Customer Reviews

Mont Blanc Meisterstuck 149 Fountain Pen

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is an outstanding fountain pen all around. It writes well, very smoothly, and it looks great too. I'd have to say my handwriting with this fountain pen looks much much better vs. before I got this pen. I've let others I know use it too and again it seemed to make their penmanship look better. If you look closely on the tip you can see just how much detail went into this pen. You get what you pay for, definitely.

FinalVerdict:

If you need a fountain pen and you aren't on a tight budget this is the one to get.

I have owned three MB Meisterstuck fountain pens, and have used one since the 1970's. One was stolen; the other two I keep at my desk. There is no substitute for a fountain pen, and a really good one like the Mont Blanc is a great investment. Writing in ball point, roller ball and other modern devices appears lame beside the confident, fluid strokes of a good fountain pen. It surprises me how many people will concern themselves with the very best in wrist watches and tailoring, and then sign their correspondence with a dime store ball point. As all fountain pen users know, the longer you use a good fountain pen the better it conforms with your writing style and the smoother your handwriting becomes. This is especially true of the Mont Blancs whose nibs are like jewellery. Don't lend your pen to anybody else to write with once you've broken it in - it will scratch. They are sensitive to the ink you put in them too, and should periodically be refilled with fresh ink (preferably the Mont Blanc brand.) It also helps to flush your pen about once a year with a dilute solution of household ammonia in water. With care, your Mont Blanc will last longer than you will and help add pleasure to your penmanship and distinction to your correspondence.

The 149, with its large nib and big ink reserve, is the better writer that Montblanc has to offer. The nib is fairly smooth out of the box, although not as smooth as other fountain pens at the similar price point. The factory black ink that comes with the pen is probably the worst I used: poor flow, light grey/brown color, and no water resistance at all. It works much better with Aurora or Pelikan black.

The pen is large and wide, but fairly light for its size. For me, it's much more comfortable to hold compared to the smaller sized ones.

The pen is made using"precious resin", which is definitely better than plastics on cheap disposable pens. However, it is not as nice as the light weight cotton resin on OMAS, and it feels cheap compared to the fine Lacquer finish of Dupont pens.

I paid about $700 for this pen at a retail store. I have bought much better writers (Dupont, OMAS, Pelikan, Cartier) at the same price point, and all of them proved to be better writer than this MB 149. On the other hand, it's a respectable black fountain pen to bring into a meeting to impress clients, as most people don't know other fine pens.

Overall, this pen is probably better suited as a dress piece as opposed to a writer's pen.

Having had my MB pens for over a decade, I can share some observations. I have two MB 146 pens that are very nice and write well. The quality is outstanding, built to last a lifetime, yet fragile and easily damaged. The question is: what makes the 149 so special? Once you write with it, you know how special it is. I have large hands and the way this huge pen fits in my hand as I write makes writing effortless. The nib is also huge and, for some reason, so much smoother to write with than my other Montblanc pens, or any other pen I have ever used, for that matter. As far as I am concerned, the MB 149 is the ultimate writing machine. I love it. This pen should come with a desk stand. I am still looking for one in the older style.

The next question is value. There is no way I would pay anywhere near what people are asking for this pen, even used. I paid $100 for it in a pawn shop in 1996, feeling it was a good value. Considering how much I have enjoyed it, I think it was a good value, especially if it lasts for the rest of my life. Having said that, I also use a Sheaffer fountain pen that has written many miles and writes almost as nicely. I bought it new in 1988 for $4.00.

I hope you find this review useful. If you buy yourself an MB 149, use it at home and do not take it with you in your pocket from place to place. Get a pen with a metal enclosure for your pocket. A metal pen is more robust and will not be ruined if it falls onto the ground.

I have a Montblanc Meisterstuck 149 fountain pen I bought many years ago from Flax's Art store in San Francisco. This was back in the mid 1960's, and I paid $65 for it. I was (and still am, at Bausch Design) in the graphic design business, and this pen had a certain cachet at the time. Apparently it still does, though I am amazed at what they cost today!

I used mine through the years, but cleaned and retired it probably 10 years ago. I just got it out again, and after reading the Amazon reviews, think I will fill it, and fire it up again!

It is so great these days to discover (or rediscover) something that has a timeless value.

Everybody looks at the pen when you whip it out -- just like they look at the Rolex. Try not to wear your Fossil belt when you're wearing this pen.

Despite the price, it still misspells words.

Try not to drop it -- you'll look like a spastic fool.

An excellent fountain pen. Rather pricey, yet worth it. There are plenty of quality fountain pens on the current market: Parker, Waterman, Pelikan, etc. yet this a decidedly righteous one. As an Artist and writer, a pen in this price range very good. Obviously there are far more expensive pens, yet for the money it of a particular value.

I used and have used a Parker Duofold for 25 years, also an excellent pen. I use the bold nib, as close calligraphy one able get. Shall it make you a better writer, that is improve your handwriting style: absolutely not. Shall it make you a better Artist and man: decidedly no. Shall you feel better about yourself as a man: yes, priceless.

I too have owned the pen since forever--I would add to the advice in the other reviews the caveat that the paper you use has a lot to do with the fluidity and smoothness of the stroke. I use relatively expensive notebooks (there are several, but the best I've found are of Spanish manufacture) with a very close weave: the paper they use resists the spreading of the ink. Speaking looseleaf, I find a lot of the papers sold for ink-jet and laser printers extremely smooth. A too heavy grade of paper, especially those made with cloth fibers, shed residues which catch in the nib and slurs print.

One downside to the montblanc, and I suspect other fountain pens, is its bleed: the solvent used in the ink is volatile, and will collect in the cap in transport, from body heat, weather change, or if left unused for lengths of time. This will stain your fingers and clothes inevitably. I have read that the company will drill the cap, but that's a month's turn-around in shipping time.

I recently had to return my pen for repair -- the barrel came free of the threaded area, if you can imagine -- and the repair was fairly expensive. So, there are apparently uneven runs in the making of these instruments. One wouldn't think an eight hundred dollar pen liable to such things, but there you have it.

I will say that the experience that writing with this pen brings, worth the hassles -- but you have to spend a lot of time with a pen to warrant the frustrations a fountain pen can spawn. Otherwise, it is a luxury item, used to wow the cognoscenti.

To state it succinctly -- I have replaced my pen three times due to loss and damage (the company will replace it at cost, which is a nice thing) and would do so instantly should I be so forced again. This pen will disappear in your hand, given the right paper. It is to the writer what the brush is to a painter, and a very intimate experience.

tlt-

Classic pice of art. When I lived in Hamburg, Germany, Montblanc was one of the most known companies of the city. The Meisterstück 149 is expensive but brand recognition is guaranteed. You should know that every fountain pen of this company has a handmade nib, so the most important part of the pen is individual. Every single pen has its own style when you write. I bought a 149 and had to return it on the next day, because it scratched. Now, the new one is better for my writing style.

The problem is, when you buy a new Montblanc fountain pen, you cannot try out the nib before you buy it... So it remains a challenge to find the right pen.

I got this pen but something is wrong. My model has a 14k gold nib, but the model 149 has a 18k gold nib. Don't know whats wrong...