Montblanc Meisterstück 149 The Origin, a mini-review

[fpupulin]

With all that has been written about the Montblanc Meisterstück 149, literally rivers of words, there is not much more to add to review The Origin model, launched last year to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Meisterstück.

 

The pen itself is a typical 149, with its large nib, but it is equipped with a metal filler cone, which is new to this model. This makes the pen slightly more balanced at the back, but in practice it is a difference that is almost imperceptible. I had initially thought that the metal end was superfluous, but since I use several of my 149s inserted in their dedicated pen stands, the metal end cap allows me to immediately recognize which among them is the 149 with the broad nib. This is now a detail that I appreciate. Furthermore, it must be said, that, as in the few other Limited or Special Edition pens that I own in the 139/149 format, the piston movement of the Origin is particularly smooth and pleasant to operate, when compared to other 149s in “regular” edition.

 

Montblanc has opted, for the 149 The Origin, for rhodium-plated metallic finishes, which for me was a novelty, because my other 149s are, without exception, in gold trim, which I prefer.

 

The nib - in my case replaced free of charge with a broad, B - is also rhodium-plated and bears the number “100” and the two dates “1924” and “2024”. It is not a bad nib, also thanks to its considerable size, but for the hundredth anniversary I would have expected the engraving of a more evocative motif. In itself, the B nib delivers a line that is a bit too wide in my opinion, and reading Montblanc literature I noticed that, in fact, the difference in width of the tip between a B and a BB is minimal, while there is a notable leap from M to B. I think Montblanc would do better to reduce the width of its broad nib a little, making it more suitable for everyday writing, to reserve the “magnificent” stroke for the action of the double broad. The nib writes well, but given the significant width of the stroke, I would have opted for a wetter flow, which would be better suited to fast writing.

 

The pen’s major innovations are concentrated in the cap. This features the three rings typical of the Meisterstück line, rhodium-plated, but inserted in a slightly marbled plastic. I insist on the term “lightly”, because I have had 4 pens of this model in my hands and, although they all differ in marbling - which is individual for each pen -, the result is always light and elegant, far from the “messy marbling”, like candy canes, that have been seen on many pens in recent years and that, personally, I abhor. On one side of the cap is engraved, and filled in with white, the writing “4810 / Montblanc Meisterstück”, which uses the same font and decorations as the first pen of the house that bore this name, in 1924. It is a detail of historical interest and faithfulness to the history of the house that I appreciated very much.

 

The top of the cap, above the clip ring, is also metallic, fortunately without any engraving, and is finally surmounted by the six-pointed star of Montblanc, on a black acrylic background. Overall, although it does not go unnoticed, the decoration of the cap remains in my opinion within the margins of an acceptable sobriety.

 

Even more unusual for the Meisterstück series is the clip, which instead of the typical “tie” motif, uses a bridge shape that ends in a small sphere. It reminds me a lot of the clip of the Aurora pens of the 88 series, which I have always found a bit childish, but according to the Hamburg company it is taken from a historical model from their archives. I do not prefer it to the tie clip, but I have visually become accustomed to the new clip, which makes this 149 different and a bit special compared to the others, as perhaps was right for a celebratory model.

 

For those who still manage to get their hands on this pen, the doubt remains whether the variations I have listed are worth the price difference - about 300 Euros - compared to a standard 149. I think so, due to the uniqueness of the stylistic solutions adopted by Montblanc and the relative “rarity” of this writing instrument, which I believe allows it to be resold - if it is not liked - more easily.

 

I will end with a photograph of my 149 The Origin in action, with its B nib and MB Midnight Blue ink on Ingres paper from Fabriano.

 

 

 

“Even a single hair has its shadow”. This is what Publius Syrus, author of a famous book of Sententiae, wrote in the 1st century BC, to remind us how even the most insignificant things at first glance actually have their importance. Looking carefully, you can see in the photograph, just above the flourish of the initial letter E, one of my hairs with its shadow.

[eciton]

Very thorough and elegant review, thank you.

[Higa]

Yes, brief but interesting. Thanks for the pictures too!

[Inked]

Hello

 

Great review and writing sample.

Together they say it all.

Also very nice ink & paper.

 

Thank you for bringing my attention to the light marbling.

It is very light indeed, as I had never noticed it before.

 

Inked