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New “Damaged” 90 Years Meisterstuck 145 Fake?


TodaErika

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Hi, I recently purchased one 90 years Meisterstuck 145 on ebay at price $650, nib B. I used to write with 145 a lot since I have small hands and I cannot handle any larger size fountain pens. So to my understanding to this familiar series, everything is fine and it should be a genuine one. However, as the following pictures can show that, the lower ring of the cap has a missing part, as you can see in the last picture, or I can say it is partially damaged. I am just really curious whether that totally disproves that it is genuine? Is this really rare to find? Please help! By the way, I also want to ask everyone whether you can endure such damage on this fountain pen.

 

 

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Looks like a lightning issue to me and a low quality photo.

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Looks like a lightning issue to me and a low quality photo.

Whoa, I know (hope) you really meant a "lighting" issue. Curses to auto-correct. Although, I once received a pen from eBay that sure looked like it had a lightning strike. Luckily it was insured.

 

Hopefully the OP will find the 149 is not too large for their hand.

"History Teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives." Abba Eban

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Whoa, I know (hope) you really meant a "lighting" issue. Curses to auto-correct. Although, I once received a pen from eBay that sure looked like it had a lightning strike. Luckily it was insured.

 

Hopefully the OP will find the 149 is not too large for their hand.

Good catch. Yes, lighting issue. I think working on Salesforce Lightning interface so much my phone is assuming that is what I meant.

 

Lightning effects would be easier to discern, and frankly more interesting to look at if anyone wants to volunteer a pen. 😁

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Whoa, I know (hope) you really meant a "lighting" issue. Curses to auto-correct. Although, I once received a pen from eBay that sure looked like it had a lightning strike. Luckily it was insured.

 

Hopefully the OP will find the 149 is not too large for their hand.

And if I want to be persnickety I could mention the OP was looking at a 145. 😉

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And if I want to be persnickety I could mention the OP was looking at a 145. 😉

Hi, I am just really confused what you are suggesting... I returned it anyway. However, I still want to learn something from it. Are you only saying that my pictures are not clear enough? Thank you!

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Hi, I am just really confused what you are suggesting... I returned it anyway. However, I still want to learn something from it. Are you only saying that my pictures are not clear enough? Thank you!

You mentioned the last photo. From what I could see zooming in on my phone it looked like the missing part of the ring could be a shadow. The three cap rings are all connected as one piece and the resin is added. It would be unusual if one ring hard a section missing or if resin covered part of the ring. I suspected it was a lighting issue. But if you saw w ok th your own eyes what appeared to be a portion missing then it could have been one of the two scenarios I mentioned and bad quality control.

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It looks like there was either a bit of strange corrosion, or a lighting effect, or some foreign matter on the ring, possibly some of the black plastic that makes up the non-metal part of the cap. But the pen itself looks genuine.

-- Joel -- "I collect expensive and time-consuming hobbies."

 

INK (noun): A villainous compound of tannogallate of iron, gum-arabic and water,

chiefly used to facilitate the infection of idiocy and promote intellectual crime.

(from The Devil's Dictionary, by Ambrose Bierce)

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And if I want to be persnickety I could mention the OP was looking at a 145.

Doh! I wish I could blame that on a typo or auto correct, but in truth, my annual eye exam is next Tuesday....perhaps a bit overdue. Then again, a smidgen of common sense and I would have realized 650 USD for a 90 Year 149 would be an amazing price, or the pen truly had received a lightning strike.

"History Teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives." Abba Eban

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Fake or not that was (is) the question.

 

Firstly the 145 is one of the most faked Montblanc fountain pens, along with the Starwalker range.

 

The next time you get one Do the following checks

 

1, Does the converter push or screw in, the genuine ones screw in.

 

2. At the bottom of the feed is there a notch, like the bottom fin is missing, genuine ones have that notch.

 

3. Is the nib gold, use a magnet to test, the fake pens have plated steel nibs, gold is not magnetic.

 

4. A couple of old ones that even the fake pens have these days so not a good sign but obvious if they don't. Shine light through the barrel genuine pens and good fakes will glow red. Pix behind the clip, genuine pens don't always have this so it's no indication.

