When it comes to actually writing I much prefer the 146 over the 149. I find the size of the 146 much more comfortable, although my hands aren't even that small.
The 146 was my first MB and my favorite of those I own. It's a perfect size for my hand and has the only MB nib I've encountered that didn't require tuning. Mine is seldom un-inked and often in my pocket at the office. Thanks for another great review, David.
This was my first fountain pen ever! It was found in a storage unit with a shattered barrel. Got shipped of to Germany to be repaired and came back looking and writing beautifully
Wow! Ended up here by accident but watched the whole thing, liked and subscribed just thank you for the ton of info and for showing me how much of so many things I don’t know! Obrigado do Brasil
Do you mind me asking which nib size you got and how well you like it? I like finer nibs, so I tried the extra fine and it seemed scratchy. I didn’t try the fine nib though. I’d appreciate hearing about your experience!
@@xTwiiztsx It is a medium nib, but very much on the fine side. On top of that, I do own a vintage 146 from the fifties, and the modern nib is nowhere near the old quality. The nib of the modern one is not necessarily bad. I find they have ground it too much and it is too smooth that it does skip a lot. To be fair I am currently (slowly) removing its "baby's bottom" (because a lot of Montblanc pens come with this issue I'm afraid) but I think I must get it ground properly by a nibmeister. Concerning your choice, I never had a Montblanc's extra-fine to compare. In fact, my modern "M" size is almost twice finer than my old "F" 146. The best advice I would give you is trying it if you can before you buy because you are never sure of what you end up with. That being said I, I hope my speech wasn't that confused, tried to say the maximum but if you have any other specific question, be sure I'll answer ! Have a great day.
Luminem thanks so much for the feedback!! I believe I still have probably a few years before I even really need to start looking, but I definitely love hearing people’s experiences, and doing research too “early” never seems like a bad idea. Thanks again! And you have a great day as well!
@GuyInTheMiddle These usually retail on the used market for about 300$, which is still half the new retail price. You can find some sweet deals on the web and pay even less than this ;)
Your review of this got my wallet into trouble. ;-) I just won the bidding for one of these which still has the sticker on it and is in its original box for $288.
It has just arrived. It appears to be bonafide and feels wonderful in the hand. $288 + $6.50 shipping. Late 1980/early 1990s because it’s marked “W Germany” but it appears to have possibly never been inked until tonight-or if it has been it was used very gently!
Hi David. I have this model in the 90th Anniversary Limited Edition Rose Gold in Med. Out of the box, it had some minor nib issues. Mike Masuyama tuned it for me and now its one of my favorites. I ink it with MB JFK and its a excellent pairing of this classic pen.
So I recently got an MB 146 with a medium nib. It’s no where as smooth as the Lamy 2k M, Pilot Custom 823 B or Pelikan M805 M. It writes wet, but is no where as smooth. It has feedback. A lot of it in comparison. Is this a normal MB thing, because even the M nibbed pen at the store wasn’t really a “dream writer” per se.
The Montblanc 146 Platinum Edition is my third fountain pen and the best I ever owned. Before I used a Pelikan. The nix is a medium size. The Montblanc sales assistant told me that I shouldn't use ink of Pelikan, because it contains more water than the Montblanc ink, so I use the Montblanc Royal Blue. I like that ink very much. To everybody who buys a Montblanc 146 LeGrand: congratulations! You won't regret it.
Yeah if you want the ink with least water content, montblanc is definitely not the one lol... Most noodler's inks are way thicker. They should hire actual fountain pen enthusiasts who have an account on fpn instead of random folks
I mean, Montblanc pens are not bad pens, they're actually very good pens. But for what they are: black resin, gold nib, piston filler, standard cigar shape... They are not worth the price, you pay partly for marketing and branding; this is a meant to be a statement piece. It just also happens to be a very good pen.
@@IR-xy3ij give me a Montblanc ink over a Noodler’s any day; no disrespect to Nathan, I just prefer the colours and performance: Montblanc inks are premium and probably highly lubricated but seem to stay where you put them(they don’t spread out and they dry quickly) - haven’t had a bad Mb ink to date!:)
After years of (personally) denigrating Montblanc (overpriced, "precious resin") but seeing many + reviews, I finally bit the bullet and did as you did, David and bought one used. I noticed under magnification, the precious resin is more prone to scratching than many other pens (so I feel like my denigration is warranted!) but oh, what a wonderful writer it is! I'm personally thrilled and moderately chagrined to have waited so long.
I've owned a 146 for over 25 years...used only a hand full of times. Would love to sell it to a good person who appreciates Montblanc. It's in the original sleeved box. Guaranteed authentic with serial number engraved on the clip band.
So if my 146 Le Grand (also purchased used but much older than yours with a solid gray ink window) doesn't have Pix debossed under the clip, does that mean it's a counterfeit? It seems quite perfect in every way.
I think they used the Pix as well as serial numbers starting in the early 90s... so if your pen is older than that it wouldn't have the Pix or serial number.
I have one that I’m never going to actually use, does anyone know where is the best place to sell it and what price I should ask? It is used but not scratched or dirty.
hi.i am looking for one.i have mb-149 14k solid gold nib fine .superb writers.only flaw:new overpriced but you can find plenty pre-owned at roughly i/3rd of the new pens.however,this pen would stay with you for life if you dont drop/break :).tc.
The good features of this pen (meisterstuck 146) are: its a very good nib, the style, and the filling system, but unfortunatelly is not so good pen, the beautiful precious resine breaks easily and the reparation of the beautiful precious resine is more than 80 euros, I will never buy this pen again. If you want a durable pen, don't go for this one, this one is just to sign important documents once in the life time and then keep it in a box. Maybe better you can rent it.
Good reviews but the pen blows. The vintage ones are better but only if you get one in good shape. Basically MB is charging $700 for a $300 pen, that sort of thing.
Lee Weisbecker only an i laid nib, such as pfm or so. Triumph is not to most peoples taste and in my small sample size i have found that the palladium inlaids are more popular.
no matter what anyone says its just an over priced and over hyped brand. paying so much for the MYSTERIOUS precious resin PLASTIC just doesnt add up unless you wanna show off.
It is all relative. There are intangibles...and yes, you are paying a bit more for the "brand". But then again, the same goes for motorcycles. Why does someone buy a Ducati over a Honda? It's made from the same materials. It gets you to where you are going just as fast. What is over-priced and over-hyped for one user fits exactly into the needs of another. Not every pen works for me...but it doesn't automatically mean those are terrible brands or bad pens...quite possibly, I'm not the target market.
Wanting to show off is not the only reason to buy a Montblanc. Simply not true. Many people like to treat themselves and some even pass these pens to their children and grandchildren. Of course you are paying for the brand (the same thing goes for all luxury products) but showing off is not the only reason for a purchase. Moreover, some people just can easily afford them and don’t give a damn on the price. Just as with all luxury products: Either you can afford them or you can’t but nobody really “needs” them
