Excellent review. The size is comfortable as you mentioned. I have a 146 in "oblique broad"...just to offset the "boring black pen" factor and it's a pleasure to write. Soft, buttery, swirly and loopy with randomly scattered line variation.
Mike: The 4810 marking on the nib of the pen is the height in meters of the Mont Blanc mountain in Western Europe. The white cap splotch represents snow on the top of the mountain.
Hey Joe! I hope you're well. Thanks for the info on the number. I should have thought it was something like that. The Platinum 3776 is named that way, too.
I possess a couple of them, one is a "normal", and the other is a part of a pair called "Wedding Pen Set" with a thick ring on both of them. The 146 you have there is pretty old, one-tone nibs are at least 30 years old, and ink windows without stripes are at least 10 or 20 more years. As far as I know you 149 must be from 1989 or older.
I bought my 146 brand new from a boutique for about $700-$800 two years ago. I went in to see about the 149 but came out with the 146. The balance is just right in my hand unposted. I got mine in oblique and when I did the testing, I immediately wanted it. I've haven't used it much in the two years I've owned it now since there were a lot of other pens I wanted to try as well. Now I'm at a slow down period and looking back at my pens a few nights back, I took out the 146, filled it with ink and I haven't stopped writing with it since. It became a favourite of mine all over again and I much prefer this over my 145. Really enjoyed this review of this pen.
Many will laugh, but I speak from personal experience. A piston filler Meisterstuck is a great investment if you are young. I got a 149 in 1974 for $75, the going price then. I did not buy another fountain pen for 20 years. I wrote for hours every day, only filled it twice a week. I was so naive that I did not regard it as a status symbol, bur rather a large capacity writing tool. I got it because I had gone through 3 Cross Solos a year, at $5 or so a clip. The 146 is smaller, but I need a big pen to be comfortable. The downside: you can't buy yourself 20 or 30 Chinese pens at $40 per. Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer choices.chances.
I have a 144 and I’m trying my damned hardest to win either a 146 or a 149 on eBay. I was thinking of using the bigger pen to sign things but I don’t really sign a lot of documents or use checks so now I’m thinking, if I can get either piston filler, should I use the 144 with it’s converter to fill it with permanent ink from Montblanc to sign what few things I sign and use the piston filler as a daily writer?
I got a good price on a vintage one of those a few months ago; it's a good pen, it feels like it ought to be an heirloom (too bad there's no-one in my family who's interested). I'd like it better if it weren't a very broad Broad, I think I'll have to get it ground way down at some point. I don't think I would like a 149, it looks too big, just like I prefer the M800 to the M1000. Except for the large nib, that is cool, but it's no good if it's not comfortable to hold.
I bought a new 146 in October and it's my first Montblanc. I felt that I just had to add one to my collection and I'm quite pleased with it. I was surprised by the amount of feedback from such an expensive pen since the medium nib looked perfect under magnification, but a bit of smoothing easily fixed that. It's not much changed from that vintage version other than the design on the nib. The resin isn't exactly black, but more of a black cherry which can be seen if you shine a bright light into the cap, and I can even tell it under ambient LED lighting sometimes. It really does seem to be a pen you could use for a lifetime, although I think the Pelikan M800 feels just a little more ergonomic to me.
I like the longer nib on the Pelikan, but I think the MB is more comfortable to hold. The threads on the Pelikan are a little aggressive and they're right by my fingers, so I give the MB the edge.
I bought a second hand ‘F’: writes quite broad for a fine but that two tone nib is a thing of beauty and the brass piston mechanism feels indestructible! - don’t regret the purchase but definitely would not buy one new:)
As much as I loathe the traditional black and gold trim for pens, I did want to try the 146. I bought the 146 in the red gold, and I will say that it truly is a joy to write with and cleans out quick and easy.
Just watch your video and compare my vintage 146 with the one you use in the video. No serial number on the clip, just W. GERMANY inscribed. The nib is all one color in gold with 4810, 14K, MONTBLANC,585 inscribed. It writes extremely smooth and this pen is one of my favorite in my collection. Wish there is a way to tell the year of manufactured using some tell tale information on the pen.
