new pen Montblanc 149 or Dupont Orpheo?

[tesla]

Here is a tough decision for me, so dear friends, need your thoughts!

Have been pondering for a new fountain pen, quite a while actually and its down to these two. I already have a 146 Montblanc for over 15 years and has been quite reliable. Yes it did leak quite a lot, and switching inks from Montblanc black to things like Aurora black or Waterman black stopped all problems, even after Montblanc had it several times!

So here goes, the Dupont would be the large Orpheo, Black with gold trim. It is gorgeous and writes well, few ever complain about them here. I understand that Dupont had a major fire and things aren't that good for service, no distributor now in US? The pen shop highly recommends this over the Montblanc. Hmmmm?

The 149, the classic appears to be the pen others are judged by. Will it be different from my 146? As I read, and really have,

everyone prefers the older models to the current ones,

By the way, sadly I lost my matching Montblanc ballpoint recently. Not wanting to spend a fortune (small) I discovered the Parker Sonnett ballpen in the black with gold trim lacque. I really is quite nice for only about 55.00 dollars.

So dear friends which would you prefer? Thanks!!

[goodguy]

Here is a tough decision for me, so dear friends, need your thoughts!

Have been pondering for a new fountain pen, quite a while actually and its down to these two. I already have a 146 Montblanc for over 15 years and has been quite reliable. Yes it did leak quite a lot, and switching inks from Montblanc black to things like Aurora black or Waterman black stopped all problems, even after Montblanc had it several times!

So here goes, the Dupont would be the large Orpheo, Black with gold trim. It is gorgeous and writes well, few ever complain about them here. I understand that Dupont had a major fire and things aren't that good for service, no distributor now in US? The pen shop highly recommends this over the Montblanc. Hmmmm?

The 149, the classic appears to be the pen others are judged by. Will it be different from my 146? As I read, and really have,

everyone prefers the older models to the current ones,

By the way, sadly I lost my matching Montblanc ballpoint recently. Not wanting to spend a fortune (small) I discovered the Parker Sonnett ballpen in the black with gold trim lacque. I really is quite nice for only about 55.00 dollars.

So dear friends which would you prefer? Thanks!!

I need to first say I am a MB fan.

After saying that my obvious reply will be the 149.

Why ?

1.Even though its a big pen it will much lighter then the metal body of the Dupont Orpheo.

2.It has a piston filler which menas it much classier and takes much more ink then a C/C filler.

3.I believe in case you ever decide to sell it the resale value of the 149 will be much better.

 

FYI-I own the 146 and 149 and the writing experience is different between the 2 pens.

 

In any case these are 2 wonderful pens and you cant go wrong with either one.

Edited July 6, 2008 by goodguy

[yachtsilverswan]

Hey Tesla -

 

I really like the larger girth of the MB 149. Though I have medium hands (men's size 7.5 glove), I find smaller pens crowd my fingers on the section and prevent me from relaxing in the grip. The MB 149 with its larger feed and larger nib writes a wetter line than the 146 (I have both). The leaks you suffered with your 146 may have been caused by a lack of maintenance. Montblancs require overnight soaking at least monthly to prevent flow blockages and the resulting leaks and skips.

 

Duponts are well made with good materials. I don't own an Orpheo, so I cannot comment on performance. But I like the looks of the Charcoal Gray Lacquer Orpheo with the platinum top. And the Orpheo is half the price of the 149.

 

My advice: if you like the size of the MB 146 you already own, then buy the Orpheo for something a bit different. But if your fingers seem crowded on the grip of the MB 146, then treat yourself to Montblanc's flagship pen for the past fifty years - the 149.

[Maine Vintner]

I also own a 146, 149, and large Orpheo, Black & Gold trim (Note: I also have the smaller Orpheo). Goodguy's analysis mirrors my own experience - both are great pens. The 149 has the cache, light weight, and piston filler; the Orpheo has a fabulous nib and outstanding lacquer. For me personally the weight, feel, and emotional appeal of the 149 carries the day. I also don't like to post my pens and I found writing with the Orpheo less comfortable un-posted (the balance was off).

 

On a sub-note, the 146 is my daily writer; I love the 149 for special occasions. As for the Orpheo, if you really want to consider a Dupont, look at the smaller version. I like the feel and balance with the cap posted and you still get the fabulous nib and great lacquer.