 

5. Google the Serial number, MB don't reuse their serial numbers so if you find when googling that more than one person has posted about that serial number it will probably be fake, unless it's the same pen floating around the market.

 

Modern fakes are quite good, I once compared a genuine 145 with a fake and all the parts were fully interchagable between the two pens, other than what's been mentioned above the only way to tell which was which was on the scales, the MB was heavier than the fake.

 

You do need to have your witts about you buying MB pens on eBay etc.

 

The good news with the 146 & 149 is that because off the expense building a piston filler they have generally avoided the counterfeiters.

 

Just do your due diligence before spending big money

 

Paul

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Thank you! Anyway I have already returned it to the seller. It just does not seem right to me.

It looks like there was either a bit of strange corrosion, or a lighting effect, or some foreign matter on the ring, possibly some of the black plastic that makes up the non-metal part of the cap. But the pen itself looks genuine.

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Hi, thank you for you time to give such a fully detailed post. I have learned a lot from it. I actually did check what you have said. Then pen passed all tests. The reason to ask is that I really cannot understand the ill-quality, it should not be like that. Anyway, I have already returned the pen to the seller. Like what you have suggested, I probably would never buy a 145 online in my life now. Thank you!

Fake or not that was (is) the question.

Firstly the 145 is one of the most faked Montblanc fountain pens, along with the Starwalker range.

The next time you get one Do the following checks

1, Does the converter push or screw in, the genuine ones screw in.

2. At the bottom of the feed is there a notch, like the bottom fin is missing, genuine ones have that notch.

3. Is the nib gold, use a magnet to test, the fake pens have plated steel nibs, gold is not magnetic.

4. A couple of old ones that even the fake pens have these days so not a good sign but obvious if they don't. Shine light through the barrel genuine pens and good fakes will glow red. Pix behind the clip, genuine pens don't always have this so it's no indication.

5. Google the Serial number, MB don't reuse their serial numbers so if you find when googling that more than one person has posted about that serial number it will probably be fake, unless it's the same pen floating around the market.

Modern fakes are quite good, I once compared a genuine 145 with a fake and all the parts were fully interchagable between the two pens, other than what's been mentioned above the only way to tell which was which was on the scales, the MB was heavier than the fake.

You do need to have your witts about you buying MB pens on eBay etc.

The good news with the 146 & 149 is that because off the expense building a piston filler they have generally avoided the counterfeiters.

Just do your due diligence before spending big money

Paul

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Hi, I am just really confused what you are suggesting... I returned it anyway. However, I still want to learn something from it. Are you only saying that my pictures are not clear enough? Thank you!

 

I think the suggestion was that the photograph could be interpreted in different ways - what looked like missing piece of cap ring, may have been a shadow, or reflection. In such cases, it would be wise to take a few photos of the damaged area, to eliminate such doubt? Personally, I could not see the damage?

 

You say that you have returned the pen? Interested to know the reason you gave and the sellers response? Thanks.

 

Good luck.

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I simply just say it does not seem authentic, the seller just agree the return immediately.

 

I think the suggestion was that the photograph could be interpreted in different ways - what looked like missing piece of cap ring, may have been a shadow, or reflection. In such cases, it would be wise to take a few photos of the damaged area, to eliminate such doubt? Personally, I could not see the damage?

 

You say that you have returned the pen? Interested to know the reason you gave and the sellers response? Thanks.

 

Good luck.

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3. Is the nib gold, use a magnet to test, the fake pens have plated steel nibs, gold is not magnetic.

 

This is not always true. Fakes can have non magnetic stainless steel.

 

Thanks for all the info with your pointers. I think that this is a great guide.

Edited by james3paris
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Why not purchase from authorized dealers?

Risk vs reward. If I can find a better price, I am going to go with it.

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Hi, it is a limited edition pen. You probably can only find this on ebay...

Why not purchase from authorized dealers?

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