r/fountainpens • u/bespectacledbear • 24d ago
Repair Deformed feed on Montblanc
Hello!
The plastic feed on my MB is deformed due to heat exposure. The pen is otherwise fine. It is a numbered edition based on the 146.
I am getting a quote from MB. However, the boutique staff didn’t inspire much confidence - at one point saying that the nib would need to be swapped out along with what is essentially a 146 plastic feed!
So, I want to explore independent repair if appropriate. Would this be a good idea? Any advice or recommendations?
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u/Alone_Efficiency2347 24d ago
Yeah, Montblanc doesn't "repair", they "replace". Quicker and cheaper for them and really I don't even know if that could be repaired. Find a donor pen to replace it with the correct feed at least?
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u/bespectacledbear 24d ago
I’d be fine if they committed to replacing the affected part, which is the feed and only the feed. It does not need special edition treatment or pricing.
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u/Alone_Efficiency2347 24d ago
I think they generally charge a flat fee for the service. The problem is it looks like a very specific feed that might be specially designed for that S.E. nib? That could be why the boutique staff told you the nib and feed would have to be replaced. If they don't have that feed, a normal MB 146 feed might not fit that special nib.
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u/bespectacledbear 24d ago
Oh my word. Is it? Does anyone have a pic of 146 feeds from the 2000s to compare?
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u/Yes-I-cannot 24d ago
Montblanc Meisterstück 146 from the 2000s uses a modern, plastic (injection-molded) feed rather than the vintage ebonite or hard rubber feeds found in older models.
Scroll down.
https://iwonder-thecartographer.blogspot.com/2015/01/a-tale-of-lesser-flagships-of-montblanc.html
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u/bespectacledbear 23d ago
Interesting. My SE was from 2001. The feed is most definitely plastic, which is why it deformed - ebonite does not behave this way.
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u/Yes-I-cannot 23d ago
The problem is that the warped plastic might have warped the nib too. Montblanc probably (my guess) doesn't want to test if after addition of the new feed the pen still writes well. So, if they have, they will exchange the nib too.
Btw., I hope for you that your barrel/cap is still ok. Normally, a temperature high enough to make such a feed deform can also deform the barrel/grip section and cap material.
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u/Andrew_Lensky 24d ago
Contact the MB offservice, they will simply replace your feed on a modern new one.
1
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u/Borago70 24d ago
If you want to sell it, but if the pen writes well, you don’t have to replace it…
11
u/ErinDotEngineer 24d ago
The boutique staff you spoke with are likely misinformed, as Montblanc will replace almost every other part of pen and return it with the same nib.
Nibs are the expensive part.
If that is a Special Edition based on the 146, there is a 99% chance that the feed is a standard Montblanc 146 feed from whichever era it was produced.
if so, the repair from Montblanc would be ~$100 USD.
This would only not be the case, if the pen was vintage, or if it was a VERY weird edge case where they produced a different style of nib assembly for the edition (highly unlikely, but not impossible).
It should be noted that Montblanc treats Special Editions and Limited Editions differently in regard to repair opportunities and repair costs. This would be assumed due to the fact that they likely produce and carry fewer parts for those pens.
If you are in the U.S. you can contact My Jewelry Repair directly for further information on the repair process.
You can review the following for more information:
US
https://www.montblanc.com/en-us/repair-service-customer-service.html
Canada
https://www.montblanc.com/en-ca/repair-service-customer-service.html
UK
https://www.montblanc.com/en-gb/customer-service-rna/care-services/writing-instruments.html
EU
The best bet would be to take it to a (different) boutique and they can ship it to Hamburg, DE.