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No. L 27 Push knob Filler
This pen is from the personal collection of Paul Farrell, an enthusiastic collector of modern MB Pens (especially Writers Editions and 149’s) and a collector of exceptional vintage pens too!
In 1924, Montblanc introduced the "Meisterstück" series which was intended to be the company's top-of-the-line offering. This No. 27 was manufactured in Hamburg between 1932 and 1934. It is part of the original Meisterstück range but is the 'streamlined' variant because the cap top is long and torpedo-shaped rather than short and flat-round (see examples here -->No. 25 lapis).
The body and cap of these Mesisterstück pens are believed to be made of celluloid, but one particular advertisement from the late 1920s showing this series of pens in its lever variant asserts that "In keeping with our tradition of quality, we do not make pens made from cheap celluloid material that is flammable; our material is absolutely breakage and fireproof". Now, I don't know if this means that the material itself is not celluloid (maybe casein) or if the advertisement simply implied that the quality of celluloid used by Montblanc was superior.
The rare pearl and black colour adds to the specialness of this pen! The "L" in its model name stands for luxus or luxury.
This pen has the classic teardrop clip that was made for only a few years in the early 1930s, and has the "Montblanc" inscription on it. Also, notice the "Fullhalter-Zentrale Dusseldorf" imprint on one side of its cap. This was probably the name of the retailer of this specific pen. We know that Montblanc would sometimes imprint the name of its large distributors on pen caps, like Stoffhaas. I am speculating here, but this imprint might be referring to the Hans Rehn Füllhalter-Zentrale store which started in Stuttgart in 1920 and grew as a prominent stationery chain soon thereafter. This pen was probably sold at their Dusseldorf outlet.
These pens were numbered based on their price, and the original line up included a No. 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, and 45. A No. 20 meant that it cost 20 Reichsmark (RM) which was the currency in Germany at the time. But, what if over time the price of the No. 20 needed to increase? Well, logically, the model name would need to change to reflect the price. I suspect this is what might have happened with the No. 27.
There are a few examples of such models - a 27.5 was produced that was originally a No. 25, and same with the No. 32.5 which was originally a No. 30. This is precisely what I suspect of the pen here - it should be a No. 20 pen in all its dimensions and nib, but it was rebranded as the 'L 27' and probably sold for 27 RM. At first, I thought it was a No. 25 with an increased price to 27 RM. But, on closer examined I was shown that the pen's dimensions - 12.6 cm capped - is actually correct for the No. 20, because the No. 25 was 13.5 cm long.
For bibliography, see Resources page -->link
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