Key to the identification of Montblanc Classic pens (1960-2010)
Identifying exactly which slimline pen you have can be quite tricky, with the numerous small changes and subtly different models available from 1959 to 2008. Entomologists like myself rely a lot on binary keys to work through an identification logically, taking parts of the specimen in turn and drawing conclusions that take you one way or another. So, this is a draft key that I have roughed out to help sort them out and, because caps & bodies can be swapped by mistake, I have developed a key for the caps seperate to the bodies.
Key to caps
- Finial design
- Finial completely enclosed within a metal ring which forms the base of the clip
- Cap with wavey cap band = 121
- Cap with 2 cap bands = 221
- Cap with 1 cap band = 220/310/320
- Finial not completely enclosed
- Finial sloped relative to the clip ring
- Widest cap band with “Classic” written on it = Classic
- Widest cap band with “Generation” written on it = Generation
- Finial not sloped
- Cap with wavey cap band = 12/14
- Cap with 2 cap bands = 22/24
- Cap with 1 cap band = 32/34
- Finial sloped relative to the clip ring
- Finial completely enclosed within a metal ring which forms the base of the clip
Demi or Full size (2-digit pens only)
- Cap length
- 6.2cm = Demi size
- 6.3cm = Full size
Key to pen bodies
- Ink window
- Ink window wide (~5mm)
- Window colour amber & nib 18k gold (visible when removed from the section) = 12/14
- Window colour blue & nib 14k gold (visible when removed from the section) = 22/24
- Ink window narrow (~2mm)
- Window colour amber = 121
- Window colour blue
- Nib with a smoothly curving section end
- Section end convex = 310/320/Classic/Generation
- Blind end with star and no gold ring = 310/320
- Nib gold-plated steel = 310
- Nib 14k gold = 320
- Blind end flat with gold ring = Classic
- Blind end rounded with gold ring = Generation
- Blind end with star and no gold ring = 310/320
- Section end concave = 420
- Section end convex = 310/320/Classic/Generation
- Nib with sharp-pointed zigzag (M-shaped) section end that barely covers the nib:
- Body texture matt = 220
- Body texture glossy = 221
- Nib with more deeply incised wing/butterfly (W-shaped) section end that covers half of the nib = 221 transitional
- Nib with a smoothly curving section end
- Ink window threaded = 32/34
- Ink window wide (~5mm)
Demi or Full size (only needed on 2-digit pens)
- Pen length without cap
- 11.7cm = Demi size
- 12.3cm = Full size
Considerations & weaknesses
Some sections of the key result in multiple choices but this is inevitable because some models have identical caps or bodies. Both cap & body taken together should give reliable results though.
One other consideration that might break the key is early 3?? series pens, prior to the 1974 revamp of the feed & nib, as I’m not sure what they look like at the moment. I’m also unaware when they brought in the oval feed hole but this is likely to be a later development that might be useful.