Montblanc Red Gold 149 Obbb

[Tom Kellie]

Tom Kellie thank you for all your photos and notes pure eye candy an influencer for a lot of the members

 

[BlkWhiteFilmPix]

Hi BlkWhiteFilmPix your handwriting is very intriguing in a good way is that O3B nib stock ?

 

 

 

Tom Kellie thank you for all your photos and notes pure eye candy an influencer for a lot of the members

 

My handwriting is a bit more elegant when I sit down to write; I often, however write at a standup desk because the scanner is in the office with the standup desk.

[BlkWhiteFilmPix]

 

 

 

[danrodcard]

Thank you both for the notes and the clarification

[Tom Kellie]

Red Gold in Deep Blue

OBBB Jazz Blue

[Tom Kellie]

[Ghost Plane]

That was my gateway pen as well. Thank you, Mrs B, my fifth grade teacher who ensured we all had one of those and said, "Use any color you please, so long as you WRITE." I've never stopped.

[Tom Kellie]

Tea for Two

Edited June 23, 2017 by Tom Kellie

[Scribemus]

 

Tea for Two

 

 

Tom, Just stunning photos and camera work. A Tea break with a Nib(ble) or two...?

[meiers]

Amazing thread

Edited June 23, 2017 by meiers

[meiers]

That was my gateway pen as well. Thank you, Mrs B, my fifth grade teacher who ensured we all had one of those and said, "Use any color you please, so long as you WRITE." I've never stopped.

Teachers like Mrs B are heaven-sent.

Edited to add the hyphen.

Edited June 23, 2017 by meiers

[mulrich]

What's a fair value for a used O3B? I know 149's can be found for $350-450, would an O3B demand much of a premium? There aren't a lot of historical sales on the classifieds or eBay for this pen.

[BlueJ]

I would expect to pay a significant premium over a common F or M (or even B ) and to have to wait a long time to see one on eBay. Obliques of any width are also uncommon there in the 146 and 149, though more common in the 1950s-1960s lower end models like the 3-42G, and in other brands like Pelikan.

Edited June 23, 2017 by BlueJ

[zaddick]

What's a fair value for a used O3B? I know 149's can be found for $350-450, would an O3B demand much of a premium? There aren't a lot of historical sales on the classifieds or eBay for this pen.

You have 2 issues at play.

 

First, unless the pen has a sticker or paperwork or you REALLY trust the person, you are not sure if it is an O3B or OB or OBB. In search of extra return, people often overstate width of nibs and flexibility. Maybe you don't care between and OBB and O3B but there is some difference in width and maybe you will always doubt what you pay for.

 

Second, there are not a lot of 03B nibs out there. I think a large percentage of the world's active 149 O3B users hang out in this thread. (Just joking, but it may not be too far off.) They do not come up for sale often. I believe Regina Martini has one for sale now on her site, bit thr price is almost as much as you can get a new one for with discounts.

 

The only MB 149 I have bought brand new from a dealer was a 90th anniversary 149 specifically because I wanted the O3B nib and it was the surest way for me to get one. So I guess I would be willing to pay a fair bit extra for one I was sure was an O3B because I like wide nibs.

[Ghost Plane]

Ten to fifteen years ago, it seemed people couldn't give broader nibs away. Then it became fashionable to grind away broader nibs to get the needle nibs a generation ruined by ballpoints insisted were the one true way. Pen companies stopped selling "specialty nibs" and suddenly there is scarcity.

[mulrich]

Thanks for the responses. I found Regina's listing earlier in the week which is why I asked the question. I can find a new 149 for about $715, Regina's price is $650-680, which doesn't seem like a huge discount.

[meiers]

IMG_2774.JPG

Thank you for this writing sample. What ink are you using?

[meiers]

A question to follow up Ghost Plane's observation that ten years ago one couldn't give OBBB nibs away.

 

What was your first experience with nibs on the B-side?

Hand-written anecdote to follow.

Edited June 26, 2017 by meiers

[Vlad Soare]

Ten to fifteen years ago, it seemed people couldn't give broader nibs away. Then it became fashionable to grind away broader nibs to get the needle nibs a generation ruined by ballpoints insisted were the one true way.

 

I'm not sure it's that simple. I don't think people write small because of ball points, but rather the other way around - people love ball points and fine nibs because they allow them to write as small as they wish. The need for writing small is not new. I've seen documents from the 19th century written in very fine point.

I suspect that the O3B has always been a specialty nib. Frankly, I can't imagine its ever being a mainstream one. Even fifteen years ago it must have passed as something special. It's just that fifteen years ago more manufacturers used to cater to the occasional oddball, while in today's economy fewer and fewer of them can afford to do that. The fact that they made them back then doesn't mean that they actually sold a lot of them.

Edited June 26, 2017 by Vlad Soare

[Ghost Plane]

Ah, but if we're going to go back historically, much depended on the price and availability of paper. Broader nibs tend to go with greater availability of resources. In a time when lines were crossed and recrossed to save on exorbitant post and messenger fees, the need for thinner writing is a function of class and economics over legibility.