Help! Is This Parker Sonnet Real Or Fake?

[DominatoSpace]

Do NOT buy a Sonnet but from a honest, reputable and knowledgable seller.

OK, will not.

[DominatoSpace]

GUYS! I KNOW that you all probably hate me now! Sorry to take your time. (this is the final one, I promise!)

Is that gorgeous pen Fake?? Or not??

[DominatoSpace]

Another photo

[DominatoSpace]

Another..

[mitto]

That looks ok. If it is laque black it is from the 2003 release. Period correct trim and nib. How much is the seller's demand for this pen?

[DominatoSpace]

That looks ok. If it is laque black it is from the 2003 release. Period correct trim and nib. How much is the seller's demand for this pen?

42 $, the website is OLX, Ukraine.

[mitto]

Used or new? If it is new/NOS the price says a lot. Too good to be true.

 

I would not buy from OLX.Ukraine.

[DominatoSpace]

Used or new? If it is new/NOS the price says a lot. Too good to be true.

I would not buy from OLX.Ukraine.

New . I live in Ukraine ,so it's only 1 day to wait for a pen to arrive. But this pen looks real, right? There is war in our country, so the prices on such collectors things are low.

How much is it in US?

[TassoBarbasso]

GUYS! I KNOW that you all probably hate me now! Sorry to take your time. (this is the final one, I promise!)

Is that gorgeous pen Fake?? Or not??

I can't clearly see from such distance but the hallmark seems ok. However a better way to check would be to ask the seller to unscrew the nib unit (a very basic and simple procedure) and take a picture of the other hallmarks, which should be hidden beneath the section. There's an article somewhere on the internet called "establishing the date of a Parker pen", or something like that, where you can see all the correct hallmarks by country of manufacture and year.

 

It's important you check the hallmarks underneath the section, because while counterfeiters have significantly improved and learnt to fake the "P-arrow-P" hallmark almost perfectly, they usually don't bother to fake the ones underneath the section. After all, nobody checks those

 

If the website you're using allows payment refunds and permits you to open controversies with sellers should the need arise, you can also make a jump in the dark, buy it, ascertain its genuinity later, and then open a controversy if you find out it's fake.

[DominatoSpace]

I can't clearly see from such distance but the hallmark seems ok. However a better way to check would be to ask the seller to unscrew the nib unit (a very basic and simple procedure) and take a picture of the other hallmarks, which should be hidden beneath the section. There's an article somewhere on the internet called "establishing the date of a Parker pen", or something like that, where you can see all the correct hallmarks by country of manufacture and year.

It's important you check the hallmarks underneath the section, because while counterfeiters have significantly improved and learnt to fake the "P-arrow-P" hallmark almost perfectly, they usually don't bother to fake the ones underneath the section. After all, nobody checks those

If the website you're using allows payment refunds and permits you to open controversies with sellers should the need arise, you can also make a jump in the dark, buy it, ascertain its genuinity later, and then open a controversy if you find out it's fake.

Thank you a lot!

[mitto]

The terms of use of OLX clearly state that the website shall not be responsible for any dealings/payments or warrantees etc between the sellers and the buyers. So be aware please. I have first hand experience of using the site.

[Chrissy]

42 $, the website is OLX, Ukraine.

 

Then it's unlikely that the seller is honest, reputable and knowledgeable.

[PaulS]

On this most recent example, the colour looks like Laque Deep Blue and the cap band markings do appear to be correct - at least they match my example - the date code could be A.III - first quarter 2002. The nib is possibly rhondium over 18 k.

 

I'm not going to recommend the o.p. jumps either way, but do offer sympathy in view of the aggro involved in simply buying a f.p. - I hadn't realized there was such a counterfeit market for Sonnets.

[pajaro]

There are a great many fake Sonnets out there, many excellent and almost indistinguishable from the Parker product.

 

If you have found this on ebay it will probably be a fake

 

"Probably" here is conjecture.

[Beechwood]

 

"Probably" here is conjecture.

