Montblanc Meisterstück 149

[sappie66]

Thanks to the OP for a great review.

 

I frequent wristwatch forums because that's my thing.  Fountain pens are new to me but I see many parallels.  MB definitely a Veblen good, but it is no different than so many others -- Rolex (I'm sure that parallel has been made ad infinitum), Patek Philippe,  Audemar Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, Louis Vuitton, Hermes (Birkin bag 🙄), I could go on....

 

Some one mentioned that brands can get associated with vulgar people and being a turn-off because of that.  That could also be a function of the perceiver as well.  All of the above-mentioned brands have their detractors -- (especially Rolex), but why?  If one can afford an MB pen, and they get pleasure and enjoyment from it, who is anyone else to judge?  If I wear one of my Rolexes and mind my own business (most people never notice watches btw), and someone thinks I am a vulgar person because of it, they can screw off.  One should not be responsible for others' irrational sensitivities.

 

As well, if "value" and "worth" were the main considerations, it seems any fountain pen (or any watch) over a much lower price-level than the cheapest MB (or any fountain pen at all if we want to get technical) would be "not worth the money".  Of course I am talking about those who only use pens in a utilitarian manner (ie taking notes, signing cheques and stuff, etc.), so any fountain pen might not be worth the money (not wanting to get into an analysis of the cost of ink over time compared to boxes of disposable ballpoints).

 

Oh, and on a tenuously-related note, the really ridiculous thing about wristwatches is that they are absolutely useless things.  No one really needs them.  Most people use their phones.  At least a pen is a useful thing.

 

Forgive the rambling stream-of-consciousness quality of this post.

[Recursion]

7 hours ago, sappie66 said:

Forgive the rambling stream-of-consciousness quality of this post.

Not needed, every opinion is valuable to the total discussion. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

[Uncial]

15 hours ago, sappie66 said:

Some one mentioned that brands can get associated with vulgar people and being a turn-off because of that.  That could also be a function of the perceiver as well.  All of the above-mentioned brands have their detractors -- (especially Rolex), but why?  If one can afford an MB pen, and they get pleasure and enjoyment from it, who is anyone else to judge?  If I wear one of my Rolexes and mind my own business (most people never notice watches btw), and someone thinks I am a vulgar person because of it, they can screw off.  One should not be responsible for others' irrational sensitivities.

 

Guilty as charged

'Vulgar' was my poor word choice borne of irritation and responding to things other than you mention. 

 

While not entirely like-for-like, the watch world has certain comparisons. Rolex is a watchmaker I very much admire for their history, heritage and watch making skills. I would love to own one, but sadly my means won't ever stretch that far. I do find it very, very weird though that there are people in this world who will pay literally four times the price on the 'grey' market (rather than wait two years) to buy something they wear and never look at. It's for other people to notice while they take out their phone to look at the time and who make sure their bracelet is too big so it never hides discretely under a cuff. It's hard not to see such peacock displays as an act of vulgarity rather than a true appreciation of something. 

 

I've never seen them myself (I clearly run in the wrong circles) but many here have claimed to see people 'wearing' MB's in a pocket and never using them; setting them on desks in offices or on tables at meetings, but never unscrewing the cap - all, apparently, to be seen. I do wonder, what's the point? It's a very recognisable brand and MB deserve the kudos for that, but there are so many brands out there that ask a very hefty sum of money that is well above anything MB produces in it's normal line up, but I honestly don't think I've ever seen anyone getting as rabid over the price of a Visconti* as they do over the price of a MB (and that's not implying Recursion got 'rabid' over the price!). The same happens on watch forums with Rolex. In a sense the brand name has been hijacked. You might think it's win-win for the brand concerned but it's a double edged sword that other brands which produce high quality goods have fallen on the wrong side of and almost been destroyed by.

