Amazon a reliable Spyderco seller?

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mikey6480

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I usually avoid buying items that are common knock-off items from Amazon (knives, sunglasses, etc). I own a couple Spydies already (Para2 and Native 3) but i really wanted a Techno and Amazon had them at a great price. Has anyone come across a fake that was shipped/sold by Amazon? I know that doesn't mean much anymore since Amazon combines 3rd party stock into their supply chain. That means that if any one of the 3rd party vendors is selling fakes Amazon could easily pass one along to you without knowing (they don't check).

All my other knife purchases have been through reliable (or what I consider reliable) sellers (knifeworks, optics planet, local shops). What have your Amazon experiences yielded? Does anybody know a quick easy check on the Techno to determine authenticity (it will be here tomorrow)?
 
Personally, I find it better buying from dedicated knife shops. Sure, some people can save $2-$10 or whatever on Amazon; but it is a little more meaningful to help support small businesses. Just my opinion.
 
I've never had a problem with Spyderco's purchased from Amazon.

Incidentally, I buy there because I am loathe to create accounts on any site that takes payment information of any kind unless they provide an exclusive product or an extremely broad range that lets me avoid several other sites.

Also, I'm glad that many small sellers(like Aranyik) have opened Amazon storefronts, and I patronize them when I can. Many small sellers even offer Prime shipping despite not using Amazon's warehouses.
 
Also use Amazon. No problems yet, in fact my "used" Gayle Bradley came sealed in a plastic pouch, and was brand new.
 
Amazon itself probably buys direct from Spyderco. The only way you'd get a fake from them is if someone else bought a real one from them, returned a fake for credit, and they resold it. Buying from third party sellers there would be more of a craps shoot. Personally, while I buy a lot of stuff from Amazon, when it comes to knives I'll stick to NGK and a couple other vendors I trust.
 
It seems like a higher than normal amount of complaints have come from knives purchased from Amazon. It has gotten to the point that it's one of the first questions asked. Seems like we have seen what looked like used knives returned and resold. Of course I have no way to prove that's what happened.

Still, I'd take Amazon over E-bay in SOME cases. Everybody should do their research nowadays.

Joe
 
I've had no problems with Amazon whatsoever. I've ordered a Spyderco Endura 4 Damascus Jig Bone sprint run, a ZT 0801, and many others that were genuine. You can usually tell if something is fake if one, it's WAAAAYYYY cheaper than it should be (For example, when a Micro-Tech SOCOM Delta is 75 dollars), or two the product description is crappy and the pictures pretty much reveal that it's a fake.
 
Only issue I have ever had was with buying a Spyderco Vallotton. Knife itself was perfect, but the box had the paper in it for the Spyderco Cat. Must of been a return and mix up.
 
The Deacon said:
Amazon itself probably buys direct from Spyderco. The only way you'd get a fake from them is if someone else bought a real one from them, returned a fake for credit, and they resold it. Buying from third party sellers there would be more of a craps shoot. Personally, while I buy a lot of stuff from Amazon, when it comes to knives I'll stick to NGK and a couple other vendors I trust.
Click to expand...

Actually, the way Amazon absorbs inventory for prime resellers is the big issue. If some random seller buys a bunch of "clones" and ships them to Amazon distribution (which is what they do for Prime resellers) that inventory just goes into the big pool of inventory, right along with the legit ones from other 3rd parties and Amazon's. Then the knife you order (doesn't matter from who) gets shipped from the closest distribution point to you with inventory (doesn't have to be Amazon's original inventory). Then all of the sudden you get the clone blade while someone across the country who ordered from Joe Blow Dealer gets a real blade.

http://venturebeat.com/2014/01/08/fulfillment-by-amazon-what-amazon-doesnt-tell-third-party-sellers/
 
I buy off Amazon quite a bit but for knives I only buy the one shipped from a Known dealer like my beckers from Amazon I buy them shipped from certified becker distributors.
Instead of hitting buy on the first one that pops up go through the options and find a Known trusted dealer
It usually only cost a few bucks more than their deal of the day does.
 
mikey6480 said:
Actually, the way Amazon absorbs inventory for prime resellers is the big issue. If some random seller buys a bunch of "clones" and ships them to Amazon distribution (which is what they do for Prime resellers) that inventory just goes into the big pool of inventory, right along with the legit ones from other 3rd parties and Amazon's. Then the knife you order (doesn't matter from who) gets shipped from the closest distribution point to you with inventory (doesn't have to be Amazon's original inventory). Then all of the sudden you get the clone blade while someone across the country who ordered from Joe Blow Dealer gets a real blade.

http://venturebeat.com/2014/01/08/fulfillment-by-amazon-what-amazon-doesnt-tell-third-party-sellers/
Click to expand...

