Two years ago we ordered a Mont Blanc pen from a seller in Boston, MA. because in the description the seller listed the pen's manufacture in France. Sounded very good at the time. But, it was a Christmas present and thought it would arrive in plenty of time. However, we were totally surprised when the UPS tracking showed it coming from China. You have heard of the slow boat theory...well it ruined Christmas for us since it was a gift for our son. Trying to buy one in the U.S. then was a hard thing to do. Cutting a long, excruciating story short, the pen arrived in January. It was a beauty, and authenticated as an original. Disappointment soon turned to glee, but the experience was traumatizing for my wife who has a difficult time dealing with things that do not go according to expressed terms. It was worth the $200-plus we paid for the pen with gold appointments except the aggravation put a bad taste in our mouths.