Montblanc Meisterstück 146 1940's - 1970's (Including The Rare Transitional Model)

[GardenCity-NY]

Very nice post...

[hari317]

A Very nice and informative post Michael. BTW, has anyone found the 146s fitted with the solid, non split HR feed, without groove on the sloping face?

 

Best

Hari

[CS388]

What an excellent post. Thanks, Michael. Beautiful shots, too.

 

The 146 deserves this much attention.

 

I wouldn't want the MB forum to be overburdened with pinned topics, but I agree with previous posters that this is worthy of being pinned - as a guide to this popular model.

[Michael R.]

Many thanks for all of your nice comments! It was my pleasure to do this write-up on such a great pen model.

 

When you speak of the 1950s nibs as flexible, do you mean they perform like:

[...]

or is it a springiness?

 

I just on my way back from a great Nürnberg pen show but I will post some writing samples during the next days.

 

Compared to the very flexible nibs of the 1920's I'd say some vintage Montblanc nibs are inbetween a true, major flex and springiness.

 

Not all nibs are flexible but most are at least spingy.

 

[...] BTW, has anyone found the 146s fitted with the solid, non split HR feed, without groove on the sloping face?

 

You mean like the one listed in the "dating the 149"-chart between "round ebonite grooves face" and "split ebonite"? ...no; not so far.

 

I've seen 6 different feeds on the 146 series so far:

 

• flat ebonite (celluloid model)
  
• round ebonite grooves face and shank (celluloid & transitional model)
  
• split ebonite feed (1970's model with monotone ink window)
  
• early plastic (1970's-1980's model with monotone nib and grey window & later short version with striped window and two-tone nib)
  
• plastic (short version with striped window and two-tone nibs & long version with striped window and two-tone nib)
  
• modern plastic (current long version; c. > 2000/02)
  

 

Cheers

 

Michael

[georges zaslavsky]

very good and informative post beautiful collection

[Bo Bo Olson]

Wonderful. The 146 grew in the seventies and not the eighties as I thought.

 

I have a MB 234 1/2 Deluxe ('52-55; mine a '55 due to the change in feed) KOB. Standard size.

The nib is a wonderful semi-flex. Due to the nib, back weighting balance and girth, my number 1 pen.

 

I have a number of German '50's-65, some late 30's and some '40's war pens, some with superb German semi-flex and somewhat flexible/'flexi', gold and steel nibs. Others are good but a tad less than the best, Soennecken, MB, Osmia, Pelikan and Geha nibs.

 

My modern Virginia Wolf nib wise can only get to #12 of my better nibs.

 

I definitely, would have an interest in the medium-large 146 of the '52-65 semi-flex and somewhat flexible/'flexi' nib time.

Even a '50-s-65 Vintage 149 would be of interest some day; now, over sized pens don't interest me. Nothing modern though.

 

I have a modern MB, I don't need another. It is a very nice pen, it is just too bad that MB does not offer the quality of nib it offered in the '50-65' era.

 

It is a pen brand that should offer the 'extra' for those who wish the best. I am sure many would pay for that 'extra' were it available.

Edited June 13, 2011 by Bo Bo Olson

[Barry Gabay]

Thank you very much for this excellent photo essay. It adds a great deal to our understanding of the 140 series of fountain pens

[draeroheli]

Fantastic post for MB146. Thank you so much. Wish you the very best. Htin

[Parcival]

Does Monblanc 146 with celluloid body and hard rubber cap? I saw a faded cap - dark gray. Sounds like hard rubber, but I'm not sure. If damaged celluloid with some preparation so is it possible to polish?

[raffaele from turin - italy]

beautiful and useful post.

i've one 146 and more i've traded.

IMHO the best pen....more than 149 :gaah:

[Michael R.]

Does Monblanc 146 with celluloid body and hard rubber cap? I saw a faded cap - dark gray. Sounds like hard rubber, but I'm not sure. If damaged celluloid with some preparation so is it possible to polish?

 

Not that I know of. Also I cannot imagine that MB still used hardrubber for their Meisterstueck pens in the late 1940's or 1950's.

 

Maybe this was replacement part?

 

Michael

[Parcival]

The cap looks like the rest of the '50s. But it is dark gray in color and not shiny. It may be treated with a detergent.

[Splotch]

I have a transitional 146 "export model", with "Masterpiece" instead of "Meisterstück" written on the cap ring. OBB - OBBB nib (in my limited understanding) too.

 

I was wondering if anyone reading this thread could give some more info on such a pen, as info around the net is very, very scarce. On that note, thanks to Michael R. and Tom Westerlich for the two most enlightening threads on the transitional 146.

 

Once I get a free couple hours, I'll try to do a photoshoot of my pen and post it for you to see.

[badcaps270]

Kudos to Michael for putting together such an impressive, comprehensive post for the benefit of the whole collecting community.

For the information of those of us who don't speak german, the caption under the 146 "Für die Hand des Herrn in verantwortlicher Stellung" means more or less "for the man in charge". Fitting, isn't it ?

Edited August 30, 2011 by badcaps270

[ko6]

The latest issue of a Japanese magazine on fountain pens, "Shumi no bungubako" (Vol. 20) has a special article on the genealogy of MB 146. This article contains a lot of pictures to illuminate differences of MB 146s from 1940s to the present.

[Frosty One]

Thank you. I found it very informative and interesting!

[edbsbc]

Hi,

 

As a new member and also a relatively new owner of a pre-owned 146, your post is very much appreciated.

Cheers!

[bbgorman562]

What a great article on the 146....Thank You

[philipr]

Enjoyed it immensely, Michael. And special thanks because just yesterday I acquired my first 146 (My 16th Montblanc, mostly from the 70's-80's), a pen I never was interested in before, being a 149 fanatic since the 60's and always having considered the 146 a weak little sister of the Great 149. I have now seen the light. Mine is in all details exactly like your 70's model, and that allowed me to place it in its chronological place among my other Montblancs. Thanks again.

[gemgemhk]

hi, thanks a lot Mr. Michael R for your wonderful posting on this MB 146, yea....I agree with you exactly This 146 should be of colleccible concern and I have realized this about a decade ago, I did'nt buy a 149 but I bought a 146 instead. last month I gave it to my son-in-law.