 

For me personally, I tend to ask myself if I feel like I'm paying a 'fair' price. I understand that certain items of quality and craft will require a higher price tag. For the most part I think I have paid a fair price for the MB's I own, but I've bought the vast majority second hand and at a very different price than new. MB has certainly played into the 'luxury good' or 'veblen' market and it can be hard to know if price rises are part of that or simply a rapidly shrinking market. Regardless, I do find them on the steep side in terms of price, but compared to other brands they are still offering a level of good value in my opinion. I really love their pens, but I do wish they weren't quite so expensive. I also wish Rolex didn't have supply issues and that I could buy an OP for about €1000. That would surely be a fair price, wouldn't it? Well... I can dream!

 

*or a Nakaya, or an ASC, or Montegrappa, or Danitrio, or S T Dupont or however other many brands you care to mention.

[Recursion]

@Uncial I understand where you’re coming from. Thank you for the nuance. And I agree there are many “overpriced” brands out there. It is al a matter of perspective e.g. a budget perspective.
 

My perspective is that a fountain pen is a writing instrument first, for me that means it should be a superb writer (to my personal preference) and should be ergonomically designed with long writing sessions in mind. Than the price comes into play, does if fit in the realms of what I’m willing to pay for a writing instrument an lastly the aesthetics play a role (again to my personal preference). In my opinion a pen is to write with and not an object to look at or show off with. I buy a pen for my own enjoyment not for status or others to enjoy it. 
but that’s just me 🤪

Edited January 10, 2022 by Recursion
Spelling

[Karmachanic]

59 minutes ago, Recursion said:

In my opinion a pen is to write with and not an object to look at

 

Quality build and function is generally, but not always, accompanied by pleasing aesthetics.  Given the choice I'll always go with that which is discreet and pleasing to behold.

[Recursion]

31 minutes ago, Karmachanic said:

Given the choice I'll always go with that which is discreet and pleasing to behold.

Thankfully we are not all alike 😉 

[ralfstc]

HI folks,

 

Interesting that price comes up EVERY time MB (149s in particular) are mentioned. It is certainly true that a 149 at full retail is about 3-4 times the price of a steel-nib Leonardo Pura, and functionally they are the same thing (a piston-filled instrument for putting ink on paper). So, just for fun, I'd like to try to point to what the extra money actually gets you:

 

1. An absolute global classic fountain pen with a continuous 70 year history. There have been some changes, of course, but the model has retained its position in the market for almost 3/4s of a century. Not bad.

2. A pen from a well-established German manufacturer.

3. A huge honking nib weighing about as much as small car and, frankly, lovely in all its iterations.

4. A rock-solid guarantee and repair program, meaning this is a long-term investment and not just a short-term spend.

5. An elegant pen, in the sense of being light and simple. Whatever one thinks of the style (and it is a bit old-fogey, I'm sorry) the engineering is simply outstanding.

6. A very reliable, comfortable and enjoyable writing instrument (for many people and hands).

 

I think when framed like this the value proposition may look little different. In my experience, I think the relationship with a 149 is not the same as with some of my other pens. I have tons of vintage pens, which I have to repair myself because Osmia is taking a while to complete repairs nowadays. And then there are the modern pens, which I do enjoy, but I wonder how long the companies will be around, and what their durability will be. The 149 is a hybrid. It is absolutely a classic German pen, but with a repair department if I need it, and if I fall off my bike and break it, I can get another. It is best of both worlds, just like a 2K and a few others. I like that space.

 

Take care, and best wishes for 2022,

 

Ralf

[Karmachanic]

Makes me want to ink one up!

[MarcoA63]

Exactly!! I also want to ink mine up too 🙂 But I already have 6 inked at the moment and don't want to overdo it hahahaha

I discovered MBs 149 in the 80s and managed to buy a used one in the late 90s

I had a bet with a friend on who was going to get one first. I did !!!

It till works, it still writes as on the first day.

I'd like a Lamborghini but hey, don't have the money hahaha

Marco

[Barry Gabay]

On 1/7/2022 at 6:56 AM, Barry Gabay said:

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. 

Correction!!! My poor eyesight or bad resolution on the screen made the nib appear to be a two-tone 18K: platinum on gold. Now, I can see that it is three-tone: gold-platinum-gold.  That means this  pen was made from approximately 1996-2010. Around 2010, maybe a while after that date, the three-tone nib was no longer marked with 18K, but just 750 Au. 