Mike I enjoy your pen show videos a lot particularly because of your sociable outgoing demeanour with other people at the show and ofcourse the enthusing of pens and inks ...here I agree with you MONTBLANC is awesome ... Alas we don't have 'pen shows' in this part 😕 of the world... attending a pen show is on my 🪣 list
I got a 146 vintage with M nib. The problem I'm facing is drying out while writing. I tried flushing with pen flush and water and changed inks. The pen writes fine for half a page or sometimes a full A5 paper and suddenly it stops. If I push the piston and prime the feed then again it will write an A5 or half and there it stops again. No nib misalignment too
Send your pen to montblanc and they will completely repair/refurbish your pen. I have had several of my Montblanc’s worked on over the past 30 years. They come back looking brand new and more importantly writing like it should.
I adore my 70's 146! I got it for $250, making it the most money I've spent on a pen, but I adore it and agree with everything you've said. Mine is a medium nib that was tuned by Kirk Speer of Penrealm, and lemme tell ya it's a WET writer! Writes more like a broad most of the time; if I'm using some wetter inks, it'll even bleed through Clairefontaine which is honestly an achievement. Anyway, as always- great video, I love your stuff!
I dunno, I still think it's maybe a combination of "good" and "hype". Yes, it has a gold nib (14k, not 18 or 21), yes it's a piston fill but I find the nibs write on the broad side regardless of tip. I think it has a lot of competition when you argue "value" -- and that's where it falls short. Maybe, maybe, maybe if I find one in good condition for a good price I'd add one to my collection but honestly probably not.
Thanks for the review! From my experience, you got it exactly right! Great writers, well made, feels like quality, boring black looking, and the snowflake makes me feel a little self conscious like a poser whenever I carry it...
Yeah, Montblanc is kinda the Rolex of pens. Very nice pens, high quality, and many people who do like pens use them. But there is also a large portion of people who buy it for the status, making you kinda feel like them even if you aren't.
@@123four... but what is wrong if it has the status element to it .... MERCEDES, Rolls Royce BMW have status too for surly Accord has amazing comfort compared to a merc but hands down you will want a merc... I love MONTBLANC Misterstuck for its elegant black and gold and the status it exudes though Nobody knows about it where I live 😉
Yes. That is correct. Only if you screw it on really really tight it is gone, but you don’t want that. Must say I’m not bothered with it. I don’t play around with the cap. But I can understand, regarding the price of a new pen, this is indeed a major flaw for a Meisterstuck.
i bought my 146 last week, and I found a ringed scratch where the Cap meets the body. i send a email to montblanc customer service and they told me this is normal. May i ask do u have this issue as well?
I suppose that can happen with long-term capping and uncapping, but I can't check the 146 that was used in this video. It wasn't mine, and I sent it back to my friend.
On the topic of posting, although you physically can do it, Montblanc does NOT recommend doing it as it can and likely will cause damage to the body over time.
@@inkdependence it can also cause a ring to form around the end of the pen where the cap is pressing against the body. Do what you want with your pens, but I personally like to take care of my Montblanc pens like they’re jewelry. You wouldn’t purposely smack a diamond ring into a wall as you pass by it, so why abuse your luxury pens by going against the manufacturer recommendations for care of your pens?
Indenting the precious resin seems like a really drastic result from posting a pen while writing with it. If they say it can happen then I believe them, but they should maybe look into a sturdier material if it can dent itself under the weight of its own cap. I don't post mine (which I bought after sending this one back to my friend), but thanks for the info.
Excellent review.
The size is comfortable as you mentioned.
I have a 146 in "oblique broad"...just to offset the "boring black pen" factor and it's a pleasure to write.
Soft, buttery, swirly and loopy with randomly scattered line variation.
Mike: The 4810 marking on the nib of the pen is the height in meters of the Mont Blanc mountain in Western Europe. The white cap splotch represents snow on the top of the mountain.
And where the 3776 comes in, Platinum's homage to MB, Mt. Fuji being 3776 meters to peak.
Hey Joe! I hope you're well. Thanks for the info on the number. I should have thought it was something like that. The Platinum 3776 is named that way, too.
I possess a couple of them, one is a "normal", and the other is a part of a pair called "Wedding Pen Set" with a thick ring on both of them.
The 146 you have there is pretty old, one-tone nibs are at least 30 years old, and ink windows without stripes are at least 10 or 20 more years. As far as I know you 149 must be from 1989 or older.
This was a friend's and I think she said it was from the 1970s, if I recall correctly.
