New or Used

[Hypermole]

Hello,

If I buy a knife online on a auction, how can I tell, without taking it apart, if it is really brand new or if it has been played with and used as a flipper? Is there anyway to truly know for sure?

Thanks

 

[Cutty73]

If it's a production knife, you would be able to see the factory grind on the blade edge, if not it has been sharpened. Look for general wear on the pocket clip, thumb stud's, edges of handle etc. and wether or not there's any pocket lint around the joint or inside the handle.

Other than obvious use etc. I guess you don't really know for sure?????????????

 

[Hypermole]

I agree, also I checked the screws for wear.

It seems the only other sign I've ever had is stiffness of opening and closing the knife or the box is factory taped shut.

Is it possible to buy a brand new knife that is not stiff to open?

I looked at a similar knife, that I've used only as a flipper (allot) for about a year, and cannot pick up on anything that shows wear.

 

[flarp]

I'd look for scratches (could be very faint) on the blade, especially near the pivot. If the knife has a stop pin, check the surface of that to see if there are noticeable impact marks. You can also try to look at the side of the blade with the detent hole to see if you can see traces of detent ball marking the surface of the blade.

Although you stated not wanting to take the knife apart, if you do decide to do so, you can check for wear on the washers at the pivot.