This is a short guide on how to quickly determine if your S.T. Dupont Linge (Line) 2 Lighter is authentic.
These are the lighters most 'faked' on Ebay. There are also counterfeit Gatsby lighters I have seen on Ebay as well. Usually persons selling have little to no feedback, 100 points or less.
A lot are from China, but it isn't hard to setup an account to make it look like your somewhere your not. Also the selling party might not even realize that the lighter is a fake, the Line 2 counterfeit lighters look exactly like real ones, depending on model/design being counterfeited. If the selling party does not picture the bottom of the lighter, where the serial number is, its Probably fake. If it looks the the numbers are lined up perfectly, if they are engraved, its fake.
ST Dupont stamps their lighters with numbers not aligned in a straight line, some numbers looking higher or lower then others. Counterfeited line 2 have serials engraved in a straight line. Even if your lighter doesn't look like one of the lighters pictured below it still could be fake. Fakes change on a regular basis to try to keep up with ST Dupont. Top instructions (yellowish) are genuine warranty card on the left is genuine, its not as dark as the fake Its also possible to place a fake ST Dupont lighter, in a genuine box. I have seen it done several times on Ebay. The insert in the gift boxes have sharply raised angled edges, genuine boxes have only very slightly raised edges, almost hard to notice in most pictures.
Also you can notice the color difference, though my camera isn't perfect when representing true color. All pictures the box to the left is genuine Counterfeit Line 2 lighters are heavier then real ones. MOST IMPORTANT, SURE SIGN! If there is no paint underneath the Cap for the refill valve, its almost definitely fake, though its possible to be a replacement with no color dot. All Line 2 Lighters have a yellow paint dot underneath the cap of the refill valve representing to use the gold Dupont Butane refill can (see picture below). If it comes with a brass butane adapter (unless it screws in) its probably Counterfeit.
Serial Number Lookup
You should need to screw in the butane canister refill, and we (as well as ST Dupont) recommend to only use Dupont Butane gas in ALL ST Dupont Lighters. Its also possible for the paint to have chipped off inside the cap, but if that has happened, you should be able to find some pieces of the paint in the cap.
Line 2 lighters now retail for over $700, most $900 retail. If it NEW and cheap, its probably fake. If selling party calls it anything but 'ST Dupont' then its probably a fake lighter. Sellers do this to get around ebays keyword check. The Sound when the lighter is opened should be a pleasant lasting sound, in my experience the Ping sound dulls with use.
The counterfeit ST Dupont makes an awful metallic 'cling' which differs greatly from a real ST Dupont ping sound. There is a screw holding a metal plate inside the top of the lid that can become loose. If you have a used ST Dupont its possible somebody has removed it to prevent it from ruining the sound of the lid when opened. If you hear a rattling when lifting lid then it could be this plate coming loose.
St Dupont Lighter Serial Number Check
All you need is a small flat head screw driver to tighten it. Though be very careful not to scratch anything while you are in there.
Also turn down the flame adjuster as much as possible before sticking your face directly over the butane valve.
I wouldn’t go to a authorized dealer but a actual ST DuPont store the best I could say is try and send a email directly to ST DuPont with detailed pictures and the serial number. When I went to a st DuPont store to buy flints and gas for a lighter for a limited edition I had purchased that I may post pics sooner or later they showed me a book so I could point out which model I had and they got the correct gas for me.
I don’t know how far back in the years it went but i was able to find my model made In 2012.I don’t want to discourage you if it ends up being fake but knowing it’s your fathers I would still keep it.Edit: you can check these thing to determine if it is fake or not. I remember seeing one of these on eBay about a year ago. It has a slightly different design, and the Flint wheel was decorated differently. I believe it went unsold for $400 or $500. I found a different one that I had missed on eBay a while back, but I couldn't see the date that it was listed. It also went unsold, But I do not know how much he was listed for.Without seeing more pictures of the lighter and checking the serial number for authenticity, as well as other features of the lighter, it would be hard to say if it were real or not. Like others of mentioned, take it to an st dupont store or if you think it needs to be serviced, you can send it in and they will tell you right away.There are some very convincing fakes, I've had more than one in my hand.
I hope that it's real, that would be a very unique piece to own.