Tips on How to spot a fake Mont Blanc

[funzoneplanet]

If it's a high end fashion accessory it's almost bound to be counterfeited/emulated sooner or later. The best way to know if you receive/purchase a fake, would be to send the item back to its prospective company or to stop by an authentic dealer and have it thoroughly inspected inside and out. For fakes such as Rolex watches this would include having them remove the back of the watch.

[LouisA]

Today I received a MB 146 I had bought off Ebay. Nice price but the jerk charged me $25.00 for shipping and then sent it regular post which cost all of $1.50. He had indicated on ebay the pen was when there were still East and West which is why on the band it says W Germany. Does have a serial number. Looks as if it could have come from the '80s. A bit used not no real damage. It still had a bit of ink in it so I guess it was used for writing. The nib is suppose to be Fine but it does not write as thin as line as my Pelikan M600. On some strokes the line is a bit finer. By this I mean the verticle lines are not as fine as the horizontal lines. I hope it's a real MB.

[Ed44]

On my 147 (May 2007 production) that I got from a MB Boutique, it has the word Pix with the trademark circle R symbol on the wide gold cap band. This may be a feature of the newest production pens. So around the wide cap band it says: Montblanc - Meisterstuck - Pix -

[Ranvir]

Going through the thread I found that PIX is written on the inside of Boheme Ball Point pen. This was very obvious to spot. With a magnifying glass, I also saw 'metal' written.

Can someone tell me if this this helps in identifying a fake MB or is my pen a fake.

 

Thanks

[nnguyen]

A good article on Identifying Fake Montblanc pen.

 

Although I think the author made a mistake about the clip has a line mark vs. not. Can anyone confirm this? Thanks

 

http://reviews.ebay.com/Ultimate-Montblanc...000000004966306

[Kalessin]

Unfortunately, that article isn't factually correct or very comprehensive. For example, the author asserts that "Almost all Montblanc pens have serial numbers on the ring connected to the clip." Montblanc has been in business for over 100 years, and even the Meisterstucks have been made since the 1950's, and they didn't start using serial numbers until 1991.

 

I can't confirm the assertion the author makes about the line on the inside of the clip for newer Meisterstuck pens, but if you look into some of the other threads about fakes here, you'll see that there are many other signs on faked Montblanc pens.

 

 

 

[krishnananda]

Some more dates to add to the mix:

 

The most recent 149 I own is from 1986 and has neither a serial number nor "Pix" on the clip.

 

I have an early 1990s 146 with a serial number but no "Pix".

 

I have a 1995 stainless steel 146 with both serial number and "Pix".

 

There are very minor differences in the clip designs of the two 146s. The feeds are identical. The black 146 has a 14K OBB nib, the stainless steel 146 has an 18K F nib.

 

I seem to remember someone on alt.collecting.pens-pencils saying that the "Pix" started with one of the limited editions -- but I don't remember which one.

 

--k

[georges zaslavsky]

If you want to buy a guenine MB so buy them in a shop.

Edited February 21, 2008 by georges zaslavsky

[chuancao]

If you want to buy a guenine MB so buy them in a shop.

 

Reading all this has sure been helpful. Quick question: I got my 146 from an authorized dealer. I even called MB to make sure they are they assured me the dealer is indeed authorized.

 

What are the chances of an authorized dealer selling a fake? I would htink highly unlikely.

 

So all of you who are wondering if your MB is real or not, did you not buy from an authorized dealer?

 

Just curoius...

[gvl]

Please see link below to mb fakes.

 

mb fakes

mb fakes 2

 

Models shown are from the left: Solitaire, Le Grand and Boheme counterfeits. All are poor quality items with obvious flaws:

 

- they all have iridium nibs [the Boheme is inscribed Made in Paris!]

- the clips on the first two originate from beneath the metal clip ring

- the solitaire is black above the clip ring when it should be silver

- the thickness and distance between the center bands are incorrect.

- incorrect weights

- the white star on the bohem is off center

- all possess cheap poor quality converters...

 

All three pens were purchased on Ebay from sellers with scores of over 100 and 100% positive feedback. In two instances the pens received did not correspond to the pen pictured. In the third case, I took a chance based on a rather poor quality picture. O.K. I should get my money back but there is a lot of hassle involved.

 

This posting is really to demonstrate how widespread fakes are on Ebay and that unless you know the seller really well, you could end up with anything!!

