Fake Case Mini Copperlocks?

[OG_Shocker]

Hi guys, I'm hoping you experts can help me out with this. I purchased a "Case XX Smooth Antique Bone Mini CopperLock 58186 Pocket Knife" on eBay, and received the knife labeled #1 in the first photo. It had a gouge missing on the bone like they started grinding the finger relief in the wrong spot and then moved it. It doesn't look like a crack because it's polished over. I messaged the seller and asked for a refund, and they offered to send me a new one instead, so I accepted. The second one I received looked worse than the first (#2) with bad stains in the bone. I'm 90+% sure both are fakes, but I'm not a case expert so I'm really not sure.

I noticed that the bolsters (all four between both knives) looked like brass rather than nickel-silver like they're supposed to be. The color is way more obvious in person than in the pics. The shields also look a little wonky to me as well with the stamps in slightly different positions on the shields (and different than the reference picture from the 2022 product guide). There's a lot more poor fit and finish issues I didn't photograph, like bolster pins showing, handle pins that aren't round, cracks in the bone, etc. The boxes look kinda suspect to me too, although I don't have any similar case boxes to compare them to.

Ebay ended up refunding my money because the seller didn't respond in the refund, but they never asked for the original knife back, and never asked about the refunded money, which is definitely sketchy as well.

So what do you guys think?

 

[Ernie1980]

I am not a Case expert- but have had a few with rough fit and finish. The lack of response would be concerning, but I don’t think new make Case knives are worth counterfeiting.

 

[jc57]

Those look real to me, just examples of poor quality control.

Was the e-bay seller an individual, or a regular retailer using e-bay as a storefront? Been about a decade since I was a regular Case knife buyer, but I know several of the smaller Case distributors used to sell through e-bay.

You can always send them in to Case for repair/replacement if not satisfied with them. But I am nearly sure those are actual Case knives.

The one with the miscoloration might be within normal specs for natural bone, but the one with the partial finger-notch relief is definitely defective.

Case Knowledge Base

We warrant each and every Case knife to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for the life of the owner.

kb.caseknives.com

 

[OG_Shocker]

I am not a Case expert- but have had a few with rough fit and finish. The lack of response would be concerning, but I don’t think new make Case knives are worth counterfeiting.

Thanks for your thoughts! Good point on the cost. It’s the brass colored bolsters that really make me suspicious. I’ve heard of nickel-silver tarnishing to a slightly gold color, but all of them, on both sides of both knives, that are supposedly new? And the photos in the eBay listing show them gold too. At the time, I just didn’t know enough about them to know it wasn’t right.
I’ve definitely heard that Case’s quality has suffered lately but these are awful. I only have two other Case knives that I got from reputable stores online, and both of those are beautiful.

 

[OG_Shocker]

Those look real to me, just examples of poor quality control.

Was the e-bay seller an individual, or a regular retailer using e-bay as a storefront? Been about a decade since I was a regular Case knife buyer, but I know several of the smaller Case distributors used to sell through e-bay.

You can always send them in to Case for repair/replacement if not satisfied with them. But I am nearly sure those are actual Case knives.

The one with the miscoloration might be within normal specs for natural bone, but the one with the partial finger-notch relief is definitely defective.

Case Knowledge Base

We warrant each and every Case knife to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for the life of the owner.

kb.caseknives.com

The seller was an individual, and has sold 41 of these in the last 6 months. They sell one other Case model, and a bunch of Seiko watches. I think I’ll definitely send these into Case and see what they’ll do. I guess then I’ll know for sure. Thanks for the info!

 

[Bigburly912]

Those don’t look right at all. Especially the one with the extra notch in it.

 

[hsherzfeld]

I agree with jc57 that those look to me like genuine Case knives (and boxes).

 

[OG_Shocker]

I agree with jc57 that those look to me like genuine Case knives (and boxes).

Thank you! I really can’t believe how bad these both are.

 

[Bigburly912]

The second ones scale looks really thin or it’s just the perspective of the picture.

 

[LastRodeo]

Nickle silver does patina, in my experience, and look more like brass. Give them a polish and see if that is the case (no pun intended).

