Could This Parker Sonnet Be A Fake? Need Some Experienced Eyes.

[SomethingWicked]

I posted photos of a newly purchased pen from eBay that I accepted to be a Parker Sonnet. Except that when it arrived, the refill was NOT the standard size of the Parker refills you can buy anywhere. CeeJayBee kindly advised me that I might have a counterfeit on my hands, so with that in mind, I wanted to post my winning ebay listing on the Parker forum (while it's still up) because the listing has better photos that I can take.

 

Would you guys/girls be so kind as to look at the photos in the listing (I "won" the pen for $29) and tell me whether this looks like a Sonnet to you?

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-PARKER-SONNET-GOLD-PLATED-BALLPOINT-PEN-MADE-IN-FRANCE-/111439068045?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=41ZA3q9wqWFDPobPHqVOFV%252FbTJs%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

[View from the Loft]

I'm sorry, but this doesn't look to be a genuine Sonnet to me. And certainly, that box is of an earlier generation than any Sonnet.

[The Blue Knight]

Lofty is right, the logos and date codes don't tie up for starters (either 2012 date code or 1992 date code) neither of these years have the post 2000 Parker curly P logo. I don't think that pattern is a Parker Pattern is a standard sonnet one.

 

But do note a box isn't a very significant piece of information as the seller could have paired up an old Parker with a newer pen by error.

[View from the Loft]

But do note a box isn't a very significant piece of information as the seller could have paired up an old Parker with a newer pen by error.

 

I quite agree, but my suspicious mind says that in this case, an older genuine box is being used to give the impression that this pen is genuine. Also, I wouldn't really class a Sonnet as a vintage pen either.

[andyk]

Hi,

 

I have a fake GP Sonnet set (FP & BP), they plating tends to be very bright and shiny and a little rougher in places than the real thing and also very thin and likely to wear. The pen in the photos looks very bright which suggests a fake, but difficult to tell just from the photos.

 

Having said this both my fakes work well, but are bit too blingy for me, not really sure why i bought them but there you are.

 

Andy

[Mookli]

Greetings all,

I had the opportunity to purchase a Parker Sonnet Cicele at a price that would be high for a fake and low for real.

Regardless of how this turns out, I think I got my money’s worth in the enjoyment of investigating this pen. This is what I have so far.

 

Initial inspection,

Conditioned well used, damaged nib. Out of service for long enough for ink to completely dry out. (standard Parker converter)

The pen has an overall shabby look. The color was not quite right for silver. (I am a hobby silversmith) There were black marks where the plating had worn off. Small black spots all over the pen.

The milled Cicele groves were flush with the body, giving the feeling of being printed on. Not anything like my 75 Cicele. The back end has a small black plastic gem.

 

The cap has a gold plated clip with 7 feather lines.

At the top of the cap, a gold plate bezel with another black plastic gem. The cap is vented through a gap between the black plastic gem and the bezel.

Narrow cap band, gold plated.

 

 

Hallmarks on cap band:

(Parker “arrow through oval” Hallmark) PARKER SONNET FRANCE MD 925 (two French Menerva hallmarks) (Parker /Waterman Hallmark) (date code IIP)

The hallmarks are filled with black paint. (the Menerva hallmarks were not painted)

 

Nib:

Light dusty oxidation, ink stain and crust. Tip damage, bent up and crossed.

 

Markings:

PARKER 18K

(Parker / Waterman Hallmark) (750)

 

 

I straighten and cleaned the nib. (still needs fine tweaking) Gold has a feel to it, and during the working, it cooperated like I would expect 18k to.

The iridium tip looks good and centered, but the slit doesn’t pierce the breather hole precisely on center.

Stamping looks moderate.

 

I cleaned the body and inspected it under a microscope.

The Cicele milled slots are indeed cut into the pen, but have been filled with lacquer or other black material.

On the end of the pen there was a distinct wear and obvious plating. The color of the plating is not right for silver. The exposed base metal is dark oxidized.

I polished the end with Suncloth and re-examined the end. The plate looks about the same and the base metal looks spot on for silver, with the slight gray cast.

 

I gave the rest of the pen a wipe with the Suncloth and the black spots wiped off easily changing the appeal or the pen dramatically.

 

I did some on-line research and based on the markings,I put this as a Parker Sonnet MK1 1997. That would make it the last year of the thin gold cap band models.

The French hallmarks is the Minerva. Without the cartouche it is a guarantee of min .800 silver. It is also used to identify French manufactured silver product.

This model originally sold with a plain gold nib.

 

 

I have been using the pen for a week or so and have formed some opinions.

 

I think Parker tried filling in the Cicele lines as a design enhancement. It effectively makes the pen look and feel cheap.

I think the pen is plated to prevent tarnishing. It’s not a great plating job and I am not convinced it is Rhodium.

I think the small errors in detail are just parkers manufacturing tolerances.

The pen is nicely balanced, the weight feels right (I don’t post) and the nib has that Parker firm feel, but still quite pleasurable.

It’s a nice writer and will be even better with a little nib work

Cap fits with that satisficing click.

It quickly became comfortable in my pocket and hand.

And now that all the tarnish has worn off looks quite nice too.

 

So is it real ?

My gut says yes, or it’s a very nice knock off. How’s that for commitment!

 

But there are still many questions and I would really like to hear thoughts on….

 

This is the first Cicele I have seen that had filled in groves, but have read about others. Was this a common practice on this model ???

The double strike of the Minerva is of significance. I have seen this on pictures of French made Sonnets. Why strike it twice ???

Did parker ( or the French manufacturer) plate silver pens to manage oxidation???

The date code of IIP 1997 matches production records as last year production of the thin cap band model. But the

the P over W stamped on both the nib and cap is a post 2001 stamp and doesn’t match the time line. ???

 

 

OK, here comes the disclaimer.

I am a armature, learning just for personal enjoyment.

Ideas expressed are my opinion and not to be taken too seriously.

I welcome critique and apologize in advance for the inevitable mistakes.

 

More pictures at:

http://www.maryhatay.com/Mark/Fountain-Pens/Parker-Sonnet/44834715_xWbPs4

 

 

Mark

 

 

http://www.maryhatay.com/Mark/Fountain-Pens/Parker-Sonnet/i-SXTBFXr/0/M/IMG_2876-M.jpg

 

 

 

 

http://www.maryhatay.com/Mark/Fountain-Pens/Parker-Sonnet/i-tzSnxf9/0/M/IMG_2877-M.jpg

 

 

http://www.maryhatay.com/Mark/Fountain-Pens/Parker-Sonnet/i-HswhXCF/0/M/DSC_9785-M.jpg

 

http://www.maryhatay.com/Mark/Fountain-Pens/Parker-Sonnet/i-tCSCzS4/0/M/IMG_2883-M.jpg