Interesting article, and gives one pause. I have a 18mo. old Techno bought from Amazon (as well as a few other Spydercos) and have compared it (and packaging materials) to a friends Techno procured from a popular online dealer, and If mine's a clone...it would be an excellent forgery. Further after a lot of carry and use, many sharpenings, etc. it has been flawless...both in everyday use, lock-up, wear, and cutting performance...easily on par with other quality blades of unquestioned origins. This, of course is still no guarantee yours might not be a clone, but rather one guy's experience. I too have been thinking of buying another Techno from Amazon simply because I think I have enough experience with Spyderco's Taichung offerings that I believe, or have deluded myself into thinking I could spot a clone...since the savings vs. online dealers at current prices are substantial.

I always thought if any of my Amazon Spydercos are sent back to Spyderco for repair and they do turn out to be fakes...I'll contact Amazon and they'll make good in some respect, since I save all my boxes and receipts. I have never tested this idea though since none of the Amazon Spydercos (Techno, Sage 1 & 2) have ever failed in any way.
 
As much as it is realistically possible for something in the way of a pool of fakes to sneak into their inventory, I would still not be terribly concerned. Not only would I consider them reliable, but they are the absolute easiest company with which to handle exchanges, in my experience. Consider this - you order a knife from them, at a lower price, receive it in two day (prime), and there is some issue; all you have to do is go onto the order, ask for an exchange due to defect, and they send you the new one right away and give you a prepaid shipping label. It allows you to be very picky about the fit/finish of any knife from them, at no cost. I ordered a Gayle Bradley from them a while back, and the first one I received had a later lockup than was to my taste. I processed the return, and in two days, I had a new one in hand that perfectly meets my standards. All I had to do was drop off the first one at UPS. Insofar as fakes, they all, so far, have some sort of tell, in which case, you can handle it the same way with them. I've had nothing but good experiences with Amazon knife ordering.
 
I love Amazon and always look there first when buying a knife. They often have the best prices - sometimes by a large margin. I'm thinking about buying a certain Cold Steel knife, and they currently have it listed for $10 - $20 less than anywhere else I can find, and because we have Amazon Prime, it comes with "free" two day shipping. I can either keep that $10 bill in my pocket by buying from Amazon, or I can give it to some other online knife vendor. When shipping is figured in, it would cost me $18 more from a certain BF dealer I just randomly checked. $18 is real money to me, and I can't come up with a good reason for giving it to some stranger so he can put it in his gas tank. I have always have superior customer service with Amazon, and on the rare occasions I have returned an item, they refunded by money before I returned the item. Last year, an Amazon vendor had Spyderco Cats for $7.00 shipped, and I bought out their entire inventory. Not long ago they had Spyderco Squeaks for $15.47 shipped, so a keen eyeball will see some deals. I do have to pay sales tax on occasion with Amazon, but I factor that into the purchase price before pulling the trigger. But yeah, its my go-to vendor. Ebay is next in line, so long as I stick to vendors with zillions of sales and close to perfect feedback. I understand that many of you guys are willing to pay more to "support" a dedicated online knife shop, but I would like for them to support me by lowering their prices. Just my take. But is Amazon a safe, legit vendor where you can get low prices, fast shipping and excellent customer service? Yes.
 
Don't get me wrong, I am an avid Amazon buyer. I do WAYYYY too much shopping on there as it is. I just usually avoid certain products, like knives, which is why I asked the question. On the positive side, I did not see any of the Spyderco knives offered from 3rd parties as part of the FBA (Fulfilled By Amazon) program. That means 3rd parties ship direct to you instead of Amazon shipping from it's inventory. I can only assume that Amazon the company actually purchases from either Spyderco or a distributor and is selling legit goods.

@tchapman414, it is actually really easy for fake inventory to be absorbed into Amazon's inventory. I have actually been victim to the knock-off switch. I purchased a Xbox 360 HD that turned out to be a Chinese fake instead of the real deal. Of course Amazon refunded me without issue but that didn't give me what I paid for. Amazon does not inspect inventory received from 3rd parties, they just assume that what the vendor said is correct. What else could they do? Can you expect that the average warehouse guy can tell the difference between what is real and what is a clone or fake?
 
I've purchased a number of knives from Amazon....Spydies, Kershaw, SAKs...never had a problem.
 
Go to Bladehq and be done with it. They have some of the best prices around and have fantastic customer service. I buy all my knives from them and will continue to do so.
 
Well Lasership finally decided to stop by and drop off my Techno. Seems to have been a whole lot of worry for nothing on my part. Other than being really tight it is a fantastic knife. This week is a Spydie week for me. I had the Techno come in today, a Sage 4 from Knifeworks, and a used Schempp Persian 75mm tomorrow. Just decided that a Domino was needed and that will be here Thursday.
 
Buy from whoever gives you better value and service.

I am all for supporting knife shops but if I don't have any interaction with you (online purchases are often the case) I will just buy with whoever is cheapest with good reputation.
If I have interaction and I like your store, you bet I will buy from you even if it costs more.
 
Only had one issue with a knife from amazon. Returned it for a full refund including shipping with no questions asked and no restocking fee.
 
So long as the original source of the vendor isn't China and they are mailing from China or I am looking to buy a PM2 I would trust Amazon. For specifically a PM2 I would pay full retail from a standard online knife shop like BladeHQ.
 
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