possible group buy replica Mont Blanc pens

[LX_Emergency]

Ok, I found a website that sells replica Montblanc pens for a low price. They look really nice and I want one. I have a few problems with that however:

- The minimum amount of purchase is for $200 and that would be for either 10 of the more expensive pens or 20 of the even cheaper ones.

- They don't accept creditcard payments and only by T/T (I don't have a clue what that is) or Western Union. And since I live in the Netherlands and have a dutch bank account it's not that easy to pay for it.

So I'm looking for some people who'd also like to buy one and who'd be willing to be a payment intermediary for me. if you'd like to see some photo's of what they have check http://www.excellentpen.com/

[ada8356]

Alex,

I do not support Chinese counterfeiters and feel that they, like many many Chinese companies doing the same, are engaged in unethical business practices.

Good luck and be wary!

[LX_Emergency]

I'd feel the same if I had money for originals......but I don't and most likely never will. I know that the quality won't be the same but I don't care really. I just want a nice fountain pen.

[crispy]

Save yourself 200 bucks... http://www.instructables.com/id/EWAMSPFFCKEP2871N2/
I've been using one of these for a while now and it works great heh.

[galopede]

I have a few Chinese non counterfeit pens. They aren't actually bad but they aren't that good either. You'd be better buying a cheaper Pelikan or something like an Aurora. I have a couple of Pelikans and an Aurora Ipsilon. Both are wonderful writers and the Aurora is even smoother than my Pelikans. They look good and work really well. Pelikans are rated as one of the most reliable and smoothest writing fountain pens in the world, including the real Mont Blancs.

If you really want a fake Mont Blanc, have a quick search on eBay for Mont Blanc - if they're cheap, they're fake!

Cheers, Gareth

[Jonnybc]

I always wanted a Mont Blanc pen and it took me til two years ago to be able to justify (or afford) one. I have seen replicas, or more appropriately fakes and I had no desire to own one.

If I were you I'd bide my time until I could afford the real thing.

[Stauff]

Opening your pen link resulted in my anti-virus SW sounding alarm.
I'd save my money and buy a good quality pen from a different brand (Lamy, Waterman, Pelikan, or Caran d'Ache -actually my personal favorite).

Beware of the Chinese! They're coming...

[LX_Emergency]

Save yourself 200 bucks... http://www.instructables.com/id/EWAMSPFFCKEP2871N2/
I've been using one of these for a while now and it works great heh.

That's pretty clever...BUT I loathe ballpoints and rollerballpoints. I simply love the feel of a halfdecent fountain pen.

And then another thing. I know it's not the real thing. That's why it's called a replica. I just figured that for $10 I couldn't go far wrong and that if other people agreed with me we'd give it a try. I still think that and would love for people to stop trying to convince me otherwise. "A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still" afterall.

I already checked e-bay and didn't find anything even remotely as cheap. I found a bunch of american sellers by google though and they still charge $99 for a single one.

[crispy]

That's odd Stauff. I guess I didn't notice it, I'm using a Mac. I've been to Indestructables on other Window's PC's plenty of times and never had a problem with it. Original link is from Digg: http://www.digg.com/tech_news/Save_$...st_writing_pen

[crispy]

Just tried the page on a windows box with Norton AV/Windows Defender and no virus notices...very very odd!

[superfly]

I simply love the feel of a halfdecent fountain pen.

Get the Parker Frontier. It costs 20 euros, and I love it a lot. It has that MontBlanc look. I have both models, black and stainless body's both with stainless cap...

http://www.sanfordb2b.co.uk/b2b/Pens...ntain_Pen.aspx

Nenad

[Suzuki]

While I don't like to encourage counterfeiters, for some reason I don't care so much if its Montblanc they're after.

I am a pen collector (another one of my expensive hobbys) and can honestly say that Montblanc pens are (mandatory IMHO) among the worst high-end pens on the market. This applies to quality of materials and writing quality. I'm not saying that all of their pens are crap, just overpriced (even when compared to expensive pens generally) and that most don't write any better than lots of other pens.

I have had Montblanc pens literally fall apart (caps coming unthreaded, resin chipping, etc.) and the manufacturer has never really stood behind the product. Its shocking that they are able to continue to sell pens at the prices they charge.

In terms of the counterfeit pens, I have seen Chinese copies that are actually better made than the originals! The exception was the fountain pen I saw, which used a steel nib instead of a gold one. As you want a fountain pen, I would suggest avoiding a counterfeit, as the nib is one of the most important parts of a fountain pen.

