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I’ve been reading other posts for quite a while and got a lot of useful information. I am appreciated to all the shared knowledge from Youtube and forum FPN, fpgeeks, and Reddit. As that knowledge helped me to get started, I also want to do some contributions to this community. During the past year, I got really serious and had some nice pens for my personal collection. I would like to share my thoughts about those pens. As I come from Hong Kong, the suitability of the pens in writing Chinese words is reviewed as well. That’s why you will find Chinese writing in the writing sample. The first batches of pens I want to review are one of my favorite pens, Montblanc 146 in green and grey striated patterns. First Impressions: Vintage Montblanc 146 striated pens were produced around the 1950s and were all made of celluloid. Nibs are all bi-color 14C and the filling system is telescopic piston structure. Depending on the color and patterns, those striated pens were divided into three types: 1. striated grey 2. striated green 3. vertical green striped. Three pens I owned and shown here are those three types. Although the vertical green striped one does not come with a pen cap with a straight green pattern, the barrel is in a striped pattern. To my personal taste, they are equally beautiful and much more exciting compared to the regular mono-color version. They really show beautiful colors with different layers under the sunlight. Depending on the condition of reservation, the color of the green/grey pattern may change to brown. The majority of the reason for color degradation may due to the exposure of UV light. Therefore, a perfect green striated/striped 146 is barely found in the market. Also, the material may shrink due to the temperature, hence the size of each 146 striated varies. DSC_5106 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr Left to right: green striped, grey striated, green striated DSC_5133 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr Left to right: green striated, grey striated, green striped DSC_5184 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr Left to right: green striped, grey striated, green striated DSC_5188 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr Left to right: green striated, grey striated, green striped DSC_5137 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr Bi-color 14C nibs Appearance and Design (10): These pens look amazing and classic to me. The color has so many layers and the pattern on each pen is unique. Some details need to point out: 1. the band and the rings are all gold plated. 2. The engraving on the band is “Montblanc Masterpiece”. 3. Depending on the produced date, there are three types of feed, ski slope without a groove (~1949), ski slope with groove (~ the early 1950s), round ebonite (late 1950s). 4. On the piston nobs, there are different engravings, 146, 146 F, 146G and * and M (don’t know the meaning of “*”), which indicate the model number and nib size of the pen. Thanks to others’ work in FPN, the detailed analysis of for the produced date for 146 can be found in the post below: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/337490-dating-montblanc-146-legrand/ Overall, I think that those pens have a great looking and feeling so different from modern 146 models. DSC_5120 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr Piston nobs with 146G for green striped, 146 for grey striated, and 146 for green striated IMG_8997 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr IMG_8998 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr IMG_8999 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr 146G, *, and M write on green striped pen IMG_8976 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr IMG_8977 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr 146 and F write on grey striated pen IMG_8988 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr Only 146 on green striated pen Construction and Quality (9.5): For pens for almost 70 years, they still preserved very well. This can tell us that the pens are well-constructed and very solid. Although there are some concerns regarding the long-time wearing of celluloid material, there are only some color changes and the pens have no crack. However, they are still vintage pens, hence some scratches can be found on the clips and nibs. The Montblanc mark on the cap turned into yellow and ink windows are in a reddish color. You can also find oxidations on the metal part as well. So they still need to be well reserved and not for perfectionism. IMG_8995 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr IMG_8969 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr IMG_8984 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr Pens with writing samples, top to bottom: green striped, grey striated, green striated Weight and Dimensions (9): They are not big pens and smaller compared to model 146. The sizes of the three pens are slightly different. The length is ~13.3-13.5 cm (with cap) and the dimension of the barrel is ~1.2 cm. Weight is 26 g (with cap). The pen is back heavy, but you will not feel so awkward due to the lightweight. I definitely love the barrel to place my fingers, they have a smooth curve and I feel the finger position is just right during writing. Personally, I am a big pen lover and I would prefer to have a 149 green striated. Max Horst also makes some custom 149 pens from 1950 Montblanc green striated stock, but the price is not justifiable to me. For writers with an average size of male hands, I could still say the pen is definitely very comfortable to write and suitable for daily usage if someone is willing to. Nib Performance (10): The nibs on those pens can sing. With those 1950s fine and medium nibs, writing is very smooth with a touch of feedback. They are very wet pens and I love wet pens. The ink flow is always proficient and consistent with the ebonite feed. Of course, the most beautiful part is the flexibility of the nibs on these pens. With the variation of the applied pressure, the width of the line can change from an Asian fine (0.2 mm) to triple broad (1.6 mm). The flexible nib allows me to do some cool English writing and definitely very fun to use. And I never have had any railroad when writing with the pens. Compared to modern flex nibs, such as ASC magic flex nib and Omas nib (in my next review), I would definitely prefer these vintage Montblanc nibs. The bounciness and consistency of ink flow into the nib are definitely better. Regarding Chinese calligraphy, I still always prefer a rigid nib. For example, my daily user pilot 823 (review will come later) can give more control because the change of width in Chinese writing is based on the “travel route” of the pen nib. Overall, vintage Montblanc pens are really great for flex writing and daily writing. It’s very pleasant for me to use. Information for writing sample: 1. Ink: Sailor Jentle ink Rikyu-Cha/Waka-Ugnism. 2. Paper: Rhodia dot pad. 3. Nib size: Fine and medium. I found the medium size is actually finer than “fine” nib. IMG_8996 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr IMG_9044 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr 146 green striped with a medium nib and round ebonite feed IMG_8972 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr IMG_8973 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr 146 grey striated with a fine nib and ski slope feed IMG_8985 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr IMG_8986 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr 146 green striated with a fine nib and ski slope feed IMG_9014 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr IMG_9015 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr IMG_9045 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr Writing samples Filling system and Maintenance (9): These pens use piston filler and specifically telescopic piston system. Instead of screwing the piston to immediately push the piston, the piston has a two-stage release. Firstly, you have to unscrew the turning nob to engage the rod to the piston and then further screw to move the piston. The piston can still function very well and store a rather large amount of ink. The downside of 1950s Montblanc piston is that uses a cord instead of nylon piston cup. The cork will be worn out over time. Thus the regular maintenance of the piston is necessary. Cost and Value (10): Let’s be fair, they are very expansive pens. Depending on the preserved condition of the pen, the price ranges from around 1500 to over 2000 USD. But they are rather rare and gradually increase their value over the past few years. So I think it worth its money if you like it and can find one. To me, it really attracts me and I ended up own three of these with different colors and patterns. Regarding the market value for your reference, the perfect green stripe should be the rarest and the price is the highest. Conclusion and Final Score (57.5/60): There are so many things to like on these pens. The appearance, which mixed so many layers of colors together, is unique and gorgeous. The pen feels classic and comfortable. The piston filler contains a rather large amount of ink. The nib is fantastic to write and very flexible. I just love these pens. DSC_5141 by Jianan Hui, 於 Flickr Pen caps

