Just bought a paramilitary 2 and I'm concerned it's fake (pic heavy)!

G

Ggray830

Joined
Dec 27, 2013
Messages
14
Hey guys!

Sorry to put you through this again as I this seems to be a very popular thread topic but I recently received a "like new" PM2 from the bay (115 bucks) and I am worried sick that it is counterfeit. In the time between winning the knife and delivery I have been watching tons of youtube videos about PM2s and occasionally I'd watch some about the differences between real and fake PM2's so maybe I was paranoid before I even had a chance to look at it. When the knife first arrived I was really impressed with the overall fit and finish of the knife. I have only have one other spyderco and it's an FRN delica so this was a pretty different knife (not much to compare it to). The first two things that stuck out to me were the lanyard hole and the dullness of the blade. The blade I overlooked because it was not technically a new knife so I figured that the prior owner may have really put this knife to work before I got it. However, I stropped it for less than 5 minutes and the knife started shaving hair and push cutting paper. I was surprised because I didn't think that s110v steel would be so easily stropped (again I have no real comparison). The lanyard hold struck me as odd because it is recessed in the scales and not perfectly centered. The rim of the tube that makes up the lanyard hole is also relatively sharp which I thought was unusual. Then I looked into the idea that this knife might be fake more closely and I realized that my knife lacked the characteristic machining marks/notches everyone talks about in the liners/scales that are present on all PM2s. That got me worried and then I looked at the jimping behind the hole on the blade and they appear to be at the wrong angle. I also have a very sticky lock and I noticed that the lock part of the blade appears to be somewhat worn. This struck me as odd considering how much harder s110v steel must be than whatever they use to make the liners...

Anyway, I could be crazy but I need our collective expert opinion!! Thank you so much for you help!!





































 
I'm sorry you are worried sick about it, but I think it really is a fake.
First of all, the scales are not the right color, like, at all. Also it looks like there is a sharpening choil on the blade, which I haven't ever seen before on a PM2. And the fit and finish doesn't look all that great, like the gaps at the lanyard tube.
Well, in the long run, $115 is a hard lesson to learn from but cheaper than others.
 
Sorry to say but that looks fake to me. The lanyard tube is the biggest sign, pm2s have slightly tapered ends while that one is flat on the ends. The roundeness of the edges of the g10 also doesn't look right, a little too rounded. The screws are also a bit off to me. Sorry man
 
It's fake. Jimping and relief cut in scale to access compression lock is dead giveaway.
 
Yep, fake. Interestingly, the blade shape on the fakes is subtly different than on a genuine PM2. I'd have thought the counterfeiters could copy blade shape faithfully, but apparently not.
 
Sorry, I think it's a fake, but I'm no expert by any stretch, so this is non-expert oppinion.

First of all scales are not blurple, and I'm even not so sure that they are G10, there's something very plasticky and non-grippy about them in your pics.
Hardware is different, screws look like smaller wrench/bit is needed, because size ratio - hole size to screw head is in favour of screw head compared to my PM 2's.
I do not have 110 but in the on-line pics letter V is closer to the zero, and lettes S is closer to the one.
Overall quality seems lesser to me, you took some nice closeups so it shows...

Clip seem like it was sanded with fine grit paper, or changed with less "like new" clip at least, for this one shows some wear.

Please do not consider this as final verdict because, as I said before - I'm no expert and I have only two PM's, CTS-XHP and M390...

Good luck!
 
I am also leaning towards fake. Part of the problem is that this is not a new, unused knife. It's hard to know what the prior user may have done or not done to the knife. For example, he could change out the screws, which definitely look wrong to me. But does that make it a fake? Not necessarily, but why do that??? Same with the scales. Those are definitely not the blurple scales and I don't know how someone could get them to look like that. I get why someone may want to change them out, but as a prior poster said, those look like plastic. I can't be sure they are even G10 by appearance. Why do that??? And the sharpening notch at the back of the blade. Again, it is possible that these were mods done by a prior user. Or more likely IMO, it is indeed a fake.
 
Fake for sure. Scale color, lanyard tube, handle and clip screws, sharpening choil, lock bar are all wrong just to name the obvious ones that jump right out. Without a doubt a fake. Send it back. Contact ebay they will take care of it more than likely.
 
Not a spyderco expert bit I do have a few of their blades...it does unfortunately look fake for all the reasons above. For me I say the lanyard tube, scales, writing on the blade and blade shape are what gives it away to me. But like another member said least it's a lesson learned and a hefty one but glad it's not a more expensive one.
 
Thanks so much to everyone who chimed in with their expertise. It looks like my suspicions were correct and this knife is indeed a counterfeit. Luckily the seller has agreed to refunding me the cost of the knife once I ship it back. I feel bad doing this because it is likely that another novice like myself will fall victim to this seller's tricks (that is assuming he was aware that the knife was fake).

I plan on buying another PM2 from the above list of reputable sites or maybe off this forum as I'm sure these sells are much more trustworthy. I will also make sure to post some pics when I do!

Thanks again to everyone who helped!
 
Ggray830 said:
Thanks so much to everyone who chimed in with their expertise. It looks like my suspicions were correct and this knife is indeed a counterfeit. Luckily the seller has agreed to refunding me the cost of the knife once I ship it back. I feel bad doing this because it is likely that another novice like myself will fall victim to this seller's tricks (that is assuming he was aware that the knife was fake).

I plan on buying another PM2 from the above list of reputable sites or maybe off this forum as I'm sure these sells are much more trustworthy. I will also make sure to post some pics when I do!

Thanks again to everyone who helped!
Click to expand...

Contact Sal Glesser through this forum. He would want to know about people making fakes of his knives and he may be willing to set you up with a real one in trade for his lawyers finding whose selling them and physical evidence is always a help for them.
 
Color was the first give away, sharpening choil and the horrible fit and finish scream fake.
That looks like a $15 knife.
Also.....S110V, when dull, needs a bit more than stropping!
Good luck getting your cash back. Then check out some of the amazing dealers here for a real one.......it will blow you away after handling that POS!!
Joe
 
Mine is not a fake, it is a new S110V. It does have that small "sharpening choil". However, the scales on yours are the wrong color, so unless the previous owner replaced them with custom scales, this is a red flag. Also, the scales are not contoured properly for a factory PM2. The lanyard tube is wrong for a PM2, as well.
 
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