Hole In My Solitaire FP Cap

[MichaelSF]

I have a Montblanc Solitaire fountain pen from about 1997. I bought it at a local luggage store located at the Embarcadero Center here in San Francisco. I have never noticed that there is hole in the cap, quite small.

 

Does anyone know what that hole is for? I suspect it is to either prevent a vacuum effect, making the cap easier to remove.

 

Or perhaps it is to allow air to circulate inside the cap so that the environment does not stay moist.

 

Anyone have an experts opinion? I am stunned that a search throughout the Net does not have a single pic of the reverse side of the clip so I can see what other pens have the hole

 

Thanks for the help.

 

[krom101]

Michael, I'm no expert, I just have a small collection of Mont Blanc fountain pens. I just checked every one I have that has a metal cap, (including a similar, but older sterling silver pen), and not one of them has a hole opposite the clip. (BTW, my resin bodied pens don't have one either). Perhaps some more knowledgeable member can inlighten you.

Krom 101

P.S. I envy your photographic skills. Very clear pictures!

Edited July 26, 2008 by krom101

[J English Smith]

A lot of FPs have breather holes but I have not noticed them in MBs as much. And yet, with your purchase pattern, it must be a real MB. I have never noticed if my 146 has a breather hole...I don't think my Noblesse has one.

[MichaelSF]

  J English Smith said:

A lot of FPs have breather holes but I have not noticed them in MBs as much. And yet, with your purchase pattern, it must be a real MB. I have never noticed if my 146 has a breather hole...I don't think my Noblesse has one.

 

Thanks for the response. I paid a lot of money at Edwards Luggage for the many Montblancs I bought at the time.

 

Does anyone know about this exactly? Guess I have to contact Montblanc and investigate this. Anyone have a Solitaire from about 1997 and know what was what back then.

 

I'll contact Montblanc and Edwards Luggage too.

Edited July 26, 2008 by MichaelSF

[MichaelSF]

OK, I e-mailed Montblanc directly and post the Company's response herein:

 

----- Original Message -----

From: "MONTBLANC Customer Service" <service@montblanc.com>

To:

Sent: Monday, July 28, 2008 9:13 AM

Subject: RE:Authenticity of Products

 

 

> Dear Mr.

>

> Thank you for your inquiry and for visiting our website.

>

> You are correct on both counts. The hole is intentional and is used for venting and air flow around the nib which helps prevent condensation from forming inside the cap. Your pen that having the hole in the cap tube is a definite advantage.

>

> I hope this information is of assistance to you. Should you have any further questions, please feel free to contact our Customer Service Department at 800-995-4810 and a Customer Service Representative will be happy to assist you.

>

> Sincerely,

>

> Debbie Reilly

> MONTBLANC North America

> Customer Service

> phone: 800 - 995 4810

> email: service@montblanc.com

> internet: www.montblanc.com

>

> ------------------------------------------------

>

> The official MONTBLANC REFILL SHOP !

>

> The convenient way of ordering refills for Montblanc

> writing instruments, leather and desk accessories.

>

> Online at www.MontblancRefills.com

>

> ------------------------------------------------

 

[yachtsilverswan]

Hey Michael -

 

(scratches shaved head)

 

I have four MB fountain pens, and none have this breather hole. Two of my pens are from well before 1997 - two are from well after 1997. Perhaps this was an experiment that Montblanc tried and abandoned.

 

Wouldn't a breather hole predispose the nib to drying out while the pen is capped? I thought caps were designed to be airtight to keep the nib and feed moist.

 

Does your Solitaire write first time, every time when uncapped after two days? After 7 days? After 30 days? Is French Nib Kissing required to start your pen when first uncapped?

 

If your pen dries out while capped, I would consider temporarily plugging the hole with clay. If plugging the hole fixes the dry nib problem, and if plugging the hole does not produce any unintended and undesired consequences, I would then have a pen repair guy seal the hole from inside the cap (and remove the clay).

 

 

[penparadise]

 

 

Hi Michael,

 

Someone has turned your clip. So if you turn back the clip to it's former position the hole will be covered by the end of the clip.

