Dating Montblanc 149s

[WestLothian]

I have just bought an older 149 from a German antique shop. It is a single piece barrel, and has a two-tone 14c semi-flexible nib with a split ebonite feed. The piston filler has a black plastic upper thread. This would put the date between 1975 and 1985.

 

I re-lubricated the piston seal since the turning resistance seem quite high when filling or draining. During this maintenance I found that the helical drive that engages with the piston rod is a white plastic rather than the black ones that are shown in the photographs here. I wondered when this material or colour changed, and whether this could also be used for dating purposes?

Edited May 24, 2012 by WestLothian

[dks202]

I sailed through these posts trying to catch up. Very informative chart!!

 

Unless I missed it no one mentioned another way to date a few pens. Before the 1990 reunification of the two Germanys pens were stamped "W.GERMANY" then just "GERMANY". Even better, serial numbers were added at about the same time. If you have a W. German pen AND a serial number, you really have something special.

[hari317]

  On 7/18/2012 at 1:26 PM, dks202 said:

 

Unless I missed it no one mentioned another way to date a few pens. Before the 1990 reunification of the two Germanys pens were stamped "W.GERMANY" then just "GERMANY". Even better, serial numbers were added at about the same time. If you have a W. German pen AND a serial number, you really have something special.

 

Actually the pre '85 pens were only marked Germany. They stated marking W. Germany only in the mid 80s upto the fall of the wall based on several observations.

[BGAndrea]

Just got my first MB 149 on an auction site. I'll post pics when it arrives. All I know right now is that it: Montblanc Miesterstuck 149 Fountain Pen Nib says 4810, 14c and 585. I'll be interested in dating it. Thanks for this great thread.

[ivanwong]

Mine is kind of strange:

 

Solid Ebonite Feeds, Single Unit Barrel, Black Plastic filler thread... which made it a 1970s 149.

But strange that it has a rose gold tri-color 18C nib, how could that happen?

[OldFrog]

  On 8/13/2012 at 3:09 AM, ivanwong said:

Mine is kind of strange:

 

Solid Ebonite Feeds, Single Unit Barrel, Black Plastic filler thread... which made it a 1970s 149.

But strange that it has a rose gold tri-color 18C nib, how could that happen?

 

 

Quite simple: 18c was made for french market as per legal rules about gold quality.

And there were 3-tone nibs in these ones.

[ivanwong]

  On 8/13/2012 at 8:22 AM, OldFrog said:

  On 8/13/2012 at 3:09 AM, ivanwong said:

Mine is kind of strange:

 

Solid Ebonite Feeds, Single Unit Barrel, Black Plastic filler thread... which made it a 1970s 149.

But strange that it has a rose gold tri-color 18C nib, how could that happen?

 

 

Quite simple: 18c was made for french market as per legal rules about gold quality.

And there were 3-tone nibs in these ones.

 

So doesn't that mean this pen were made from 1969-71 for french market?

Thanks in advance!

[hari317]

There is some debate whether all 18C tritone nibs can be automatically designated "French market". FWIW, I have purchased several 149s of 60s-70s from US and Asia based individuals (not collectors, individuals selling estate finds, parents pens etc...) with the 18C tri tone nib. so they seem to have been widely available...

[Chrissy]

  On 8/14/2012 at 5:10 AM, hari317 said:

There is some debate whether all 18C tritone nibs can be automatically designated "French market". FWIW, I have purchased several 149s of 60s-70s from US and Asia based individuals (not collectors, individuals selling estate finds, parents pens etc...) with the 18C tri tone nib. so they seem to have been widely available...

My 149 also has an 18ct tritone nib. It's a nice BB. Mind you, I did buy it from France....

[hari317]

  On 8/14/2012 at 6:30 AM, Chrissy said:

  On 8/14/2012 at 5:10 AM, hari317 said:

There is some debate whether all 18C tritone nibs can be automatically designated "French market". FWIW, I have purchased several 149s of 60s-70s from US and Asia based individuals (not collectors, individuals selling estate finds, parents pens etc...) with the 18C tri tone nib. so they seem to have been widely available...

My 149 also has an 18ct tritone nib. It's a nice BB. Mind you, I did buy it from France....

my point is that they seem to have been abundantly sold outside of France too.

[Chrissy]

  On 8/14/2012 at 7:22 AM, hari317 said:

 

my point is that they seem to have been abundantly sold outside of France too.

Yes Hari, I know that's what you meant. I just decided to chip in and mention mine

[Anes]

People, thank you VERY much for this info. Is there some discussion about dating a MB 146?

[Barry Gabay]

The three-tone 18C nib was certainly widely available outside of France. I have seen quite a few of them on 149s in the US. I do not know where these pens were originally purchased.

