Mb 146 Or Boheme?

[fountainpenloversg]

Greetings to all,

 

I've been trawling the bay for a bunch of good deals on MBs, and I've been thinking hard about getting my first MB fountain. However, I'm really torn between the Boheme line and the 146, which are honestly different in every aspect. I've gone down to try the 146 and was handed the Boheme once at an MB boutique which I tried out and quite liked. To give you a general sensing of the size of my hand, the MB149 was a little too clumsy for use. My dailies are a Parker Sonnet and a Lamy Logo. In addition, my father passed down his 144 rollerball to me, which I felt was a little small. The MB Generation from my mother seems to fit well, but would I like if it's a little larger. So far, my preference for nibs from both Lamy and Parker seem to be medium.

 

Would greatly appreciate any feedback or input from anyone

 

Cheers!

[zaddick]

The 146 is a classic. It is probably the right size as it is bigger than the 144, but thinner than the 149 (though similar length). They are ready to findicate used and can be a good value and pretty easily resold.

 

The boheme came in 3 sizes. I assume you saw the smallest one. The discontinued mid-size without a retractable nib would be a good fit but will be harder to find. The XL boheme will be hardest to find and most likely too big.

 

The 146 is less likely to have service issues as there are fewer parts to break. It also holds more ink. If you would prefer cartridges, look for the 147 which is the same size as the 146.

[Chrissy]

Trying to choose between a Boheme and a 146 is like comparing apples with oranges. They aren't even remotely similar in any way.

 

The Boheme retractable is a cartridge only pen, and is quite short with a small nib. You can't even have a spare cartridge inside anywhere. However, it has the advantage that you can screw the cap onto the end of the barrel while you are writing.

 

The Meisterstuck 146 is a piston filling FP that is longer than the Boheme and has a bigger nib. You can only fill it from an ink bottle. It's cap can post, but some people don't post caps, and use this pen happily without posting.

 

The Meisterstuck 147 is the same size as the 146 and uses cartridges only, by having a sleigh apparatus in the end of the barrel that holds two cartridges.

 

I suggest it would be best for you to try them all before making your decision.

 

Your main decision should be based on whether you want to use bottled ink or cartridges only, unless you want to go down in pen size to the Meisterstuck 145 that uses cartridges or a converter. That's more like Parker Sonnet size.

[bbs]

There are still mid-size Bohemes that use a converter to be found on eBay, although watch out for fakes. It's a lovely pen.

 

You have a lot more choice of design and colour with the small Boheme! It can be fiddly to work with if you're doing a lot of intermittent note-taking (taking the cap off, extending the nib, screwing the cap on the barrel-end if you need to post it) and flushing needs a bit more care, but isn't excessively fiddly if you get one of MB's cartridge flushers. It's an interesting pen.

 

The 146 is lovely too - a nice, balanced writer - and if you found the Generation too small might be a better fit for you.

 

What would you mainly be using the pen for, and how important are looks to you?

Edited January 10, 2016 by bbs

[Joane]

I have never used a Bohême and can't comment on it but I also use a Parker Sonnet, and while I have both the 144 and 146 and enjoy usng both, the best fit in my hand is the 145, sized between the two. The 145 may be another one to consider..

[ASL]

Well, both pens has nothing to do with each other Filling system, shape, style, grip, Nib, etc ..all are different ! You can't compare them ..The Generation is a bit slim while the 149 is very classy, elegant but slightly over sized for certain hands.. depending on the purpose of usage and your hand fit (grip) you should decide. My vote would go for the 146 if you are seeking classy & durable daily usage FP, besides & on a very personal opinion, I have always found the Boheme a bit feminine cause of its clip gem & shape ) I could be mistaken ! No Offense:))

Good luck

Amr

[jar]

I have both and the Boheme really is fun and cute but not really practical. To be honest I find I use my 147 (146 size but cartridge filled) more than either of them. You may also want to try a 145 which is bigger than the 144 but smaller than the 146 and can use cartridges or converters.

[PAKMAN]

To me the 146 is the best size to fit my hand, the Boheme is too small. But that varies with each person, hopefully you can hold and write with both to help you decide!

[Pen Nut]

Well........go the way of most on here and get BOTH !! That way all avenues of doubt are covered....

[fountainpenloversg]

Hahaha I wish I could get both - too bad it'll bust the poor student's budget for the year! I'm thinking of getting a MB seeing how smoothly the write and how classy they are (a great statement when I go for conferences!) - but it would mostly be used to take notes during lectures and pen some homework... Thank you all for your input!

[jar]

Hahaha I wish I could get both - too bad it'll bust the poor student's budget for the year! I'm thinking of getting a MB seeing how smoothly the write and how classy they are (a great statement when I go for conferences!) - but it would mostly be used to take notes during lectures and pen some homework... Thank you all for your input!

