Montblanc 149 From A Montblanc Cynic

[Betweenthelines]

Please note: This is not a typical scored review. This pen has been reviewed and discussed ad nauseam but I figured I would offer perhaps a different perspective. Warning: opinions follow.

 

As the title suggest, I can not deny that I have historically been among the bigger skeptics of the Montblanc brand, and all that comes with it. The exorbitantly inflated prices, boring black cigar stylings with gold accents (personally not a fan of gold), coupled with the cloud of pretentiousness wafting from the marketing and the overall "status symbol" element of the brand, made it quite easy to dismiss Montblanc and guffaw with the rest as I enjoyed the plethora of more affordable pen options.

So given all this, how did I end up with a 149?

 

Well, for starters, the fountain pen spiral, as it tends to do, went deeper and deeper, and with it raised the price ceiling of what I was willing to spend - what formerly seemed absolutely outrageous when first entering the pen world (spending $50… $100… $200 on a pen) suddenly wasn't so obscene. It's funny how this process works, ain't it?

 

Then, one day, I started craving a BIG nib. I just couldn't get it out of my mind. And this craving led inevitably to the original king of big nibs, the 149.

 

I found myself compulsively watching reviews (Pen Habit, Steven Brown, Nibsmith), and admittedly, as hilarious as this is given what I wrote above, this video, and the 149 was now burned into my mind.

 

Still, given the price of these pens, I didn't really expect to buy one. But then the eBay perusing began. And before I knew it, I had placed a bid on a sketchy ad for a mint 80's 149 from Europe that had a three word description and a seller with 0 feedback. And (perhaps not so surprisingly), I won! At a steal.

 

After a nail biting week or two, the pen arrived, poorly packaged (mailed in an unpadded envelope!), had a small chip out of the cap, and the tines were severely misaligned. Yikes.

 

I took the baby home, cleaned her up, realigned the tines, and found that she was indeed in spectacular condition (save for the chip, which may have happened en route given the terrible packaging). The upside is that the chap in Europe was in fact a stand up guy and issued me a partial refund to compensate for the small defect.

 

http://i.imgur.com/i6Du6mn.jpg

 

The chip

http://i.imgur.com/eDWg1aX.jpg

 

 

So now, this Montblanc hater had a Montblanc 149 in his hands. What were his thoughts?

 

 

1. Holy (bleep) that nib!!! Exactly what I was hoping for in a big nib, and wow is it ever impressive in person

 

http://i.imgur.com/0UCSlHm.jpg

 

2. Holy (bleep) the pen size and dimensions!!! I have big hands with long fingers, and as such finding pens that really fill my hand (even posted) is difficult, and many pens I sadly have to discount for their size. But this pen. Its size is magnificent. It is, indeed, kingly. It does indeed make me feel like more of a man when I use it.

 

http://i.imgur.com/aoVF64w.jpg

 

As you can see, while the 823 rivals its length, the 149 is satisfyingly girthy (oh my). No, but really, this pen is pretty unique in its large size, and I am truly grateful that it exists. It is awesome, especially for me. And I use it posted!

 

http://i.imgur.com/DaNxlUR.jpg

 

3. OK - I'll admit, even though I don't usually like gold trim, this pen is pretty.

 

http://i.imgur.com/NL7E2UW.jpg

 

And the snowflake is a really lovely touch.

 

http://i.imgur.com/ypBWU4f.jpg

 

I also really love the ink window.

 

http://i.imgur.com/5ymdl81.jpg

 

The "precious" resin shows a red transparency when held up to a light

 

http://i.imgur.com/3U9CWxD.jpg

 

4. Holy (bleep) that ink capacity!! Love how much ink this baby can suck up.

 

5. Aaaand the nib performance fell short. It arrived misaligned, but I perfected the alignment and it was still writing with some "dragging" feedback. My nib is a Fine, but writes a little closer to extra fine. Even so, it is broader than my Japanese nibs but was writing less smooth.

 

I kept picking the pen up and using it, loving the feel, that big nib, but the drag of feedback was…. a drag. So, I sent it off to Dan of Nibsmith to try his services out for the first time (I didn't want to wait on Masuyama or the like), and I think it's great to give up and coming 'meisters a shot.

