Counterfeit, anyone?

[Dadpool]

If I buy a Cold Steel from Smoky Mountain Knife Works, should I assume that they receive directly from Cold Steel and the knife I receive is not a counterfeit?

Yep. SMKW is legit.

 

[Spydercojh]

Thank you Dadpool

 

[MolokaiRider]

Got this today from Amazon (I know, I know, but I have many CS from that site that are all fine).

Pocket clip pinged my alert, as well as not having the left primary grind missing that upper sweep near the ricasso that most CS have.

Is this a new thing for GSM, or did I get bamboozled?

 

[jux t]

It’s genuine. That’s a newer style pocket clip. I’m not positive yet, but I’ve seen CS folders with PVD coating instead of DLC that use those clips. So I think they are distinguishing PVD models by combining them with that style clip. Shawn Cazin, CEO(?) of GSM, mentioned here that they were going to be offering the same models in both coatings.

The funky ricasso went away with the transition to flat grinds with the clip and spear point recon 1’s. Having a new model tanto, you are aware that they switched to grinding all the way down to the sharpening choil while keeping the hollow grind on the tanto.

I can’t tell from your pictures, is your new R1 hollow ground? If it is, I’m excited. I asked a CS rep to offer them again with the R1 while taking away the weird sharpening choil area the old hollow ground ones had. If it’s flat ground, that’s how they’ve been grinding them for awhile now.

 

[DocJD]

Pocket clip pinged my alert

It’s genuine.

I thought it legit , even with the clip being unfamiliar . Why put so much effort into clone and then mount an obvious different clip ?

And the clip looks nice . Has the logo . Just "felt " like the real deal .

But , thanx to jux t , now I'm sure !

Hope the PVD is at least equal to the DLC ?

 

[jux t]

Hope the PVD is at least equal to the DLC ?

According to everything I’ve read, DLC is the hardest version of PVD with the least coefficient of friction. Both coatings are PVD, with DLC being the superior type of PVD. Cazin said here that this new coating was more expensive and superior in every way. From what I’ve researched, he was ill informed at best. I have a hunch that they just wanted a flat black coating, at a lower price point. Not that it’s a bad coating, just not quite as good as DLC in all metrics, unless you want a less shiny finish.

 

[DocJD]

Cazin said

...a lot of things , "at best " made up and self-serving .

 

[MolokaiRider]

It’s genuine. That’s a newer style pocket clip. I’m not positive yet, but I’ve seen CS folders with PVD coating instead of DLC that use those clips. So I think they are distinguishing PVD models by combining them with that style clip. Shawn Cazin, CEO(?) of GSM, mentioned here that they were going to be offering the same models in both coatings.

The funky ricasso went away with the transition to flat grinds with the clip and spear point recon 1’s. Having a new model tanto, you are aware that they switched to grinding all the way down to the sharpening choil while keeping the hollow grind on the tanto.

I can’t tell from your pictures, is your new R1 hollow ground? If it is, I’m excited. I asked a CS rep to offer them again with the R1 while taking away the weird sharpening choil area the old hollow ground ones had. If it’s flat ground, that’s how they’ve been grinding them for awhile now.

I thought it legit , even with the clip being unfamiliar . Why put so much effort into clone and then mount an obvious different clip ?

And the clip looks nice . Has the logo . Just "felt " like the real deal .

But , thanx to jux t , now I'm sure !

Hope the PVD is at least equal to the DLC ?

Thanks fellas.

It is not hollow ground, and the coating does seems like the PVD, rather than DLC. Very similar in look though.

 

[Uncle Buckmaster]

The funny thing about this thread is that I actually own one of the knock-offs featured on page one...

It's my trusty BUDK BK622, the very first fixed blade knife I ever purchased, circa 1999. It's cheap, rattley, and made in China. Of course, I didn't know anything about knives back then, I just bought it because it looked cool.

 

[Zenturio]

Hi together,

I was able to score a new in box Recon 1 Tanto in CTS XHP steel. I got it from a reputable dealer. The only thing that bothers me is the missing ® sign between cts xhp. What do you think about it? It looks and feels like a genuine model. Also the DLC and factory edge bevels.

Thanks and BR, Oliver

 

[jux t]

Hi together,

I was able to score a new in box Recon 1 Tanto in CTS XHP steel. I got it from a reputable dealer. The only thing that bothers me is the missing ® sign between cts xhp. What do you think about it? It looks and feels like a genuine model. Also the DLC and factory edge bevels.

Thanks and BR, Oliver

That’s a genuine CS. Some XHP models/versions did not have that symbol. I can’t remember why. But the only XHP marked Recon 1 counterfeits I’ve seen were clip point and flat/saber ground. They still run rampant on eBay unfortunately.

 

[DocJD]

® sign between cts

My black, spear point , fully serrated, has that very "R" mark . Also the lettering appears to be finer , thinner .

But IDK if that means yours is fake . Those imprints get changed sometimes .

The DLC and everything else looks right to me ,but hopefully someone with your exact model will respond .

 

[Zenturio]

That’s a genuine CS. Some XHP models/versions did not have that symbol. I can’t remember why. But the only XHP marked Recon 1 counterfeits I’ve seen were clip point and flat/saber ground. They still run rampant on eBay unfortunately.

Thank you so much. So I was really lucky... BR

 

[jux t]

Thank you so much. So I was really lucky... BR

Here are some of my genuine XHP recon 1’s, including an early one not even marked XHP. Some have the trademark symbol, while others don’t.

 

[jux t]

Just a heads up: I’m now seeing counterfeit 3V Master Hunters on ebay. Notice the weird sharpening choil.

 

[Your Name Goes Here]

Unfortunately you can add the Large Espada to the long list of fakes on the bay. Pictures show XHP steel, as well as on the box (title of listing does not have XHP). Item Specifics list the knife as "Blade material AUS-10A". Located in: "Philippines, Philippines". Zero feedback. Also, selling around 15 other fakes, based on the designs and names - kershaw, maybe spyderco, civivi (but I'm not that familiar with those brands) and other Cold Steel like the Lynn Thompson Spartan, both plain edge (Cold Steel never made to my knowledge) and serrated versions.

All for a to good to be true price.

EDIT: Now there is a red handled version to add to the green handled and the black handled.

 

[Your Name Goes Here]

Cold Steel Lynn Thompson Spartan, both plain edge (Cold Steel never made to my knowledge) and serrated versions.

All for a to good to be true price. Search for the cheapest "Cold Steel Spartan s35vn" and you will find it for less than a Grant.

 

[Stargater]

Cold Steel Lynn Thompson Spartan, both plain edge (Cold Steel never made to my knowledge) and serrated versions.

All for a to good to be true price. Search for the cheapest "Cold Steel Spartan s35vn" and you will find it for less than a Grant.

Yes, I picked one up in a serrated blade and it's a bit bulky. I don't know how the frame/handle differs from the real McCoy, but the blade is about 3mm and the real deal is, I think, 4mm. I wish I could afford the real one so I could do a few photos. Of course the real Lynn Thompson model comes with a signed box and some actual leg hairs from Lynn Thompson in a plastic pouch. And you can't get those from a fake knife!

 

[Stargater]

Okay, so I lied about the leg hairs, but the rest was real.

 

[RocketFoot]

Is the Cold Steel Store on Amazon generally good to go? I see they are having a few good deals with pricing being close to other dealers but Amazon has the magical 2 day shipping! I can't imaging GSM would allow fakers to use their logo and images on an entire Amazon store page!