I bought a "Vintage Montblanc" last week. It was supposed to be a 1960's 144 fountain. It all looks legitimate to me, It's got the resin threads, it's very lite.

It has PIX under the clip and on the band ? I thought this was a new thing MB was doing ? Am I wrong ?

No, you aren't wrong. That pen definately is not vintage.
A vintage #144 has to be made of celluloide, has a piston mechanic (no converter or cartridge) and was produced between 1950 and 1959.
There was no #144 produced between 1960 and 1979 !!!
A "pix" underneath the clip indicates a modern Montblanc #144 from the last production years in 1998/1999.

Axel

Thanks Axel, i'm going to post pics here and see if you can tell if I was duped.

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Here was the description :

Up for auction ------- MontBlanc

Model No. 144

Age: 1960's

Color -- Brown

Made in Germany

Size(approx): 5.5 inches when closed.

14 K gold Big Nib Clip says: EN1340225

Condition ---- Good & some brassing mark on clip & Band

If it's not vintage what is it ? Have the counterfieters started using the PIX logo ?

That doesn't look like a correct 144 to me. The bottom gold band on the cap is wrong. The grip section should (I believe) be black and the converter doesn't look to be the correct MB converter. I suspect that you have a fake pen. Hopefully Axel can tell us for sure.

If it is fake, then you can no longer rely on the PIX symbol as a symbol of authenticity. Because this one has it under the clip and on the band.

Well, it's definately not a #144, not from the 60' and not the color "brown".

It looks like an authentic contemporary burgundy Montblanc Meisterstück #145 "Chopin". But I agree with Ed about the converter – this is not a Montblanc converter.
To be absolutely sure I like to see a better picture of the nib. But there are some other details counterfeiters can't fake (or can they already?).

And to answer your last question: Have the counterfieters started using the PIX logo ? Yes, they have.

Best regards,
Axel

i maybe Wong in this i am sure that they never made a 145 burgundy its rather strange. Also that is not a mont blanc converter does the pen have a serial may be the clip is real. Can you post a better picture of the nib.

I tried to take a better picture of the nib, I just don't have the equipment needed.

But I think I got my answer, I E-mailed the seller and said. " where did you get this pen, I'm trying to figure out wether it real or not, I do know it's not a vintage 1960's pen, it's not brown and It's not a 144.

Here was the reply, I will copy and paste.

"hi,
I got it from New York city. I am not expert. Please check it out about authenticity. If you feel some thing wrong about it, you can return it back. I have other MontBlanc. I will send it or otherwise I will provide full refund. No worry. Please let me know.
thank you"

Needless to say I'm getting a refund. But this is really scary. Obviously the Pix symbol is useless in determining authenticity now.

But what is really scary is the detail on the nib. The only difference I can see is the scrolling between the gold and silver is not as deep on this pen as an original.

Buyer beware !!!!!

yes but the clip might be real

Why is that? The PIX logo was on the band also?

Sorry oh really ok well I am sure that mont blanc did not produce a p-line burgundy I may be Wong on this the pen does look real. But its just the trim on this and I is not a 144 as you know now but a 145 which is a newer model that replaced the 144 in the stranded range not solitre

Looks like a genuine 145 Burgundy to me, but they didn't make those in the 60s, of course. The etched serial number on the clip band is a good marker for authenticity, too, as is the screw cap (most fakes come with a push on cap). I've also never ween a fake in the burgundy colour.

Ray

The seller maintains that it's original. Here is a better picture of the nib ? But what about the converter.

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Have you ever seen this type of converter ?

If it is a fake it's a good one.

There's actually a rather good trade to be had on eBay just in MB converters, both fake and real. It's perfectly conceivable that the pen is real but the converter is not.

Ray

It's not a screw in converter, Did MB ever make the push in type converter

sorry, duplicate post

Montblanc made push-in converters for many years. Currently, they only have a screw-in type, and I'm not sure how long it's been the only converter they make.