 

Regarding ivanwong's photograph: I don't believe the nib is "rose" gold. I think the nib in the photo is tarnished. This is not a critical comment, just an observation. Polishing it will restore a bright yellow sheen to the gold, if that is what the owner-writer prefers. I have seen mint, boxed 30+ year old 149s which were never used. Some of them have nibs which are nearly orange.

[Tombstone]

At first I have to say "Thank you a lot!" for your help checking my new (used) 149.

 

Based on this I can say, that the 149 I bought just a couple of weeks ago has an anomaly similar to the one ecox showed:

 

- late plastic feed, signed "1"

- two section barrel

- brass filler thread

- "Germany" on the ring

- serial number

 

This all sends me to a 149 build at the end of the 90s until today. In fact, my 149 bought about 6 months ago is nearly identical.

 

But when we come to "nearly", I have to say that my nib is just 14 k bi-color.

 

Result: it seems, they changed the nib afterwards. But as a general information: the end-80s-14-K nib fits to the late plastic feed. Maybe this is interesting for somebody else.

 

Another point: my two 149 have a serial number - would this also be useful for dating a 149?

 

- the used one shows XY250xxxx - Germany

- the new one shows MW153xxxx - Germany plus the additional "Pix" in the lower ring

 

I know similar systems used with mechanical watches - Rolex for example created their serial numbers with 1 letter and 6 numbers. Based on this it is quite easy to define the age of a used Rolex...

[ivanwong]

  On 10/15/2010 at 1:31 AM, DKbRS said:

Version 2.0

 

Reformatted and image of ski slope feed added.

 

http://i573.photobucket.com/albums/ss171/DKbRS/Pens/mbgridnewres.jpg

 

Super nice!!! Masterpiece!!

 

Would the creator put the period with W.Germany written on the pen as well?

[dallasjarrell]

  On 10/5/2010 at 3:48 PM, humblescribbler said:

  On 10/5/2010 at 11:28 AM, DKbRS said:

Thanks all for the comments.

 

Is the chart correct re tri-color 18C nibs? For example, there was one that was advertised and sold here yesterday evening that had a tri-color 18C nib but was described as from the 60s with what seemed to be a feed with grooves on the face only (although there wasn't a photo of the feed, so I can't be sure).

 

COOL Chart! Thanks for that.

 

My 149 doesn't exactly fit. It is tri-color 18c (not "K") nib w/ plastic threads for the filler knob. (I think) a single section barrel. Feed is the plastic w/ horizontal combs.

 

Didn't I read somewhere on these boards (or in an attached article) that several MB 149's "back in the day" were stocked in stores w/o nibs? Therefore the retail outlet could then add the nib as requested which made it more convenient to stock and store the pens? It would make sense then that nibs drifted onto later model bodies and vice versa........

 

Michael

 

Before exclusive MB boutique system was established worldwide, any 149 parts are stocked in each local dealerships. Repair tools for 149 were also distributed by Hamburg Headquarter. They were copied. Many here probably have one of them. No wonder some of genuine parts knowingly were sold/gifted and made use of outside of regular supply chains.

[Tombstone]

And another anomaly:

 

- two section barrel

- brass filler thread

- "W.Germany" on the ring

- serial number

- 18 K bi-color

 

All that would fit to the early '90s - I will not argue about the "W.Germany".

 

But in this case we have a late plastic feed indexed "2"...

 

Sometimes I think that beginning with the '90s the guys started to work a little bit sloppy...

[hari317]

  On 8/31/2012 at 6:33 PM, Tombstone said:

And another anomaly:

 

- two section barrel

- brass filler thread

- "W.Germany" on the ring

- serial number

- 18 K bi-color

 

All that would fit to the early '90s - I will not argue about the "W.Germany".

 

But in this case we have a late plastic feed indexed "2"...

 

Sometimes I think that beginning with the '90s the guys started to work a little bit sloppy...

 

 

Your pen can be easily explained as a pen sent in to Mb for a full overhaul, where in the usual fashion, they replaced everything but the nib and the clip.

[Erik1303]

Hi all,

 

Just purchased my first MB, a pre-owned Meisterstuck 149, really in mint condition!!!

 

Specs:

- Single unit barrel construction

- Black plastic piston mech en filler threads

- "Germany" on the ring

- no serial number

- bi color 14c nib, BB

- Solid ebonite feed

 

Hope some1 can help out defining the age of my Meisterstuck!!!

 

Erik

[jar]

  On 9/1/2012 at 8:27 PM, Erik1303 said:

Hi all,

 

Just purchased my first MB, a pre-owned Meisterstuck 149, really in mint condition!!!

 

Specs:

- Single unit barrel construction

- Black plastic piston mech en filler threads

- "Germany" on the ring

- no serial number

- bi color 14c nib, BB

- Solid ebonite feed

 

Hope some1 can help out defining the age of my Meisterstuck!!!

 

Erik

 

Probably early to mid seventies.

 

And welcome home. Pull up a stump and set a spell.

Edited September 1, 2012 by jar