Everything you know about the Meisterstuck Solitaire Sterling Silver Pinstripe 146 Le Grande

[fountainpenlov]

I'm obsessed with the vintage Meisterstuck Solitaire Sterling Silver Pinstripe 146 Le Grande. Just for reference, this is the pen:

 

https://penfabrik.com/en/products/montblanc-solitaire-925er-silber-legrand-fullfederhalter

 

I love that it's 92.5% pure silver, very elegant but not gaudy. I just love the understated "dignity" and "grace" of pure silver in such simple design. I've seen many used ones for sale on Ebay, but I just can't muster up the courage to get one. Because they're usually around or upwards of USD1000 and hence I don't know if they're genuine for me to spend that much. 

 

I've looked outside of Ebay, like the above website, but everyone is sold out. 

 

I'm hoping this can be a place to collect everything about this beautiful pen. Both for me to gain enough knowledge to confidently buy one, and also for anyone else who may be interested.

 

Please add any and every little detail. I can think of things like:

 

* Overall weight and comparison with similar sized pens of non-silver material

* Is it solid silver throughout, or is there resin/plastic/other material underneath the silver

* If not solid silver, what is the thickness of the silver

* Photos of internal parts and/or cross-section

* Years of manufacture

* Any signs that a pen listed for sale is genuine

 

Thanks!

Edited yesterday at 03:17 AM by fountainpenlov

[Paul-in-SF]

I don't know the answers to a lot of your questions, but I do own one (at least I hope I do) so I can point out a few things about mine. 

 

These apparently changed in details over the period when they were made. For example, mine has a solid ink window instead of a segmented one (which, I think, makes mine earlier than the one in that photo). 

 

The photos in that listing don't show it for that pen, but mine has a cartouche (an area on the cap where there are no lines and the silver is smooth) designed for engraving of initials or name. 

 

Mine weighs 49.23 grams with some ink in it; my resin 146 (not a LeGrand but the earlier, shorter 146) weights 23.5 grams. So the difference in handing is noticeable.

 

My solitaire may only be a 146 and not a LeGrand, if they had such a designation, because it is the same length as my resin 146 noted above, 142 mm. That may just mean that it was made before 1995, when the resin model was lengthened to 146 mm and designated the LeGrand. I don't know if the same markers work for the silver solitaire as for the regular resin model.

 

I have seen photos of silver solitaires with a barley pattern instead of pinstripes. Those are the only varieties I have seen. 

 

Looking at the cap, the inside is definitely resin/plastic, so it is not "solid" silver. I don't have any way of telling how thick the silver is. Based on the weight, though, I would expect it to be pretty thick. Maybe a chemist/mathematician could work out the percentage of silver to resin in the total pen. 

[fountainpenlov]

18 hours ago, Paul-in-SF said:

I don't know the answers to a lot of your questions, but I do own one (at least I hope I do) so I can point out a few things about mine. 

 

These apparently changed in details over the period when they were made. For example, mine has a solid ink window instead of a segmented one (which, I think, makes mine earlier than the one in that photo). 

 

The photos in that listing don't show it for that pen, but mine has a cartouche (an area on the cap where there are no lines and the silver is smooth) designed for engraving of initials or name. 

 

Mine weighs 49.23 grams with some ink in it; my resin 146 (not a LeGrand but the earlier, shorter 146) weights 23.5 grams. So the difference in handing is noticeable.

 

My solitaire may only be a 146 and not a LeGrand, if they had such a designation, because it is the same length as my resin 146 noted above, 142 mm. That may just mean that it was made before 1995, when the resin model was lengthened to 146 mm and designated the LeGrand. I don't know if the same markers work for the silver solitaire as for the regular resin model.

 

I have seen photos of silver solitaires with a barley pattern instead of pinstripes. Those are the only varieties I have seen. 

 

Looking at the cap, the inside is definitely resin/plastic, so it is not "solid" silver. I don't have any way of telling how thick the silver is. Based on the weight, though, I would expect it to be pretty thick. Maybe a chemist/mathematician could work out the percentage of silver to resin in the total pen. 

 

Thanks for the details! 

 

Too bad they didn't make it silver throughout. That would have been an epic pen. Are there any differences in the materials used for the internal piston mechanism? For comparison, the Visconti Homo Sapiens Bronze Age supposedly has its filling mechanism made of titanium - feels really heavy and solid.

 

How does the silver fare against tarnishing? 

[Paul-in-SF]

4 hours ago, fountainpenlov said:

Too bad they didn't make it silver throughout. That would have been an epic pen.

 

Not, I think, practical. I am not a materials engineer, but a solid silver barrel might deform under the pressure of the vacuum of the piston -- not much, just enough to interfere with the smooth working of the piston, or to engender a leak. I don't think sterling silver is a very strong material. 

 

4 hours ago, fountainpenlov said:

How does the silver fare against tarnishing? 

 

Mine tarnishes, but it takes a while to be noticeable, and a Sunshine cloth sparkles it right up.