Possibly Fake Brick?

[TheMagician]

Hi everybody. I hope this is the right place to post this.

I've recently (and for the first time) ordered a large quantity of bricks via bricklink to build a custom modular building.

I bought all of the bricks in new condition - only one type of brick was not available so I ordered it in used condition.

This brick is Bricklink part 3041 - "Black Slope 45 2 x 4 Double".

When I had a closer look at these bricks I noticed that the surface texture of some of them was rougher than normal (with normal I refer to the typical texture of sloped LEGO bricks).

Here is a comparison of the bricks as seen from above.

I was curious so I turned the bricks around and found out that the brick with the rougher texture didn't have a LEGO logo impressed anywhere.

In the finished model you can clearly see that the rough bricks on top of the roof stand out.

Now my question to you LEGO experts: what's you opinion on these bricks? Do you think they are fake?

Thanks a lot,

Stefan

[Locutis]

Now my question to you LEGO experts: what's you opinion on these bricks? Do you think they are fake?

Thanks a lot,

Stefan

I would agree with your assessment. I'm 99% sure that brick is not an official TLG made product. The way the plastic is formed (specifically on the bottom side) with lines where there shouldn't be, it appears to be a knock-off. However, I don't have it in my hand, so I can't say for certain.

Have you tried weighing some to see if they are off weight? You will need a VERY accurate scale, but that should give some indication.

EDIT: I didn't notice your text about it not including the official LEGO logo inside until after I posted this. That's a dead give-a-way. ALL Lego bears the stamp of approval. Definitely a fake if it doesn't have the logo.

Locutis

Edited August 17, 2012 by Locutis

[spzero]

The texture does look like LEGO of days gone by, the older bricks pat pend era type are all like that, and they dont all have lego writen on them, it could be real, If it has Pat pend stamped inside i imagine it will be real....

[JopieK]

I totally agree with spzero, it probably is real LEGO! More roof bricks have this is my experience.

[TheMagician]

Thanks a lot for your quick responses - that's why you ask the Pros :)

I didn't even know about the "Pat Pend" era. So I looked at other roof parts that I had bought from the same seller (these were labeled as "new").

Indeed I found out that some of them had the "rougher" look.

A look inside clearly showed the "Pat Pend" text - here for example on a "Black Slope 45 2 x 4".

However, the brick in question ("Black Slope 45 2 x 4 Double") is an interesting special case.

Where the "Pat Pend" text is imprinted on the other bricks it looks like the casting mould of this brick was modified so that the text can't be read anymore.

Perhaps these bricks are from some kind of transition period where the patent was no longer pending.

[Vindicare]

Very interesting. I never knew about those bricks("Pat Pend" stamp). Learn something new everyday(about TLG )

[LEGO Historian]

A couple of things about sloped bricks first off...

Yes from the time of the first sloped bricks were introduced in 1958 in red, and 1960 in blue... the texture of the bricks has been variable over the years. During the 1970s the texture did seem much more textured than before or since. Those are real LEGO bricks. 45 degree slopes first appeared in the later 1950s, and 33 degree slopes first appeared around 1971.

Also when TLG invented the tube bottom brick in 1958 (without which we could have no 45 degree sloped bricks)... many (but not all) LEGO elements had "Pat. Pend" on the underside. You will often find it on regular bricks (not 1x1 of course, and rarely on 2x2 macaroni bricks)... but often on bricks, slopes, plates and other parts. On LEGO plates it is very interesting... sometimes the "Pat. Pend." shows up along one edge next to the circle bottoms... on other plates you will see it in very tiny letters within a single circle on the underside of the plate.

Then in the early 1970s TLGs patent was finally universally (or as universal as could be expected) approved, and they no longer created molds with "Pat. Pend." on them. However... since TLG never threw anything away... there is a type of mid 1970s LEGO element known as "Pat. Pend. removed". That is where TLG took the Pat. Pend. mold, and ground out the words... so that all you see is what looks like "lumps" where the writing used to be. Once those molds were finally retired, no more "Pat. Pend." or "Pat. Pend. removed" parts were found in LEGO sets (by the later 1970s).

Edited August 17, 2012 by LEGO Historian

[TheMagician]

Thanks so much for this information 'LEGO Historian'!

Now I know two thing: first that the bricks are genuine

And secondly that these rare "Patent Pending Removed" Bricks will make me rich

[______]

I actually have some of those roofs and wondered about their surface! Glad someone else asked here.

[LEGO Historian]

Thanks so much for this information 'LEGO Historian'!

Now I know two thing: first that the bricks are genuine

And secondly that these rare "Patent Pending Removed" Bricks will make me rich

LOL.... don't plan your retirement around them.....

One other thing about the early sloped bricks... the ones that look like someone took a bite out of the (called 2x1 double inverted)... but I like to call "gable connectors"... the earliest ones of those not only have part of the tube underneath missing (later the tubes were replaced by a partition)... but they have very sharp tips. At some point someone at TLG decided that these were too sharp for children to play with, and so until they redesigned the mold... some of these very old parts have the tips ground down....

Ironically... here are the 2 types... left one is the sharp one, right one has the non-pointy tip:

http://www.bricklink.com/catalogItemPic.asp?P=3049a

[Bilbo Baggins]

I believe this brick is a fake, what a shame it is that you got this. If I was in your case I would ask for a refund.

[LEGO Historian]

I believe this brick is a fake, what a shame it is that you got this. If I was in your case I would ask for a refund.

Sorry but I have to respectfully disagree.... I have dozens of these, all purchased back in the 1980s from Germany (different toy stores)... the texture of sloped bricks HAS changed over the decades. And no one is going to forge a "Pat. Pend. removed" type brick.... The brick in question has all the right features to make it genuine...

[Bilbo Baggins]

Sorry but I have to respectfully disagree.... I have dozens of these, all purchased back in the 1980s from Germany (different toy stores)... the texture of sloped bricks HAS changed over the decades. And no one is going to forge a "Pat. Pend. removed" type brick.... The brick in question has all the right features to make it genuine...

Sorry, but all my bricks have a different texture, good to know it is official then.

[LEGO Historian]

Sorry, but all my bricks have a different texture, good to know it is official then.

Yea... some times it annoys me, cuz I get an effect I don't like when I use a mixture of old and new slopes... and other times I think wow... this looks rustic... like an old Cotswold Cottage effect with an irregular stone roof.

There's mainly 3 colors that this effect is found on... red, blue and black.... back in the 1970s, you were hard pressed to find a lot of slopes in other colors....

[Xyver]

I recently purchased a new and sealed 4996 Beach House and noticed that the texture on the 2x4 45 slopes and the 2x8 45 slopes was quite noticably different.

So even with newer bricks, you would assume made around the same time, there is a difference in texture.

[Ferrik]

I'd think that these were Clone brand bricks as the texture should be mostly consistent between Lego bricks.

[LEGO Historian]

I'd think that these were Clone brand bricks as the texture should be mostly consistent between Lego bricks.

Clone bricks do not bother with producing molds with "Pat. Pend." and "Pat. Pend. obscured"....

Read the last 4 paragraphs here....

http://news.lugnet.com/parts/?n=139