It’s That Time Of Year Again (spoiler alert)

[Seney724]

  On 3/20/2025 at 5:04 PM, JCC123 said:

This is a well known issue, as well as the rose gold plating being flaky when they first introduced the color. This is also why I haven't bought any of their newly introduced pens in the past 5-10 years as they have a lot of silver plating on them, especially the areas where you're going to get a lot of wear, the grip section and piston knob. I don't have any faith that these silver plated areas will stand the test of time. I'll just stick to resin thank you.

 

There are four positive attributes about resin that makes me favor it over the metal platings. One, they're not heavy. Two, they won't wear off. Three, cheaper. Four, warmer to the touch. So long as Montblanc continues to sell these shiny jewelry, I won't be buying. I've been buying lots of 1960's 149s lately just based on their rarity, lightness due to a friction fit plunger mechanism, and balance and overall ease of use. The newer pens are getting heavier and heavier which distracts from what these things are intended to do, write well.

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@JCC123  May I ask if you "service" your own 1960's 149s? 

If yes, what tips can you offer for the successful extraction of the friction fit piston?

Thanks.

[Uncial]

Well, count me disappointed. I loved the first two 80 Days pens, but this just feels like a lazy repeat of the first.

[CBK]

  On 3/20/2025 at 11:47 PM, Uncial said:

Well, count me disappointed. I loved the first two 80 Days pens, but this just feels like a lazy repeat of the first.

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@Uncial I understand, I love the blue/metal color palette so I’m thrilled.  If you want something different, you can always go for the LE 811 version…

 

[JCC123]

  On 3/20/2025 at 5:51 PM, Seney724 said:

@JCC123  May I ask if you "service" your own 1960's 149s? 

If yes, what tips can you offer for the successful extraction of the friction fit piston?

Thanks.

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Funny you should ask but I just bought a couple that I’m going to try on. The plan is to soak the pen for a few days, then remove the nib/collar. Heat the back of the pen with hot water and use a stick to push the plunger out from the front.

[NoType]

  On 3/21/2025 at 12:16 AM, CBK said:

@Uncial I understand, I love the blue/metal color palette so I’m thrilled.  If you want something different, you can always go for the LE 811 version…

 

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@CBK This version’s palette seems more polarising than the previous two, with more people stating strong opinions.  

 

Thank you very much for including this page for the Solitaire Limited Edition 811, as here I have finally found an answer to a two-year-old mystery: the significance of the limitation number 811.  

 

The page also shows a slightly different cap engraving design, which I happen to like more than the design below, which I had seem earlier:

[Seney724]

  On 3/21/2025 at 1:10 AM, JCC123 said:

Funny you should ask but I just bought a couple that I’m going to try on. The plan is to soak the pen for a few days, then remove the nib/collar. Heat the back of the pen with hot water and use a stick to push the plunger out from the front.

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Sounds good @JCC123.  Please let us know how you make out with the work .......and also  what you have learned along the way.

Any photos would, of course, make your report even better!

Good luck!

[JCC123]

  On 3/21/2025 at 9:16 AM, Seney724 said:

Sounds good @JCC123.  Please let us know how you make out with the work .......and also  what you have learned along the way.

Any photos would, of course, make your report even better!

Good luck!

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Will do, not sure I'll remember it's this thread...🙂

 

BTW, @Seney724, I found an old thread which talks about how to remove the piston end here: 

 

And another thread here with an exchange between Michael and Ron on how they go about it. I'm going to follow similar steps by going in the front, removing the nib section, and pushing with a stick. 

 

[Seney724]

Thanks so much @JCC123.

Good luck!

[CBK]

 

I went in to the Boutique to take a look at the Renoir.  It’s beautiful in person…now to start saving 😂.

[NoType]

  On 3/22/2025 at 9:03 PM, CBK said:

 

I went in to the Boutique to take a look at the Renoir.  It’s beautiful in person…now to start saving 😂.

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@CBK Thank you very much for this, the first live photograph I have seen of the Pierre-Auguste Renoir 4810.  The warm yellow colourway, with complementary blues, is quite fetching.

[THEByleDuct]

  On 3/20/2025 at 3:14 PM, NoType said:

@CBK Thank you very much for this link.  

