7 replies to this topic

[piscov]

This weekend I came across with a very nice and fully working Montblanc 742 with the Barley corn overlay. The pen has no dings, the plated is great, fitted with a B nib, in excellent overall condition.

Funny thing, to buy the pen I was forced to acquire also a watch the seller add for sale... it was the first time in many year of collecting pens that a seller forced me to buy a watch, but the price was so good that I bought the pen+watch at a very "happy" price.

I love the pen , I did not had this size in my collection and I even like the Zenith ZMX-02 divers watch

Paraphrasing Dr. I as I recall from his happy posts in the old days of FPN - "Happy, Happy Vasco!!!"

Here are some pictures of my last find.



g

[david i]

A bit scary that what I might be best known for after my demise is "Happy...". Could be worse I guess

That's a nice find. A gold-filled MB.

Not my area of focus.

Is the 742 one of a larger family of similar pens (much as Parker and Sheaffer offered certain pens that were structurally similar save for increasingly expensive gtrim levels), or did it stand alone, different from other period MBs? (eg, was it "just" a gold filled 142, etc?)

When was this made/sold.

best regards

david

[piscov]

A bit scary that what I might be best known for after my demise is "Happy...". Could be worse I guess

LOL You are better known for your great knowledge of Vacumatics, Sheaffer's and great pictures ( some of pens)

Is the 742 one of a larger family of similar pens (much as Parker and Sheaffer offered certain pens that were structurally similar save for increasingly expensive gtrim levels), or did it stand alone, different from other period MBs? (eg, was it "just" a gold filled 142, etc?)

When was this made/sold.

The Montblanc 74X along with the 64X series was produced and sold during the 50íes. I am not sure but I think they started in 1951 and went up to the beginning of th e60íes, although I am not sure when they ended.

The first ones had the ski-slope feed and nibs like the MB142 and MB144 models, later in he 50íes they changed the nibs to the famous wing nibs.

They had two sizes, the smaller 742/642 and the bigger 744/644.

The difference is that the 64X series had celluloid barrel ( black, striated green and striated grey) ans the 74X series was all metal ( gold plated or solid gold). Tomorrow I will take and upload pictures of the other sizes, colors, overlays and nibs. I don't have all, but I have some... I will also take measurements to post.

They are very well proportionate pens, excellent balance in the hand and with flex nib that give you a great line variation, typical from the MB nibs made in the 50íes.

The 64X and 74x line was part of the top of the line production pens from MB back on those days. probably only surpassed by the MB 149.

They do shared the same tri stage piston filling system, nibs, feeds with the 142 and 144, but the resemblance ends here.

Best

Vasco

Note: I am no expert, although I think I am being accurate in my post. If any member has more or different information, please tell.

Edited by piscov, 29 April 2013 - 09:49 PM.

[jkingrph]

Nice! The closest thing I have to that is a LeGrand Silver Barley Doue set, pen and ballpoint.

[Josephine]

A bit scary that what I might be best known for after my demise is "Happy...". Could be worse I guess

LOL You are better known for your great knowledge of Vacumatics, Sheaffer's and great pictures ( some of pens)

Is the 742 one of a larger family of similar pens (much as Parker and Sheaffer offered certain pens that were structurally similar save for increasingly expensive gtrim levels), or did it stand alone, different from other period MBs? (eg, was it "just" a gold filled 142, etc?)

When was this made/sold.

The Montblanc 74X along with the 64X series was produced and sold during the 50íes. I am not sure but I think they started in 1951 and went up to the beginning of th e60íes, although I am not sure when they ended.

The first ones had the ski-slope feed and nibs like the MB142 and MB144 models, later in he 50íes they changed the nibs to the famous wing nibs.

They had two sizes, the smaller 742/642 and the bigger 744/644.

The difference is that the 64X series had celluloid barrel ( black, striated green and striated grey) ans the 74X series was all metal ( gold plated or solid gold). Tomorrow I will take and upload pictures of the other sizes, colors, overlays and nibs. I don't have all, but I have some... I will also take measurements to post.

They are very well proportionate pens, excellent balance in the hand and with flex nib that give you a great line variation, typical from the MB nibs made in the 50íes.

The 64X and 74x line was part of the top of the line production pens from MB back on those days. probably only surpassed by the MB 149.

They do shared the same tri stage piston filling system, nibs, feeds with the 142 and 144, but the resemblance ends here.

Best

Vasco

Note: I am no expert, although I think I am being accurate in my post. If any member has more or different information, please tell.

Awesome pen. But your information just told me that the X44 collection I thought I'd JUST completed by winning an auction for a 344 is missing a 644/744. Well Crud!

[brando090]

Congrats on the MB.

Its the one MB I actually want to own I can't tell, but is it silver or GF? I love the nibs on MB's and the piston makes it much more enjoyable.

[piscov]

This one is gold filled, there is no silver one they did not produce it.

Only the solid gold and the gold filled models were made.There are pattern variations on the gold filled though, On the solid gold ones I am not sure. Unfortunately I don't have any of the solid gold ones.

Here you can see the different nibs used in the 64X and 74X series during the 50íes:
MB started using the one on the right side of the picture ( the same as the 142/144) models, and then changed to the wing type on the left.




Here you can see the different feeds used over the same period:


Time line of production is backwords regarding the picture:
First MB used the ski-slope ebonite feed on the far right, then changed to the round slited ebonite feed ( not sure if this is the correct English name) on the center and ended with the also rounded slited ebonite feed smaller size to accommodate the wing nib



And here you can observe the different metallic patterns found on the gold filled 644/744 and also the only Silvexa cap used on the 64X series.


Note: the silvexa only sold with the black celluloid barrel. I am not aware of more gold filled patterns, but may have been use others.

From left to right: Silvexa cap ( only found in the 64X series), Barley corn (found on 64X/74X) Barley corn with spacings ( found on the 64X/74X), Straight lined with spacings(found on the 64x/74X)





Finally here you can observe the size difference between 642/644 and 742/744

[brando090]

Beautiful Montblancs, and though I've never owned one, they are truly great writers, even exceeding their hype of the brand.