Montblanc Meisterstuck 149 Review

This will be my first review on my purchases for the past few months with my recent new obsession with fountain pens. I’m have been using disposable roller pens and fluid ink pens and writing in blocks almost all my life. I do occasionally use FP but has never been a fan until recently. I picked up my first MB FP because I can’t seem to find anything else interesting in the FB boutique to spend my coupon on. So, there you go…
I did more research on FP and other manufacturers and almost any enthusiast will surely find their way to this forum. After a few weeks enjoying my Starwalker, I came across a modest Caran D’Arche boutique in a neighborhood mall (just happen to walk pass 5 times within 10 minutes). Fell in love with the Leman series – the Black Ebony and immediately it is on my list. After losing sleep for a few days, I finally returned to the shop to pick up the Leman along with a bottle of carbon black ink. It was all smiles from the sales assistant.

In the following weeks, I was searching for more writing paper and notebooks to go with my lovely pair of FP which I use in rotation. In the same time, after much reading and research, I have decided to include the MB149 in my collection list, so there I was, going into every MB boutique that I came across to hunt down the legendary instrument with the best price. To my dismay, seemed like all the MB boutique in Kuala Lumpur has sold off all the 149 stock in the country (probably I was not the only one with the coupons around). Eventually I found rather low profile timepiece shop that also distributes MB products. And there it was, a MB 149 greeting me like a long lost friend.

After pages of ink dipping, page filling, late nights scribbling and practicing on my penmanship, here’s a story of not one but 3 pens being used almost daily. I know that there have been reviews before on the same pens but I would just like to put them together and share my experience in using them.

Meisterstuck 149- (B nib)

Appearance and Design 8/10
What can I say, its not even right for me to put a number there but I will anyway. Classy, elegant and fat. THE pen that every collector must have, sometimes more than one.

Construction and Quality 7/10
Precious resin and gold nib, clip and ring. Well built, if there are invisible cracks here (nature of resin) I can’t see it. The pen is at its showroom quality now and I’m sure it will last long enough to pass to my kid when he/she gets to college.

Weight and Dimension 7/10
Though it is a large pen, my small hands finds it rather comfortable to grip and write with it. With this kind of pen, I go for the B nib to write big. When I pick up this pen, I would want to write BIG. Its weight is rather light, comfortable for extensive writing. I find that writing without the cap is better and already well balanced.

Nib and Performance 8.5/10
Super smooth, writes instantly well from the box and still continuously being impresses by the results. I don’t have to explain more on the quality everyone knows.

Filling System & Maintenance. 7/10
This pen is new in my shelf and I have no issues with it so far. The piston filling systems holds lots of ink and there is no leakage for now and writes perfectly every time. This is my desk pen.

Cost & Value 6/10
Expensive and highly valued, people buy this as a must have and embrace all its imperfection. There’s more than a pen here, it comes with reputation and a soul (as what MB likes to say about their pens). The vendor gave me 20% off discreetly to get me out of the store.

Conclusion (7.25)
A major item in the checklist has just been ticked. To possess the 149 is to carry the burden to write something worthy of it. Seriously…