The Meisterstück 149 Calligraphy Appreciation Thread

[como]

@fpupulin@invisuu@N1003UThank you all for such interesting discussions. Your collective knowledge has certainly pushed beyond my original and over-simplified question (of how often and how hard does Franco flex his nibs). One can learn so many things in this thread alone! I felt that Calligraphy was a very special pen since I came to know it, and now I know there is indeed some science behind it, very educational!

[DrDebG]

On 6/9/2021 at 6:12 AM, como said:

@fpupulinAbsolutely, I couldn’t have said it better myself!

@DrDebGCongratulations! With such a thoughtful and loving gift, you don’t want to or dare to think up the idea of going out to get a Calligraphy! Well, not right away for sure 😉 As someone whose daily writer is a stubby broad, I would say that MB 149 Calligraphy is more a calligraphy pen that can also handle normal writing, and less a daily writer that can also do calligraphy. Just my experience. Those who love EF as daily writer might think very differently. Though your MB 146 with OM is an exquisite sentimental gift, as a pen aficionado, I am willing to bet that it won’t be your last pen ever 😀. So one day you can still consider the Calligraphy if you want to. I totally recommend it for anyone who looks for a modern flex pen suited for calligraphy. It seems that MB is still producing them and surely there will be some on secondary market as well, when some users decide that this is not their thing in the end.

 

Finally, if you don’t mind me asking, does your OM write like a slanted stub, or is it simply adjusted for people who have a tendency to rotate or tilt their nib to the left? I have a 146 with OM nib which produces no line variations, and had a very narrow sweet spot even for people tilting their hand to the left. I made the adjustment so it writes much more smoothly but still accommodating the tilt. I am just curious what is MB’s normal nib setup for an OM. Thank you!

 

Forgive my lack of responding.  I have been "out in the field" and away from regular internet.  Part of my job. 

 

The MB 146 which my husband purchased for me is a OB not an OM.  It does have a bit of a slant, but it does have some line variation - not a lot but some.  And the nib has a wonderful spring or bounce to it, different that my newer MBs.  

 

The provenance of this pen is very special though.  The pen was purchased from a good friend who had originally purchased the pen in 1992.   He ordered it specially from Germany (West Germany at the time) for his mother for her birthday.  His mother was a calligrapher.  But his mother died just two days before her birthday from a massive stroke.  He put the pen away for all these years and offered the pen to my husband when he learned that I loved MB fountain pens. The pen was still in the birthday wrapping paper.  Our friend asked my husband to give me the pen right away so that I would enjoy it now, rather than wait until my birthday. 

 

When I heard the story, the meaning behind the pen became even more significant for me.  For me, my favorite pens are those that have specially meaning.  

[fpupulin]

1 hour ago, DrDebG said:

 

Forgive my lack of responding.  I have been "out in the field" and away from regular internet.  Part of my job. 

 

The MB 146 which my husband purchased for me is a OB not an OM.  It does have a bit of a slant, but it does have some line variation - not a lot but some.  And the nib has a wonderful spring or bounce to it, different that my newer MBs.  

 

The provenance of this pen is very special though.  The pen was purchased from a good friend who had originally purchased the pen in 1992.   He ordered it specially from Germany (West Germany at the time) for his mother for her birthday.  His mother was a calligrapher.  But his mother died just two days before her birthday from a massive stroke.  He put the pen away for all these years and offered the pen to my husband when he learned that I loved MB fountain pens. The pen was still in the birthday wrapping paper.  Our friend asked my husband to give me the pen right away so that I would enjoy it now, rather than wait until my birthday. 

 

When I heard the story, the meaning behind the pen became even more significant for me.  For me, my favorite pens are those that have specially meaning.  

 

 

A great story, which makes that pens even more significant and important. Enjoy it in good health!

[fpupulin]

After 15 months of uninterrupted daily use, my Calligraphy will take a few weeks off. While I prepare my things for a trip to Italy, where I will visit my dear parents and our beloved daughters after an interminable lockdown time, I wash my pen thoroughly and put it back in the box of darlings. First, however, I give her another round with Diamine Golden Brown ink, of which the flexible nib of the Calligraphy enhances the beautiful shading. I will take advantage of the visit to Italy to buy another bottle of this ink, perhaps together with one of Ancient Copper.

