Is This A Genuine 149?

[has_on_file]

Now, I'm sure you get a lot of these posts, but this pen was weird.

 

I saw it up for sale from an account with quite a large number of used Montblancs up for sale, all for really rather low prices. Now, this obviously sets off alarm bells left right and centre. However, two things made me hesitate before calling it fake. One- in one of the photos I can see what appears to be an ink window, and I believe fake MBs generally don't have piston fillers (harder to engineer). Two- what kind of oddball has their name engraved in a fake Montblanc?

 

Any ideas? Is this a piston filler and does it look genuine? Also, is this even a 149? I've had one person suggest that it might actually be a 146.

 

Pictures are from seller, sorry about the quality.

 

https://imgur.com/a/KTUXDc3

[meiers]

The photos make identification or any sort of authentication difficult. The pen doesnt look like a 149.

 

More likely a 145. And they have been extensively faked.

Edited April 21, 2018 by meiers

[has_on_file]

The photos make identification or any sort of authentication difficult. The pen doesnt look like a 149.

Yeah, that's fair. The provided pictures were rather unhelpful, unfortunately. You're probably right, though. Having looked at pictures, it looks like it has a rather smaller nib. As I said, someone thought it might be a 146. If so, that still leaves me with the question "Is this a genuine 146?".

 

By the way, what would you pay for this pen, assuming it's a real 146? I know the pictures aren't exactly helpful though.

Edited April 21, 2018 by has_on_file

[has_on_file]

The photos make identification or any sort of authentication difficult. The pen doesnt look like a 149.

 

More likely a 145. And they have been extensively faked.

That's fair. However, the one thing that stopped me from dismissing this as a fake is that in photo number 5, if you zoom in, you can see faint lines near the section, which look rather like the ink window on a piston fill MB. I understand that piston-filling MBs haven't really been faked as it would be rather difficult to manufacture fakes precisely enough to make a piston work properly.

 

Is that an ink window, or something else?

[Uncial]

Its a second hand 145P. It is a cartridge/converter filler and has no ink window. It has a screw cap and looks like it probably has a medium nib. Its hard to tell true condition from those pictures but from what can be seen €200 to €250 at the upper end would be what I'd be comfortable paying.

[Autococker07]

Looks right to me, but I'm an Uber-newb.....

 

it definitely has an ink window in picture five.

 

The snowcap on top of a 146 appears bigger (I don't have a 146 to directly compare, so this is just by internet observation) to my eye than a 149... this looks like a smaller snowcap (ie 149).....

 

nib size to cap ratio looks exactly like my 149, and the nib design works seems to be the same, albeit blurry....

 

With that said, it is a 2 piece barrel, so it is a later (post 83) barrel at least..... I would think it is genuine, but you would have to determine value if you could get by the personalization...... nicer pics would be a great help.

Edited April 22, 2018 by Autococker07

[chunya]

+1 An ink window is certainly clear in picture 5. I would ask to see much clearer pics and you could even ask to see one with the piston showing in the ink window, this also suggests that the piston is working. Also ask for measurements, that will tell you if it's a 149 or 146 size.

BTW, the presence of an ink window doesn't = genuine; there are some fakes out there with an ink window but which only take cartridges.

When you say 'low price' how much are they asking?

[Uncial]

+1 An ink window is certainly clear in picture 5. I would ask to see much clearer pics and you could even ask to see one with the piston showing in the ink window, this also suggests that the piston is working. Also ask for measurements, that will tell you if it's a 149 or 146 size.

BTW, the presence of an ink window doesn't = genuine; there are some fakes out there with an ink window but which only take cartridges.

When you say 'low price' how much are they asking?

 

 

Well spotted. You must have eyes like a hawk! It still looks far too thin to me to be a 149, but that may be stretching of the picture when uploading.

[chunya]

 

 

Well spotted. You must have eyes like a hawk! It still looks far too thin to me to be a 149, but that may be stretching of the picture when uploading.

 

 

 

I wish!

 

I saw a blur which I thought might be an ink window, so saved the pic to my desk top and zoomed in, only then was it clear

[jmnav]

I also think that's a 146: look at the relative sizes of blind cap, nib and overall length to width ratio. And, yes, I also see a stripped ink window in that photo.

[has_on_file]

 

+1 An ink window is certainly clear in picture 5. I would ask to see much clearer pics and you could even ask to see one with the piston showing in the ink window, this also suggests that the piston is working. Also ask for measurements, that will tell you if it's a 149 or 146 size.

BTW, the presence of an ink window doesn't = genuine; there are some fakes out there with an ink window but which only take cartridges.

When you say 'low price' how much are they asking?

 

+1 An ink window is certainly clear in picture 5. I would ask to see much clearer pics and you could even ask to see one with the piston showing in the ink window, this also suggests that the piston is working. Also ask for measurements, that will tell you if it's a 149 or 146 size.

BTW, the presence of an ink window doesn't = genuine; there are some fakes out there with an ink window but which only take cartridges.

When you say 'low price' how much are they asking?

 

They're asking £125. That's why I asked here- it's low enough to be very enticing, but also rather suspicious. I actually asked him yesterday for a few things- a picture of the underside of the clip, one of the barrel with piston extended and one of the pen held up to bright light (to check for transparency). He did reply, though he said that before he did all that, he wanted to know what way I'd be paying.

 

Still haven't decided if I should do it or not.

[chunya]

What an odd question for him/her to ask, is this an Ebay Account?

Take care, just seeing the turning knob extended does not mean that it's still connected to an intact helix.

If it's genuine and in good condition then £125 is cheap even for a 146.

[has_on_file]

What an odd question for him/her to ask, is this an Ebay Account?

Take care, just seeing the turning knob extended does not mean that it's still connected to an intact helix.

If it's genuine and in good condition then £125 is cheap even for a 146.

To be fair, this is on Gumtree, and he wanted to know if I would be collecting or not, and payment method. Gumtree is a website in the UK for selling your old stuff, kind of like a jumble sale, essentially. I might buy it if I can manage to get one of my vintage pens restored and sold, to assuage my guilt . Assuming it turned out be alright. Thanks for the advice!

[chunya]

I found the Ad on Gumtree and as you say they're selling quite a few, some incredibly cheap, is this someone's collection being sold off?. The main problem with Gumtree is that it's great if they're local to you, then you can see the item and pay cash, not such a great idea if you have to rely on receiving by post after you've paid for it (no Buyer protection).

Funny to see their final ad, for a room in their house, where the rent goes up from £390 ish in the header, to £425 at the end of the description.

[jmccarty3]

Looks more like a 146 to me.

[tj4810]

I hope people begin to realize piston fillers have never been faked. Whenever you see a Montblanc with an ink window, pretty much it's 100% genuine. Now, a counterfeit may come with an actual piston and ink window, but then what's more likely? To find a genuine pen at a low price or find the first piston fake?

[Chrissy]

It's a 146 not a 149 or a 145. The ink window shows it's a 146. A 145 would have a band in the centre so it's not that pen. As long as it has an internal Montblanc piston it will be authentic

[james3paris]

Why is there not a number on the band where it would state 146 or 149? It has "PIX."

Edited April 22, 2018 by james3paris

[Chrissy]

Why is there not a number on the band where it would state 146 or 149? It has "PIX."

 

They don't all have 146 or 149 on their cap bands

[niksch]

It's a 146 not a 149 or a 145. The ink window shows it's a 146. A 145 would have a band in the centre so it's not that pen. As long as it has an internal Montblanc piston it will be authentic

 

That would be my assessment as well. I forget when MB stopped using 146 and began using Pix. ​Regardless, it looks legit to me.