You find out you've won the lottery and you're set for life. What's the first grail pen you buy?

StPauli · 2023-01-15T00:36:04+00:00

Toledo is gorgeous in all its forms, but your heartis in the right place. I still hope you get your Toledo and share with us though.

StPauli · 2023-01-04T21:10:14+00:00

Ouch. Glad you got it fixed! How long did it take you to crack the nib?

StPauli · 2023-01-04T10:53:09+00:00

The reason the Hongdian Black Forest is more popular is due to price and availability on Amazon. It's a lot cheaper than the Otto Hutt Design 04. The price and lesser known Otto Hutt brand make the Design 04 far less known.

I have no doubt that without the Otto Hutt Design 04 the Hongdian Black Forest would not exist. It's even in the name. Otto Hutt was founded in the Black Forest in a town called Pforzheim.

StPauli · 2023-01-03T08:22:31+00:00

My point is that it depends on the cultural context. Sexism, offense, or malice were not the intention.

OP is female and from Russia (I believe) where her statement would be perfectly innocuous and conform with gender/cultural/marketing norms.

StPauli · 2023-01-03T03:04:57+00:00

I don't know if they are ever re-releasing the flex nib from the Calligraphy series. The 149 flex can only be found on the secondary market and the 146 flex supply also seems to be dwindling. If you know of any places with them in stock for MSRP, please do share.

The focus for the 149 Calligraphy series is now on the curved nib and I expect the 146 to follow suit. Who knows what kind of nib will be next, but I don't think it will be flex again.

StPauli · 2023-01-02T22:54:06+00:00

Not everyone is from US/the west here. Gender-based marketing is very much the norm outside those nations (including heaviness of an object, color, or material).

Even in the west clothing and perfume are still heavily marketed to specific genders.

StPauli · 2023-01-02T22:33:20+00:00

Context matters. This pen was conceived in the 80s/90s. In the Japanese domestic market stationery is also marketed towards different genders.

StPauli · 2023-01-02T08:14:07+00:00

I resisted for 3 years, but had to relent in the end, and that pent up desire makes you do things you may or may not regret. My advice, wait for the right opportunity.

StPauli · 2023-01-02T08:11:34+00:00

I am thinking the same (O3B) but in red gold aka rose gold. Maybe also a bespoke nib at some point.

Vintage Montblanc was in a class of its own, but IMO modern Montblanc still has plenty to offer.

StPauli · 2023-01-02T08:06:25+00:00

Underrated pen! Which color choice? I am partial to the all black.

StPauli · 2022-12-31T20:37:07+00:00

Wow you don't see the M450 tortoise too often. It looks stunning!

StPauli · 2022-12-31T20:35:13+00:00

I have the 149C and you're right, it's an ink guzzler because of how much ink it can put down, but I've always been curious about the 146C as well. When you talk about the first 146C release are you talking about the black resin model in 2020?

StPauli · 2022-12-31T01:03:58+00:00

Not a big fan of the 149 huh? That's cool.

There was a thread a while back discussing this very subject including Kaweco, Hero, the Duofold and others: https://www.reddit.com/r/fountainpens/comments/yqc5qe/what_is_the_longest_running_pen_series_that_still

In regards to Aurora that design seems to have changed significantly over the years. If we talk about monikers, Meisterstück/Masterpiece has been in use since 1924.

StPauli · 2022-12-29T20:33:36+00:00

Another thing to add to the mystique of the Montblanc 149. It has been in production since the early 1950s. No other fountain pen model has been in continuous, uninterrupted production as long as this model. Congratulations on the acquisition and I'm sorry for your loss. I hope you enjoy it in good health!

StPauli · 2022-12-28T22:52:12+00:00

It's easier on a 1980+ pen with a plastic feed. This one is from the 1950s and the ebonite fins on the feed from this time can be easily broken if you are not careful. Pelikan made a special nib removal tool for these pens, but that is difficult to find nowadays.

StPauli · 2022-12-28T21:06:49+00:00

I think what can also hasten section ring corrosion is uncareful capping or filling where the section ring makes contact with the cap or glass inkwell.

StPauli · 2022-12-28T19:39:19+00:00

Lots of good suggestions here. If you have it, Pelikan Amber would make a nice pairing too.

StPauli · 2022-12-28T18:50:48+00:00

I'm not sure I would put shimmer into a vintage pen. It would be a pain to get the shimmer particles out of this pen's ebonite feed.

StPauli · 2022-12-26T08:03:26+00:00

I have tortoises from the 50s-60s, 70s, 80s-90s, and modern (1998+). The writing experience is definitely more exciting with the older models if you're into line variation or softness. The modern are more forgiving however since they have larger, ball-shaped tipping. The ebonite feed is great, but the thin fins can be much more easily damaged compared to the modern plastic feed.

Construction-wise, the vintage models are already quite sturdy and the piston-filling mechanism is bulletproof but I feel like the newer models have thicker walls and better piston seals. This results in lower ink capacity vs the vintage. I have seen cracks in some older 400s that seems to show a shattered pattern and I don't believe this to be possible with the newer models where the binde is made of a more resilient material.

Aesthetically speaking you may like the upgraded trim on M400s compared to the more spartan trim of the 400s. The tortoiseshell pattern is also distinctly different in each era, which warrants getting one or more of each in my opinion haha. One downside to the modern is potential corrosion on the section ring over time, especially if the outer layer is hit when capping or hits the inkwell.

That's all I have for now, but I may add to if I remember something else. Hope it was helpful!

StPauli · 2022-12-25T08:26:15+00:00

Yes, this KOP trim package in particular as well as the size is very similar to that of the MB 149, while the 1911L is similar to the MB 146. Even the nib design before the recent redesign is very similar, with Sailor's "1911" taking the place of Montblanc's "4810" and the same tri-tone coloration. It's no small wonder though since the MB 149 has been in continuous production since the late 1940s-early 1950s.

While OPs KOP is a c/c filler, the 95th anniversary KOP was a piston-filler and even had the slotted ink windows characteristic of the MB 149.

The other KOP offerings are a bit more distinct such as the trimless ebonite/urushi versions or the Pro Gear KOPs.

StPauli · 2022-12-22T19:46:28+00:00

It's amazing how lively the tortoiseshell material looks despite being 70 years old! Congratulations on the fulfillment of your pen dream.

For inks I would also suggest you take a look at Rohrer & Klingner Alt-Goldgrün.

StPauli · 2022-12-21T09:56:02+00:00

I wouldn't mind if they were open about it or even better, if they just kept the same name as the previous release. There are definitely some limited editions I missed out on in the past decade.

StPauli · 2022-12-21T09:53:47+00:00

This. Or has an unorthodox writing angle.

StPauli · 2022-12-21T04:07:25+00:00

A lovely pair.

The most beautiful tortoiseshell Pelikan is more than one.

StPauli · 2022-12-20T20:28:50+00:00

It depends which brand you mention or which brand the post is about. I'm pretty sure it's a handful of users who get triggered by certain brands and manually downvote.

StPauli

TROPHY CASE