I bought my 146 brand new from a boutique for about $700-$800 two years ago. I went in to see about the 149 but came out with the 146. The balance is just right in my hand unposted. I got mine in oblique and when I did the testing, I immediately wanted it. I've haven't used it much in the two years I've owned it now since there were a lot of other pens I wanted to try as well. Now I'm at a slow down period and looking back at my pens a few nights back, I took out the 146, filled it with ink and I haven't stopped writing with it since. It became a favourite of mine all over again and I much prefer this over my 145. Really enjoyed this review of this pen.
Thanks! I still haven't bought myself a 146 or a 149, but I always keep my eye out for them.
Does yours have 146 written on the cap band or Pix?
@@soslan1812 On the cap band it's engraved "Montblanc Meisterstück - Pix -"
Many will laugh, but I speak from personal experience. A piston filler Meisterstuck is a great investment if you are young. I got a 149 in 1974 for $75, the going price then. I did not buy another fountain pen for 20 years. I wrote for hours every day, only filled it twice a week. I was so naive that I did not regard it as a status symbol, bur rather a large capacity writing tool. I got it because I had gone through 3 Cross Solos a year, at $5 or so a clip. The 146 is smaller, but I need a big pen to be comfortable. The downside: you can't buy yourself 20 or 30 Chinese pens at $40 per. Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer choices.chances.
I have a 144 and I’m trying my damned hardest to win either a 146 or a 149 on eBay. I was thinking of using the bigger pen to sign things but I don’t really sign a lot of documents or use checks so now I’m thinking, if I can get either piston filler, should I use the 144 with it’s converter to fill it with permanent ink from Montblanc to sign what few things I sign and use the piston filler as a daily writer?
I got a good price on a vintage one of those a few months ago; it's a good pen, it feels like it ought to be an heirloom (too bad there's no-one in my family who's interested). I'd like it better if it weren't a very broad Broad, I think I'll have to get it ground way down at some point. I don't think I would like a 149, it looks too big, just like I prefer the M800 to the M1000. Except for the large nib, that is cool, but it's no good if it's not comfortable to hold.
MB does some really great nibs at the broad end, I've heard. A friend just got a BBB and it looks amazing. Some pens are just made to write BIG. :-D
I bought a new 146 in October and it's my first Montblanc. I felt that I just had to add one to my collection and I'm quite pleased with it. I was surprised by the amount of feedback from such an expensive pen since the medium nib looked perfect under magnification, but a bit of smoothing easily fixed that. It's not much changed from that vintage version other than the design on the nib. The resin isn't exactly black, but more of a black cherry which can be seen if you shine a bright light into the cap, and I can even tell it under ambient LED lighting sometimes. It really does seem to be a pen you could use for a lifetime, although I think the Pelikan M800 feels just a little more ergonomic to me.
I like the longer nib on the Pelikan, but I think the MB is more comfortable to hold. The threads on the Pelikan are a little aggressive and they're right by my fingers, so I give the MB the edge.
@@inkdependence
It's hard to go wrong with either pen; gotta give it to the Germans.
I bought a second hand ‘F’: writes quite broad for a fine but that two tone nib is a thing of beauty and the brass piston mechanism feels indestructible! - don’t regret the purchase but definitely would not buy one new:)
As much as I loathe the traditional black and gold trim for pens, I did want to try the 146. I bought the 146 in the red gold, and I will say that it truly is a joy to write with and cleans out quick and easy.
I wouldn't say that I loathe the color scheme, but I'll totally admit that it's not something that generally draws me to a pen.
Same thing for me. I just got the platinum version instead 🤷♂️
Nice video! May I ask what model is the orange Sailor first one on the left of your collection?
Just watch your video and compare my vintage 146 with the one you use in the video. No serial number on the clip, just W. GERMANY inscribed. The nib is all one color in gold with 4810, 14K, MONTBLANC,585 inscribed. It writes extremely smooth and this pen is one of my favorite in my collection. Wish there is a way to tell the year of manufactured using some tell tale information on the pen.
Well ones with a clear windows are older, maybe pre 90’s. My 149 with windows I bought around the year 95’.
Mike I enjoy your pen show videos a lot particularly because of your sociable outgoing demeanour with other people at the show and ofcourse the enthusing of pens and inks ...here I agree with you MONTBLANC is awesome ...
