MB poll :)

[antoniosz]

Thank you administrators for fixing my late night post

Edited February 11, 2006 by antoniosz

[KCat]

how about - owned one, nothing ever went wrong with it but don't own it anymore 'cause it just didn't float my boat?

[chris burton]

"Own MBs that write well and never had a precious resin accident."

 

And they also seem to behave well when I put them in the lathe and sic the cutting tool on them too!

Edited February 11, 2006 by chris burton

[Blade Runner]

How about more positive categories?

 

I would like to own one someday.

 

I would buy one if i can find one at the right price.

[grasshopper]

I voted for No. 4 because that's probably the closest to:

 

Don't own an MB because it doesn't float my boat and probably will not buy one unless they're a few cents away from free.

[TheNobleSavage]

I own a 149 and it is a solid writing pen. Mine is an older model with the 14 kt gold nib rather than the 18 kt gold nib. As for the resin, I am not sure if mine is a precious resin or a not so precious resin?

 

TNS

[daveg]

I don't own an MB for the same reason I don't own a thousand other pens. I have a Parker 100, Parker 51, and a Visconti Van Goh which is two more than I really need. Why didn't any MB make the "top three"? These just appeal to me more.

Edited February 11, 2006 by daveg

[Michael Wright]

I've voted that I've never had a precious resin incident, but I should record that I've had one MB which has had a plastic problem, a Meisterstueck 12 which I bought new in 1966. When I brought it out of the drawer after many years of wandering in the wilderness of BPs and rollerballs, I discovered that the hood had developed a crack. I don't count this as a precious resin incident because, AFAIK, MB were then using some kind of vinyl plastic, like many other companies, and had similar problems to them (e.g., Parker 61s also have hoods that crack spontaneously after thirty years or so), and it's not brittleness.

 

Antonios, you're a materials science guy, do you know what those '60s 1x pens were made of?

 

Best

 

Michael

[antoniosz]

Sorry, Micheal I dont know. If I had one I might be able to find out

[saturation]

What is a precious resin accident?

 

I bought a Meisterstuck #146 for $75 or so at a bankruptcy sale and find these about it:

 

As a writing instrument for its price, its not any better than cheaper pens in the market with gold nibs

 

The #146 is not balanced, and back heavy with the cap on it

 

It on occassion, spits ink and messes my fingers ... expected in older pens, but read on

 

Its won't write well on all types of paper

 

For what is retails today as a writing instrument, its value <> money

 

However, its is a well made pen, overpriced due to its brand. However, as to the materials used in new versus older pens, I wouldn't consider them due to more complaints than praise:

 

http://customer.clearsail.net/~forrest/

 

 

OTAH, my workhorse pen is a Pilot Vanishing Point

 

For any price, its writes better than all pens in my collection, or all types of paper I encounter

 

Its size competes with the MB #146, but its balanced [ the Pilot VP]

 

It never messes my hands, rarely only when filling

 

For what it retails today, as a writing instrument, its value >> money

 

Very well made, as of the 2000 Pilot version.

Edited February 11, 2006 by saturation

[acfrery]

My 149 fell while I was seated, and its cap badly broke.

Fantastic writer, though.

[Leslie J.]

Just too expensive, and I don't hear enough really positive reviews on them. I would love the opportunity to try a vintage MB, but it's just not within my means.

[saturation]

To MB Experts:

 

My nib is a single tone gold. Most MB are sold with two tone, gold-silver nibs. I can't find any information on this nib.

 

Anyone know how to determine the age of a MB pen?

When was the all-gold nib produced?

 

The nib has the usual 4810 engraved on it, a large M, I presume is medium, and a 585 at the bottom.

Edited February 11, 2006 by saturation

[DrPJM1]

Own at least MB that broke unexpectedly

 

I bought a MB 146 that wrote badly, was sent to MB twice and was never fixed of its nib problems. To top it all, the cap fell from my desk, bounced off my leg and broke when it landed. Paid to get a replacement cap & to fix the nib in order to sell it at a great loss.

 

I still have my father's sterling silver MB. It is the only pen I do not use.

[Titivillus]

To MB Experts:

 

My nib is a single tone gold. Most MB are sold with two tone, gold-silver nibs. I can't find any information on this nib.

 

Anyone know how to determine the age of a MB pen?

When was the all-gold nib produced?

 

The nib has the usual 4810 engraved on it, a large M, I presume is medium, and a 585 at the bottom.

What model of pen are you talking about? I remember reading an article about 149s that looking at the feed and body along with the nib you could get a range of dates that the pen was manufactured in.

 

K

[saturation]

To MB Experts:

 

My nib is a single tone gold.  Most MB are sold with two tone, gold-silver nibs.  I can't find any information on this nib. 

 

Anyone know how to determine the age of a MB pen?

When was the all-gold nib produced?

 

The nib has the usual 4810 engraved on it, a large M, I presume is medium, and a 585 at the bottom.

What model of pen are you talking about? I remember reading an article about 149s that looking at the feed and body along with the nib you could get a range of dates that the pen was manufactured in.

 

K

Thanks K, its a #146. It has W. Germany engraved on the band just below the snowflake that becomes part of the cap pen-clip. The cap has the usual Meisterstuck No. 146 at the bottom metal band.

 

The nib looks similar to this:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...indpost&p=71216

[Michael Wright]

What is a precious resin accident?

Modern Montblanc pens are made out of a distinctive plastic, which the company have pretentiously called "precious resin." The plastic is supposed to contain glass. It certainly has a high gloss, and a distinctive hard feel, which I like. The downside is that this plastic is supposed to be more brittle than other acrylics. Some people claim that modern MBs will crack spontaneously: others believe that the only MBs more prone to breakage than other pens are the 144 and the basic ballpoint, which were badly designed with barrel walls too thin.

 

I also have a late '70s 146 which is inclined to deposit ink on my fingers. As far as I can see, this is not because of a leak from the section or feed, but rather the ink pools around the base of the nib and then spreads onto the section. I've had the feed looked at twice -- once to try to fix the problem, and once when the pen rolled from a table onto a tile floor. Only the feed broke, so I had to have it replaced, but the ink still pools, on that particular pen.

 

Best

 

Michael

[antoniosz]

For information purposes, a quick web search gave that a Pelikan M1000 retails at $560, and MB 149 at $575. Typical green board prices for MB149 and M1000 is mid $250.

 

The #146 is not balanced, and back heavy with the cap on it

...

OTAH, my workhorse pen is a Pilot Vanishing Point

A single pen that is not balanced for one person may be balanced for thousands others. In fact there are many, who can not get used to Vanishing point's clip Much more concern is the tendancy for breaking. Micheal Wright's statement - about the glass filled epoxy which tends to give good finish but brittle and that 144 is the most prone for failure is the one opinion that is heard repeatedly from more "knowledgeable" people.

 

http://customer.clearsail.net/~forrest/

I know that web site as well as the infamous bicman of pentrace (a MB hating troll) . But I want to have data from "real" people and to include both positive and negative experiences, this is why I posted this poll. I do have my own theory for the image/value/perception of MBs. Lets see how it turns out. Edited February 11, 2006 by antoniosz

[Gatorade]

I have a MB BP circa 1995. I use it a bunch. Refilled it quite a few times. Have never had any cracks. Have dropped it. Have thrown it on a marble desk a few times. My wife took it for about a year and she is known to destroy Gel pens that she loves. At the time I had a broad black refill in it. Still my favorite ballpoint. Anyone looking to unload their MBs please PM me and we will see about working something out!

[Slush99]

I don't own any because I am penniless... I love the 149, though.