Vintage Montblanc Pens

[mikalehtinen]

Hello all!

 

My name is Mika Lehtinen, I live in Finland

I´m totally new to FPN but I enjoy the information and the topics a lot!

I just figured out that I have become a collector, my interrest in fountain pens is growing and I don´t use other pens after I inked up my first pen.

Last weekend I bought seven vintage pens, three Montblancs and I want all the information you can tell me about them...

 

Here are the three Montblancs:

 

1.Montblanc 206 nib no. 6 (this one doesn´t seem to work, I think it´s a button(+) filler it has apusher in the end)

2.Mont blanc Monte Rosa 042 ( and I think it says C or G after 042)

3.Mont blanc 256 (14 carat nib)

I´ll be glad if you have any information! thanks in advance!

Cheers, Mika

[piscov]

Hi Mika Welcome to FPN

 

You have bought some nice pens.

 

I will make some comments about the pens and I am sure other members will add on latter more interesting information for you.

 

1) 206 - From what I know its a pen made in Denmark during WWII when MB transfer its production there. The most commum problem is that the sac that holds the ink should be completely dried and needing to be replaced. That is an easy fix but should be done but someone that knows what is doing. If the colour is orange is more valuable and rare. I like those nibs they are very precise and some have a great flex allowing a nice handwriting. ( if you need someone to take care of the pen there are some members that can do it for you)

 

2) Monterosa - Was a entry level pen in MB at the end of the 40 trough the 60ies ( the design changed during that period). They where cheap pens but they are surprisingly well made and very good writers. usually they have a steel nib, but can also have gold nibs. Your should be in Gold because it has the G letter at the rear knob.

 

3)256 - This is a big pen with a big design problem and a very interesting wing nib. Started production probably at the end of the 50íes and the cap has very thin walls;is very rare to find this days a pen hat does not have the cap broken (from posting the cap in the pen or just because someone put a bit more pressure holding the cap in the hand). I like the look of the pen and particularly of the look of the nib.

 

Let me tell you that you started your collection in an outstanding way, the 2 size 6 pens are great ones to start, congratulations!!

 

Hope it helps

 

Vasco

[meiers]

Great choices!

[nujak]

Can you post some pictures. I know we would all like to see your new purchases.

[mikalehtinen]

Hi Mika Welcome to FPN

 

You have bought some nice pens.

 

I will make some comments about the pens and I am sure other members will add on latter more interesting information for you.

 

1) 206 - From what I know its a pen made in Denmark during WWII when MB transfer its production there. The most commum problem is that the sac that holds the ink should be completely dried and needing to be replaced. That is an easy fix but should be done but someone that knows what is doing. If the colour is orange is more valuable and rare. I like those nibs they are very precise and some have a great flex allowing a nice handwriting. ( if you need someone to take care of the pen there are some members that can do it for you)

 

2) Monterosa - Was a entry level pen in MB at the end of the 40 trough the 60ies ( the design changed during that period). They where cheap pens but they are surprisingly well made and very good writers. usually they have a steel nib, but can also have gold nibs. Your should be in Gold because it has the G letter at the rear knob.

 

3)256 - This is a big pen with a big design problem and a very interesting wing nib. Started production probably at the end of the 50íes and the cap has very thin walls;is very rare to find this days a pen hat does not have the cap broken (from posting the cap in the pen or just because someone put a bit more pressure holding the cap in the hand). I like the look of the pen and particularly of the look of the nib.

 

Let me tell you that you started your collection in an outstanding way, the 2 size 6 pens are great ones to start, congratulations!!

 

Hope it helps

 

Vasco

Thank you so much for the information Vasco!

I will post some pictures of the pens I bought.

I think I bought some good pens.. =)

Cheers, Mika

[mikalehtinen]

Great choices!

Thanks!

I was lucky, the dealer did have some pens and I picked up the once that seemed to be in good condition. The price was unbelievable 10€ for all seven!!

Good deal?!

[mikalehtinen]

Can you post some pictures. I know we would all like to see your new purchases.

Hi there!

Yes I will put up pics of my deal.

