Montblanc Meisterstuck 144

[gpmunzi]

Hi all,

I've bought in ebaya MB 144 fountain pen.

It writes perfectly fine, but I think it is a fake: it has everithing to be real (written, box, warranty, manual....) but the nib: it is a bicoloured iridium Germany with the MB symbol.

Is that nib all the needed to understand it is a fake? No MB has been produced with an iridium nib?

 

Thanks.

Gian Paolo

[BillH]

Welcome.

 

If you put up a picture of your nib there are lots of very knowledgeable folks here who can help you answer that question.

[HermetiC]

Meistertück nibs are always made of gold (14 or 18k), monocolor or bicolor.

[meiers]

Pictures please.

[gpmunzi]

[Cordovian]

Yeah, that's a fake. Sorry! Hope you didn't pay too much. Perhaps you can get a refund if too much time hasn't passed.

[RoSpectre]

Yeah if the nib says "Iridium" anywhere it's a fake, as far as I know. The shape is also off, particularly the nib, the gold ring on the section, and the shape of the clip and snowcap finial.

 

Sellers aren't allowed to sell counterfeits, and especially not to pass them off as real. First contact the seller, and if he doesn't give you full refund and an apology, you should report him and the sale. Ebay has its own guarantee so they will refund your money in any case, but whether or not the seller will be punished is the only variable.

 

Advice for future purchases: check feedback of course, looking for a seller with a high score and a history of selling Montblancs. Avoid anyone who says "I don't know a lot about these pens, but I think it is a real Montblanc 144..." It just means they are trying to establish plausible deniability.

 

Also, search Google images for Montblanc 144s, study their shapes, and it's pretty easy to get good at spotting fakes right away. Easiest things to spot are: poorly made or incorrect nibs, the shape of the gold ring near the nib, and the contours of the cap and emblem top cap.

[gpmunzi]

Thank you all. Ive just opened a rembursent case in ebay. Let's cross fingers ;-)

[Carrau]

Can anyone describe what is off about the gold ring/snow cap on cap top? Then I can look at the pictures on Google in a critical way, since there's no way to know whether any of the pictures are fakes as well. Thanks.

[meiers]

PayPal is your friend.

[BillH]

Can anyone describe what is off about the gold ring/snow cap on cap top? Then I can look at the pictures on Google in a critical way, since there's no way to know whether any of the pictures are fakes as well. Thanks.

 

 

Rather than describe, look at pictures of real ones and compare to the OP's pictures. Easiest way to do that is to Google "montblanc 144" and then look at the images... as you drag your cursor over each pic you'll see where the pic is from. A large number of them will be from FPN. Click on those and it should take you to the thread where that pen is being discussed. Compare to the OP's pen... Look at the contour of the ring. Look at the way the nib sits in the section. Look at the shape of the cap top and how the snowcap "fits".

 

Like the bank tellers, don't learn the counterfeits, learn the real thing, then the fakes stick out.

Edited May 9, 2017 by BillH

[Cordovian]

Can anyone describe what is off about the gold ring/snow cap on cap top? Then I can look at the pictures on Google in a critical way, since there's no way to know whether any of the pictures are fakes as well. Thanks.

I just happen to have my 144 with me so I took a pic with my phone so you could see a comparison.

 

Notice that the snowcap on the genuine 144 has a more pronounced shape and is perfectly asymetrical and that the cone is more tapered than the counterfeit.

 

To me the end of the clip is a dead giveaway. The end of the clip on a genuine 144 has sort of a "pillow" on the underside instead of looking folded or squared off.

 

Also note that the genuine 144 grip section is more elongated and the ring at the nib has sharp edges instead of being rounded.

 

Try looking a pictures on trusted re-seller sites like http://www.nibs.com or, as BillH said, the reviews and classified ads here on FPN. That way you'll know that you're looking at the real thing.

Edited May 10, 2017 by Cordovian

[InsuranceMan]

Here's another example.

 

Get your money back. Good Luck

Cliff

 

 

[Erik Dalton]

Poor pix, but looks to be a fake. Who did you buy it from?

We should make a list of unscrupulous sellers to look out for. There seems to be more of them these days.

I just bought a Carene Essential for $191. The Woot-store took my money, sent me a note saying the pen was returned to them in the mail damaged and there was no more in stock.

Then they resisted the pen for a higher price and showed 3 in inventory.

Since they have a history of doing just this, eBay said they were going to make them take the listing down, but has not happened yet.

[Carrau]

Thanks for the additional pix of the real thing, and for directing me to specific details differentiating the fakes from the legitimate pens. I spent a couple hours looking at postings here last evening, and expect to study for a long time to come. Thanks again.

Mike

[dhanvantari]

Recently acquired a MB 144

Can someone help me identify it and give an opinion as to whether this is genuine or a fake? 

[meiers]

Please show us the inside of the pen. Remove the cartridge converter and show us the space that receives it.

[meiers]

The cartridge-converter is made by Mont Blanc not Montblanc. The presence of his cartridge-converter makes me doubt the authenticity of this 144. 

[dhanvantari]

I will get a hi-resolution photo and send it. Meanwhile, from the other features, What do you think? 
 

It could be possible (I hypothesise) that the previous owner just got a cheap filler to use ? ( I know I would think, Why get a fake filler for an expensive genuine pen?) 

[dhanvantari]

Here are some photographs!