Mb 149 Expression Nib - Calligraphy?

[max dog]

My 149 Calligraphy had a lot of feedback. As the nib broke in, the ink flow opened up and now is as smooth as my other 146 EF. Given you have a week, use that time writing the heck out of the nib, to see if things dont improve. Nothing to lose. Mine had a very, very light line in the beginning with light pressure, at times in certain strokes could have passed as hard starts. Knowing how faint a line my vintage Waterman 52V gets, I gave it a benefit of a doubt it was just an exteremely fine line and hoped it would get better as ink flow increased, which it did. That nib is a lot like a vintage flex nib. Good idea about bringing in your other pens.

Edited June 2, 2020 by max dog

[dribs]

 

Looks like the tines are too tight on your 149 Calligraphy.

 

I have three 149 Calligraphy flex, and they all write differently. no1 is harder, no2 is springier, and no3 is softer. Besides flex nib is ink sensitive, you may try MB mystery black first. I have replaced one of the nib because had nib creep and click sound issues. Flex nib cannot fix but replace only.

The 149 Calligraphy flex is the ultimate nib, compared to normal nibs, flex is like manual transmission that lets you control by yourself.

Will they exchange without too much hesitation, or do I have to make my displeasure known? The last thing I want is for them to go, "its normal", and then send me on my way. I'll probably flip and be super unhappy if that's the case!

[fpupulin]

Looking what you shown on post #404, the issue with your nib is hardly visible for a non/expert, but it is there nonetheless. Your test leaflet also clearly shows that you have an educated hand, so that your lack of full satisfaction with the nib has not superficial reasons.

 

mjchuang9, who has the privilege to own three 149 Calligraphy, pointed out the “individual character” of this nib, something that I do not know for experience, but I had guessed. My nib skips the first milliliter of the first stroke of any writing day (not session), but admittedly I have my pen resting into a 149 dedicated pen stand, so this may be the reason.

 

Given the subtlety of your issue, be prepared for maintaining yourself firm in your position at the shop. It is probable that they will not “see” the problem. But you can explain them that you invested almost thousand dollars because you want to do serious calligraphy, and you firmly requires to have a perfect nib for this aim and at this price point.

 

With his 3 pens, there no doubt that mjchuang9 is in serious love with the 149 Calligraphy, and it maybe that considering it “the ultimate nib” reflects this passion. But it is nonetheless a great nib, a very interesting and innovative nib and, what is most important, a really fun nib to play with.

 

Do not let that a nib with an issue ruines your pleasure.

[tinct]

I had the same hard start problem. First week, it was the scratchiest pen that I had ever used. Gave it 2-3 weeks, it wrote smoother but the hard starts never went away. I sent mine to Montblanc Fort Worth service center (I live in the middle of nowhere). They "cleaned“ the pen with pretty much no effect. Under a lens, nib did look like it had a baby's bottom. I was too hesitant to micromesh such an expensive pen and asked a nibmeister to do it for me. Problem solved!

[arcfide]

I had the same hard start problem. First week, it was the scratchiest pen that I had ever used. Gave it 2-3 weeks, it wrote smoother but the hard starts never went away. I sent mine to Montblanc Fort Worth service center (I live in the middle of nowhere). They "cleaned“ the pen with pretty much no effect. Under a lens, nib did look like it had a baby's bottom. I was too hesitant to micromesh such an expensive pen and asked a nibmeister to do it for me. Problem solved!

 

As another comment, when I purchased mine, I think it was one of maybe four or five in the store. The salesman allowed me to dip each nib and see how they wrote before I left with the one I wanted. I will note that I picked the single one out of the bunch that wrote distinctly drier and finer than the others. It is very possible that mine also has a bit of baby's bottom, which is giving me that finer line. The other nibs wrote significantly wetter than mine, and I didn't want that feature, so I went with the drier one, knowing that it could also lead to harder starts.

 

If I can make the time, I'd like to get a video of this.

[AlexRespati]

Thanks for your replies so far!

 

I'll order some micromesh tonight, and will also give the boutique a call tomorrow to let them know. It's a bummer as I can't get back to thr boutique until next Monday the earliest.

 

Here is a write sample.

 

Notice the first letter of the word hard starting? This usually only occurs in normal writing, ie unflexed.

 

Even the vertical strokes you can see above has skips

 

When I fully flex it for calligraphic purposes, alot less of it happening though.

 

I have to agree, I'm addicted to the pen it's great fun. But, I'm a bit OCD about the hard start, and I think a part of me is a bit bummed paying so much for a pen for it not to perform out the box that's all. I mean if it was was $20 Lamy, I wouldn't really care too much, but this 149..

Hi Dribs, i got exactly the same problem as you got there. Ocassionaly hard start, particularly on first upstroke after writing for some moment. And sometimes being flexed it suddenly lose the ink flow. Havent sent back to the boutique though, im living with it at the moment.

Edited June 4, 2020 by AlexRespati

[gyasko]

Lack of ink on the upstroke sounds more like inadequate flow than babys bottom. MB plastic feeds are pretty good for plastic feeds, but they may not be quite enough for a flex nib. An ebonite feed took care of all railroading and missed strokes on my Pilot 742. Perhaps that will be necessary for some MB 149 Calligraphy users.

[max dog]

Gyasko, quite the contrary, the 149 flex nib has awesome ink flow the more you flex, which is what the excitement is all about. Its a lot like vintage flex in that regards. The tines are very tight by design to control the ink flow under no pressure and yield a true EF line. When the nib is new, the line can be very light under no pressure. With use the ink flow increases to an optimum flow for smoothness and consistent line under light pressure. The nib needs a break in period in my opinion. You get the practicality of a modern nib and the flex performance of a vintage flex nib. The pilot FA nib by contrast has an anemic ink flow the more you flex and railroads much sooner. It therefore needs aftermarket modification with ebonite feed, but at no pressure the line width is a fine at best, not as fine as the MB. They both can flex to a similar line width, but MB is much more resistent to railroading than the pilot because of its more generous ink flow the more it is flexed.