Cheers, Mika

[georges zaslavsky]

great choices and congrats on your purchase

[jra81]

Hi Mika!

 

May I ask where did you make that fantastic deal? A flea market or an antique aucton? Nice to see another Finn here

 

I guess we don´t have those people here in Finland who might restore that one with a dried ink sac.

[mikalehtinen]

Hi Mika!

 

May I ask where did you make that fantastic deal? A flea market or an antique aucton? Nice to see another Finn here

 

I guess we don´t have those people here in Finland who might restore that one with a dried ink sac.

It was a shop, looked like a flea market but it was run by one person. His interrest was collecting memorablia from the 60´s and the 70s´, never used in unbroken packages. Pens are not in his interrest, they were just something he came over in an other deal..

Great to see another Finn!

I think we´re lucky, still lots of nice pens to be found in Finland!.

[mikalehtinen]

Here are all seven pens:

Montblanc 256

montblanc 206

Montblanc, Monter Rosa

Taylorix 6-GP DF

Osmia 196

Watrmans 502

unknown..

I think I had a lot of beginners luck to find these for a cheap price..

[piscov]

Hi Mika!

 

Really great pens!

 

Some more about two of your other pens

Taylorix was made by Pelikan for a stationary company , and that one is copy of the Pelikan 100N moddel done to make carbon copies ( Before Xerox ruin the business ) They are much harder to find than Pelikan!!

More info here:

 

http://www.penexchan...ntermarken.html

 

Osmia pens are generally very well built pens with good nibs here you can find some more information about the brand:

http://www.fountainp...aber-Castell/en

 

All look to be in good shape.

 

 

Mika, in the pen world you are starting to look like your homonym Hakkinen, fast and winning a lot!!!

[mikalehtinen]

Hi Mika!

 

Really great pens!

 

Some more about two of your other pens

Taylorix was made by Pelikan for a stationary company , and that one is copy of the Pelikan 100N moddel done to make carbon copies ( Before Xerox ruin the business ) They are much harder to find than Pelikan!!

More info here:

 

http://www.penexchan...ntermarken.html

 

Osmia pens are generally very well built pens with good nibs here you can find some more information about the brand:

http://www.fountainp...aber-Castell/en

 

All look to be in good shape.

 

 

Mika, in the pen world you are starting to look like your homonym Hakkinen, fast and winning a lot!!!

Oh, Thanks a ton for the information!

Taylorix seems to be a good find! I´m soo happy!

I think this find was a once-in-a-lifetime, The Hakkinen speed might slow down, but the interest for pens is growing!

Thanks Piscov! :clap1:

Edited May 5, 2012 by mikalehtinen

[Bo Bo Olson]

I wish I'd looked in the link http://www.fountainp...aber-Castell/en before translating my German version of Lambrou's book plus what I'd read other where.

 

 

Osmia 196...

 

Founded in 1919, Osmia had been bought up by Parker @ 1929 to make Parker pens in German in that Osmia was having financial trouble; run by Lamy as Parker's German general manager.

Parker cost too much and there were too many Parker Duofold clones already on the German market. (I like that info from the link the nail nib was too stiff for the Germans who made at least semi-flex to '66 and MB to '76.)

The original owners the Boehler brothers bought Osmia back from Parker about a year or a year and a half after Parker bought it.

In the 1930, with influence from Parker's time; the Vacumatic diaphragm system was used.

 

The Progress model was developed as a Vacumatic. 92,93,94, & 96.

Black, red, green, gray and and a pretty pen in stripped blue, silver or gold with black.

The cheaper Super Progress, was models 192,193,194, and 196.

 

The bigger the number the bigger the pen.

 

Osmia would always have financial problems, in it made only pens, and had no office supply business to help it out like Soennecken, MB and Pelikan.

 

Osmia has very good nibs be it steel or gold. I have some 6 Osmia, a couple are gold nibs the rest steel. They are in my top 12 of my @ 50 pens.

The Supra nib is a maxi-semi-flex/flexi. I have three, one steel one is a tad less flexible than the gold one, and another steel one is a bit more flexible.

