.

As for the texture-I SUSPECT that there's still a separate piece that's bonded there during manufacture. As you probably know, the older one-piece barrels were known to sometimes crack in the flare section, and adding this extra piece of a different type of plastic could be reinforcement to the relatively brittle resin.

[jdwhitak]

If it's leaking from where I think you're describing, there are two causes:

1. It's an actual leak, and the Montblanc "Bubblegum" sealant has failed. Definitely a warranty repair.
2. Sometimes ink gets in that join when filling, and comes back out when you use it.

It's a stupid design, and I don't know why they do it.

IMG_1951.jpg

That's exactly where it was leaking from!

[dneal]

If it's leaking from where I think you're describing..

That's exactly where it was leaking from!

Well that makes for quite the mystery, given bunnspecial's posts.

I wonder if the MB calligraphy pen is made different, if the 149 didn't get the "update", etc...

Things that make you go "hmmm". Let us know how it works out.