Edited June 5, 2020 by max dog

[max dog]

While I sympathize with all those who encountered issues with their 149 Calligraphy, and hope they receive good support from MB in a timely manner to resolve their issues, as there is nothing more frustrating than having nib issues, especially when it is a pen you payed a lot of money for and have your heart set on wonderful experience everyone is raving about.

 

What often happens when a new pen comes out are the people who had issues make a fuss and let others know, while the greater good experiences go unmentioned. I think the 149 Calligraphy pen is one of the best new pens money can buy right now with it's remarkable vintage like flex nib, and I hope the issues raised don't sway people considering this pen away. My advice is do your research and listen to both sides, and experience it for yourself.

[fpupulin]

[...] What often happens when a new pen comes out are the people who had issues make a fuss and let others know, while the greater good experiences go unmentioned. [...]

 

Max dog, you stolen the words from my mouth! You are so right...

 

I will start a Meisterstück 149 Calligraphy Appreciation Thread to give voice to the many happy owners of this remarkable pen!

[dribs]

Hey all,

 

Just wanted to provide an update. The boutique replaced the pen.

 

Short story long, took it in last week and demonstrated it to the sales person regarding the hard starts and skips. I could see the problem happening to her as well, but she didn't seem to comment. She withheld the pen for the "technician" to have a look at it the next day (as it was a weekend) and the technician determined that were was a feed issue and there was some block in the feed, and so, they decided to replace the pen is its entirety instead.

 

Went in this morning to pick it up and wow! First thing I immediately noticed was the nib was a heck of a lot more smoother than the one I had - and a bit more wetter. The hard starts and skips were gone - on initial testing anyway, but we all know initial testing is never a good indicator as the feed is fully saturated with ink.

 

I said my thanks (and also checked out the Le Petit 146) and have been playing around with it at home now. Yep, no more hard starts and skips are definitely gone!! And still smooth as silk

 

I'm one VERY happy man! The lady serving me was fantastic, she was a pleasure to deal with. I hope I will be able to boost her sales target soon again

 

In the end, I think the original nib I had a baby's bottom but you can never know. All I know is that the replacement nib is simply so much more pleasant to use!

[fpupulin]

I am really glad that the story came to an happy end! Enjoy your pen now in all her extraordinary potential!

[max dog]

Awesome to hear dribs. Enjoy your pen!

[mjchuang9]

Glad to hear the problem solved. Flex is like manual focus camera, you can control everything although a bit slow.

[BecauseItIs]

My pen arrived today It writes great, but I do have a concern about the nib seating and if something is wrong.

 

I inked the pen up with the Beatles ink, wiped off the excess, and began to get a feel for how the pen would write for normal use. Even before I put any pressure on the nib to get an idea of what the flex feels like, the nib was weeping ink pretty regularly. Is this normal for flex pens? Should I send it back to Montblanc for adjustments or repairs?

 

This was after a light wipe down on the tip and then writing for a few sentences. The split portion of the nib was clean before starting.

 

 

This is what it looks like after a few words with no pressure: The spot right above the 4810 is where it originates from.

 

I had the same issue with Herbin Eclat de Saphir. Changed to Waterman Intense Black Ink and had no more issues.

[max dog]

Both my 149 Calligraphy and vintage Waterman 52V flex nibs displayed this behavior with some inks. Maybe a hallmark of a good flex nib.

[BlueJ]

This is the infamous "nib creep." It is common enough that it gives its name to another (very inexpensive) flex pen, the Noodler's Creaper. As noted, it happens much more with some inks than others, but is a fairly common and minor annoyance and does not necessarily indicate a defect in the nib. Now if by "weeping ink" the quoted post had meant dripping or "drooling" ink, that IS a problem.

Edited June 16, 2020 by BlueJ

[ljmudit]

How would you dear users compare it with vintage semi-flex or flexy 149 nibs of 1960s & 70s?

[max dog]

How would you dear users compare it with vintage semi-flex or flexy 149 nibs of 1960s & 70s?

I think it's comparable to vintage flex, not a wet noodle, but can flex from a very fine true EF to 1.5 mm. It is comparable to my vintage Waterman's 52V flex pen, the snap back isn't as crisp, but it is still respectable and enables you to do well controlled flex writing with ease. Like the Waterman, you would be hard pressed to get the MB Calligraphy nib to railroad as the feed keeps up with the flex like vintage nibs. The MB nib is well behaved for normal unflexed writing thanks to it's tight tines, that give good control for practical light pressure normal writing, but soft enough with vintage level flex on tap when you want it.

Edited June 21, 2020 by max dog

[ljmudit]

I think it's comparable to vintage flex, not a wet noodle, but can flex from a very fine true EF to 1.5 mm. It is comparable to my vintage Waterman's 52V flex pen, the snap back isn't as crisp, but it is still respectable and enables you to do well controlled flex writing with ease. Like the Waterman, you would be hard pressed to get the MB Calligraphy nib to railroad as the feed keeps up with the flex like vintage nibs. The MB nib is well behaved for normal unflexed writing thanks to it's tight tines, that give good control for practical light pressure normal writing, but soft enough with vintage level flex on tap when you want it.

 

Thank you so much for your inputs max dog. Each post by you and fpupulin sir brings me one step closer to hitting the buy button