Is this an authentic MB?

[gentlehyenas]

Hi, I'm a newly registered member and I need some help, please.
I bought this on ebay recently and just received it yesterday.
I'm not sure about the authenticity of it and the seller isn't either as she/he said it was a gift from "someone close" to her/him.
She/he wanted me to take it to a Montblanc boutique for verification. The auction number is 401795883038
I'm not familiar with the plastic piston ink refill that this pen has, as I do have a vintage MB 32 with a totally different piston filler.
Thank you for any help anyone can give me.
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It looks like a genuine 144 to me, Montblanc has had a few cartridge / converter fillers, and nibs have varied a bit over the years on this model but from a quick search it looks correct. I'm not an expert and would not spot a good fake from pictures but it usually dawns on you after a while. Fake Montblancs aren't as common as fake Parkers.

[FredRydr]

Con: Montblanc never offered the 114R (later a/k/a Classique) in that dark color. These pens were made in either black or bordeaux (a red color lighter than your pen). Earliest 144R bordeaux pens had black sections, which doesn't apply here. But: The color issue might just be due to your camera. Con: except that the dark color in your photos matches that in the seller's photos.

Con: The plastic feed doesn't fit with early nibs with that pattern (the photos aren't clear enough to judge the nib itself - does a magnet stick to it?). But: It's possible that a genuine pen's original ebonite feed had been replaced.

Con: The converter lacks the metal parts I'm used to seeing on Montblanc converters. But: It's possible that a genuine pen's original converter had been replaced.

IMHO, there are doubts based on these and the seller's photos. Examining the pen would make all the difference.

Bordeaux color:

https://proxy.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dylanstephenpens.co.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F04%2FIMG_8651.jpg&f=1

By the way, since the early '90s, Montblanc cartridge-filler fountain pens have been counterfeited on a large scale when they were "elevated" from fountain pen to luxury status item. Piston-fillers are safer buys, although even they've been mimicked with cartridge-fillers. eBay is about the riskiest place for counterfeit Montblanc (outside of a Beijing street market!)

[Chrissy]

At first glance I also thought this looks like an authentic Montblanc Meisterstück 144 or old Classique. However, I wouldn't have expected the monotone gold nib to come with that plastic finned feed. I'm not sure when production of the 144 ebonite feed ended and the modern plastic finned version started, but the 144 pens I've seen with monotone gold nibs have had the ebonite feed. So maybe the nib or feed were changed?

Does the clip band have a serial number on there in addition to the word Germany? Can you remove the converter and is anything printed on the side of it?

[jar]

The one redeeming grace I see is that the clip actually does look like a Montblanc 144 clip.

[gentlehyenas]

At first glance I also thought this looks like an authentic Montblanc Meisterstück 144 or old Classique. However, I wouldn't have expected the monotone gold nib to come with that plastic finned feed. I'm not sure when production of the 144 ski slope type feed ended and the modern plastic finned version started, but the 144 pens I've seen with monotone gold nibs have had the ski slope feed. So maybe the nib or feed were changed?

Does the clip band have a serial number on there in addition to the word Germany? Can you remove the converter and is anything printed on the side of it?

Thank you for all your replies and opinions.
I'm sorry for the poor quality of my photos.
The clip band does not have a serial number, only the word Germany.
I can remove the plastic converter, there isn't anything printed on the side of it.
Do you think I ought to take it to Montblanc tomorrow and ask to buy ink for it to see what they would say?
There is a Montblanc in the mall 15 miles from me.

[gentlehyenas]

Hi, thanks for your reply and picture.
This pen color does look darker than your pen Bordeaux color.
I took a magnet to the nib and it doesn't stick.

[FredRydr]

The magnet trick is the worst case. If it stuck, it'd be plain steel which Montblanc did not offer in the 114R. If it didn't stick, it could be stainless steel, some alloy, or even 14k gold.

[Chrissy]

Admittedly I thought that your pictures probably just made it look a darker red shade than the accurate Montblanc bordeaux red colour. However, Fred's picture also shows the two-tone nib that I would expect to see in an "all bordeaux" 144.

If it is really that dark, and it has Germany on one side of the clip band but no serial number on the other side, then maybe you should take it to your Montblanc store and ask them what they think. The problem with doing that is that they might not know, since it purports to be an older model than some of them might have seen.

In that case they will want to send it to Hamburg for authentication. I'm not sure they always do this for free now.

This pen seems to be exhibiting fewer pros than cons. :(

[Chrissy]

The one redeeming grace I see is that the clip actually does look like a Montblanc 144 clip.
Agreed that on first look it does, but looking closely do you think it looks quite "flat" along it's length?

Not that we can see a picture that shows it more clearly from the top.

[gentlehyenas]

The one redeeming grace I see is that the clip actually does look like a Montblanc 144 clip.
Agreed that on first look it does, but looking closely do you think it looks quite "flat" along it's length?

Not that we can see a picture that shows it more clearly from the top.

I went to Montblanc and the result was inconclusive. They said I would have to send it to the service center in TX to have the pen examined, if authentic they would issue a certificate of authenticity, and the cost is $ 75.00.

I took a few more pitures with my camera, please take another look.

Is there anyone on this board who can authenticate for a fee?

[FredRydr]

Your photo of the cap, barrel and section (next to each other) now depicts the proper bordeaux color. Photos are problematic when it comes to color accuracy.

[jar]

No one but Montblanc can authenticate one of their pens, the most that anyone can honestly say is that nothing so far screams fake.

[Chrissy]

Your photo of the cap, barrel and section (next to each other) now depicts the proper bordeaux color. Photos are problematic when it comes to color accuracy.
I agree. :)
I got out my Montblanc Meisterstück Mozart today and can confirm the colour is now correct. My Mozart also has the monotone gold nib with exactly the same finned feed as I see on the pen shown by "gentlehyenas." However, the Mozart has a serial number on the opposite side of the clip band to the word Germany. I can't understand why there wouldn't be a serial number on this 144 Classique.

Based on the latest pictures, and this information, I now believe the pen is authentic. I wouldn't pay $75 to have it authenticated.

[gentlehyenas]

Thank you so much for everyone's posts and opinions, I am grateful for all of your help.

[Paul-H]

On the 145 it takes a threaded converter but all the counterfeit 145's only take a push in converter, did the 144 also take a threaded converter? If it did are the threads visible on the OP's pen

Paul

[Chrissy]

On the 145 it takes a threaded converter but all the counterfeit 145's only take a push in converter, did the 144 also take a threaded converter? If it did are the threads visible on the OP's pen

Paul
Montblanc made or make push-in converters. It depends on the model and the age of the pen. Certainly some Meisterstück 144 pens take original push-in converters. They are fatter than fake converters, so authentic Montblanc push-in and screw thread converters don't fit into most fake pens.

It used to be a good test, but fakers always improve.....

OP's converter looks quite good from looking at the smooth black top that twists. It may have only lost it's gold plated band. The screw threads where the band was are still there.

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There are spectrometer tests that can be done for gold, it tells percentage of gold, even the various other metals used to make the solid and hard enough for use. Some gold smiths have them, and Places that trade in gold. They sometimes do it for free.

[Bisquitlips]

Frankenpen?!!?? I have my hesitations...!

[Chrissy]

Frankenpen?!!?? I have my hesitations...!
No, not a Frankenpen. :) Especially after the second batch of pictures.