top of page
No. 134
Here is a war-time 134 made in 1942-43. Notice the absence of cap rings because of war-time restrictions around the use of metals declared as critical resources. Instead, we have these lovely cap imprints found on MBs designed a few years into WWII. The 134 was more commonly found with the iconic tie clip, but mine has the teardrop clip that was introduced in the early 30s. Maybe, surplus stock from early production caused the company to use them till later into the ‘40s? The 134 was 'mittel format" referring to medium/average size. The 13x Meisterstück was advertised as being "tested and tested many times before leaving the factory and so the function of the pen is guaranteed".
This 134 has a steel nib, as war-time pens often had since gold was declared a critical resource during the war. I have noticed that the steel alloy nibs used in the higher end 138 and 139 are higher in quality than those used in the 134 and 136. This nib was quite battered when I got it, with all tipping missing. However, I managed to have a new iridium tip placed on it. The 13x series nibs were advertised in catalogues as being polished like the finest piece of jewellery or diamonds.
Montblanc was busy making many inventions that set the performance of its pens apart. A catalogue from the early 1930s explains why the ski slope feed is so special. Referring to it as "the inconspicuous black thing", the catalogue explains how the ink feed automatically regulates the flow of ink when writing - supplying "a lot of ink for large letters and correspondingly less for small letters or tens of thousands of smallest cites". Further, the catalogue shows that the feed has separate air and ink channels, with a diagram (right) showing that the ink channels run from the bottom of the feed while the air channel runs from the top of the nib's breather hole.
I love that long ink window! The filler is the famous telescopic piston introduced in about 1936 and only found on higher tiered celluloid pens till the late 1950s. The pic on the right shows the 134 with its box, dwarfed by the 139! These pens were advertised as having the "Gestreifter Transparent-Teil" or striped transparent section, and "available only in black".
Bibliography:
Rösler, J., & Wallrafen, S. (2014). Collectible Stars I: 1908 - 1947.
Rösler, J., & Wallrafen, S. (2001). Collectible Stars: Montblanc-Schreibgeräte von 1946 bis 1979.
bottom of page