Burgundy Montblanc Meisterstück "Chopin" has been and still are available! They might not be very common but they exist.
Hmm, what else can I say?


I'm still not confessed about the nib as I have seen faked nibs which looked VERY similar.


With this spelling "MONT BLANC" it is a fake! Montblanc would never write it's name departed in two words in one line as this is the mountaion and not the brand name.

Axel


Edited to say: sorry, I meant I'm still not convinced about the nib ...

thanks Axel, and to me. if the converter is a fake then it leads credence to the pen being fake.

That's not a conclusion I'd be quick to jump to. The pen itself looks genuine. It's certainly one I'd have been happy to bid on.

Ray

The color doesn't look right to me, as I have a 144 burgundy. Now that could be our computer monitors. It doesn't not have a black grip like mine does. Also mine is an older model and has a solid color nib.

I agree with Ray.
I'd say by the pics that for 99% this burgundy 145 is not a fake, it's looks too good to be a fake.

On the other hand I'm quite confused about the answer of the seller:
"I got it from New York city. I am not expert. Please check it out about authenticity. If you feel some thing wrong about it, you can return it back. I have other MontBlanc. I will send it or otherwise I will provide full refund. No worry. Please let me know."

This sounds rather fishy to me not only because the area arount Canal Street New York is a niceplace to buy cheap "Montblancs" but he declares he is not an expert and has more of these?!? Where does he come from? Not New York? Does he has a stamped warrenty certificate? Who stamed it (and what date is on it?) - - - But the pen looks so real ....

Axel

The very first burgundy #144 (1979 to 1991) had a black grip section and an unicolor nib. But from 1992 all burgundy #144 had a burgundy grip and a bicolor nib.
The color is OK on my monitor.

BTW, here is a pic of a #145 nib:

If your nib, Sherm, looks exactly the same and is unmagnetic your pen is genuine.

Axel

Here's my old 144 (since sold), which has a red section.



Other photo sizes here.

I note that the pen in the original picture looks to have silver trim. If the color is just off in the photo, the pen may be the right color. Hard to tell. The color in the pen I had is pretty close to the picture above.

Thanks Axel for the update on the black grip. Didn't know that.

Yes, the pen is not gold trimmed but silver.

aXel, I cannot view your picture for some reason ?

Axel, I copied your pictures WWW adress and was able to view it.

The Nib is indentical, the only difference I can see is the engraving between the gold and silver on the nib is not quite as deep and defined on the pen I have.

If it is fake, the counterfieters have gotten VERY VERY good !!

Did MB make the 145 in Burgundy with the platinum trim?

No, definately not!!! Montblanc never made a burgundy pen with platinum plated trims!
I saw your earlier post and am quite shocked now.
I didn't recognize platinum on the pic, I thought it was gold.

So it's official now: The pen is a complete fake.

And yes, they make it very good, damned !

I know they did engravings in bicolored steel nibs in China which look on pics exactly like the original nibs of Montblanc,
I know they use "pix" and engravings of serial numbers in the clip band,
but I haven't seen such a good copy of a #145 up to now.

The Montblanc people must rotate in their offices.

Axel

Your right, This will make me not buy off of E-Bay again unless I know the buyer. If they can do this to Montblanc's, which I now know fairly well, I sure won't buy other pens by various makers that I do not know what to look for.

One of the things to learn is the difference in color between various white golds, chromes, and platinum. They are distinct colors, and I'm not sure the white-trimmed counterparts are trimmed in platinum.

How odd of Montblanc to use the Pix logo in a fountain pen, considering that for seventy years ago it was used as a substitute for a mechanical pencil, and later for some ballpoints.
Maybe someone has a explanation of which I am not aware.

i think it is a fake
see this
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...mp;#entry604762

Yes, Pix was the trademark for pencils and some ballpoints.

I believe Montblanc added it to the clip and then Meisterstuck cap rings because it's another of their international trademarks (it might possibly have a stronger registration than "Montblanc" or something, but I'm not a student of international trademark law).