Enjoying Montblanc Pens — Broad, Oblique, Extra Fine, Le & Bespoke

[GranTorino25]

Thank you very much for your reply Pravda!! In terms of how the nibs perform, are they similarly soft? Is the Rouge a lot more nail-like being a smaller nib?

 

And I thought they were piston fillers? Edit: just checked, and the new ones are pistons!

Edited February 1, 2018 by GranTorino25

[Matlock]

Thank you very much for your reply Pravda!! In terms of how the nibs perform, are they similarly soft? Is the Rouge a lot more nail-like being a smaller nib?

 

And I thought they were piston fillers? Edit: just checked, and the new ones are pistons!

 

They are only piston fill because the contain a captive converter, which is not quite the same thing.

[GranTorino25]

 

They are only piston fill because the contain a captive converter, which is not quite the same thing.

Ah right!! That makes sense then!!

 

The writing experience is what I am most intirgued by though, as I quite like thinner pens, but a soft nib is a must!!

[jconn]

 

~ Hi, Jeremy!

 

Having two 3-42 Gs will be twice the fun!

Yours truly has followed the same path as you, with both a B and a BB 3-42 G.

Both of mine have a mild Flex quality which adds emphasis where needed.

They're such smooth writers, aren't they?

Despite my size (191 cm.) and relatively large hands, the 3-42 Gs have been comfortable to use when reading books or writing short notes.

I hope that the 3-42 G EF will match the OBB in overall writing quality.

Thank you so much for sharing your 3-42 G experience in this thread.

Whenever both 3-42 Gs are together, a photograph would be most welcome, with or without Cooper as the brand model.

For you I'll post an image of my two 3-42 Gs, the 1951 BB above the 1953 B.

I'm especially fond of the 1953 B, as it shares my birth year.

Tom

 

Tom,

 

The other 342 arrived today, and boy oh boy, it's as lovely as the first!

 

Like the first, the EF nib on the second is soft, although I'm very adverse to try too much flexing, simply because I have a heavier hand than I should when writing. When I work up the courage, I'll test the limits of the line variation.

 

Indeed, the 342 are lovely pens, and together with the matching 376 mechanical pencil, I think I've got quite the set put together now.

 

I'm amazed at the cost/value of these pens, so long as they can be found in good operating condition and you're willing to accept some minor signs of prior use and patina as a positive characteristic.

 

A quick writing sample. The 3-42G OBB is filled with Namiki Black, and the 342 EF is filled with Iroshizuku Momiji. You can also seem the difference in the shape of the pens, especially in the longer, more stubbish end cap on the EF.

 

 

A comparison of nib widths. That OBB looks wide as a boat paddle in this shot!

 

 

Side by side showing better the differences between variants -- tapered versus concave section, stubbish versus more rounded end cap, engraved versus non-engraved cap band. Not shown is that the latter pen is missing the classic Montblanc mountain scene logo engraved on the cap, and that the 1956-1957 variety also has the model and nib stamped on the end cap but the 1957-1960 does not.

 

 

A matching companion, a 376 mechanical pencil.

 

 

Cooper the Puppy, a.k.a. Skippy (because he just seems to leap and skip from place to place when awake) was unavailable for comment.

 

[teeitup418holes]

Some OBB and BB nibs to balance out my EF and EEF Montblanc Nibs!

 

Meisterstuck 146 BB

Boheme Onyx OBB

[Tom Kellie]

Some OBB and BB nibs to balance out my EF and EEF Montblanc Nibs!

 

Meisterstuck 146 BB

Boheme Onyx OBB

 

 

~ teeitup418holes:

 

Internet access in the local area was curtailed for several days by the authorities.

Returning today, what a joy to see your excellent images of your 146 BB and your Bohème Onyx OBB.

The handwriting samples enhance the nib photos.

The Deep Sea Green shading is exceptionally lovely.

Thank you for posting the image with the two pens. It's so pleasing to the eye.

I shouldn't neglect mentioning the shading shown by the UNICEF Turquoise ink. Very nice, indeed.

Your post brightens this thread. Many thanks!

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

The other 342 arrived today, and boy oh boy, it's as lovely as the first!

Like the first, the EF nib on the second is soft, although I'm very adverse to try too much flexing, simply because I have a heavier hand than I should when writing. When I work up the courage, I'll test the limits of the line variation.

 

Indeed, the 342 are lovely pens, and together with the matching 376 mechanical pencil, I think I've got quite the set put together now.

 

I'm amazed at the cost/value of these pens, so long as they can be found in good operating condition and you're willing to accept some minor signs of prior use and patina as a positive characteristic.

 

A quick writing sample. The 3-42G OBB is filled with Namiki Black, and the 342 EF is filled with Iroshizuku Momiji. You can also seem the difference in the shape of the pens, especially in the longer, more stubbish end cap on the EF.

