Montblanc 149 Caligraphy question

[tunney]

I got a Montblanc 149 Calligraphy years ago. The first one I got railroaded and hard started so it was returned and replaced (based in Europe).

It was my first pen > 50 euro and I didn't really know what I was doing so I probably over flexed it at one stage and one of the tines is occasionally out of line vertically with the other one. Does not seem to affect performance (I think)

 

I was really happy with it until I got more flex pens and I have started to notice that the tines do not spring back as fast as some of my other flex(ish) pens (Pilot 732 FA, Toms Studio Titanium, and more), or maybe it does spring back and the ink is just coming out very wet.

 

Anyways onto my question. If you have one how does your pen work on transitioning from flex to not flexed? Does the line go from wide to fine quickly and easily?

In the attached image you can see that for me it does not return to fine that quickly.

 

I am wondering if the ink is too wet, I think it is a Noodlers ink (I decanted some inks into bottles and forgot what they were).

Paper is an MD Notebook.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

[sav]

I don't think Montblanc has created the flex nib from scratch. It's most likely a modified EF nib, and it just behaves like one.

[dbs]

I have 149 flex, the line width can quickly vary from EF to BB.  Unlike Pelikan m1000 or m1000 PF, the 149 flex's EF line width is very fine and does not require a lot of pressure to write as BB.

 

Yes, it is a hard start, very very picky on the ink. In my memory only Montblanc Elixir Parfumeur Marine can write without any line skip. I tested a lot of inks, only Taccia ink can write without skip for non-Montblanc brand.

 

Your pen issue looks like paper has too much cotton content so EF line spreads out due to wet ink. Try Clairefontaine paper, such as Rhodia (new), or Hamline French made notebook to see if line width reduces

[tunney]

On 11/8/2024 at 7:36 PM, dbs said:

I have 149 flex, the line width can quickly vary from EF to BB.  Unlike Pelikan m1000 or m1000 PF, the 149 flex's EF line width is very fine and does not require a lot of pressure to write as BB.

 

Yes, it is a hard start, very very picky on the ink. In my memory only Montblanc Elixir Parfumeur Marine can write without any line skip. I tested a lot of inks, only Taccia ink can write without skip for non-Montblanc brand.

 

Your pen issue looks like paper has too much cotton content so EF line spreads out due to wet ink. Try Clairefontaine paper, such as Rhodia (new), or Hamline French made notebook to see if line width reduces

Thanks, I appreciate the detailed response. 

[DimitriDiak]

Are you referring to the 149 Calligraphy Flexible a special edition released in 2019 (a limited production release) or a vintage 149 with a flexible nib?  It might help to see your pen and also to see the writing of it as compared to the one that you like on the same paper (and ink) if possible?  

 

Other than the special edition release, Montblanc hasn’t made flexible nibs for many years but I have many vintage MB flexible nibs and they all vary to some degree, especially spring back.