Montblanc Meisterstück 149

[Recursion]

Time to review a grail pen. I don’t have to write much about it as this is probably one of the most famous and iconic fountainpens out there. I Managed to get this in NOS condition for a pretty good price, otherwise this review would never have been written by me.

 

So, the facts:

Manufacturer:         Montblanc

Model:                     Meisterstück 149

Material:                  Precious resin

Nib:                          Montblanc #9 18kt Gold (F)

Filling system:        Piston filler

Capped:                  147 mm

Uncapped:              132 mm

Posted:                    164 mm

Section:                   13 mm

______________________________________________________________________

Appearance & Design - Classic cigar-shaped design

At a glance the pen has the same classic cigar-shaped design as so many others although with a bit more girth to it and with the much sought-after white star (top of Mont Blanc).  The engraving on the cap band is crisp and filled in with diagonal engravings. The piston turning nob seems big to me, but this makes it quite comfortable and easy to use. The cap comes off with just over 1¾ turn, which is not bad but not great eighter. The clip is quite tight and springy. The striped ink window is hardly noticeable when the pen is filled but still gives you a clear indication and your ink level, whit that is fits great with the overall design of the pen. The high gloss black finish is naturally prone to catching fingerprints easily. The section is quite girthy but for me personally this is very comfortable.

 

 

Construction & Quality – German quality

The pen feels solid in the hand, and everything works well. The threads on the piston nob as well as on the cap are smooth. When capped there is a little give in the threading, just enough for the cap to wiggle a little. The threading on the barrel is unintrusive.  Posting the pen is not as secure as I expected at first, you need to apply more force than I thought to make it post securely. 

 

Weight & Dimensions – It’s a girthy pen, not overly long

The girth of this pen stands out and that gives a substantial feel to it. It is by no means an oversized pen in my book. The girth as well as the length fits my hand well and unposted it has a good balance. The balance of the pen is even better when posted. The pen is not very heavy, but I have no idea how much it weights as I don’t own a scale. 

 

 

Nib & Performance - Lovely

The 18kt gold #9 (Montblanc proprietary sizes) fine nib writes very smooth and lays down a thick fat line of ink. So, this results more in a western medium or Japanese broad line than a fine as advertised. The design of the nib is outstanding and pops on this bigger nib. The tri-tone design is lovely to look at. There is quite a bit of spring in the nib, but it’s by no means a flex nib. The size of the nib is bigger and wider than a standard #6 nib. 

 

 

Filling System & Maintenance – Good piston filler

The piston filling system works well and operates smoothly it holds close to 2 ml of ink. This is great if you, like me, don’t like to change inks a lot. A piston system is always a bit more difficult to clean especially without being able to take the pen apart. So when the time comes to clean the pen, put on some nice music because you’ll need some time. 

The pen is not serviceable by the owner so when you want something done you need to send it in and expect to pay for it.

 

Cost & Value – Well, yeah it’s expensive

This pen currently retails for approximately € 810,- in the Netherlands and that is a ridiculous price in my opinion. You pay a hefty price to be allowed to wear the white star in your shirt pocket. Luckily, I had a pretty good deal on a NOS pen otherwise I would never be able to get (or even want) one. It the pen worth it? Well, no, (apart from the lovely and beautiful nib) a big part of the pricing is just the branding.

 

Conclusion – Good writer but overpriced

The pen writes lovely, and the ergonomics of the pen (especially the girth) suits me very well. But as I said before it is heavily overprices IMHO. I understand why people are positive about the Montblanc Meisterstück fountain pens but the hype off it, eludes me to be honest.

[lionelc]

thank you for your review @Recursion and i agree that the price from a mb boutique is high.  pretty consistent worldwide though - the same mb 149 here in australia would be around 830 euro.  i too look for better deals on them in the nos/secondary market - especially for the vintage ones (although the prices for these have been rising too).

[Recursion]

 

12 minutes ago, lionelc said:

especially for the vintage ones

Yes, alas vintage is very fashionable (not only fountain pens) these days and that drives up the prices. This one is from somewhere between 2000 and 2006 as far as I can tell. 

[Uncial]

Would you say Visconti HS, Operas or Voyager or Watermark are overpriced? Would Nakaya be overpriced?