 

Dan did a great job smoothing the nib, and now it is writing wonderfully smooth. The flow is absolutely perfect - on the wet side of medium, but not Pelikan wet, so it shows off shading wonderfully. The nib has some softness to it, as some of the older MB nibs do, and while when pushed can provide some line variation, it mostly just adds a wonderful feel to the writing. I wouldn't call it "springy", but just that it has some soft give that provides just the faintest cushion to the writing. The nib material seems to be thicker, like Pelikan nibs, as opposed to thinner like Pilot's, which may account for the cushion as opposed to spring.

 

So now, I can safely say, Holy (bleep) what a writer!!

 

http://i.imgur.com/skrqVLM.jpg

 

 

This Cynic's Conclusions:

 

- This pen really is all that, and deserves legendary status. It's a big, magnificent, classic behemoth, with all the right traits - a big beautiful softish and (after professional tuning) smooth gold nib with perfect flow, a wonderful piston mechanism (it has loosened up with use) with big ink capacity, and an overall high quality feel.

 

- It has swiftly become one of my very favorite writers, if not the very favorite. Not because it has a white snowflake on the cap. Not because of its retail price. Not even because it has a big beautiful nib. But because of how it feels in the hand, and writes on the paper.

 

- This pen is still overpriced at retail prices. Once all was said and done, I paid a little under $300 for this pen. I feel that this was a good deal and it was worth every penny. Now that I have held this pen in my hand, i would say its value is between $300-400, even if it were new.

 

- The size is what really sets it apart. I don't think I would ever buy a 146. At that "standard" pen size there are so many wonderful options. But to me, the 149 stands out as a shining star, because of its uniquely large size and the overall impressiveness of the pen.

 

- Don't knock it 'til you tried it. Yes, I am eating humble pie for all my criticisms of the brand in the past. I suggest for you fellow cynics, to try one of these pens before you knock it. And, as always, BUY USED!!

 

fin

Edited September 13, 2015 by Betweenthelines

[Betweenthelines]

Accidently hit "submit" while writing it. Whoops - sorry for those who took an early gander. It is now updated.

[mongrelnomad]

Great review of a legendary pen. I have quite a few (too many), and have taken to searching out 149s in dire condition. All the better to enact a bit of surgery and transplant the nibs (by far the pens' best asset in this post-celluloid, post-ebonite, post-telescoping-piston world) onto a Conid Kingsize Bulkfiller

Edited September 13, 2015 by mongrelnomad

[sannidh]

Thank you for this review.. I was much of an anti MB person till I tried both 146 & 149 and finally got myself a comfortable 146. I guess it's always better to try these out before buying.

Btw, both the red transparency and the nib look fabulous

Can you share your preference between a m1000 vs a mb149 nib.

[visvamitra]

Nice review. I don't like gold trim but I must admit Pilot Custom 823 is probably the only pen on which it looks stunning.

[Betweenthelines]

Great review of a legendary pen. I have quite a few (too many), and have taken to searching out 149s in dire condition. All the better to enact a bit of surgery and transplant the nibs (by far the pens' best asset in this post-celluloid, post-ebonite, post-telescoping-piston world) onto a Conid Kingsize Bulkfiller

 

That sounds like a fun hobby Yes those nibs are a delight, eh? How is your luck finding 149's in "dire" condition? I would think they would be fairly rare, given that people tend to take pretty good care of them, either from complete lack of use, or because they recognize their value.

 

Thank you for this review.. I was much of an anti MB person till I tried both 146 & 149 and finally got myself a comfortable 146. I guess it's always better to try these out before buying.

Btw, both the red transparency and the nib look fabulous

Can you share your preference between a m1000 vs a mb149 nib.

 

I actually have never tried an m1000 nib. I do hear that they are a different animal from the other Pelikan nibs, being springier. The closest I have to compare is an m805 nib. I find that the m805 nib, which is an EF, is smoother overall (less feedback, more buttery), but I actually prefer the very slight satisfying feedback of the 149 nib. I also find there is a tiny bit of softness to the m805 nib, but of course the 149 is a little softer because it's larger.