The # 3 marked nibs are semi-flex. I have three, again one in gold.

 

With Osmia nibs both gold and steel are equal. Very good semi-flex or 'flexi' nibs.

 

After 1932 when Osmia sold it's nib making factory to Degussa, all Osmia nibs were made by Degussa so Degussa is a good nib. (Osmia's good nibs had to be one of the reasons Parker bought up the company.(Well Parker used the nib factory to make nails. )

 

Many other pen companies used Degussa nibs too (like Bock of today), but the companies of course decided what characteristics they would pay for like Bock which started in 1939.

I have Degussa nibs on other manufacturers pens in regular flex, semi-flex and easy full flexible.

 

Rupp is another very good Heidelberg nib maker.

Heidelberg was once the pen capitol of the world.

 

Your Osmia is a very good pen, with a very good nib; be it gold or steel.

 

1936 Faber Castell (Supported by a wooden pencil empire) started buying up stock in Osmia. By 1938 Faber Castell stuck it's nose in so deep, that one of the brothers went off to start his own pen company Boehler.

By 1951 Faber Castell bought up controlling interest in Osmia.

It need a first class pen, it's were second tier.

With in two or so years, Faber Castell slowly started erasing Osmia from the pen. First the trade mark diamond in some of the cap crowns, then the name on the Pen. Then the nib name with Osmia on it, until in the end just the diamond trade mark on the nib.

 

My # 1 nib and pen is a standard sized MB 234 1/2 Deluxe KOB ('52-55 only, mine a '55.Made for them who still liked the mdl 139 style, but a tad more refined. )

 

The only thing that keeps it in First place is it's feel and the nice back weighting. (I'm sure some of those Osmia nibs are as good.)

As soon as I get my other three Osmia's re-corked, the top three of my pens,

MB 234 1/2 Deluxe KOB semi-flex, Pelikan 400NN OF maxi-semi-flex/'flexi', and Geha 725 semi-flex F will have a war on their hands....and it could well be an Osmia steel nib will win.

Osmia made very good nibs.

 

As a 'noobie' you will find vintage German pens have sort of flat underside nib tips, with out a big bulge of tipping under the nib as now is normal.

 

When I was 'noobie' I thought some fool had taken a stone to them or something.

I was wrong, that is the way the older German nibs were.

 

Do look to see if any of your pens are Oblique. Osmia uses BBL, BL, ML, FL meaning left oblique.

BBR, BR, MR, FR for right oblique.

Other companies only use OBB,OB,OM, OF or OEF, instead of telling you which foot oblique it is.

 

As Noobie, I had a pen and nib I thought was ruined, it was SO Scratchy...luckily I did not go to the stone, it was a semi-flex OM, a 30 degree grind.

The come in @ 15 and 30 degree grinds in Oblique.

 

I really love the '30's-40-50-66 German obliques I have 12, they have flex in the nib and give you great line variation.

 

Go back and buy up all that guys other pens. At that price you can not go wrong.

Edited May 8, 2012 by Bo Bo Olson

[Chi Town]

Wow, nice shopping job! Those were some VERY GOOD pens to pick up and that price......oh my goodness.

[mikalehtinen]

Thank you so much for all the information Bo Bo!!!

I struck gold at first try it seems! The Osmia is a gold nib 14k and it really is in perfect condition, hardly ever used ( in my oppinion). I will go and buy the rest of his pens, I don´t think they work but I will try to fix them for sure!

Thanks tons!!

[mikalehtinen]

Wow, nice shopping job! Those were some VERY GOOD pens to pick up and that price......oh my goodness.

Beginners luck!!

Thanks,

[simp]

Osmia pens are generally very well built pens with good nibs here you can find some more information about the brand:

http://www.fountainp...aber-Castell/en

I noticed the link, but that was moved, the Osmia and Faber Castell pages were splitted, so you can find them instead in the following links:

 

http://www.fountainpen.it/Faber-Castell/en

 

http://www.fountainpen.it/Osmia/en

 

Regards

Simone

[tmcneil82]

Wow! Incredible find for that price!