 

Sorry for my earlier error.   It is one of many.  Have a good day. Stay safe.

[Recursion]

2 minutes ago, Barry Gabay said:

Sorry for my earlier error.

No worries mate 👍

[Recursion]

On 1/10/2022 at 11:30 PM, Karmachanic said:

Makes me want to ink one up!

Mine has been inked up ever since I’ve got it (already refilled it 5 times) and is now my main letter writing pen as it forces me to write a little bit bigger. I have a tiny handwriting and this pen helps the receivers of my letter to read them a little better 😁

[stevo58]

The CEO of IWC, another august Swiss watch manufacturer, said the purchase of a mechanical watch was a purely emotional decision, and by implication that holds for all luxury goods. Any cheap quartz watch/BIC pen fulfills its function perfectly, and it is a mistake as a producer to think otherwise. I’m new to the pen world, but the parallels to the watch world are strong, except that the prices are far higher for watches. Rolex is a good example, as it is perhaps the best-known watch brand, but is is by no means comparable to, say, a Patek or a Lange. They don’t even produce anything really in the “haut horologie” category. But the widespread (i.e., even among the general populace) brand perception is there.  The price of these things is to a large extent irrelevant. 
 

steven

[Uncial]

I'd think it fairly relevant if I was choosing between a €5000 Rolex and a €250,000 Patek. 

 

The BIC comparison or the quartz comparison, while holding an element of truth, doesn't necessarily stand up to scrutiny though. Tactile feel, comfort in use, design aesthetic and personal taste....the list could go on almost indefinitely on why people enjoy a particular thing over something the same that is cheap and does the same thing, but with all the above left out - and thats really the nub of it. In watches the dreaded heritage word comes into it, but I completely get that. It never fails to amaze me that somehow we humans managed to distill a fairly abstract concept and condense an incredibly complex mathematical idea in a tiny little mechanical thing that sits on our wrist and with it we can work out our days, know how long to cook our food, plan meetings, do operations, order entire societies and calculate the burn on a trip to the moon. The quartz came later and just doesnt quite have the same background.

 

Maybe, in the future when rare metals are gone, we'll all look at quart and smart watches with an envious eye and long for one as much as one might drool over the magnificence of a Lange & Sohne today, but until then my little wind ups will fill me with wonder at those who first dared to think about condensing time to sit on my wrist.

[Uncial]

Still wouldn't mind a Rolex on the wrist though, you know - if anyone is needing to offload one....in a kind of 'pay it forward sense'.

 

You can pm me, I'll be totally discrete about it.

[ralfstc]

17 hours ago, Uncial said:

It never fails to amaze me that somehow we humans managed to distill a fairly abstract concept and condense an incredibly complex mathematical idea in a tiny little mechanical thing that sits on our wrist and with it we can work out our days, know how long to cook our food, plan meetings, do operations, order entire societies and calculate the burn on a trip to the moon.

 

Very nicely put! (Love the Omega reference) I use mechanical watches because they are--simply-- amazing. I have a nice one (from an inheritance) but for everyday use I have an automatic Seiko 5 that cost me about $125 (the design has been around since the 1960s, in different forms and styles). It's great.

 

For all our problems and daftness, we are a pretty amazing species sometimes . . . 

 

R.

 

[beamcorp]

On 12/30/2021 at 3:34 PM, Uncial said:

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. It’s 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.

 

On 1/9/2022 at 4:34 AM, Recursion said:

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

True Mont Blanc is always singled out as being overpriced and like you say not very different than the other  luxury brands.

[kazoolaw]

On 1/21/2022 at 12:30 PM, ralfstc said:

 

Very nicely put! (Love the Omega reference) I use mechanical watches because they are--simply-- amazing. I have a nice one (from an inheritance) but for everyday use I have an automatic Seiko 5 that cost me about $125 (the design has been around since the 1960s, in different forms and styles). It's great.

 

For all our problems and daftness, we are a pretty amazing species sometimes . . . 

 

R.

 

And although the technology has been around for digital numbers in place of rotating hands over numbers, most quartz/battery watches still use hands.