 

A comparison of nib widths. That OBB looks wide as a boat paddle in this shot!

 

Side by side showing better the differences between variants -- tapered versus concave section, stubbish versus more rounded end cap, engraved versus non-engraved cap band. Not shown is that the latter pen is missing the classic Montblanc mountain scene logo engraved on the cap, and that the 1956-1957 variety also has the model and nib stamped on the end cap but the 1957-1960 does not.

 

A matching companion, a 376 mechanical pencil.

 

Cooper the Puppy, a.k.a. Skippy (because he just seems to leap and skip from place to place when awake) was unavailable for comment.

 

~ Jeremy:

 

While I'm fairly deficient in pop culture vernacular, the images/explanations you've posted strike me as “super-awesome”.

Thank you for posting a variety of images, including comparison handwriting samples.

I admire the user-friendly preparation of your posts, enabling a viewer to enjoy a full experience of what you're enjoying.

As we're both 3-42 G enthusiasts, the arrival of the EF nib thrills me as it did you.

Although I write with the broadest nibs, I also enjoy EF and EEF nibs. Their sharply refined lines add just the touch to sketches.

Both of my 3-42 G resemble your OBB. Seeing images of a later version is especially interesting.

Yours truly admires the design of the 3-42 G. It just works, with a natural “obviousness” about it which is appealing.

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest more than half a century ago, I developed an appreciation for designs which were both parsimonious and adequate.

The Boeing 747...Seattle's Space Needle...Mt. St. Helens (before it blew)...sockeye salmon.

The 3-42 G has such elegance of design. That they write so well decades after their heyday speaks well of Montblanc's quality.

As to Cooper aka Skippy, his presence alone is comment enough. I showed Cooper to Zuji on the 27-inch iMac screen.

Tail-wagging expressed his happiness...which I share.

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

Shadows and Reflections

Both Sides

[Ghost Plane]

Love the glint of color through the ink window!

[Tom Kellie]

Vitamin M

[Tom Kellie]

Which One Doesn't Belong?

[thygreyt]

Well, I do see two ballpoints! Lol

[Carrau]

I see FPN is expanding into set theory!

[Ghost Plane]

Fractals being a bit hard to express with pen collections...

[Tom Kellie]

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/256126-scratchy-nib-vs-feedback-whats-the-difference/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/325693-feedback-and-its-nature/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/330102-titanium-nibs-why-the-feedback/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/27615-naive-question-what-makes-nibs-scratchy/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/160102-is-your-cn-nib-toothy-scratchy/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/100184-scratchy-nib/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/250278-scratchy-nib/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/196636-scratchy/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/247322-stub-smoothing/

https://www.nibs.com/blog/nibster-writes/smoothing-scratchy-nibs

~ A pair of students visited to see Zuji and to seek assistance with internship applications.

At one point they borrowed a pen to jot down several pertinent facts and dates.

I noticed that they looked at the pen, commented on it in Mandarin, before testing it on paper with strokes and squiggles.

When asked what had caught their attention, one answered: “This pen is so smooth. It doesn't scratch on the paper.”

What was striking was that the particular pen they'd borrowed was a Montblanc 145 EF. The extra fine nib was perceived by them as being smooth.

At a later time I asked several students who write with fountain pens if they'd let me try their pens, which were all inked in black, as is the custom here.

About 60% of them were noticeably scratchy. Not feedback, but out and out scratchiness.

I examined each of the scratchy nibs with a high power magnifying glass which is in my classroom/laboratory bag.

Tine misalignment was self-evident in each case.

All of this is a comment on how spoiled I've been with Montblanc nibs, none of which has thus far been scratchy.

The Bespoke EEF nib is a smooth writer, requiring no more than the lightest of touches to yield satisfying lines.

Likewise the several EF nibs I use are smooth writers, even when writing on fairly coarse hand-made paper.

The large OBBB nibs have substantial ink flow on which they glide across any regular paper surface.

The various threads listed above consider the question of “feedback vs scratchiness”. They were helpful in clarifying my inchoate understanding.

Of the Montblanc fountain pens I write with, more than half offer discernible feedback.

I don't write with any scratchy nibs, including a half dozen Parker 51s, four Lamy Safaris, and a few other older pens.

After explaining the nature of tine misalignment, I don't know what the students did. Writing with a scratchy nib doesn't enhance the pen and ink experience.

I'm grateful that the Montblanc nibs I've used have all been hand-finished to be satisfactorily smooth writers.

Tom K.

[Tom Kellie]

[zaddick]

 

 

Then I am a man of many tongues. That or my mind is fractured beyond belief.

[jconn]

Edited February 7, 2018 by jconn

[jconn]

[Tom Kellie]

Bespoke EEF Nib — ‘Leopard’