No. 25 Push knob Filler (Lapiz Lazuli)

This pen is from the personal collection of Joudenali. Watch out for reviews of truly rare pens from his treasure chest!

In 1924 Montblanc introduced the "Meisterstück" series which was intended to be the company's top-of-the-line offering. MB's marketing department came up with the clever idea of offering the pens with a lifetime guarantee allowing them to be sold at a premium price even at a time when the economy was in a difficult position. The series were numbered based on their price. So, No. 25 meant that it cost 25 Reichsmark (RM) which was the currency in Germany at the time. The smaller numbers meant that the pens cost less but also that they were smaller in size. The No. 25 was amongst the smaller pens in the lineup. The largest was the No. 45.

The push knob filling system on this pen was known as Stoßfüller. It was advertised as being so convenient to use that it needed only a single hand to fill the pen since there was no blind cap to remove and set aside. The Meisterstuück series pens also came in safety and lever filler variants.

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The body and cap 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.

See the pen review section of our website for examples of other sizes, colours, and filling systems, of this series.

This pen was manufactured in Hamburg in c. 1930. It has the striking lapiz lazuli or lapis colour inspired by the semi-precious rock that is legendary for its intense blue colour with gold and white marbling. Collectible Star I rates the lapis No. 25 as a 10 out of 12 in rareness, described as a "once in a blue moon" find. The nib is a beautiful 18c with a flexible F point.

A few variants in clip designs have been found on the Meisterstück series. The teardrop clip on this pen is period correct and is one of my favourite designs.