Of course, it will seem a bit strange to me to be several weeks without my Calligraphy... and without new things to post in this thread.

 

 

Goodbye to everyone!

[DrDebG]

18 minutes ago, fpupulin said:

After 15 months of uninterrupted daily use, my Calligraphy will take a few weeks off. While I prepare my things for a trip to Italy, where I will visit my dear parents and our beloved daughters after an interminable lockdown time, I wash my pen thoroughly and put it back in the box of darlings. First, however, I give her another round with Diamine Golden Brown ink, of which the flexible nib of the Calligraphy enhances the beautiful shading. I will take advantage of the visit to Italy to buy another bottle of this ink, perhaps together with one of Ancient Copper.

Of course, it will seem a bit strange to me to be several weeks without my Calligraphy... and without new things to post in this thread.

 

 

Goodbye to everyone!

 

 

Lovely calligraphy, Franco! I love the Golden Brown ink.  You may want to give MB Swan Illusion Plume a try.  It has similar shading characteristics.  

 

Please enjoy your time in Italy!  

[Frank C]

I hope that you have a good trip to Italy—one of my favorite places to visit. I like the post with the Diamine Golden Brown ink. I may have to try it in the 149 Calligraphy someday. I recall your saying in another post that you have a few pens waiting for you in Italy. I look forward to seeing them when you return.  

[como]

@DrDebGThat’s a very nice story. Don’t we all appreciate that our families tolerate, respect and even indulge our fountain pen passion? Enjoy your new pen!

 

@fpupulinHave a safe and pleasant journey home, dear Franco! Thank you so much for all you have done here! See you when you are back!

[fpupulin]

In a few days I hope to be in Italy. The first flight attempt, yesterday, failed: I did not understand the Covid measures of the three countries that I have to touch with my flight, and they did not let me board ....

Anyway, I finally decided to take my 149 Calligraphy with me. Not because I can't go without it, no, it's just that in Italy I would have the opportunity to have the cap engraved at a Boutique, something that I thought for some time in order to be able to distinguish this pen, even when closed, from my other Meisterstücks 149.

At first I had thought of having the cap engraved with the word "Calligraphy", but then someone suggested that I engrave some calligraphic eights.

 

Here I have made some tests. The second sketch, from above, is the shape of the eights as it appears on the nib of the Calligraphy. The third is the same model, but "improved" to be a little bolder. In the last one at the bottom I added another eight, to make the possible engraving more rounded.

 

Which one do you prefer? Written or eights? And if the eights, which ones?

 

Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[lionelc]

how about some 8s where the sticker used to be franco?

[Sinistral1]

I like the bottom 8s that show the most flex.

[gyasko]

I like the middle eights.  The top eights seem a little faint and the bottom eights look too busy for my tastes.

[DrDebG]

I also prefer the middle 8s.  The top does not show flex, and the bottom is a bit "too much".  The middle set of 8s speaks to the simple elegance of the pen without being brash.  

[Frank C]

7 minutes ago, DrDebG said:

I also prefer the middle 8s.  The top does not show flex, and the bottom is a bit "too much".  The middle set of 8s speaks to the simple elegance of the pen without being brash.  

I agree with DrDebG; I like the middle set. Please let us know how it turns out. I may do the same with my pen. 

[a student]

Posted in error

Edited June 21, 2021 by newstudent
posted in error

[a student]

4 hours ago, lionelc said:

how about some 8s where the sticker used to be franco?

Yes; that would be nice and discreet, just signalling the purpose!

[Amit.]

Middle one

 

[como]

@fpupulinI prefer the first and middle one. They are both nice. The last one is too much, I think.

[fpupulin]

5 hours ago, lionelc said:

how about some 8s where the sticker used to be franco?

 

1 hour ago, newstudent said:

Yes; that would be nice and discreet, just signalling the purpose!

If I well understand, lionelc and newstudent, at Montblanc boutiques they only engrave the cap or the clip.

[invisuu]

That's a great idea and I can't promise I might not steal it. I'd probably go for 2nd or 3rd one.

[lionelc]

4 hours ago, fpupulin said:

Montblanc boutiques

ah, you are right franco - at the boutiques the online engraving services are only at the 2 spots.