Is This Dupont Fidelio A Fake?

[setpoint]

I wonder whether this "S.T. Dupont Fidelio Dark Bluewith Palladium" fountain pen, which I bought via mail order from aretailer in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2004, is an authentic Dupont product or afake. (See photo) Itcost only US $182.

 

 

 

It is dark blue with a palladium-color end-cap clip, end-captop and base ring, trim ring on the barrel below where the cap clicks onto thebarrel, and end of the barrel. A palladium-color metal ring around the base ofthe end-cap reads: "S.T. Dupont" in script, then "Paris" insmall all-caps, then "Made in France" in smaller all-caps.

 

 

 

The top of the nib has a "capital D" in script.Below that are "14K", then "585," then "Mh."Wiggly, etched lines run along each side of the nib to meet halfway up thetines. On the left side of the nib, within a small oval, are an abstract birdwith spread wings and a "capital D" in script to its right.

 

 

 

I have an old Dupont Fidelio fountain pen catalog whichshows details identical to the pen I have, except the catalog features onlygold on the pens where there is palladium on mine.

 

 

 

Perhaps another way of putting my question is, are there anyobvious features that would indicate a fake rather than an authentic pen? Also, is palladium a "poor man'splatinum," so to speak?

 

 

 

Thanks in advance for any feedback on this question.

 

 

[jar]

From what can be seen it appears to be authentic, but as so often, the devil is in the details. With the quality of fakes out there today it is very often hard to say for sure without having the pen in hand and other samples of known authenticity to do side by side comparisons.

 

Palladium is not a poor man's platinum, but palladium, rhodium and platinum are all used to provide a very bright and relatively long lasting non-corrosive silver color to objects.

 

Most fake Fidelios I've come across have steel nibs stamped as 18 carat gold and not the 14K that was actually on the Fidelio. The design and tracings on your nib are appropriate for a late 90s through early 2000 Fidelio.

 

If you question the authenticity the best check that you can do is to look at those details that normally don't show, the underside of the nib, the interior of the body and section, the fit and finish of the threads and inside the cap. On a genuine ST Dupont the fit and finish where it doesn't show will be as high as on the parts that do show.

[setpoint]

Thanks for the feedback. The interior fit-and-finish seem to be good. I suppose it is authentic, then