Just for the record, I personally think they all are but I do find it curious that this complaint is rarely, if ever, levelled at any other brand other than MB. 

The price can hurt, just in the same way it can for any of the above mentioned, but enjoy the pen. Its got an understated elegance with all the bling weighted to the nib. Sometimes an item of quality reveals itself over time rather than all up front.

[lionelc]

it all depends on how much worth the buyer perceives in them.  personally, although the price of my montblancs and nakayas are high - they spark joy - cue marie kando intro music

[Recursion]

5 hours ago, Uncial said:

Would you say Visconti HS, Operas or Voyager or Watermark are overpriced? Would Nakaya be overpriced?

Yes, I would say that. That's way I don't own any of them. I’ve written with some of them but wouldn’t buy them unless a great deal came along in used condition. 

[Recursion]

4 hours ago, lionelc said:

it all depends on how much worth the buyer perceives in them

Exactly!

[jchch1950]

Thanks Recursion for your comments of the MB 149. When I read it I refresh the reasons why I bought one almost 40 years ago. It is always welcome a a new review of a classic design.😃

[awarrenj]

Thanks for a nice review, well done. When I bought my 149 about 2 years ago I thought the $900 USD was a lot. After adding a Pilot Urushi, Pelikan 1000, and a Sabatini Giant to my collection I don't view the 149 as OVERLY expensive. And just to add, my 149 is probably the smoothest writer of my collection. I have heard online pen reviewers cast a snide remark or two about them but I believe it is because the brand is so well known as an "uppity" luxury brand ( see also watches). Nice to see a review of one of my favorite pens, thanks.

[Recursion]

3 minutes ago, awarrenj said:

And just to add, my 149 is probably the smoothest writer of my collection.

I agree it’s a very smooth and pleasant writer, not as smooth as my Pilot Custom 823 (fine) though. That one remains the smoothest writer in my collection.

[Uncial]

2 hours ago, awarrenj said:

I believe it is because the brand is so well known as an "uppity" luxury brand

 

I believe 'uppity' people think it brings them something to own it without even knowing what they own or why. There are lots of brands like this which sadly get a bad name due to vulgar people, but the product remains good.

[Karmachanic]

7 minutes ago, Uncial said:

I believe 'uppity' people think it brings them something to own it

 

Veblen goods

[Recursion]

5 minutes ago, Karmachanic said:

Veblen goods

Exactly, and nice read. Thanks for sharing

[donnweinberg]

Nice review and great comments so far.  I own two 149s that I purchased retail, one from Bloomingdales's in Manhattan (for 20 % off by getting a Bloomingdale's credit card, so the 20 % off came after the sale at full retail) and one from a MB Boutique.  One is a medium nib and the other is a BB.  They are pricey, but both write very smoothly, as do my other MB FPs.  

[ajoe]

On 12/31/2021 at 9:02 AM, Karmachanic said:

 

Veblen goods

Thank you. I have never heard that term before

[bone215]

Nah, too much for what you get.

Now, if I were to be gifted a nice fat F nibbed one, would I be happy and write that thing to death? Damn right.

 

Yes, I would love to own one, everyone on FPN should have at least one.  Maybe someday, but I will admit, there is a lot of value in the lower price ranges of pens, some with extraordinary nibs.

 

 

[Barry Gabay]

Recursion,

Very interesting and informative review. Hope you continue to enjoy your new 149. Your pen dates from 1992-96, assuming all parts are original. The two-tone 18K nib on your pen was made during those years. Thanks again for your very well written review of this iconic model. Have a great weekend. 

[Recursion]

2 hours ago, Barry Gabay said:

Your pen dates from 1992-96

Thank you for that, as far as I could see from different sources here I thought it was from begining 2000’s

[Inky Jack]

I visited the Montblanc department at Harrods in December and saw some amazing models priced from £1,000 - £9,000 - they didn't get a sale from me on that occasion unfortunately but still on my wish list, great review! 🙂

[Recursion]

4 minutes ago, Inky Jack said:

some amazing models priced from £1,000 - £9,000

Well yeah, with fountain pens, as like e.g. Single Malt Whisky, you can make it as expensive as you want. 😆