 

Overall, I have to admit I can't get on very well with Pelikan nibs. I love their pens, their styles, etc. But the nibs run consistently broad and wet, and I tend to prefer finer nibs. Which is why I was ecstatic to find that this 149 "fine" is more like an "extra fine". I really enjoy a more "precise" feel to my nibs. Pelikan nibs, while pretty, often feel.. big and sloppy.. and their nibs are "thick" in their material... hard to describe. I know a lot of folks adore broad, wet nibs so I'm probably in the minority here.

 

Nice review. I don't like gold trim but I must admit Pilot Custom 823 is probably the only pen on which it looks stunning.

 

I adore my 823. And I agree, the gold/amber look really grew on me.

[zaddick]

BTL - Thanks for the review. It seems one of these threads starts every year or two where someone is brave enough to admit liking an MB after being a tried and true detractor. I am glad you found a pen that works well for you.

 

Be careful because the slope is a slippery one. First it is just one pen. Then you start to wonder what the old 18C and 14C nibs feel like with their "semi-flex" nibs. So you find a deal and then maybe another. Then you start to like bolder nibs and start looking for another pen. Don't ask me how many 149s I bought in that first year.

 

I have also moved on the to the same phase as mongrelnomad - looking for good deals on springy vintage nibs to harvest for other pens like the Conid.

 

Welcome to the club. Don't wander too far form the door.

[lemonde]

I found myself compulsively watching reviews (Pen Habit, Steven Brown, Nibsmith), and admittedly, as hilarious as this is given what I wrote above, this video, and the 149 was now burned into my mind.

 

This video is amazing. It's deliciously over the top! Thanks for the link. Great review!

[Graphene]

I like this thread. And that chip makes it yours. Well done.

[Russ]

Very well done. I had the same discovery. First a modern 149, then a vintage. What next?!?

[benjitzu]

Awesome review and stunning pictures - thanks for sharing your perspectives!

 

I've been on a Montblanc skeptic ever since getting into fountain pens a few years ago. Similar to your experience, found an exceptional deal on ebay for a 1980's 146 medium and, for the price, was willing to test my skepticism. Pen arrived after a few weeks and I excitedly inked it after a quick flush. Meh - it wrote like a fine and was much drier than I expected. Felt let down. My M800s wrote SOOOO much better (for me).

 

A couple of months later, found another awesome deal on a 146 and thought I'd give it a second chance. This time it was a two-toned fine from the 1980's. Very similar outcome as the first 146 - wrote like a dry extra-fine. I'll take my M800s, Visconti HS, Custom 823, and several other pens over the 146 any day (at least the two from the 1980's that I have).

 

All this being said, I would still LOVE to try a 149 - and your review amplified this desire. There's still a spark of hope in me that I will find an amazing 149 that lights me up the way it has for so many others.

 

Happy that you've found an awesome pen that you love and that writes incredibly well!

[Pen_Noob]

I cannot use the MB149, the nib is too long for me. 146 is better size. Wonder if the Pilot 823 has a similar long nib.

[Michigan]

Hmm. As a decidedly 146 kind of guy, I may need to rethink my aversion to the 149's size. Thank you for an interesting review.

[Ghost Plane]

(Evil cackle) and you still haven't tried the nirvana that is the OBB. Bwuuu ha ha ha ha ha!

[Zdenek]

(Evil cackle) and you still haven't tried the nirvana that is the OBB. Bwuuu ha ha ha ha ha!

... or even the OBBB.

[Ghost Plane]

Happy sigh...

[Charles Rice]

It does not take much convincing to make you believe that the 149 is a great pen. Mine is almost always inked.

[max dog]

First came the 145, then it was a 146, then I couldn't resist the bordeaux 146, then came a sterling silver pinstripe 146, and when I thought I was done, that girthy looking 149 has been calling to me lately, and this thread may just push me over the edge.

Thanks for the nice review!

[Azura]

Ha ha, another nice review on the legendary 149. Congrats on your purchase (below $300 for a mint 149...wow, it is really a bargain) and I am sure that you will ENJOY it for many many years!!!

[alexander_k]

Great review. It's an excellent pen although I'm not sure that the plastic is that durable. The main drawback is that the brand is related to status rather than performance. It happens with more good products ...

Edited September 25, 2015 by alexander_k