 

Even those with all the packaging can be fakes:

 

Chinese Chopin

[andromedia226]

I have nerver ever seem or heard about a fake MB149 or 146. Why?? i guess the porfit margin aren't higher enough for a good counterfake. cheap ones are easy to spot.

 

 

I just bid on a 149 on ebay from a seller with 400 100% reviews, and in the mail today - still with its Chinese postage - came a counterfeit 146 fountain.

 

So yeah, they're got 146 fountain fakes. For someone not familiar with MB's this would look genuine, but I'm about ready to buy a ticket to China and start taking names...

 

The fake comes with a fine point (think Chinese Hero) that needed some "forceful loving" to bend it into something useful.

 

 

[stylinred]

Hi guys, im new here

 

anyhow.. i received 2 mont blanc meisterstuck rollerballs as a gift from my uncle, i presumed they're real but now im unsure.

 

Everything looks original when following the "real/fake" webpages, but i bought meisterstuck rollerball pen refills from refills.montblanc.com

and the refills don't fit in my pens?!

 

now the pens are somewhat old (about 8-10 years) could that be the reason? or do i have myself some really high quality fakes who's makers made a slight error?

 

im a bit disappointed to say the least :/

[shoppy]

Great post, quite scary actually as I was looking at bidding on a star-walker 100 year anniversary ball pen on ebay. I think I won't now.

[Allan]

Hi guys, im new here

 

anyhow.. i received 2 mont blanc meisterstuck rollerballs as a gift from my uncle, i presumed they're real but now im unsure.

 

Everything looks original when following the "real/fake" webpages, but i bought meisterstuck rollerball pen refills from refills.montblanc.com

and the refills don't fit in my pens?!

 

now the pens are somewhat old (about 8-10 years) could that be the reason? or do i have myself some really high quality fakes who's makers made a slight error?

 

im a bit disappointed to say the least :/

 

The first thing I would check is that they make both a regular rollerball and a legrand rollerball, and they do not interchange. Could you have ordered the wrong ones? Do they come close to fitting? Too long/short?

 

Allan

[krom101]

So, if I get understand all the posts from those more knowledgable then me, the only constant is the inconsistancy of identifiers from Mont Blanc. For example, my Starwalker, (which, since purchased at auction from a District Attorney, I have no reason to believe is not authentic), has some of the correct identifiers, but not all. The nib is silver in color, and is marked 14K, 585, and has the circle and logo mountain crest. The resin shows ruby red under bright light. The inside of the clip has the PIX, as well as "Germany" and "metal". No "iridium" on the nib. There is a 7 digit serial number, (preceeded by the lower case letters ef). But the serial number is on the clip ring, and not located on the underside of the clip. Go figure. The bottom line is that I'm satisfied that the pen is genuine, regardless.

[Darius]

But the serial number is on the clip ring, and not located on the underside of the clip. Go figure. The bottom line is that I'm satisfied that the pen is genuine, regardless.

The serial numbers of Montblancs are on the clip ring, not on the undersurface of the clip. That is correct.

[krom101]

Thank you for the comfirmation on location of the serial number, Darius. Something else I noticed yesterday, (that actually caused me some concern). and that involves the positioning of the "star" on the Starwalker. This forum advised that if the star is off-center, then the pen is surely fake. Looking at my Starwalker at my office, (with indirect lighting from an oblique angle), the star seemed most certainly to be off-center. When I got home I took another look, (with direct over-head lighting), and the star was perfectly centered. So that plastic "dome" on the Starwalker does act like a lens, and will create an optical illusion, depending on the angle of the light that strikes it.

Krom

[PigRatAndGoat]

How good is the crooked star as an indicator of a fake anyways? Apparently MB managed to put the diamond upside down on some of the 100 Year Anniversary pens, so I think having a crooked star might not be such a good test...

 

PRAG

[PigRatAndGoat]

Oh, and one more thing: I'm not seeing this redish tinge under bright light. All I see is a shadow of a pen in front of a very bright light. How should I set this up to be able to see this phenomenon?

PS: I'm talking about a MB 145.

[krom101]

Oh, and one more thing: I'm not seeing this redish tinge under bright light. All I see is a shadow of a pen in front of a very bright light. How should I set this up to be able to see this phenomenon?

PS: I'm talking about a MB 145.

I use a powerful flashlight with a concentrated beam. In my case, a Surefire. The resin shows a deep ruby red as the light travels through the barrel of the pen.

Krom