 

I hope this helps. All four pens are great. Personal preference will be the deciding factor.

 

Here is a tough decision for me, so dear friends, need your thoughts!

Have been pondering for a new fountain pen, quite a while actually and its down to these two. I already have a 146 Montblanc for over 15 years and has been quite reliable. Yes it did leak quite a lot, and switching inks from Montblanc black to things like Aurora black or Waterman black stopped all problems, even after Montblanc had it several times!

So here goes, the Dupont would be the large Orpheo, Black with gold trim. It is gorgeous and writes well, few ever complain about them here. I understand that Dupont had a major fire and things aren't that good for service, no distributor now in US? The pen shop highly recommends this over the Montblanc. Hmmmm?

The 149, the classic appears to be the pen others are judged by. Will it be different from my 146? As I read, and really have,

everyone prefers the older models to the current ones,

By the way, sadly I lost my matching Montblanc ballpoint recently. Not wanting to spend a fortune (small) I discovered the Parker Sonnett ballpen in the black with gold trim lacque. I really is quite nice for only about 55.00 dollars.

So dear friends which would you prefer? Thanks!!

 

[georges zaslavsky]

Owning two 146s and three 149s, they are among my best made writers never had a single problem with them. The nibs on them are first class and quality nibs. Get a 149, I would be my advice.

[CharlieB]

Time for some clarification. There are two sizes of the Orpheo: large and medium. The large is slightly smaller than a Montblanc 149, but considerably heavier. The medium is slightly smaller than a Montblanc 146, but considerably heavier. It would not be appropriate to compare the medium Orpheo to a Montblanc 149 in terms of price, as they are two different size pens. The large Orpheo is every bit as expensive as the Montblanc 149. I consider the Orpheo to be the better pen. For the record, I own (and like) a 149, a 146, several large Orpheos, and a small Orpheo.

 

p.s. The gray Orpheo mentioned above comes only in the medium size, not the large size.

Edited July 6, 2008 by CharlieB

[torstar]

You have a 146,

 

it's time to spend a little more, research it thoroughly and get a LE MB in a reasonable range...

 

Some WE's deservedly didn't skyrocket in value, and are great workhorse pens, better than a 149 (as you already have a plain-old...) 

 

It will probably be a spiced-up 146, but worth it.

 

 

[mke]

On 7/6/2008 at 10:37 AM, tesla said:

everyone prefers the older models to the current ones

I know some people who prefer the newer models over the old ones. So, it could be one of these self-propagating hypes but ...

 

Yesterday, I went to the Montblanc store at Ginza, Tokyo to find out if my 1980s 149 has an F or an EF nib.

At that time, they showed me the 100th anniversary 149. It really feels different compared to my old one. I have to admit I like the old pen feeling much better. 

 

Actually, when you buy another brand be aware that the writing might be so different that you even get buyer's remorse - even if the pens looks really good. Happened to me. Also, the pen shape might be influencing your like or no-like a lot. Example: I dislike the Pilot Custom 74 / 845 / Urushi (despite all having great nibs) but like the Sailor 1911L/KoP and the Pilot 743.

 

Also, the MB149 is quite a "bit" larger than the MB146 - you might like but you also might not like it.

 

My advice: if you are located in a country with penshows, go there and try many pens.

 

[torstar]

11 hours ago, mke said:

I know some people who prefer the newer models over the old ones. So, it could be one of these self-propagating hypes but ...

 

Yesterday, I went to the Montblanc store at Ginza, Tokyo to find out if my 1980s 149 has an F or an EF nib.

At that time, they showed me the 100th anniversary 149. It really feels different compared to my old one. I have to admit I like the old pen feeling much better. 

 

Actually, when you buy another brand be aware that the writing might be so different that you even get buyer's remorse - even if the pens looks really good. Happened to me. Also, the pen shape might be influencing your like or no-like a lot. Example: I dislike the Pilot Custom 74 / 845 / Urushi (despite all having great nibs) but like the Sailor 1911L/KoP and the Pilot 743.

 

Also, the MB149 is quite a "bit" larger than the MB146 - you might like but you also might not like it.

 

My advice: if you are located in a country with penshows, go there and try many pens.

 

 

Remorse lasts for a minute, there's a dozen others fine instruments in the basket to use, and then I return to that one again on a whim and love it, till it's time to change the rotation.