If you tell me how much you want to spend, and the type of look you are going for, I may be able to recommend models manufactured by a variety of companies that should fit the bill.

Sorry for the rant about Montblanc generally - its just that I have $15 fountain pens that write better than Montblancs!

[Gatorade]

I don't want this to start into a flame war but as a clarification I think a good example of this would be how when Sarah(?) began producing the Moss Scuttle, there were people asking what the specifications for it were so they could make their own or have a local potter make one for them. In this case the maker went through long hours and many mistakes to produce a model that Dr. Moss approved of. To simply copy the end result and discount the price significantly is not only insulting to the creator and developer but also may very well be illegal. In the case of the Chinese replica MBs when they place the MB marks and logos on a piece then they are deliberately trying to capitalize on someone else's hard work. If the company had merely put their own marks on it then then there would be no problem. Of course they also wouldn't have any customers because most just value the image of quality instead of actual quality.

It also is of note that the ammount of money lost by original manufacturers is in the billions of dollars per year. The quality original pieces may actually be priced a bit more affordibly if the original company didn't loose money to knock offs, but also didn't have to track them down, investigate and prosecute them. If all that money was taken into the original company then the costs of the items would be less and the original company would be more likely to lower prices. So knock offs like this actually raise the price for those who elect to purchase the original.

[Gatorade]

I'm not saying that all of their pens are crap, just overpriced (even when compared to expensive pens generally) and that most don't write any better than lots of other pens.

In terms of the counterfeit pens, I have seen Chinese copies that are actually better made than the originals! The exception was the fountain pen I saw, which used a steel nib instead of a gold one. As you want a fountain pen, I would suggest avoiding a counterfeit, as the nib is one of the most important parts of a fountain pen.

If you tell me how much you want to spend, and the type of look you are going for, I may be able to recommend models manufactured by a variety of companies that should fit the bill.

Sorry for the rant about Montblanc generally - its just that I have $15 fountain pens that write better than Montblancs!

I think most people look at them as being over priced for what they are, and I agree that there are some alternatives that are just as good and cheaper. However I don't agree that because something is more expensive it deserves to be counterfeited. I just think it is funny that the most counterfeited pen in the world is also the one that pen enthusiasts who don't like MB pick on the most. MB is a snobbish brand and some would buy it just to buy a $500 pen and would push hard on the nib. The fact remains that MB is the biggest brand name in the world as far as high-end pens go. They obviously have earned that. I also think the knockoffs are stealing not necessarily the quality but the name and that irks me a bit. Make your own marks and logos and market your own pen and leave the trademarked ones alone.

[Suzuki]

I think most people look at them as being over priced for what they are, and I agree that there are some alternatives that are just as good and cheaper. However I don't agree that because something is more expensive it deserves to be counterfeited. I just think it is funny that the most counterfeited pen in the world is also the one that pen enthusiasts who don't like MB pick on the most. MB is a snobbish brand and some would buy it just to buy a $500 pen and would push hard on the nib. The fact remains that MB is the biggest brand name in the world as far as high-end pens go. They obviously have earned that. I also think the knockoffs are stealing not necessarily the quality but the name and that irks me a bit. Make your own marks and logos and market your own pen and leave the trademarked ones alone.

Gatorade - I was being somewhat sarcastic in my original post.

I actually agree with your posts regarding the evils of counterfeitting - I just dislike MB, which doen't justify ripping off the value of their name.

I also don't think its great to pass of a copy as the real thing and if you just want a nice pen, find a copy without the MB name/star logo.

[Gatorade]

Gatorade - I was being somewhat sarcastic in my original post.

Sorry, MB usually invokes threads like this and I have heard much worse before so I thought you really meant it. My mistake

I also don't think its great to pass of a copy as the real thing and if you just want a nice pen, find a copy without the MB name/star logo.

True, with the global market the way it is now you can still get the traffic you desire by using terms such as "MontBlanc style" or "Compare to MontBlanc" without having to copy them. As many have stated they like the styling and that is a classic look, so quite a few are out there that would be good substitutes without the infingment. Also like you said you can find really good name brand fountain pens in that price range already, no need to grab a possible dud just because of the look.

[LX_Emergency]

actually they already advertise like that with using the word REPLICA. They're not passing them off as being real just being very much alike.

[Gatorade]

But they also on the same site say "100% Mirror-MontBlanc"

[LX_Emergency]

yes, once again admitting that they're not the real thing but a very cleverly made copy.

[Suzuki]

If they use the white star, they're copies.