Meisterstuck 144 Classique Corrosion Question

[sargetalon]

Hello everyone. A little while ago, the forum was great in helping me to identify my first Montblanc purchase as a Meisterstuck 144 Classique. I haven't even inked it yet as it is currently in Texas with Montblanc for repairs. Good news is that it's genuine. It was sent in because of the corrosion which I have since found to be common around the gold ring on the section. In addition to the section, they are going to replace the feed and align the nib according to the phone call from the boutique today. Thrilled that they are only quoting me $50!

 

My question is, once I have what essentially will be a like-new pen back, what steps can I take to keep that corrosion from recurring? Is it simply the chemical composition of the ink? The inks I use are predominantly Aurora and Waterman's with the occasional smattering of Noodler's and Private Reserve. Anything you can suggest to retard the corrosion process for as long as possible would be greatly appreciated.

[meiers]

That is a good question. I will offer my two cents hoping that others will join in. I love my burgundy 144. It has exactly the same issue: corroded ring at the nib section.

 

I am not sure that this problem can be avoided. Perhaps not using

acidic inks like the Montblanc midnight blue is the answer.

[jar]

Not using anything but cartridges will help.

 

Once you dip the nib and section into ink you are well on the way to corrosion.

[orfew]

I have a 144 and I always wipe off the ring with a paper towel when using the converter. The ring on mine is not corroded. I agree with Jar however, if you want to avoid the corrosion use cartridges.

[meiers]

That makes sense! Thanks.

[CS388]

That makes sense! Thanks.

 

+1

Top tip.

 

144 is the only pen I ever bought brand new from a boutique.

Ring corroded quite rapidly. ( I used bottled ink)

Made me wonder what the ring was made of? Gold nib didn't corrode, but ring did?

 

Congratulations on your fix, sargetalon.

144 is a great pen. Mine worked hard and long and was always reliable.

Good chance to put Jar's (excellent) idea to the test and keep your ring shiny and clean!

Or fill your c/c straight from the bottle. etc

Win win.

 

Enjoy.

[Chrissy]

jar's idea sounds like a good plan to go by

[sargetalon]

Thank you for the replies. Sounds like I need to plan to fill the converter outside of the pen in order to try and avoid this as well as being vigilant to wipe the ring a needed if there is any nib creep. I really want to keep this as pristine as possible given my investment.

[jar]

Thank you for the replies. Sounds like I need to plan to fill the converter outside of the pen in order to try and avoid this as well as being vigilant to wipe the ring a needed if there is any nib creep. I really want to keep this as pristine as possible given my investment.

 

 

Well, hold on there buckaroo. (extra points to the first person that remembers where that came from)

 

Filling a converter directly from the bottle is a great way to cause some really big problems. It was never meant for ink to get on the inside surface or lip of a converter and so if you fill directly from the bottle you are building up an ink deposit that can:

 

• cause leaks
• weld the converter in place

If you want to preserve the looks of that little ring and still use converters, as soon as you fill the pen in the conventional way sweep the nib and section under running water and wipe down carefully.

[JLS1]

 

 

Well, hold on there buckaroo. (extra points to the first person that remembers where that came from)

 

Filling a converter directly from the bottle is a great way to cause some really big problems. It was never meant for ink to get on the inside surface or lip of a converter and so if you fill directly from the bottle you are building up an ink deposit that can:

 

• cause leaks
• weld the converter in place

If you want to preserve the looks of that little ring and still use converters, as soon as you fill the pen in the conventional way sweep the nib and section under running water and wipe down carefully.

 

FWIW, you can fill an empty cartridge (or a converter for that matter) from an ink bottle with a syringe & needle; you can buy these from any pharmacy fairly cheaply, assuming you don't know a doctor or nurse that would simply give you one for free.

 

HTH!

 

PS: According to Wikipedia 'Buckeroo' comes from " ... a cowboy of the Great Basin and California region of the United States, from an Anglicization of the Spanish word vaquero"? Or was your reference from "The Adventures of Buckeroo Banzai across the 8th Dimension"? (I'm guessing it was the former...)

[jar]

PS: According to Wikipedia 'Buckeroo' comes from " ... a cowboy of the Great Basin and California region of the United States, from an Anglicization of the Spanish word vaquero"? Or was your reference from "The Adventures of Buckeroo Banzai across the 8th Dimension"? (I'm guessing it was the former...)

