Is My Spyderco Chokwe a Fake?

F

fishinhook

Joined
Feb 2, 2008
Messages
8
I just spent a lot of money online on what may or may not be a "Spyderco Chokwe." When I received it I opened up the box and took out the knife. On the back of the blade it says "Taiwan." I looked at the Spyderco website and they don't say anything about it being imported in the description. Here's what it says.

"Nothing on the modern market is like it. It may look modern and streamlined but the original design is hundreds if not thousands of years old. Necessity generates function and in the knife world that can happen in central Africa a few hundred years ago. It can also happen in Golden, Colorado in 2009."

The box that the knife came in says "Knives and Accessories
Golden, Colorado U.S.A."

I looked on the Spyderco website and I couldn't find any mention of any of their knives being made in "Taiwan."
I recently purchased a "Spyderco Military" and it says it's made in "Golden Colorado U.S.A. Earth"

Is Spyderco now making their knives in Taiwan or did I just get ripped off?
 
On page 31 of the 2010 Product guide, the Chokwe is manufactured in Taiwan. If that was the only concern, you should be able to rest easy. If you go on the Spyderco.com catalog page, toward the upper right, there is a tab that is Country of Origin

http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/

above is the link to where I found the tab.

Best wishes,

Doug
 
I went here. Then I went here. As you can see, it doesn't mention "Taiwan" on either page. Yes, I could have spent a lot of time digging through the whole web site for this information but from past experience when dealing with knife makers such as Benchmade or Buck, they listed the particular knife model as "imported'' in the description. I realize that as Spyderco hobbiests and collectors that probably most if not all of you know that Spyderco imports some of their knives from Taiwan. I didn't; hence the original post. I am more of a quality knife "user" and not really a collector. When I spend over $100.00 on a working knife, I prefer to buy knives made in the U.S.A. That's just a personal preference. Lesson learned. Thank you for not blasting me because of my ignorance for all things "Spyderco" Thanks guys, Fishinhook.
 
You can easily view Spyderco knives by country of origin using the tab at the top of the web catalog:

http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/list.php?origin=Taiwan

You are right that it should state the information on each products page, though. They have added the info in their down-loadable catalog.

A couple of years ago, I requested that the information be shown for each product and I am sure that I was not the only person who requested it.
 
so, how do you like it? how does it feel in hand, cut etc. this is one of their knives that i am on the edge of should i get it or shouldn't i.
 
It's not a fake, unfortunately Spyderco is making some of the better looking models there.

I can handle Japan, Germany and the US, and possibly some European Countries, but that's it for me.
 
tonydahose said:
so, how do you like it? how does it feel in hand, cut etc. this is one of their knives that i am on the edge of should i get it or shouldn't i.
Click to expand...

Tony, you know that you want it. Heck, on your salary you could afford a dozen. :p

AL (Percival)
 
i make a good living but it is expensive where i live. i have a house note that is big as well as sending my kids to private schools because the Chicago Public School system sux...its all relative
 
65535 said:
It's not a fake, unfortunately Spyderco is making some of the better looking models there.

I can handle Japan, Germany and the US, and possibly some European Countries, but that's it for me.
Click to expand...

What's wrong with Taiwan?:confused:
 
Oh no, not that again :yawn:

Bottom line is, the Tainwanese maker that gets american made parts (!) and uses them to put together The Sages, the Chokwe, the Terzuola and the Bradley folder does an outstanding job. The Bradley i.e. is one of the best finished Spydies I own.

That said, nothing can convince somebody to buy a China/Taiwan made product if he doesn't like that country of origin. To be completely honest, I would prefer to see "Colorado" on the blade tang, too, but I can live with "Taiwan", because the quality is so outstanding. I don't want to know what the same knife would cost if it were made in the U.S.

Dennis
 
There is still a stigma about "Made in Taiwan". Most people think that it's some third world country, but they are an economic power and a high-tech manufacturing center. They make a huge percentage of consumer electronics that the world buys.

I'm sure that a lil ol knife is no problem for the factories of Taiwan. That's the way of the world, unfortunately for a lot of Americans, whose labor costs are outpricing them from the world market.

Would I rather see Golden Colorado, USA, Earth? Yes. But would I pay $150 for a Sage I? No, I would buy something under $100.
 
tonydahose said:
so, how do you like it? how does it feel in hand, cut etc. this is one of their knives that i am on the edge of should i get it or shouldn't i.
Click to expand...

I cannot believe what I see. You do not have it yet? :confused:
I got mine about a week ago. I like it when I saw the picture the fist time. Than I liked it less. Finally I pulled the trigger. I like the look of the handle, it is beautiful. I like the look of the blade much less. Ti lock is very nice, much better than on Volpe. Ergos are not the best for my hand, not even close to the most of my favorites, but I decided to keep it for now. F&F are outstanding, the same level as Sage and Bob T. If you want to buy, now is a good time, price on the bay is fairly low.
Good luck.
 
Amaranth said:
There is still a stigma about "Made in Taiwan". Most people think that it's some third world country, but they are an economic power and a high-tech manufacturing center. They make a huge percentage of consumer electronics that the world buys.

I'm sure that a lil ol knife is no problem for the factories of Taiwan. That's the way of the world, unfortunately for a lot of Americans, whose labor costs are outpricing them from the world market.

Would I rather see Golden Colorado, USA, Earth? Yes. But would I pay $150 for a Sage I? No, I would buy something under $100.
Click to expand...

IIRC, Sal stated in a thread that the cost to manufacture in Taiwan is similar to the Golden factory. They just do not have the capacity to produce all their knives in Golden. I am guessing that a Sage made in Golden would be about the same price. For example, the Spyderco Sage 2 and Bradley Alias 2 are similar knives with the same materials and similar quality. One made in the US and the other in Taiwan and they cost about the same.
 
65535 said:
It's not a fake, unfortunately Spyderco is making some of the better looking models there.

I can handle Japan, Germany and the US, and possibly some European Countries, but that's it for me.
Click to expand...

Why not Taiwan? I can understand to a certain extent China but Taiwan is a separate country that happens to be a strong ally of the United States!
 
Are you saying your Chokwe is a Fakwe? Sorry couldn't resist. I'll go back to what I was doing.
 
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