These two are from two of the more 'premier' manufacturers, and they are both the model below the flagship pen of that company, the 149 and the m1000 respectively. A lot of people, including me, will not be looking at the flagship models for such reasons as they are simply too big or too expensive. With that in mind I decided to compare the two more affordable (?!) and smaller pens. Price. I managed to pick up the Montblanc on the 'Bay for just over £200 which I thought was a very good deal considering that its retail price in the UK is well over £400. The Pelikan I bought from Pelikan Pens UK for £266. The Montblanc is more expensive when bought new but deals for pre owned ones are there to be had. Winner: Pelikan (if both pens are purchased at RRP) Size. As you can see from the photos, the two pens are about the same size when capped and when posted the Pelikan is a fair bit longer. Although I forgot to take a photograph, the Pelikan is about 2mm longer when not posted. The nib of the Pelikan is also noticeably bigger. Both pens feel very comfortable in the hand, I post neither but I just prefer the feel of the MB, I think it's the balance I prefer. WInner: Montblanc Filling mechanism. Both pens use a piston filling mechanism and as such hold a large quantity of ink, however the piston in the Pelikan is far smoother and nicer to use. Winner: Pelikan Nib. Both pens have a medium nib, and whilst I am very happy with the nib on the MB I wish I had bought the Pelikan with a fine nib as the medium on it runs really quite wide. Although one advantage of the Pelikan is that one can simply unscrew the nib and replace it with another one, although the nibs themselves are far from cheap. Both nibs are very smooth although it took me a while to find an ink that the Pelikan liked, Noodlers Black was far too dry but Diamine Midnight performs very well. I also think the nib on the Montblanc looks nicer, although the Pelikan's nib is by no means unattractive. Winner: Montblanc General appearance. I bought the Pelikan in the 'traditional' green straited material and it looks very pretty, the semi transparent barrel also allows one to see the piston at work and the amount of ink remaining. The Montblanc is the 'classic' cigar shaped design, and the white star on top of the cap is very distinctive. I like the appearance of both, the slightly different look of the Pelikan and the more classic appearance of the Montblanc. Draw. Verdict. If I had to choose one pen, what would it be? It would be the Montblanc, just. I prefer the more classic look of it, I think the nib is prettier and, at least for the moment, I prefer writing with the Montblanc as the nib on the Pelikan is just a bit too wide. However, both are excellent pens for those who cannot afford to splash out on the flagship models or those who prefer a slightly smaller pen.

Last wednesday I got a mail from Dennis of La Couronne du Comte in Tiburg: " The blue skeleton was in the house!" Well Montblanc took us by surprise, it wasn't expected before september. You can imagine how I spend this saturday. Driving 70 km to Tilburg to admire Montblanc's latest beauty. And a beauty it is, the ice blue - platinum combination surpasses the red gold - grey combination of the 90th anniversary skeleton by miles. The strict geometric design of the platinum nib is just outrageous. The decision was quickly made, after a few months of display in Tilburg, it will be joining the 90th anniversary skeleton and the rest of the 149 gang. For those who can't go to Tilburg, I took some snaps with the iphone.

Hi, I'm looking for a 149 on eBay, ideally with a medium nib or higher. I've heard elsewhere that as they're handground montblanc nibs can vary in size. Here are some photos of one where I'm not sure of it's size. I'd really appreciate people's opinions:

Hey guys, so I recently bought the pen that I have described in the title from Ebay, it was the ballpoint version. I'm trying to get a refund on it because I believe to have been duped or ripped off. Now I was to believe that the serial number on the clip is supposed to match the one supplied in the certification booklet and the handbook. They do not, however the seller assures me this pen came straight from a registered retailer and has not been tampered with. The clip number in the paperwork is PW2344002. The number on the actual pen clip is XW1058636. Surely this means that the clip has either been changed or the paperwork is to a different pen. Am I wrong to think this? Is there something special with the diamond ones or am I right? Thankyou Ben