A Chinese Montblanc M replica… Clone? Knockoff?

[carlos.q]

During the past years I have been cutting down my fountain pen purchases, trying to curb my acute addiction for vintage pens, mainly Pelikans. However, once in a blue moon my buying addiction acts up and the only way I have been able to control it is through the ocasional purchase of cheap Chinese fountain pens. Thus I have bought pens that are “inspired” on traditional models such as the Hero 616, Jinhao 100 “Centennial”, Jinhao X159, Wing Sung 601 and the Kaco Edge (which is rubbish). My last purchase, a replica of the Montblanc M fountain pen, is in a whole new category altogether.

replica_pen.jpg
Image taken from eBay ad.

The pen is an almost exact copy of the Montblanc M though it is advertised as a “Luxury M Magnet Series Bright Black + Silver Clip M nib Fountain Pen”. It is labeled Montblanc on both the section and the nib, and has the familiar bird splat (two in this case). Amusingly enough the included converter has the following inscription: “Use Montblanc ink only”. So this pen is evidence of a very obvious copyright infringement so I really don’t know how this pen (and other similar pens) are sold on eBay. Maybe because they don’t use the name Montblanc in the advertisement and describe it as a “replica””.

At first glance the only way to tell that this is not an original Montblanc M is the nib. As you know, the original has a curiously designed smallish nib which someone has described as having a "Lamy Aion vibe". Our clone has the more traditional looking nib similar to a Montblanc 145. This detail is important as I just saw an eBay ad for one of these replica pens selling for a real MB price. The nib has the MB logo and is inscribed: 14K Montblanc 585 (yeah, sure). The writing experience is surprisingly good. The nib is very smooth and has a certain “softness” to it. I have experienced no skipping or hard starts.

Montblanc-M-nib.jpg
This is a real Montblanc M nib. Courtesy of The Gentleman Stationer


replica_nib.jpg
This is the replica nib that looks just like a MB145 nib. Image taken from eBay ad.

Overall the build quality is very good. As with the original, you cannot post the pen. The cap even has a magnet that attracts the section as you cap the pen. The clip is unusable unless you bend it outwards a bit, which I did, carefully trying not to bend it too much out of shape. My main gripe with this pen was the included “replica” converter. Once I filled the pen it started leaking all over the place. I replaced it for a Jinhao converter and the pen is now working fine.

So there you have it. A blatant copyright infringement that writes very well and that you can use when you go to the beach, on a hike or on other occasions when you fear losing your "real" pens. And when somebody asks you if your pen is a Montblanc you can calmly say it is not, just the latest evidence that the Chinese are truly taking over the world.

[Motomachi10]

I think the pen is not only a copyright infringement, maybe other legal qualifications are due. One thing is pens that were inspired in other pens and a different one is to make a copy so close to the original one, including the names and symbols, that people can be cheated thinking they bought the real thing.

[Chrissy]

Buying one to see what it's like and knowing it's a fake is one thing, but advertising them for sale as replicas is another. Replicas can't be sold on ebay. That could be the reason they all call them re-plica so ebay listing searches don't register and remove them. Looking at the very close copy, the Montblanc word and the Montblanc white star trademarks these are clear copyright infringement and I bet Montblanc would want them removed if they spotted them. Especially those that were being sold as Montblancs.

Actually it's not a bad looking pen for the price and I've nothing against anyone owning one, but I couldn't bring myself to buy one and give money to clear counterfeiters.

[FredRydr]

...copyright infringement....

Close. It carries trademark and design patent violations. In the USA, these pens would be considered contraband and their import into the USA is a criminal offense. Enforcement is the weak point. Check out the gov't's publicity effort: https://www.iprcenter.gov eBay is notoriously slow to react, so if you want one, get it while you can. Like Whack-a-Mole, the listing may disappear and morph into a different listing before you know it. Chinese authorities may or may not help parent company Richemont put a stop to it, depending on who is getting what from whom, and how much.

[carlos.q]

...copyright infringement....

Like Whack-a-Mole, the listing may disappear...

This just happened with the replica pen with the MB price that I saw on Canadian eBay. It was there yesterday and when I looked for it today it was gone.

[Andrew_Lensky]

Theft is theft, that is, a crime and must be punished! Advertising of theft is an accessory to the crime. Knowingly buying a fake with subsequent advertising is also the same as knowingly buying stolen goods, which encourages the criminal to commit the next theft.

[carlos.q]

Here is an example of a "re-plica" pen being sold as an original Montblanc M pen, from eBay Canada:

MontblancM-fake.jpg


Note the telltale fake MB nib. Interestingly enough the seller has 1115 transactions and 98.5% feedback.

There is another one selling for GBP460 (around $583.00) from a seller that has 1383 transactions and 100% feedback.

The lesson my friends is to beware....

[catbert]

During the past years I have been cutting down my fountain pen purchases ... However, once in a blue moon my buying addiction acts up and the only way I have been able to control it is through the ocasional purchase of cheap Chinese fountain pens. ...

I’ve been doing exactly the same thing recently.


But before that I bought a Montblanc M fountain pen. It had several quality control problems and spent maybe half its first year going back and forth to Germany for repairs and replacement parts. Still, it’s an enjoyable writer (now), and I like the design.

Naturally an AliExpress listing for an ‘M-series’ rollerball caught my eye. I think part of me was just curious (how good could it be for the price?), part wanted a matching rollerball, and part wanted to never give Montblanc any of my money ever again.

The listing photos didn’t show snow caps, so it was an unexpected bonus to get them, even if the one on the cap top is slightly misaligned with the clip.

Compared to the original, the junction of clip and cap on the ‘M-series’ rollerball is less well finished, the magnetic cap doesn’t open and close as effortlessly, the engraving on the section is not as fine, and the ‘precious resin’ feels slightly rougher and less substantial. One aspect of the AliExpress pen is better than the real thing, though: there are metal threads inside the barrel as well as on the section. The Montblanc’s plastic barrel threads always feel in danger of being chewed up by the metal section threads if they are not perfectly aligned.

Your review prompted me to dig out the rollerball and use it for Inktober 52 and morning pages. I replaced the included refill, which had ‘Mont Blanc’ branding, with a Schmidt P8126. In some ways this design works better as a rollerball.

[robert.bradley.5]

Once eBay yanks that Canadian listing, the seller should also be gone. If not, eBay is not the eBay I used to know.