Help! Is This Parker Sonnet Real Or Fake?

[Chrissy]

I always look very carefully because I would love to pick up a couple of nice Sonnets. The word 'imported' is usually the biggest clue. If you know the patterns they came in then that helps you to pick out some of the fakes. Also the fakes are usually brand new, and they are cheap. I still think there are fewer fakes than authentic ones though.

 

It's not like it's something new to try hard to pick out fakes on eBay. We've always had to do that for Montblancs.

[Beechwood]

 

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.

 

 

Probably the most pompous comment I have read on FPN.

 

How can you comment on my experience?

 

My experience of looking at what sellers have called Parker Sonnets on Ebay is that a great many of them have not been made by Parker.

 

For example, there were eight Parker Sonnets for sale on Ebay on July 16 between 19.00 and 20.30, seven of them were clearly fakes being in patterns or materials not sold by Parker, the other was in brushed steel and gold trim and looked ok (apart from the bright and shiny connector) but given that it was sold by a seller who has a reputation for selling fake Parkers then I think that makes it 8/8.

 

Therefore, I disagree with you that the comment was too extreme.

[Beechwood]

Here is a typical example of a description for a Parker Sonnet that was been sold on Ebay on July 16. Nothing particular about the description. Bit of a nonesense that it has been cleaned and tested being a new pen but we will let that pass. The accompanying pics are interesting and only show a limited number of problem areas which you would really have to know your stuff in order to identify whether this was a genuine Sonnet or not. I see this type of advert regularly on Ebay UK. The FPN expert is probably not the desired customer of this seller

 

New and Unused Parker Sonnet fountain pen, matt black finish over metal body with gold plate trim and with 18k gold plate medium nib. Parker vacuum filler . Fully stripped, cleaned and tested, writes with good medium script. Will be supplied tubed.

 

I was criticised by two stalwarts of FPN for making a generalisation on the basis that pens that are described on ebay UK are probaly fakes. The majority of pens that I have seen and described as Sonnets have not been made by Parker, your experience may be different.

 

I have actually bought one of these pens to test and see how it compared against a genuine Sonnet and I couldnt see a significant degrading of quality and in one respect there was an improvement.

 

Pic #4 is the genuine article and whilst the experts will see the differences between the two pens the casual and typical ebay buyer may not.

 

There is also the secondary and more difficult point of genuine pens are pictured and a fake arrives in the mail.

 

I maintain that Parker Sonnets are best avoided on Ebay UK because of the number of fakes.

Edited July 17, 2017 by Beechwood

[Chrissy]

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

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

I was criticised by two stalwarts of FPN for making a generalisation on the basis that pens that are described on ebay UK are probaly fakes. The majority of pens that I have seen and described as Sonnets have not been made by Parker, your experience may be different.

 

I maintain that Parker Sonnets are best avoided on Ebay UK because of the number of fakes.

 

I hope you aren't including me when you say you've been 'criticised by two stalwarts of FPN' because I have included my comment here, and there was absolutely no criticism of you in there at all. I merely suggested what my experience was, and as you suggest, we're all allowed to do that.

 

Your original comments referred to eBay and not specifically eBay UK. It's probably fair to say there are fewer Parker Sonnets available on eBay UK, than there are available on eBay.com.

[DominatoSpace]

Guys! What do you think about this?

https://www.olx.ua/i2/obyavlenie/avtoruchka-waterman-expert-sub-blue-ct-fp-IDcHycp.html#:1f2af84576

[DominatoSpace]

And this?? https://www.olx.ua/i2/obyavlenie/perevaya-ruchka-waterman-expert-IDiddPE.html#:9f68ac2476

[DominatoSpace]

This also looks quite promising https://www.olx.ua/i2/obyavlenie/podam-ruchku-waterman-IDoDrIo.html#:4d6768c024

[pajaro]

Here is a typical example of a description for a Parker Sonnet that was been sold on Ebay on July 16. Nothing particular about the description. Bit of a nonesense that it has been cleaned and tested being a new pen but we will let that pass. The accompanying pics are interesting and only show a limited number of problem areas which you would really have to know your stuff in order to identify whether this was a genuine Sonnet or not. I see this type of advert regularly on Ebay UK. The FPN expert is probably not the desired customer of this seller

 

New and Unused Parker Sonnet fountain pen, matt black finish over metal body with gold plate trim and with 18k gold plate medium nib. Parker vacuum filler . Fully stripped, cleaned and tested, writes with good medium script. Will be supplied tubed.

 

I was criticised by two stalwarts of FPN for making a generalisation on the basis that pens that are described on ebay UK are probaly fakes. The majority of pens that I have seen and described as Sonnets have not been made by Parker, your experience may be different.

 

I have actually bought one of these pens to test and see how it compared against a genuine Sonnet and I couldnt see a significant degrading of quality and in one respect there was an improvement.

 

Pic #4 is the genuine article and whilst the experts will see the differences between the two pens the casual and typical ebay buyer may not.

 

There is also the secondary and more difficult point of genuine pens are pictured and a fake arrives in the mail.

 

I maintain that Parker Sonnets are best avoided on Ebay UK because of the number of fakes.

 

I apologize for criticizing your experience.

 

If the majority of Sonnets offered on ebay are fakes, then a responsible seller would offer pics of every part of a Sonnet that is controversial, would you agree? Also I would suppose that the legitimate features would need to be documented to inspire confidence in the authenticity of the pen.

[mitto]

I have just checked OLX.Pk and found out that all the entries for modern Parker pens are for fakes. A seller or two have included the phrase 'first copy' but others have not bothered to make any mention indicating as to whether the pens were genuine or fake.

 

It seems the Markets are once again flooded with Shanghai Parkers.

 

https://www.olx.com.pk/i2/item/parker-pen-set-IDW98ik.html#:485c3badeb#gallery

 

https://www.olx.com.pk/i2/item/parker-1st-copy-pen-with-box-IDWkIXo.html#

 

And there are now even 'good looking' Sheaffer counterfeit pens in the market offered online for 'whole sale'.

 

https://www.olx.com.pk/i2/item/sheaffer-ball-pen-1st-copy-IDWkJ1r.html#:7567df22ea