Montblanc 32
Shown on this page
Montblanc 32 of the 1960s — third line, black, small size, 1961–19661
Piston filler in the Graf Goertz shape with one cap ring. The photos show the black pen; burgundy, dark green and grey went abroad only.
Key facts
- Line
- third line of the Graf Goertz shapes — a better school pen or entry model —, one cap ring; 32 small size, 34 large size2
- Production
- 1961–1966; then 1967–1970 as the O32, renumbered from 1971 (320)1
- Filling system
- piston filler; cartridge fillers of this line only from about 1967 (O32P)1
- Nib
- first a narrow intarsia nib, from the mid-1960s a butterfly nib; 14 ct gold — with a steel nib the pen was called 31; gold nibs 14 ct until at least 2006, 18 ct for France3, 6
- Versions of the 32
- 32 with a normal nib; O32 with wing nib and section as on the 22; 32 St with a steno nib and a section similar to that of the 420; 32 D with an exposed carbon-copy nib; with a steel nib the pen was called 316
- Dimensions
- size x2: closed approx. 128 mm, barrel diameter approx. 11.5 mm4
- Colours
- black; burgundy, dark green and grey for export only5
- Design
- the shapes of the range from 1960 are attributed to Albrecht Graf Goertz
Sources and notes
- “Collectible Stars” volume II: 1961–1966 (32), 1967–1970 (O32). According to a forum post, production of the shapes designed by Albrecht Graf Goertz began as early as 1959, not only in 1960 (forum post of 3 May 2005); they were made as piston fillers until 1969 (forum post of 20 November 2005) and revised in 1969/70 (according to “Collectible Stars” only from 1971) — with a flat cap top and new numbers such as 120, 220 and 320 (forum post of 2 March 2005). This website gives 1960–1970 on its pages.
- All fountain pens of the 1960s came in the same two sizes; the lines differed in their cap rings, the quality of the nib and gold applications: Meisterstück 12 and 14 with the ring shaped like a “bishop’s mitre” (the stylised mountain), the second line 22 and 24 with two rings, the third line 32 and 34 — a better school pen or entry model — with one ring (forum post of 2 March 2005, forum post of 20 November 2005, forum post of 13 February 2007). Only the 149 continued in its old form (forum post of 2 February 2005).
- The third line first had a narrow “intarsia” nib and only from the mid-1960s the butterfly nib of the second line and the Meisterstück pens (forum post of 8 August 2005). The nibs were either 14 ct gold or gold-plated steel; a hallmark is not visible on the fitted nib (forum post of 20 November 2005). Likewise in the forum in 2013: partly gold nibs, partly cheaper versions with gold-plated steel nibs, plus special nibs such as carbon-copy and shorthand nibs (forum post of 16 May 2013).
- According to an overview in the forum (forum post of 20 November 2005): size x2 (12, 22, 32) barrel diameter 11.5 mm, closed 128 mm; size x4 (14, 24, 34) 12 mm and 135 mm.
- “Collectible Stars” volume II lists burgundy red, dark green and grey with the note “only export”. Likewise in the forum (forum post of 16 May 2013): the coloured pens were “intended for export only”, and the 12 and 14 also existed “in the colours described above”. A “Masterpiece” imprint on the cap ring, as on export pieces of the 1950s, is not known on the pens of the 1960s.
- Adding that the versions with a steel nib were called 31 — the “St” of the 32 St stands for the steno nib. Differing, “Collectible Stars” volume II gives “steel nib possible” for the 32 St; for the O32 it gives the wing nib as here. For the 420 see third line of the 1970s.
Not to be confused with
Montblanc 34
The same line in the large size (x4).
See 34
Montblanc 22
Same size, but with two cap rings — the second line.
See 22
Montblanc 32 D
The same number with an exposed carbon-copy nib.
See 32 D
Montblanc 316
With a steel nib the 32 carried the number 31 (1961–1966, also as the cartridge filler 31 P).
Montblanc 320
The successor after the revision (from 1971), with a flat cap top.
See 320
All versions of the number 32
According to “Collectible Stars” volume II and forum posts; the nibs of the versions.
Standard version1
| Number | Version | Period |
|---|---|---|
| 32 | black — piston filler with a normal nib — as in the photos on this page | 1961–1966 |
Export colours — for abroad only3
| Number | Version | Period |
|---|---|---|
| 32 | Burgundy red — export only | 1961–1966 |
| 32 | Dark green — export only | 1961–1966 |
| 32 | Grey — export only | 1961–1966 |
Further versions of the number 326
| Number | Version | Period |
|---|---|---|
| 32 St | 32 St — with steno nib — black; section similar to that of the 420 | 1962–1966 |
| 32S | 32S — Silvre cap — black; grey, red and green for export only | 1962–1966 |
| 32D | 32D — with exposed carbon-copy nib — own page | 1962–1973 |
| O32 | O32 — with wing nib and section as on the 22 — black; burgundy, dark green and grey for export only | 1967–1970 |
| O32P | O32P — cartridge filler — black | 1967–1970 |
| O32S | O32S — Silvre cap, wing nib — black | 1967–1970 |
Sources: “Collectible Stars” volume II; forum posts in the archive of this website; measured and described individual pens at penboard; the pages of this website.
Literature
- aJens Rösler, Stefan Wallrafen: “Collectible Stars — Montblanc writing instruments from 1946 until 1979”. 2001. On this website “Collectible Stars” volume II. more about the book ›
- bJens Rösler, Stefan Wallrafen: “Collectible Stars” — volume I “MONTBLANC 1908–1947” (2014) and volume II “Montblanc writing instruments from 1946 until 1979” (2001). more about the book ›