 

Axel

Edited July 30, 2008 by penparadise

[MichaelSF]

  penparadise said:

Hi Michael,

 

Someone has turned your clip. So if you turn back the clip to it's former position the hole will be covered by the end of the clip.

 

Axel

 

 

DOH.... thanks for the tip. I forgot long ago I had moved it out of the way to look at it and never looked at it as an issue. One should not talk on the phone and tinker with pens at the same time.

 

I wonder how many pen caps now have holes. Look under the clip I guess. :roflmho:

Edited July 31, 2008 by MichaelSF

[Kalessin]

Out in the wide world of fountain pens, many of them have cap holes, especially vintage pens. There are raging debates on the internet as to whether or not vent holes cause pens to leak ink during airplane trips.

 

[MichaelSF]

  Kalessin said:

Out in the wide world of fountain pens, many of them have cap holes, especially vintage pens. There are raging debates on the internet as to whether or not vent holes cause pens to leak ink during airplane trips.

 

 

I did a search on Google for "fountain pen hole" and could not find anything. I should have asked Montblanc if the "breather hole" was a common feature or just something to drive me nuts while spending an hour on the Net looking for an answer.

[krom101]

The only thing I can surely state is that the "Star Walker" I'm using today does not have a hole in the cap.

Krom

[penparadise]

  yachtsilverswan said:

Hey Michael -

I have four MB fountain pens, and none have this breather hole.

  krom101 said:

The only thing I can surely state is that the "Star Walker" I'm using today does not have a hole in the cap.

Krom

 

Have you looked underneath the tip of the clip?!? And did you find the hole? - Yes? No?

If no: Have you tried to suck out the air and does the cap keep the vacuum and sticks on to your lips? - If it doesn't there has to be a hole, somewhere! If it does the hole must be blocked by dried ink or so.

 

Axel

[krom101]

  penparadise said:

  yachtsilverswan said:

Hey Michael -

I have four MB fountain pens, and none have this breather hole.

  krom101 said:

The only thing I can surely state is that the "Star Walker" I'm using today does not have a hole in the cap.

Krom

 

Have you looked underneath the tip of the clip?!? And did you find the hole? - Yes? No?

If no: Have you tried to suck out the air and does the cap keep the vacuum and sticks on to your lips? - If it doesn't there has to be a hole, somewhere! If it does the hole must be blocked by dried ink or so.

 

Axel

Okay Axel, I double checked under the clip. No hole. And I sucked the air out of the cap, (thankfully nobody walked into my office while I was doing so), and there are no leaks. The pen is relatively new, and has experienced no ink leakage. ?

Krom

[PigRatAndGoat]

Ah, searching for this hole is starting to get a little comical. I myself found the hold in my cap a few months ago. It is where Axel said is: right under the clip. When I found mine, it seemed deliberate, so I didn't worry about it. FYI: I have a current production 145.

PRAG

[PigRatAndGoat]

  Kalessin said:

Out in the wide world of fountain pens, many of them have cap holes, especially vintage pens. There are raging debates on the internet as to whether or not vent holes cause pens to leak ink during airplane trips.

 

Good grief! No wonder every thinks fountain pen users are a little nutty! :roflmho:

[Inkquest]

I think the clip is simply at an incorrect orientation for some reason. The hole is typically under the clip. Yep, absolutely normal. My Doue's both have the hole under the clip.

 

As I understand the functionality - the inner cap should make a decent seal with the section. The outer cap is snug to the body. The hole is to provide relief from major vacuum suckage when the cap is removed, and to allow the cap to be removed easily by allowing air to enter.

 

Shine a light inside the cap and you should see the hole just out of reach of the inner cap. Some brands/models use a breather hole, some don't. I would guess all the Meisterstuck models have a hole, but others might not (Boheme, Starwalker, whatever).

 

Blowing through the cap works as well.

 

 

[FredRydr]

  Inkquest said:

The hole is to provide relief from major vacuum suckage....

Ya gotta love this hobby!

 

Fred

[Inkquest]

  FredRydr said:

  Inkquest said:

The hole is to provide relief from major vacuum suckage....

Ya gotta love this hobby!

 

Fred

:ltcapd: :roflmho:

 

Indeed!