Tips on How to spot a fake Mont Blanc

[piembi]

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

 

Works with a maglite, too. Out of couriosity I have tested a Lamy 27 as well and the Lamy, too, has this deep ruby red.

Tried another black pen (cannot remember wich, Geha or Parker 51) and this pen was plain black ....

[BearsPaw]

Works with a maglite, too. Out of couriosity I have tested a Lamy 27 as well and the Lamy, too, has this deep ruby red.

Tried another black pen (cannot remember wich, Geha or Parker 51) and this pen was plain black ....

 

I have a Sailor Profit 21k, and it has a red tint under bright light, just like my Montblancs.

[gvl]

Just seen this nice example of a poor quality counterfeit Meisterstuck on Ebay. MB Fake

 

 

Note the following:

1. Serial number and country of origin (GERMANY) should be equidistant on each side of the clip. This one seems to have the serial no. over the clip. Font used is also incorrect.

2. The clip should be joined the clip ring. On this pen it originates from below.

3. The clip is formed from a relatively thin piece of metal and shaped into something which resembles the real item. On a genuine pen the ball is solid metal whereas on this item the metal has been curved in at each side into the shape of a ball.

4. The three rings at the bottom of the cap are out of proportion - most noticeable are the top and bottom which are too thick.

5. The refill doesn't appear to fit the pen (only the tip shows in the photo). This is common with fake rollerballs.

6. The gold finish on fakes is thin and wears quickly.

7. The corresponding counterfeit fountain pen is very similar in appearance to this one and has an iridium nib.

 

 

Perhaps most surprising is that the pen is being sold as a genuine Montblanc by an established Power Seller with 100% feedback.

 

 

I have notified Ebay that the item is counterfeit. Would appreciate if others did the same - Ebay seem more inclined to react if they receive feedback about an item from more than one person.

 

P.S. The cat shown in the last photo looks genuine

Edited August 30, 2008 by gvl

[Zodduska]

I just received a secondhand MontBlanc 146 LeGrande today and happened to be going to a mall that had a MontBlanc store.

I was fairly confident that it was the genuine article although PIX was missing from the underside of the clip and it had an indentation there as well, everything else looked perfect. I asked the clerk to confirm it's autenticity, the first thing she looked for was the PIX under the clip, after seeing that it was missing the only thing she said was "I'll have to have my manager look at it". The 146 was handed to the black-gloved manager and taken into his office. I proceeded to purchase a couple bottles of ink (only $11 each, nice!) and a few minutes later the manager emerged, handing me back the pen and said "It looks real to us!"

Edited August 31, 2008 by Zodduska

[waffas]

there are lots of fake pens on ebay more than 75% of stuff you get there is counterfeit.

simulation assurance vie

 

 

In terms of Montblanc pens I would disagree. Id say more to 20% for the USA and European items.

[niksch]

there are lots of fake pens on ebay more than 75% of stuff you get there is counterfeit.

simulation assurance vie

 

And with what method did you arrive at this number? There are fakes on eBay, but it does not amount to 3 of every 4 MB pens for sale there.

[QM2]

I believe that RevAaron is working on an article comparing some of the better MB fakes to the real thing, including the new batch of very convincingly done "100 Year pens" that have recenty appeared. Should be a fascinating read.

[montblancdude]

there are lots of fake pens on ebay more than 75% of stuff you get there is counterfeit.

simulation assurance vie

 

And with what method did you arrive at this number? There are fakes on eBay, but it does not amount to 3 of every 4 MB pens for sale there.

 

I agree... there seem to be many real ones out there by reputable sellers... not that many of them are fake. I have several friends in Canada who've bought Montblancs off of eBay and have been very happy with them.

 

Always good to check, though.

[montblancdude]

so how to spot a fake mont blanc then? i really want to buy one but im very hesitant with the number of fake pens online..

 

 

commission de surendettement

 

Why not just buy off of the FPN classifieds? You're much more likely to get a good deal and the pens aren't going to be fake.

[mdp0430]

Except on the FPN you have to wait, and wait, and wait, until you become a little obsessive-compulsive, go mad and just take your chances on Ebay... Agatha Christie should arrive tomorrow!

[kaissa]

so how to spot a fake mont blanc then? i really want to buy one but im very hesitant with the number of fake pens online..

 

 

commission de surendettement

 

Why not just buy off of the FPN classifieds? You're much more likely to get a good deal and the pens aren't going to be fake.

 

I would not bet on it. Recently a NOS MB came up for sale on this forum. I requested some pictures. A Word file with black photos came back. When I informed the seller of this problem, he sent me a link on this forum, stating that the pen was identical.

 

I specifically asked for some photos of the pen to check. No reply ever came back. That was close.

 

I would still prefer to buy it from here than e-bay but would check to be sure.

 

Regards,

[Prometheus]

I've just bought a Greta Garbo ballpoint at an official MB reseller

As far as I can see it is genuine (at least alle the known marks were there).

The pen wasn't in the Greta Garbo case, but in a paper MB box, meant for airports.

The reseller was able to get hold of 10 pens delivered back by Lufthansa to MB.

 

Can I expect this pen to be real?

[slackwaresupport]

hello.. !! new user. i just bought a "montblanc" on ebay.. the item

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150374796902&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

 

its suppose to be a yehundi menuhin.. but i think its a fake. can someone help me out please!!

