Gold Plating Flaking Off 90Th Anniversary Pen?

[Bunny_Police]

Hello Everyone,

 

I bought a 145 size, 90th anniversary Mont Blanc fountain pen last year, and have had nothing but problems with the plating on the end of the barrel.

 

After having first noticed the rose gold plating flaking off, I sent it in to by local boutique and they had the barrel replaced. I discontinued posting cap on the end of the pen afterwards, however the same problem reoccurred a few months later. Once again, I sent it in and got a free replacement, however I am now on my third barrel and it is happening AGAIN!!

 

The loss of plating only occurs on the end ring on the barrel, and starts off with small streaks running through the plating. After more use (un-posted), I tend to notice small bits of rose-gold on my hand after writing.

 

I feel like sending the pen in for another replacement will only lead to the same problem occurring again...

 

Has anybody else experienced any similar issues with these 90th anniversary Mont Blanc fountain pens?

 

Any advice would also be greatly appreciated

 

Thanks in advance,

[meiers]

Could you show us a few photos?

[Pravda]

I had mine for almost 2 months now, nothing to report :/ sorry

[HermetiC]

Unfortunately, rose gold plating is very prone to flake off, please read this thread

 

¿Qué ocurre cuando usas una Montblanc 149 edición limitada 75 Aniversario? (use Google translator if you do not speak spanish)

[Bunny_Police]

Here's a picture of it starting to look 'cracked' near the bottom. I only noticed this again very recently, so it doesn't look too bad at the moment.

 

If I brush my finger over it though I do get small bits of rose-gold on myself.

 

[jar]

Wabi sabi

[meiers]

Wabi-sabi (侘寂?) represents Japanese aesthetics and a Japanese world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection.

 

I copied this from Wikipedia. Thanks, jar. I like this term and the idea it represents.

[ziptrickhead]

Wabi sabi is one thing, but a poor plating process is another.I'm sure wabi sabi was not what Montblanc had it mind when they released the rose gold plated pens. I don't own a 90th anni Montblanc myself, but my friend bought a 149 when they were first released. We went to the DC pen show so he could have the nib ground and when we sat down with Mike Masuyama he heavily recommend against doing anything to the nib. Apparently he had worked on the rose gold plating before and it didn't end well and the plating would start flaking off. Nothing happened to my friend's 149 though because since he couldn't get the nib to write the way he wanted, he ended up just selling the pen at a loss.

 

I imagine that with a nib grind it would probably lead to an uplifted edge to the plating that would encourage it to start flaking off. Not really sure what you can easily do other than have Montblanc replace the parts under warranty. It's a shame because I thought the rose gold looked great on the pens (although the big 90 on the nib turned me off from getting one myself). If you're handy enough you could probably have a protective layer applied to the gold trim portions. Something like cyanoacrylic glue thinly and evenly applied over the trim and then buffed up to blend better with the rest of the body of the pen. Or have a pen maker do it.

[Mastiff]

Disappointing, to the point of being disgusting, at this price point.

[meiers]

I would ask MB to fix it.

[Mastiff]

  On 4/8/2016 at 11:55 AM, meiers said:

I would ask MB to fix it.

For the 4th time?

[Bunny_Police]

Only the third time...

 

4th barrel though.

 

I like ziptrickhead's suggestion of covering the new one with a clear film or glue - I'll probably go ahead and try that

[penparadise]

I will occur again and again and again. As I wrote in other threads the rosè gold is plated over the yellow gold - on the solid gold nibs and also over plated yellow gold as on the trims. It happens with the 75th Meisterstück anniversary edition as well as with the 90th anniversary edition.

Sometimes one can be happy and the plating stays fixed, sometimes it's spalling. This may be influenced by your individual hand perspiration or if yo polish your nib - which I did.

[CS388]

  On 4/8/2016 at 12:05 PM, Bunny_Police said:

Only the third time...

 

4th barrel though.

 

I like ziptrickhead's suggestion of covering the new one with a clear film or glue - I'll probably go ahead and try that

 

I'd be very careful with that. Good suggestion, though.

 

I like Jar's suggestion of Wabi Sabi; If we want rose-gold plate, it seems we must live with the consequences. The pictures in Hermetic's link were pretty conclusive. Look at it as a form patina, or ageing, for this specific plating?

But I also agree with ziptrickhead, if it's a poor plating process, then it's as much Caveat Emptor as Wabi Sabi.

Of course, if it was solid rose-gold, then no problem. But a hike in price, I'd imagine?

 

4 barrels in a year is heavy consumption. It's a high maintenance trim!

As Axel says (above) it will happen again and and again.

 

Good luck

[Matlock]

I nearly went for a 90 year 146. So glad that I opted for a very nice monotone nib second hand 146 instead, what a great pen.

[jar]

  On 4/8/2016 at 12:22 PM, CS388 said:

 

I'd be very careful with that. Good suggestion, though.

 

I like Jar's suggestion of Wabi Sabi; If we want rose-gold plate, it seems we must live with the consequences. The pictures in Hermetic's link were pretty conclusive. Look at it as a form patina, or ageing, for this specific plating?

But I also agree with ziptrickhead, if it's a poor plating process, then it's as much Caveat Emptor as Wabi Sabi.

Of course, if it was solid rose-gold, then no problem. But a hike in price, I'd imagine?

 

4 barrels in a year is heavy consumption. It's a high maintenance trim!

As Axel says (above) it will happen again and and again.

 

Good luck

It's kinda like folk that buy so called demonstrator pens and then complain because there are places ink gets that are near impossible to clean.

 

That's the whole purpose of a demonstrator; to show you reality.

[Matlock]

  On 4/8/2016 at 1:55 PM, jar said:

It's kinda like folk that buy so called demonstrator pens and then complain because there are places ink gets that are near impossible to clean.

 

That's the whole purpose of a demonstrator; to show you reality.

 

Perhaps that is a little different from poor plating?

[jar]

  On 4/8/2016 at 2:03 PM, Matlock said:

 

Perhaps that is a little different from poor plating?

But plating does tend to wear and flake off and certain plating styles seems to be more prone to such issues than others.

[Matlock]

  On 4/8/2016 at 2:50 PM, jar said:

But plating does tend to wear and flake off and certain plating styles seems to be more prone to such issues than others.

 

Very true. But it should not wear off so quickly with normal use. I accept that, in spite of what we members of FPN may think, the vast majority of 90 year pens will never be used and remain in their cases. However if I bought a pen to use and the plating wore off that quickly I would be asking questions. Also, in the UK, it is probable that such wear would fall foul of the Sale of Goods Act.

It is possible that these instances were from a faulty batch but it does seem strange that the OP is on his 3rd barrel. It will be interesting to see if other cases come to light.

[Bunny_Police]

  On 4/8/2016 at 3:19 PM, Matlock said:

Very true. But it should not wear off so quickly with normal use. I accept that, in spite of what we members of FPN may think, the vast majority of 90 year pens will never be used and remain in their cases. However if I bought a pen to use and the plating wore off that quickly I would be asking questions. Also, in the UK, it is probable that such wear would fall foul of the Sale of Goods Act.

It is possible that these instances were from a faulty batch but it does seem strange that the OP is on his 3rd barrel. It will be interesting to see if other cases come to light.

Just thought that I'd point out that I noticed this wear on my first use of this pen after sending it back for its last replacement. I inked it up 3 days ago, and noticed the problem again last night. It had been kept in its box up until now.

 

I understand the 'wabi sabi' side of it, but it's not something I like on a very new pen, and it is poor form from Mont Blanc.