 

 

While those are both great guesses neither was what I had in mind. In fact I had even forgotten about Buckaroo Banzai. Thanks for the memories... (yet another obscure allusion)

[moylek]

I have a 144 - got it new in the early 90s - and I had stop using it within five years because of the corrosion. And I used nothing *but* cartridges.

 

I had it repaired by Montblanc last year - new converter, new nib/feeder/bottom/ring, new cap - for the flat rate of $75 (Cdn).

Edited May 22, 2013 by moylek

[pajaro]

I have several 144s, red and black, and the ink staining or corrosion occurs on all. I think it is a nuisance, and occurs in spite of wiping the ink off with a wet paper towel. The trim ring is a clutch ring that makes a friction fit with the plastic inner cap. What is more likely to cause a problem than the ink staining is the wear and tear caused by the repetitive stresses of capping and uncapping. The inner plastic cap will make a looser fit over the years, and it will need to be replaced when it no longer holds. This takes about twenty years or so, but I have a pen bought in 1983 that still is good, with a strong hold on the inner cap. Probably this depends on how much capping and uncapping is done. The other thing that I have had happen is that the gold trim ring, the clutch ring, separated from the section. You might epoxy this back on, but there is enough stress on the clutch ring that super glue will not work--my experience. Sending the pen in for repair fixes this for a long time, and MB will replace the inner cap at the same time, restoring a strong cap hold.

 

If you are the type of person who, like me, pulls the cap off and puts it back on repeatedly during meetings etc., you might want to stop doing that. That pen was the one that the trim/clutch ring broke off of the section. Good luck. These are just the best pens!

 

Edited to fix a misspelling.

Edited May 22, 2013 by pajaro

[sargetalon]

Filling a converter directly from the bottle is a great way to cause some really big problems. It was never meant for ink to get on the inside surface or lip of a converter and so if you fill directly from the bottle you are building up an ink deposit that can:

 

• cause leaks
• weld the converter in place

If you want to preserve the looks of that little ring and still use converters, as soon as you fill the pen in the conventional way sweep the nib and section under running water and wipe down carefully.

Thanks for your replies Jar. I was planning to fill the converter with a syringe. I never directly fill a converter from a bottle as that is just a needless headache waiting to happen. Sounds like this corrosion problem may be unavoidable despite the best of care. While the aesthetics will bother me, the bottom line is that it's a pen to write with and the corrosion should have no effect on that....unless the ring separates from the section.

[egretsrus]

I have the same pen and never used anything but cartridges (got it new but it didn't come with a converter, about 1986). Got the same corrosion...so it isn't from dipping the nib in a bottle of ink.

[Rowbo]

My new-ish though second hand 144 is not yet showing corrosion. However, I can see under a loupe that the ring has been clear lacquered, and that it is wearing off!

 

I guess the gold is very thin and when the lacquer has worn off that the gold is porous enough for the base metal to start reacting with whatever might be on your fingers, in the air, in your ink or even in the plastic cap liner.

 

Maybe a new coat of lacquer is what is needed - before it has worn off.

 

P.s. "hold on there buckaroo" - you're probably thinking of an earlier time, but wasn't that Rooster Cogburn in True Grit?

Edited May 23, 2013 by Rowbo

[jar]

 

P.s. "hold on there buckaroo" - you're probably thinking of an earlier time, but wasn't that Rooster Cogburn in True Grit?

 

Yeah, a little earlier but about as scruffy.

[sargetalon]

Just got my pen back from the Montblanc boutique. Haven't had a chance to ink it up yet. I have to say that I am a little disappointed with the service. My section was replaced, feed exchanged, and nib aligned. The pen has no deep scratches or other imperfections but it does have its fair share of micro scratches prior to being sent out. I guess I was expecting Montblanc to perhaps polish the barrel before sending it back but that was not the case unfortunately.

[Blade Runner]

I think wiping and cartridges won't necessarily prevent corrosion with thin trim like that. Humidity can build up inside the cap (worse in warm weather in my experience), and my guess is that humidity will promote corrosion, especially after the trim develops microscratches with use.

[Blade Runner]

I would add that this isn't a unique problem with the 144. Models from other pen makers from that era suffered the same issue. That's why this kind of trim isn't so prevalent now.