How did the Sonnet Became one of the most faked Pens?

[The Blue Knight]

Looking on Ebay one of the most common faked pens is the Sonnet. I've often wondered how this came to be? Even before Chinese pens were big fake Sonnets were around. Anyone have any back story?

[Mercian]

The fakers (like all businesses) are motivated by the goal of maximising their profits, so aim for maximum-return on minimum-investment.

When it comes to the motivation behind faking Parker Sonnets in particular (as opposed to faking other 'expensive' pens), I would imagine that the Parker brand's historical cachet is one factor that motivates the fakers.
Another is the high retail price of the genuine Parker Sonnet.
A third would be the fact that it is a c/c pen (as opposed to e.g. a Pelikan or Montblanc with an expensive-to-fake internal piston).
The fairly-simple overall shape of the Sonnet may be another.

I.e. I suspect that it is relatively cheap to make a fake Sonnet (as opposed to a fake Visconti Homo Sapiens, Pelikan M800, or Montblanc 149), and that the genuine pens are famous enough and expensive enough for the fakers to think that there will be a good-sized market out there for their shonky knock-offs.
 

Edited November 24, 2021 by Mercian
FFEs

[Dione]

It was a mass produced and very popular pen in it's time and it's an easy enough pen to copy so why not?

[jchch1950]

1 hour ago, Dione said:

It was a mass produced and very popular pen in it's time and it's an easy enough pen to copy so why not?

+1. Big demand, International brand, and many people that want to buy a Parker Sonnet at an incredible low price.