 

[OG_Shocker]

The second ones scale looks really thin or it’s just the perspective of the picture.

Must be the picture, they are both the same thickness.

 

[OG_Shocker]

Nickle silver does patina, in my experience, and look more like brass. Give them a polish and see if that is the case (no pun intended).

I hit them with some flitz last night, and it's definitely not patina. The bolsters and shields are brass (or some brass colored metal). These knives are supposed to only have brass liners and pins, but the bolsters are definitely identical to the liners and the shields are identical to the pins.

 

[5K Qs]

Are the boxes supposed to be the original boxes? The box dates are 01/09/2024, but the tang stamp you posted indicates 2022. I don't know how much "lag time" there can be between stamping the tang and "taping" the box.

- GT

 

[OG_Shocker]

Are the boxes supposed to be the original boxes? The box dates are 01/09/2024, but the tang stamp you posted indicates 2022. I don't know how much "lag time" there can be between stamping the tang and "taping" the box.

- GT

Yep, I noticed that too. I googled it and it says it's not that uncommon, but it looks suspect to me as well.

 

[OG_Shocker]

Those look real to me, just examples of poor quality control.

Was the e-bay seller an individual, or a regular retailer using e-bay as a storefront? Been about a decade since I was a regular Case knife buyer, but I know several of the smaller Case distributors used to sell through e-bay.

You can always send them in to Case for repair/replacement if not satisfied with them. But I am nearly sure those are actual Case knives.

The one with the miscoloration might be within normal specs for natural bone, but the one with the partial finger-notch relief is definitely defective.

Case Knowledge Base

We warrant each and every Case knife to be free of defects in materials and workmanship for the life of the owner.

kb.caseknives.com

I just tried to submit the repair form on the Case site and nothing happens when you click the submit button. I've tried several different ways on two different browsers with the same result. It looks like their website is as bad as their knives. I called the phone number but got a voicemail. Terrible.

 

[Bigburly912]

A lot of people just ship out in whatever boxes they have but those are not correct either.

 

[Rookie82]

The nickel silver is an alloy of nickel, zinc, and mostly copper. I have saw some knives where the NS definitely has a more brass/copper color to it than others. Maybe different suppliers have slightly different % of the metals within. It is not a heavily regulated material like some of the super steels are.

The shields you show certainly do look a bit different too. Lots going on with those knives and the story behind getting them, I don't blame you for being concerned.

 

[Bigburly912]

None of my case bomb shields have a dot on them. Both of yours show a distinct dot in places they shouldn’t be.

I have a feeling a lot of users on here buy fake case knives from non reputable sellers and them slam the quality. They definitely have went downhill but these two i will reiterate definitely don’t look right. Too many red flags. As far as the bolsters I’ve had some patina darker but they just don’t look right either.


I found your seller on eBay. Feedback is very suspect and shows signs of being a shill seller. Several feedback from the same couple of accounts and LOTS as automated feedback which gives the impression of fake sells. There was a knife dealer out of Tennessee that wasn’t very well liked on here years ago that did the same thing on his eBay.

Also odd that they are selling the exact same 3 items for every transaction. I’m guessing the watches the Birkenstocks and the knives are all fakes.

Good luck

 

[Modoc ED]

So you got a knife you didn't like, complained to the dealer and they sent you another one and you don't like it either and e-bay refunded your money. Now you've got two knives and refund money - not bad.

As far as sending a knife to Case, just print off a Return Form found on Case's web site and send the knife in.

 

[Modoc ED]

5K Qs As to the tang stamp year not matching the year on the box,

Sometimes, Case makes more blades in a year for a certain pattern than they use during that year. Rather than throw the blades away they will continue using those excess blades into the new year. So, you might have a knife where the dots and xs indicate a year that doesn't match the date on the box. The date on case boxes doesn't necessarily indicate the year manufactured but the year assembled.

Say Case makes 5000 blades tang stamped with 8 dots indicating 2022 manufacture but only uses 3000 of them for that years run. Rather than throw away the excess blades, Case will cotinue to use those blades into the nexr year and the next until the 8 dot stamped blades are used. So it'spossible that some of those 2022 blades might be used in 2023 and 2024 assembled knives.