-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Fake bugout
- Thread starter Silverdog
- Start date
Hickory n steel
Gold Member
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2016
- Messages
- 19,958
I don't do modern folders or anything, but I recently watched a video comparing real and fake bugouts and man were they extremely close.
Once he said which was the fake it was easy to keep track of which was which, but there were only a couple minutes details.
Did your box have the piece of foam inside that surrounds the knife, or just the piece in the bottom of the box ?
This guy said the fakes have a clearer printing on the box, and only included the piece of foam in the bottom.
Once he said which was the fake it was easy to keep track of which was which, but there were only a couple minutes details.
Did your box have the piece of foam inside that surrounds the knife, or just the piece in the bottom of the box ?
This guy said the fakes have a clearer printing on the box, and only included the piece of foam in the bottom.
Shorttime
Gold Member
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2011
- Messages
- 3,996
Pretty sure that's a copy. If you look at the "back" (smooth) side of the pivot pin, it's slightly rounded, or domed. All the Bugouts that I've seen from dealers listed on Benchmade's site have a flat pivot backer, that sits flush with the scale.
It's possible you have an early version where they were using parts from something else, but most likely....
It's possible you have an early version where they were using parts from something else, but most likely....
- Joined
- May 1, 2016
- Messages
- 1,738
Looks real.
There is Titanium in the axis lock assembly I believe on the real one. Some part of it. Somome who knows please chime in.
Don't think China is going to copy something like that. Maybe even check the weight of the whole thing if you have a good scale.
There is Titanium in the axis lock assembly I believe on the real one. Some part of it. Somome who knows please chime in.
Don't think China is going to copy something like that. Maybe even check the weight of the whole thing if you have a good scale.
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2017
- Messages
- 293
The back of the pivot on my bugout is domed. I bought it from a LGS that's listed on Benchmade's site. I believe mine is genuine.
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2009
- Messages
- 3,198
I would have sent it back if I felt that the knife was a poor specimen for any reason. We spend too much on knives these days (for the most part) to accept poor quality knives. The only aspects I will correct are the ones I have for 50+ years, and that is to re-edge and sharpen the blade and apply a high grade lube.
I have sent back a few knives and I am certainly not a perfectionist. My knives don't have to drop shut, they blades don't have to be perfectly centered, they don't have to be made of components that allow me to disassemble and "maintain the knife" every couple of weeks, etc., etc. I like a good solid build with good fit and finish and generally speaking I am happy.
That being said, I have sent back Cold Steel knives (one being a Code 4 that literally would not OPEN), a Spyderco that had a blade that opened easily but the last 15% or so was so hard to move that it wouldn't lock without a lot of work, but then was impossible to safely unlock. Sent back a Queen traditional that wouldn't close all the way to have the liners/scales cover the blade edge and point, an Ontario RAT5 that had the wrong scales on it (!!!) that was purchased directly at Ontario as a closeout, a folding traditional AG Russell that was ground so poorly it didn't look like the knife it was supposed to be. There have been more. But every vendor told me the same thing: "Whoops... sorry. This stuff happens, we don't check every single knife before we send it out. What do you want to do?"
The point being that no matter what knife you buy, regardless of who manufactures it, not every piece is their best effort. It's that way in all manufacturing. Just because it is a lemon doesn't mean it is a fake. Cause for suspicion, but I wouldn't drop to conclusions.
I have a good friend that is a Benchmade authorized dealer, and he is the same way as the vendors I referenced above. If there is a problem, he likes to snuff it out at the source and make things right. He is a knife guy, and has been honest with me that things are a little irregular at times with his product, but he stands behind it 100%. Rather than anyone torturing themselves trying to decide if they got "had" from any vendor on any knife, I always tell them to call the vendor first, then if not happy with the response, send it back no matter where you bought it.
Robert
I have sent back a few knives and I am certainly not a perfectionist. My knives don't have to drop shut, they blades don't have to be perfectly centered, they don't have to be made of components that allow me to disassemble and "maintain the knife" every couple of weeks, etc., etc. I like a good solid build with good fit and finish and generally speaking I am happy.
That being said, I have sent back Cold Steel knives (one being a Code 4 that literally would not OPEN), a Spyderco that had a blade that opened easily but the last 15% or so was so hard to move that it wouldn't lock without a lot of work, but then was impossible to safely unlock. Sent back a Queen traditional that wouldn't close all the way to have the liners/scales cover the blade edge and point, an Ontario RAT5 that had the wrong scales on it (!!!) that was purchased directly at Ontario as a closeout, a folding traditional AG Russell that was ground so poorly it didn't look like the knife it was supposed to be. There have been more. But every vendor told me the same thing: "Whoops... sorry. This stuff happens, we don't check every single knife before we send it out. What do you want to do?"
The point being that no matter what knife you buy, regardless of who manufactures it, not every piece is their best effort. It's that way in all manufacturing. Just because it is a lemon doesn't mean it is a fake. Cause for suspicion, but I wouldn't drop to conclusions.
I have a good friend that is a Benchmade authorized dealer, and he is the same way as the vendors I referenced above. If there is a problem, he likes to snuff it out at the source and make things right. He is a knife guy, and has been honest with me that things are a little irregular at times with his product, but he stands behind it 100%. Rather than anyone torturing themselves trying to decide if they got "had" from any vendor on any knife, I always tell them to call the vendor first, then if not happy with the response, send it back no matter where you bought it.
Robert
Gizler00
Gold Member
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2006
- Messages
- 3,369
my pivot is also domed. I assumed mine was legit. Now I’m questioning it.
I watched that same video mentioned earlier. Very good fake. But one way I could tell them apart was that the fakes thumbstud was a lighter blue than the real thing. I have the green model of the Bugout so came along a bit later and the back of the pivot is flat.
- Joined
- Jan 12, 2009
- Messages
- 3,198
Anyone think of just picking up the phone and calling Benchmade? Despite all the expert opinions and good intentions here no one will have access to the different changes that may have been incorporated in different runs of the knife along the way. Seems like a quick phone call to customer service and a pic if needed would solve the whole thing accurately and eliminate all the speculation and hand wringing.
Robert
Robert
I may, I returned it so no big deal, I know benchmades can have lock stick, my 556-1 did, but never to the point where I couldn't close it. This thing I had to pry the axis lock back with a torx driver. At any rate I still want to find out if this was real or fake. My bailout has been great in the short while I've used it, if they release the bugout with aluminum scales, I cant see a reason not to go for it. Their -1 versions seem to have better qc than the rest of their lineup at any rate.
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2012
- Messages
- 90
The clones are scary good these days. Apart from some minute details (specifically on the Bugout clones I've handled, for instance: Visible threaded inserts in the pocket clip screw holes) I wasn't able to tell the clone from the original. Feel in hand, action etc - identical. I'd be very wary of buying the more popular Benchmade models anywhere other than large official retailers like BHQ...