 

 

The word probably was used based on an opinion or conclusion formed through incomplete information. That's why I used the word probably and not as a certainty.

 

A great many of the Sonnets that I see on Ebay are not made by Parker, therefore, in my opinion and experience, a Sonnet bought from Ebay is probably a fake, in other words, more likely than not.

 

What is your point on 'conjecture' please? Doesnt the the word probably already provide for conjecture or are you making some demeaning point?

Edited July 16, 2017 by Beechwood

[mitto]

On this most recent example, the colour looks like Laque Deep Blue and the cap band markings do appear to be correct - at least they match my example - the date code could be A.III - first quarter 2002. The nib is possibly rhondium over 18 k.

 

I'm not going to recommend the o.p. jumps either way, but do offer sympathy in view of the aggro involved in simply buying a f.p. - I hadn't realized there was such a counterfeit market for Sonnets.

If it is the Laque Deep Blue version then it is Chrome Trim and as you say the nib would be rhodium plated 18k.

[pajaro]

 

 

The word probably was used based on an opinion or conclusion formed through incomplete information. That's why I used the word probably and not as a certainty.

 

A great many of the Sonnets that I see on Ebay are not made by Parker, therefore, in my opinion and experience, a Sonnet bought from Ebay is probably a fake, in other words, more likely than not.

 

What is your point on 'conjecture' please? Doesnt the the word probably already provide for conjecture or are you making some demeaning point?

 

I simply think that it is too extreme to say that a Sonnet found on ebay is probably a fake. I think the due diligence of examining the pictures against the documentation of counterfeits has to be done on something considered for purchase. I think you didn't write there that in your experience, etc. I think your statement was too extreme, based on my experience of examining ebay pics against counterfeit docs found on the internet.

[Chrissy]

 

 

The word probably was used based on an opinion or conclusion formed through incomplete information. That's why I used the word probably and not as a certainty.

 

A great many of the Sonnets that I see on Ebay are not made by Parker, therefore, in my opinion and experience, a Sonnet bought from Ebay is probably a fake, in other words, more likely than not.

 

What is your point on 'conjecture' please? Doesnt the the word probably already provide for conjecture or are you making some demeaning point?

 

Actually, I see a great many Parker Sonnets on eBay too, and consider that many of those available are not likely to be fakes. I'm no Sonnet expert though.

[pajaro]

I am not an expert either. When I started to collect Sonnets I received some warnings about Chinese fakes, so I read what online documentation I could find and considered purchases of Sonnets carefully in light of the documentation. When I received pens I checked them out again. The ones I bought seemed good. Most of the ones I bought were used. Some came from sellers who sold a lot of other kinds of pens, and some seemed to come from estate sales and so on. If I had this to do again, I would not buy any Sonnets, because there is a lot of negative publicity out there and a lot of negative commentary about the authenticity of Sonnets that I don't feel I could sell my Sonnets, even at the low prices I paid for some of them. The bargains are a bust, because the well seems to be poisoned and the goods are suspect. I put the Sonnets in an old tray out of sight, so I don't have to think about them any more.

[PaulS]

it is unfortunate that the Sonnet, for whatever reasons, has gained a reputation that suggests 'many' aren't authentic Parker made examples. What the percentage is of those advertised, that might be fakes, I've no idea, but there's no doubt that use of the word 'probably' is a strongly implied assertion that there is more evidence for the argument (in this case that they're fakes) than against (that they're not fakes). Having a few burned fingers can leave a lasting and disproportionate impression that something is going to be duff, before we even start.

Might it be of use/interest to collectors/users here, if someone were able to list briefly those features that will indicate a non-authentic Sonnet?

 

P.S. the earier suggestion that faint appearance of feathers is an indication that all is not well, may not be a reliable criteria.

Pix taken in poor light or at a less than favourable angle will show this feature weakly and possibly give the wrong

conclusion. On this model the feathers are a shallow impression compared to other Parker pens.

Edited July 16, 2017 by PaulS