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I'm hoping someone can identify the maker of this replica Duofold that I recently bought used from FPH. FPH said the nib was from a 1940s Vacumatic. The clip looks to be from a vintage Parker too. The button-filler may be modern. The top and bottom black pieces may or may not be vintage as well. I know that Chris Thompson's replicas had the imprint on the barrel with the added word "Replica" but this pen has no imprint on the barrel. I have attached a few pictures of different parts of the pen. Can anyone also tell me which vintage Duofold this is a replica of? Thanks for any help.

This is my first post on FPN, but I have been seen a lot of scams on OfferUp with fake Montblancs selling for the price of genuine ones. I want to show you guys one particular example of a gentleman selling a Writer's edition "new with original box" including our interesting conversation in which I let him know it is fake, but I would like you all to see for yourselves. I have already reported it but I doubt OfferUp will take action. What should I do if they do not delete the post?

While browsing on eBay today, I found two "George Bernard Shaw" pens that surprised me, both Rollerball pens. Of course, that is what caught my eye since the information on the Montblanc web site about the George Bernard Shaw Writers Edition, http://www.montblanc.com/en-us/discover/limited-editions/writers-editions/george-bernard-shaw.html, lists fountain pen, ballpoint pen, and pencil but not rollerball pen. Being familiar with the George Bernard Shaw series since it is an edition that I like in addition to the Oscar Wilde Edition (for which I own two pieces), I knew that these listing were for replica (I prefer to call them fake since that is what they are) pens. Neither pen is in a Writers Edition box and, sadly, one listing already has a bid. In fact, this is the first time that I have seen listings for rollerball pens for the George Bernard Shaw Writers Edition on eBay; of course, there may have been others since I have not browsed for the George Bernard Shaw Writers Edition recently. The first pen, for which there is currently one bid, comes with a fake Montblanc single pen sleeve and can be accessed at http://www.ebay.com/itm/Montblanc-Rollerball-Pen-George-Bernard-Shaw-New-with-Serial-Number-/151754552420?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item235546b464, and the second pen can be accessed at http://www.ebay.com/itm/MONT-BLANC-SPECIAL-EDITION-GEORGE-BERNARD-SHAW-ROLLERBALL-PEN-MONTBLANC-/131563053307?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1ea1c4e0fb. While the first does not include information about a serial number, the second includes the Montblanc year of release for the George Bernard Shaw Writers Edition as the serial number in the heading, "MONT BLANC SPECIAL EDITION GEORGE BERNARD SHAW ROLLERBALL PEN MONTBLANC Serial Number 2008 Out Of 18000". Although I reported each listing to eBay, I doubt that the listings will be removed. The seller for the first pen also sells fake Montblanc single pen sleeves; a current listing can be viewed at http://www.ebay.com/itm/Montblanc-Pouch-One-Pen-Sleeve-Black-Leather-Case-/151754490765?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item235545c38d and others can be viewed through the "View Item" hyperlinks on the seller's feedback page. Examining the pictures for the pen sleeve, you can see that the top edges are not finished, the sewing is clunky rather than refined, the back does not list a location (for example Hamburg or Italy), and the star is amiss; the star emblem on the booklet is amiss as well. I own many (actually, far too many) authentic Montblanc pen cases including the Montblanc pen sleeves (after which these fake pen sleeves are patterned) in addition to several other Montblanc pen pouches for the Sienna series, the Flip-Flap (I created a topic for modifying this Montblanc pouch using cardboard inserts), and the oblong series with the magnetic closure. It is too bad that there are so many fakes being sold as there is nothing like the real thing. : ) Well, I thought that I would share these for your enjoyment. ; ) Buyers beware!

A series of Montblanc WE rollerball pens have appeared on an auction site that don't quite look right. The Jules Verne is normally a lacquer blue. Did MB make a second series in black? This looks like a cross between Verne and Twain. All of the pens for sale are rollerballs and similar ones are sold on line for $13 not $500+. However, the seller has 60+ positive feedback and a history of selling vintage (authentic?) MB pens suggesting that they are authentic or may not know they are replicas. http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Montblanc-Jules-Gabriel-Verne-Writer-Edition-Rollerball-Pen-Black-Lacquer-Metal-/331481385182?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item4d2dd488de

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!