Fake Vs. Real Montblanc Box (Warning: Pic Heavy!)

[TLMG]

I decided to make a little post showing the fake versus real montblanc boxes.

 

As you all know, the fake pens and boxes are starting to get better and better. They now use "red" precious resin, they engrave serial numbers, they add the "pix" to the back. I mean, cmon, they even goldplate brass!

 

If we are spending a bunch of money on a pen, we should be sure it's the real thing. I don't want anyone here to get taken for a ride.

 

Since the fake pens are so good, one of the easiest indicators as to whether it is a fake or real MB is the actual pictures of the boxes. The boxes might seem "real" at first, but when compared to a REAL MB, there are painfully obvious differences!

 

Below is a comparison of the fake and real box. I will mark the pictures to make it easier to tell which is which... I don't want to accidentally do the opposite!

 

First things first... here is a shot of the real and the fake next to each other. You can immediately see some differences.

 

http://i.imgur.com/LnRDO19.jpg

 

First off, the logo of the fake box is larger, thicker, and more reflective than that of the real box:

 

http://i.imgur.com/VyCEO75.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/Z1gfvKF.jpg

 

 

In the above picture, you can also note that the material the box is made of is different too. The fake box is a matte material with very deep engraving... it is almost like rayskin. The real box, however, is extremely shiny and the engraving is superficial-- it feels relatively smooth and nothing like "sandpaper"... which is what the fake one feels like.

 

http://i.imgur.com/vQfmMKJ.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/kPA4YFi.jpg

 

Next, let's look at the creme filling in this Oreo! Again, if you are holding one or the other, you might be fooled... but comparing both side by side, the differences are obvious.

 

First off, you can't tell as much in the pictures here... but the filling of the fake Oreo is a pearlescent color. It has hints of yellow and shimmers a bit. The real version has no pearl in it and is, instead, just a shiny, bright white.

 

http://i.imgur.com/OlGeMOV.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/ZBTDaXw.jpg

 

Next is the back of the box. On the fake version, the creme filling is just "painted" on the black material. However, on the real version, the cream filling is actually a separate, white piece of material that goes under the black portions. At the same time, you can see the quality control on the fake is nowhere near that of the real version: the edges end abruptly but, on the real version, you are hard pressed to find a seam (I think they seal the seams off!)

http://i.imgur.com/GBIzOgB.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/ukc7DAu.jpg

 

Now, let's start looking at the inside of the box. First things first, you can immediately tell that the fake has a much larger logo and the snowcap is also noticeably thicker (just like on the top of the box). At the same time, it is much higher than the real one as well. The printing might also be "hazy" or faded -- again, quality control! On this fake box, the bottoms of the word "BLANC" are half printed.

 

http://i.imgur.com/PcZOnDq.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/ml40Xva.jpg

 

At the same time, looking at the slot for the pen, you can see that on the fake version, it is MUCH larger. The sides of the slit also have a weird "diamond" shape where the open up and then close back, almost like a nib! The real version, by contrast, is just a small slit and has a much tighter interference fit for the pen.

http://i.imgur.com/3L4mnqm.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/UaYyZNF.jpg

 

Here is a better picture that shows, more clearly, the yellow "pearlescent" hue of the creme filling in a fake Montblanc box.

 

http://i.imgur.com/L2jh3sH.jpg

 

Now, does this mean that every fake box is going to look like this? Maybe not (though I am willing to bet that 99.99% will). Also, does it mean that if you have a fake box, you have a fake pen? Again, maybe not... though if someone is selling a fake box as real, they might also be selling a fake pen!

 

The point is that if you are purchasing a pen on ebay or somewhere else and notice that the box is fake, you should pause for a second and put your guard up. Nobody wants to deal with a long, time-consuming return process or with "proving" the pen is fake!

 

Let me know if you have any questions!

Edited August 21, 2014 by TLMG

[gclyn]

Thanks for the great pics and info...just checked my box, whew, it is real.

[KBeezie]

Quite a difference in quality once you got them side by side.

[chunya]

Nice to have it all in one post for reference ....Thanks for that

[Chrissy]

Thanks. It's nice to see them next to each other for reference.

 

Often one can just tell by seeing the logo on the outside. I call it more of a flower design than a snowcap. It's usually the the first thing that's easy to spot

[zaddick]

great post. thank you for taking the time to create this as a resource.

[nycevan]

Thanks for the post, this should should be good for those just starting out as well as a refresher for some! Thanks!

[JLS1]

Thanks for creating this - we all appreciate it!

 

(ADMINS: maybe this should be pinned for future reference?)

[talkinghead]

Thanks for the post and pictures. Labor intensive!!

 

Question though,

 

Do all counterfeiters use the same fake box manufacturer?

[Freddy]

Fake Vs. Real Montblanc Box (Warning: Pic Heavy!)

 

Additionally.. is that the only fake box that has been used

by the counterfeiters being passed off as genuine.

Oops..I see that this has been asked already..my apologies.

 

Redactin': I hear no sound argument..still..anecdotal evidence....

{23:06}

 

Fred

Chief cook and bottle washer in a one man Bird Watcher's

Society and still Practising Autonomous Argonaunt....My

number one priority will be to reduce your tax burden....

Experienced in all aspects of Court practice..including criminal

and civil litigation..landlord/tenant..estates wills trusts....Frequent

guest lecturer..Tax Fighter..Part time Small Business Owner....

Vote for me and I'll set you free...Help is on the way....Graduate

of the Fricke & Fracke School of Philosophy....{happy smiley

face time}

Edited August 22, 2014 by Freddy

[Mister Mont Blanc]

Thank you very much for doing this! I happen to have a fake box along with a fake warranty booklet and have been wanting to do a comparison for a while.