 

thanks!

[niksch]

Welcome to FPN, but I am sorry to say that you were swindled.

 

If you will please go to http://www.montblanc.com/products/81.php , you will see that the Menuhin donation pen was made as fountain pens and ballpoints, but not roller-balls.

 

 

 

hello.. !! new user. i just bought a "montblanc" on ebay.. the item

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/...e=STRK:MEWNX:IT

 

its suppose to be a yehundi menuhin.. but i think its a fake. can someone help me out please!!

 

thanks!

[slackwaresupport]

thanks!!!.. i will be contacting the seller..

[slackwaresupport]

i have noticed that ALOT of the montblancs on ebay are from singapore and over seas places... are most of these fakes?

[buckawheat]

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 <a href="http://refills.montblanc.com" target="_blank">refills.montblanc.com</a>

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 :/

 

 

I don't see an answer so hopefully this isn't duplicate.

If the pens are Le Grand 161 rollerballs, they will require a Le Grand rollerball refill, not a rollerball refill.

[thejoker]

Ptitmax, my Mont Blanc Meisterstuck Le Grand has a serial number and "Laiton" too! I sure hope mine isn't a fake; I paid good money for this pen. I had to pay for half of it for my own bday present! Ptitmax, what kind of Mont Blanc do you have that has Laiton? Mont Blanc experts, please help us!

 

Evan

 

Hi, Evan

 

Is is fake or authentic Mont Blanc ?

 

George

[thejoker]

<!--QuoteBegin-ptitmax+Feb 21 2007, 06:16 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (ptitmax @ Feb 21 2007, 06:16 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> Ptitmax, my Mont Blanc Meisterstuck Le Grand has a serial number and "Laiton" too! I sure hope mine isn't a fake; I paid good money for this pen. I had to pay for half of it for my own bday present! Ptitmax, what kind of Mont Blanc do you have that has Laiton? Mont Blanc experts, please help us!

 

Evan

 

 

 

---------------

 

 

I send it to Monblanc for a nib repair they probably will tell me about that too ;-)

 

I keep you posted...

 

Max

 

P.S. Sorry, I'm still learning this "quote" thing <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->

 

My pen was repaired at Montblanc (great service). So I guess it means it's not a fake one. They would'nt have repaired it, and put their name on the reparation if it was a fake.

 

HI,

How much you paid for repairing nib ?

 

Thanks

George

[bbbiswas]

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->To spot a fake, hold the potential fake beside a known authentic pen.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

 

then what can you find? nothing.....

 

Ok, I have seen different grade of fake MB. first the lowest grade, which will cost the least for them to counterfeit it is very easy to spot them. the material and the overall quality is really bad compare to the real one, any one with some experience can spot those.

 

Now gets little tough, the middle grade counterfeits. cost little bit more than the lowest grade, so the overall quality is better or say close the real thing, but not as detail as the real one. so look close into the detail work in those grade of conterfeits.

 

Now the "A" class grade counterfeits, those are extramly tough to spot by just look at them. I can promise you if you ever find one of those in the market you won't be able to tell the different by just look at them. they are weight the same, looks the same, and feel the same.

 

One of my German friend who has a friend is one of the engineer for MB, he bought some "A" class grade counterfeits MB pen back to the factory to exam them. (BTW,they are only $100 less than the real thing, ain't cheap) He had many those expert workers to exam them, the result.... without break the pen or take it apart, they CAN NOT tell the difference between them. how are they perform?? No difference. So the MB's engineer took the pen to a writter whom has been use MB pens for more than $30 yrs and write more than 1000 words with the pen every day. Result.. at the first few lines, no difference. but the more he writes, the more he felt uncomfortable. so the Engineer took the pen and the report back to the factory, and break the pen and melt the nib to exam them. final result.. First, the feed design is not near close to the design of real MB, therefor the ink flow not as good. second, the ratio of gold and other elements in the nib is total wrong, which cause the uncomfortable feeling during writing. other wise every thing is very very close to the real thing.

 

What do you all think the skill of counterfeit?

 

The fake MB maker can copy all visible features of Meisterstuk like

1) Pix on cap-ring and Pix under clip

2) Incused hatching of the legends on the middle cap-ring

3) GERMANY and Serial number beginning with 2 letters on the clip-ring

 

What was considered impossible (read very very difficult) for faker is the precious black resin whose formula is closedly guarded secret like that of Coca Cola. The MB resin is supposed to emit red colour when held against strong background of white light like that from an incadescent lamp of 60 watts. I have tested my MBs all bought from authorised Montblanc Boutiques and they have passed the test.

 

But one faker from China has surprised me. His fake MB resin also emits red light. I deliberately bought his fake145 Chopin for $50 to see how good is his faking skill. I will give him 100 out of 100 for his art of faking. His pens can be described as "genuine Montblanc made in China". But where he failed is the test of human feel of comfort of writing. The steel(I guess) nib with gold and rhodium coating as per specification of genuine nib and perfectly ground iridium tip did not give me the same feel the genuine ones give. But honestly I do not know whether the lack of good feel was not coming to me because I already knew that I have bought a fake pen and also because I have more than a decade's experience writing with 6 genuine MB pens. Perhaps a first timer with the fake pen will never realise that his pen is not genuine. The webpage of the Chinese seller of this fake pen is either Magic2Door.com OR Magictodoor.com