Alas we don't have 'pen shows' in this part 😕 of the world... attending a pen show is on my 🪣 list
Thanks! We're having our first pen show since 2019 this weekend, so watch this channel for a live walk through video on Friday.
I got a 146 vintage with M nib. The problem I'm facing is drying out while writing. I tried flushing with pen flush and water and changed inks. The pen writes fine for half a page or sometimes a full A5 paper and suddenly it stops. If I push the piston and prime the feed then again it will write an A5 or half and there it stops again. No nib misalignment too
I wish I could help you with that, but I'm not the right person.
Send your pen to montblanc and they will completely repair/refurbish your pen. I have had several of my Montblanc’s worked on over the past 30 years. They come back looking brand new and more importantly writing like it should.
@@acesplowingwhat’s the cost on that typically?
I adore my 70's 146! I got it for $250, making it the most money I've spent on a pen, but I adore it and agree with everything you've said. Mine is a medium nib that was tuned by Kirk Speer of Penrealm, and lemme tell ya it's a WET writer! Writes more like a broad most of the time; if I'm using some wetter inks, it'll even bleed through Clairefontaine which is honestly an achievement. Anyway, as always- great video, I love your stuff!
Thanks! That does seem like a good buy.
I dunno, I still think it's maybe a combination of "good" and "hype". Yes, it has a gold nib (14k, not 18 or 21), yes it's a piston fill but I find the nibs write on the broad side regardless of tip. I think it has a lot of competition when you argue "value" -- and that's where it falls short. Maybe, maybe, maybe if I find one in good condition for a good price I'd add one to my collection but honestly probably not.
Totally get it. I've only used a few MBs, and this nib has been my favorite of them.
Thanks for the review! From my experience, you got it exactly right! Great writers, well made, feels like quality, boring black looking, and the snowflake makes me feel a little self conscious like a poser whenever I carry it...
Yeah, Montblanc is kinda the Rolex of pens. Very nice pens, high quality, and many people who do like pens use them. But there is also a large portion of people who buy it for the status, making you kinda feel like them even if you aren't.
@@123four... but what is wrong if it has the status element to it .... MERCEDES, Rolls Royce BMW have status too for surly Accord has amazing comfort compared to a merc but hands down you will want a merc... I love MONTBLANC Misterstuck for its elegant black and gold and the status it exudes though Nobody knows about it where I live 😉
What does Montblanc, the snow capped mountain in Switzerland, look like? Hmmmmm, I wonder.
The Mont Blanc actually overlaps France and Italy. No Switzerland involved :)
After climate change gets done melting all the glaciers, it will look like a Sailor 1911 L…!
Nice pen Mike 😊
Agreed!
Is it true that the cap, when screwed on, can move about/wiggle? Seems like a major flaw.
Yes. That is correct. Only if you screw it on really really tight it is gone, but you don’t want that. Must say I’m not bothered with it. I don’t play around with the cap. But I can understand, regarding the price of a new pen, this is indeed a major flaw for a Meisterstuck.
i bought my 146 last week, and I found a ringed scratch where the Cap meets the body. i send a email to montblanc customer service and they told me this is normal. May i ask do u have this issue as well?
I suppose that can happen with long-term capping and uncapping, but I can't check the 146 that was used in this video. It wasn't mine, and I sent it back to my friend.
Is it when the cap is closing the pen or when you add the cap on the back of the MB?
@@IronTWest when the cap is closed
@@paul-eq9vj thanks. going to buy next week. I will ask them
On the topic of posting, although you physically can do it, Montblanc does NOT recommend doing it as it can and likely will cause damage to the body over time.
Sure, you might get micro scratches from that.
@@inkdependence it can also cause a ring to form around the end of the pen where the cap is pressing against the body. Do what you want with your pens, but I personally like to take care of my Montblanc pens like they’re jewelry. You wouldn’t purposely smack a diamond ring into a wall as you pass by it, so why abuse your luxury pens by going against the manufacturer recommendations for care of your pens?
Indenting the precious resin seems like a really drastic result from posting a pen while writing with it. If they say it can happen then I believe them, but they should maybe look into a sturdier material if it can dent itself under the weight of its own cap.
I don't post mine (which I bought after sending this one back to my friend), but thanks for the info.
What is considered a "good price?"
As with lots of vintage pens, it varies based on all sorts of metrics. I'm never sure if a price is good, so I've not gotten one.