For the uses you mention I would definitely skip the Boheme unless I could find a good midsize non-retractable version. For note taking during lectures it would be a royal pain. Also just using any fountain pen will make a statement. MBs are certainly recognizable but also not always the best choice. For a smooth nib and a slip on cap that makes note taking easier than any threaded cap it's hard to beat something like an ST Dupont standard size Olympio/Orpheo or a Sheaffer Legacy family or Pilot/Namiki Vanishing Point or a Waterman Gentleman or Leman or a Ferrari da Varese Yesterday or a Yard-o-Led pocket or Corinthian or Standard or ...

 

There are lots and lots of great choices out there and for many things the best choice may not be the most obvious.

[I like mango cheesecake]

I have both and the smaller Boheme can post really well. In fact the Boheme lineup all have screw top "blind caps" for securing your cap. I really like that. It certainly is a different design than your typical cigar shaped 146.

[fountainpenloversg]

thanks for the insightful reply jar thing is, my logo and my sonnet serve me faithfully, and I can occasionally swap them out for a classy ambition, so a MB seems appropriate, moving forward but yes, thank you for your input! do their wet nibs cause bleed through on cheap foolscap, though?

[jar]

do their wet nibs cause bleed through on cheap foolscap, though?

Of course.

[JLS1]

For the uses you mention I would definitely skip the Boheme unless I could find a good midsize non-retractable version. For note taking during lectures it would be a royal pain.

<SNIP>

There are lots and lots of great choices out there and for many things the best choice may not be the most obvious.

 

I agree with the last sentence but not necessarily the first - Jar, why do you think a Boheme wouldn't be good for this? Just due to the fact that it uses the smaller cartridges?

 

Trying to choose between a Boheme and a 146 is like comparing apples with oranges. They aren't even remotely similar in any way.

 

The Boheme retractable is a cartridge only pen, and is quite short with a small nib. You can't even have a spare cartridge inside anywhere. However, it has the advantage that you can screw the cap onto the end of the barrel while you are writing.

 

The Meisterstuck 146 is a piston filling FP that is longer than the Boheme and has a bigger nib. You can only fill it from an ink bottle. It's cap can post, but some people don't post caps, and use this pen happily without posting.

 

The Meisterstuck 147 is the same size as the 146 and uses cartridges only, by having a sleigh apparatus in the end of the barrel that holds two cartridges.

 

I suggest it would be best for you to try them all before making your decision.

 

Your main decision should be based on whether you want to use bottled ink or cartridges only, unless you want to go down in pen size to the Meisterstuck 145 that uses cartridges or a converter. That's more like Parker Sonnet size.

 

+1 for the above - I think Chrissy sums up the differences between these two pens well. The only thing I might add is that if you are considering buying a used Boheme vs. 146, you'll probably find a lot more used 146s than Bohemes. (This also means that if you decide to buy a 146 and sell it to get a Boheme, you might take less of a financial hit than if you did the opposite...)

[jar]

 

I agree with the last sentence but not necessarily the first - Jar, why do you think a Boheme wouldn't be good for this? Just due to the fact that it uses the smaller cartridges?

 

 

To use my Boheme I have to get it out, unscrew the cap, put the cap on the body, screw the cap on to extend the nib. That's fine for continuous writing sessions but for note taking where you are paying attention to what is actually being said and not just writing furiously putting cap on, off, extending, retracting are simply far less easy than just using a slide on cap.

[Pravda]

I had the Boheme Marron (which I personally found to be the most beautiful among the line with the Rose go,d trim and black onyx stone) and I think it was great as an 'entry' to the world of Montblanc in the beginning. But when I got I rodiced to the Meisterstuck line, I forgot all about it and ended up selling it. Size, cartridge fill and even aesthetics no longer did it for me. My 2¢

[Sebvelez]

I like the 146 a lot, classic MB, serves as a base to a lot of other limited edition MBs; a testament of how well sized it is. It would be a great traditional fountain pen for you, one comfortable to write with for hours, with an impressive presence and a great ergonomic feel in the hand. On the other hand the Boheme gets so many comments from people curious about the retractable nib, it's quite an event taking it out, and given its a less traditional model and on the smaller side it has a friendlier presence. As much as I love the 146 (I have 2) I carry a small boheme with me at all times on my shirt pocket and use it constantly. I've taken hours worth of notes at a seminar with no issues due to another piston pen running out of ink. In all honesty the boheme is one of my cheaper nicer pens (bought it used for a steal) but gets the most use... Not by choice... It's just always around, versatile and tough. I'd take the 146 but don't underestimate the boheme! It proves me wrong time and time again!

[fountainpenloversg]

will go down to my MB boutique to try once more! thanks to all who replied if any of you have recommendations for great MB sellers with decently low prices, please do tell me! Thanks to all once again!

[meiers]

 

I'd go for the 146. How about the 90th anniversary nib? Very nice.

Edited January 12, 2016 by meiers