 

I was surprised and slightly disappointed to see Montblanc state that this is “the third and final special edition of the collection.”  There are four card suits and thus I had expected four editions (Spades for Edition 1, London to Bombay; Diamonds for Edition 2, Bombay to Yokohama; Hearts for this Edition 3, Yokohama to London; and Clubs for Edition 4, In London).

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Likewise. They've just skipped the Bombay to Yokohama leg completely.  I have both Year 1 and Year 2 in the Solitaire Doué Classique, but this leaves me disappointed. I was hoping for a burgundy somewhere in the mix as well so reverting to blue is pretty meh.

[digitorum- Leonardo_W]

Adding to the Ruthenium costin part of this conversation, I think not all ruthenium coatings are made equal, maybe the process changed in-between, but here is my Starwalker Ultimate Carbon with ruthenium finish bought new in 2016 (and it might have been sitting at the store for couple of years before that), even on the threads there is no loss of coating. 
 

 

[JCC123]

One thing that never seems to go away is the fact that all plated metals near the nib aways tarnishes, erodes and rots after time. It doesn't matter if it's Montblanc, Pelikan or Omas. All of them do not stand the test of time. I can't really say that any of them, that I've seen, that have been used frequently, don't have damage at some point 20-30-40-50+ years out. Inks and moisture will eventually do this to it (look below at the picture)....it's one reason I avoid it like the plague because it is...

 

[CBK]

  On 3/24/2025 at 5:54 AM, THEByleDuct said:

Likewise. They've just skipped the Bombay to Yokohama leg completely.  I have both Year 1 and Year 2 in the Solitaire Doué Classique, but this leaves me disappointed. I was hoping for a burgundy somewhere in the mix as well so reverting to blue is pretty meh.

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The Volume 2 pen was Bombay to Yokohama.  I had heard rumors that Volume 3 was originally supposed to be Yokohama to San Francisco, and a (now defunct) Volume 4 would have been San Francisco to London.  Who knows if that is true though 🤷🏻‍♂️

[THEByleDuct]

  On 3/25/2025 at 3:07 AM, CBK said:

The Volume 2 pen was Bombay to Yokohama.  I had heard rumors that Volume 3 was originally supposed to be Yokohama to San Francisco, and a (now defunct) Volume 4 would have been San Francisco to London.  Who knows if that is true though 🤷🏻‍♂️

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Ahhh true - that's what happens when I'm mad and working a night shift - I get my legs mixed up. Still mad that they seem to have dropped the ball on the series.

[CS388]

  On 3/25/2025 at 2:32 AM, JCC123 said:

One thing that never seems to go away is the fact that all plated metals near the nib aways tarnishes, erodes and rots after time. It doesn't matter if it's Montblanc, Pelikan or Omas. All of them do not stand the test of time. I can't really say that any of them, that I've seen, that have been used frequently, don't have damage at some point 20-30-40-50+ years out. Inks and moisture will eventually do this to it (look below at the picture)....it's one reason I avoid it like the plague because it is...

 

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Yes, a very common problem on the 144/145 resin pens (with metal collar).

 

But, we must bear in mind that these pens were intended for cartridge use, which means the pen would never be dipped into a bottle of ink.

Of course, many of us fitted converters into these pens and used them as regular fountain pens, dipping them in the bottle to fill them - and I would imagine that this contributed to the corrosion of the collar ring.

 

I've had a few corroded rings, over the years - it's never bothered me much (although I did find a source of replacement collars, some years ago and actually bought a couple and fitted them). I can't remember the seller. I bought them on ebay and I don't think they were genuine Montblanc parts?

 

Unless I'm mistaken, the most recent 145's now have plastic collars?

[JCC123]

  On 3/30/2025 at 11:31 PM, CS388 said:

Unless I'm mistaken, the most recent 145's now have plastic collars?

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Correct, they have the same collars as their big brothers. 

[ak47]

On the collector preview site montblanc has released the new  WE!

[Seney724]

  On 4/1/2025 at 2:19 PM, ak47 said:

On the collector preview site montblanc has released the new  WE!

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Thanks for the head's up.

Would you be able to post the link?

[ak47]

Here is it.

https://collectorspreview.com/goethe