Help spotting a fake C98

Myker

Myker

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Have a chance at a Spyderco Poliwog (OEM?) C98.

What would be some good indicators of a fake. Seller seems to be an older gentleman, Doubt he's trying to rip me off, but maybe he doesn't know what he has either. It's a Craig's list offer, so at least I get to see it before buying.

Seeing an all black fake in the sticky thread has me concerned now.

Thanks for any advice.
 
If it has a ball bearing, it's real. The fakes use a short rod with rounded ends.
If it has a pivot screw with a relatively small pivot head with a single torx screw hole in it, it's real. The fakes use a pivot screw with a larger head that has a series of dimples surrounding the torx screw hole.
If it has a wire clip, it's real. The fakes have a flat metal clip with a slot in it.
If it has jimping on the spine, it's a fake, the real ones do not have any.
If it has a black blade, it's a fake. There never was a black bladed Poliwog.

FAKE:

fakepoliwog.jpg


REAL (middle knife):

poliwog_and_natives.jpg
 
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Thank you very much for that!!

Honestly, great info, mucho appreciate.
 
That's definitely a fake. It's got a barrel bolt instead of a ball bearing, it has jimping, probably has a flat clip not a wire one, it's got a black blade, and it doesn't have the Spyderco Logo anywhere (I guess that'd make it a knockoff more than a fake).

In short, it is not made by Spyderco.
 
Invective said:
That's definitely a fake. It's got a barrel bolt instead of a ball bearing, it has jimping, probably has a flat clip not a wire one, it's got a black blade, and it doesn't have the Spyderco Logo anywhere (I guess that'd make it a knockoff more than a fake).

In short, it is not made by Spyderco.
Click to expand...
And, despite the flag emblem, I'd bet the farm that it wasn't "made in U.S.A." either (unless there's a city in China with those initials). ;)
 
The Deacon said:
And, despite the flag emblem, I'd bet the farm that it wasn't "made in U.S.A." either (unless there's a city in China with those initials). ;)
Click to expand...

I found this old thread talking about the same knife over on the Spyderco forums. Definitely a Chinese company infringing on both Spyderco's design and trying to play themselves off as part of CRKT with their name.
 
I think a "Knock off" would be the term to use here.

They don't call it a Spyderco Pollywog, They mostly copied the design. Though Its still NOT a Spyderco Polli no matter what you want to call it.
 
Rhinoknives1 said:
I think a "Knock off" would be the term to use here.

They don't call it a Spyderco Pollywog, They mostly copied the design. Though Its still NOT a Spyderco Polli no matter what you want to call it.
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What you say is technically correct in the case of the specimen lartigalot posted and others labeled as Columbia or Navy. Some of them, however, have the Spyderco "bug" logo on the blade, Spyderco's name on the tang stamp, and are sold in a fake Spyderco box. Some even include a pouch with a Spyderco "bug" logo on it, something Spyderco never offered for the Poliwog. Not to mention that, despite the Columbia (or Navy) name, some eBay sellers still list them as Spydercos and that all of them use Spyderco's trademark round hole opener without permission.
 
I've seen some fake poliwogs come with a sheath and the blade is stamped with YG-10 not VG-10 and they called a tadpole.
 
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