 

Also I do believe there may be one company manufacturing these fake boxes and warranty booklets for other counterfeiters to use. All of the counterfeit boxes I have seen of this style box look exactly like this one which is the one I have too. I think Montblanc did a great job this round of making a hard to counterfeit box! The old silky clip-style boxes with the pull off lid seemed too easy to replicate the looks.

[TLMG]

I believe that only one company makes these boxes... AND I would also venture that only one company makes the "high end" fakes-- the ones with the red resin, serial number, gold plating, etc. Likely either the same company or a joint venture between two companies.

I think that the problem isn't that they aren't able to replicate it... I think it is that they have much lower standards AND, like with all fakes, they try to make them "stand out" as being luxury goods. What I mean is: the real box, you'll notice, is actually pretty non-descript. Yes, it is a nice box... but it doesn't SCREAM "luxury good!" The fake, however, goes to much greater lengths to stand out: it has pearl white instead of white, larger, thicker logos, its more textured and tactile.

All of that ends up being its fall!

[Mister Mont Blanc]

I believe that only one company makes these boxes... AND I would also venture that only one company makes the "high end" fakes-- the ones with the red resin, serial number, gold plating, etc. Likely either the same company or a joint venture between two companies.

 

I think that the problem isn't that they aren't able to replicate it... I think it is that they have much lower standards AND, like with all fakes, they try to make them "stand out" as being luxury goods. What I mean is: the real box, you'll notice, is actually pretty non-descript. Yes, it is a nice box... but it doesn't SCREAM "luxury good!" The fake, however, goes to much greater lengths to stand out: it has pearl white instead of white, larger, thicker logos, its more textured and tactile.

 

All of that ends up being its fall!

This is all true. Yes, sometimes simple elegance is luxury. I guess that's why these counterfeiters take it among themselves to make completely different and outrageous designs that Montblanc has never used.

[TLMG]

^yup! Some of the MB fakes are so gaudy and ostentatious that you immediately know something is "off" about them!

Bright turquoise with CZ all over... with a tiny flag on the top of the mountain that says "MONTBLANC." and a price of "$20,000USD" laser engraved on the pen multiple times.

[Nek]

Nice post and thread. Thanks for the fake box comparison. Nice to know what to check and look out for with the fake boxes.

[NHsueh]

Good thread, but I would like to say that even if your box isn't exactly like the real one featured here, it could be real. Montblanc has used slightly different boxes before. I bought a number of Montblanc pens, from boutiques and authorized dealers, and the size of the pen slot in the box has not always been so narrow.

 

You just have to look at the quality of the box and decide for yourself. For me, the most telling of the fake is the detailing of the logo on the box is shoddy (the real one is crisp and fine), and the painted on seam in the fake.

[Mister Mont Blanc]

Good thread, but I would like to say that even if your box isn't exactly like the real one featured here, it could be real. Montblanc has used slightly different boxes before. I bought a number of Montblanc pens, from boutiques and authorized dealers, and the size of the pen slot in the box has not always been so narrow.

 

You just have to look at the quality of the box and decide for yourself. For me, the most telling of the fake is the detailing of the logo on the box is shoddy (the real one is crisp and fine), and the painted on seam in the fake.

Yes that is correct. The box shown is Montblanc's current box used for most regular edition pens and the larger-sized boxes are the same concept with just a bigger size and a removable pillow for one or two pens. Also the slot size CAN differ based on how large of a pen was in it and how long it's been in it but they all start out the same from the factory. The box shown in this review appears to have had a pen in it for a quite a while, stretching out the slot but is still the same box as you may have with a narrower slot that hasn't been stretched.

[TLMG]

Yes that is correct. The box shown is Montblanc's current box used for most regular edition pens and the larger-sized boxes are the same concept with just a bigger size and a removable pillow for one or two pens. Also the slot size CAN differ based on how large of a pen was in it and how long it's been in it but they all start out the same from the factory. The box shown in this review appears to have had a pen in it for a quite a while, stretching out the slot but is still the same box as you may have with a narrower slot that hasn't been stretched.

 

Yes that is correct-- but note that, on the fake box, the slot is large from the get go and has been manually opened via the "skeleton" of the pen holder... the real one might get stretched-- but it isn't "prestretched".

[NHsueh]

Yes that is correct. The box shown is Montblanc's current box used for most regular edition pens and the larger-sized boxes are the same concept with just a bigger size and a removable pillow for one or two pens. Also the slot size CAN differ based on how large of a pen was in it and how long it's been in it but they all start out the same from the factory. The box shown in this review appears to have had a pen in it for a quite a while, stretching out the slot but is still the same box as you may have with a narrower slot that hasn't been stretched.

 

 

 

Yes that is correct-- but note that, on the fake box, the slot is large from the get go and has been manually opened via the "skeleton" of the pen holder... the real one might get stretched-- but it isn't "prestretched".

 

That is true! I did not think about how long the pens have been inside the boxes before I compared the size of the slots, its just something I noticed when I last saw them.

 

Although what I thought was that over the years, Montblanc might change suppliers of the box, since it is unlikely they make the boxes themselves. Thus, the boxes might be subtly different from one another, but the only constant is the quality and attention to detail. Different suppliers might not make the pen slots of exactly the same width.

[Mister Mont Blanc]

 

Yes that is correct-- but note that, on the fake box, the slot is large from the get go and has been manually opened via the "skeleton" of the pen holder... the real one might get stretched-- but it isn't "prestretched".

Yes, good point. I would post a pic of my new box but I'm away from home and it's not with me. A new authentic box almost looks like a thin slit which comes to a point at each end. The fake ones look like a pre cut out hole with awkward lines lol