Meisterstück 149
Montblanc’s large black fountain pen of 1952 – with the white star and the figure 4810 on the nib.
Montblanc has used the name Meisterstück since 1924, and the large model 149 came in 1952. It became a status symbol and has been used at many treaty signings.
The shape has changed only in details, but nibs, rings and filling mechanism differ between the decades, which makes it possible to date the pen.
Materials: Precious resin (plastic), gold nib, gilt rings
Manufacture: Made in Hamburg; the gold nib is hand-ground.
The white star on the cap, representing the snow-capped peak of Mont Blanc.
The figure 4810 – the mountain’s height in metres – stamped on the gold nib.
Piston filling and a striped ink window.
The pen is filled with a piston, turned back and forth with the knob at the rear end. The gold nib is engraved with the number 4810, the height of Mont Blanc in metres, and on top of the cap sits the white star, meant to represent the snow-capped mountain.
A black, cigar-shaped body, three rings on the cap with the brand and model name engraved, and the white star.
The nib has been made in 14 and 18 carat gold and in various widths, and the mechanism has been altered several times, which helps with dating.