New Southard is 'quiet'

If you're up for disassembling it you can be certain. The bearings used in the fake are totally different.
 
Wow that fake is a pretty close copy judging from the pics, thanks for posting. How is the feel in hand, the fit and finish? If you held them and opened/shut them would you know a difference?
 
Yeah I'll take it apart, what am I looking for?
One other thing, the blade on the one Jill posted has obvious grind marks in the blade, this one does not, just FYI. The fit and finish of the knife is very good, and the blade was razor sharp out of the box FWIW.
 
If it came NIB with a carbon fiber scale (not a custom scale), it would have to be fake.

Tom
 
Thanks Mastersword, I will check that out. Tom, it did come in a new box, but the whole discussion started with my friend when I told him how much I liked the new ZT770CF I had gotten, but that I wished it was a flipper. He asked me what flipper I was thinking of getting then, and I told him I would love a Southard with Carbon Fiber. This showed up out of the blue form him, and it wouldn't be unlike him to get me one with a custom scale on it. I haven't been able to speak to him yet, but he had told me he got it from and actual store out in Cali. I will be disassembling it forthwith!
 
Fish30114 said:
Thanks Mastersword, I will check that out. Tom, it did come in a new box, but the whole discussion started with my friend when I told him how much I liked the new ZT770CF I had gotten, but that I wished it was a flipper. He asked me what flipper I was thinking of getting then, and I told him I would love a Southard with Carbon Fiber. This showed up out of the blue form him, and it wouldn't be unlike him to get me one with a custom scale on it. I haven't been able to speak to him yet, but he had told me he got it from and actual store out in Cali. I will be disassembling it forthwith!
Click to expand...

It sounds like it may indeed be custom work. :)

Tom
 
Curiouser and curiouser grows the cat. (old saying) Well after taking it apart this knife it has the right liners, with the appropriate holes, the correct looking bearings and blade, pivot and pivot hole, but the pivot center spacer does not have a flattened side. The scale looks somewhere in between the one in the link that Mastersword posted. Which I suppose would be correct if that is not a carbon fiber scale he is picturing...I am pretty sure that this one is at least mostly real:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
 
Fish30114 said:
Curiouser and curiouser grows the cat. (old saying) Well after taking it apart this knife it has the right liners, with the appropriate holes, the correct looking bearings and blade, pivot and pivot hole, but the pivot center spacer does not have a flattened side. The scale looks somewhere in between the one in the link that Mastersword posted. Which I suppose would be correct if that is not a carbon fiber scale he is picturing...I am pretty sure that this one is at least mostly real:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Hate to disagree, but it looks like one of the fakes to me. Those are my comparison shots getting linked here and I have at least a little bit of Southard experience (I have, uh, a lot of real Southards, and I've handled three of the fakes, including the one I bought to disassemble and shoot comparison shots of).

I could be getting fooled by the low-quality photos (please try to shoot in brighter lighting if you take more photos) but the scale looks like the fake Southard CF scale (it also comes in four colors of G10 fakes) and the frame looks like the smoother finish of the fakes as well. :(

Also, FWIW, I'm pretty sure that every real Southard I've disassembled (lots) has had a flat side to all the hardware pieces I marked in my photos, along with matching flat spots where they seat.
 
Heck Evilgreg, I appreciate the feedback regardless of the facts--or more like whatever the facts. That's what I want. As I said several things seem right, and I am sure that this is at least a model with a custom scale, and I hear about the other deviations you are mentioning, I will definitely work on my photography skills. All that said I appreciate all your input, previous posts etc. You surely know more about these knives than I do.
 
I don't own a southard but to me the most noticeable difference is the clip.
The fake's pocket clip is shaped different than the real southard and so is the one on your knife fish.
 
evilgreg said:
Hate to disagree, but it looks like one of the fakes to me. Those are my comparison shots getting linked here and I have at least a little bit of Southard experience (I have, uh, a lot of real Southards, and I've handled three of the fakes, including the one I bought to disassemble and shoot comparison shots of).
Click to expand...

If you're ever up for selling one of your many Southards at a discounted price a poor man can afford, please let me know. ;)
 
Fish30114 said:
Thanks Kniferbro, if it is a fake they got two very experienced knife guys. I can't begin to think it is a fake given the packaging, accurate bar code etc. but I guess one can never really know if the knockoffs are getting that good. I will check with my friend to see who he got it from and check if they are real Spyderco dealer, but it sure looks legit, it's just a quiet one!!! I'm tending to go with spketch's call, and just say it is a little on the 'muffled' side. It functions very well though.
Click to expand...

Just saw this bit as well--the fake had the exact packaging, bar code, etc. that you're describing. I'll dig up a photo of the box if you'd like to compare it to yours (I'll see if I still have a shot with the sticker, hang on).
 
Jarrett Fleming said:
I don't own a southard but to me the most noticeable difference is the clip.
The fake's pocket clip is shaped different than the real southard and so is the one on your knife fish.
Click to expand...

If you're going off of my photos from the Spyderco forum (linked previously in this thread) you should note that my pile of real Southards all have custom clips (made by STR) added to them. The clip on the fake looks exactly like the clip on the real knife, except that, IIRC, the holes were a slightly different size between the two.
 
Here is a high res image of the 100% fake carbon fiber scaled Chinese Southard clone, with the label end of the box showing. Compare your box to this one, compare the way your Southard's frame and scale looks to this, that should give you a better idea if yours is a fake or not:

KP3jg6h.jpg
 
evilgreg said:
Here is a high res image of the 100% fake carbon fiber scaled Chinese Southard clone, with the label end of the box showing. Compare your box to this one, compare the way your Southard's frame and scale looks to this, that should give you a better idea if yours is a fake or not:

KP3jg6h.jpg
Click to expand...

I scanned the barcode from your image, it links to the real Southard on Amazon :( These cloners are getting better and better at what they do, I have to wonder if they're Kaminoan...
 
Wow this thread got me feeling paranoid - just ran to pull my own Southard out to look it over again. I do agree the stonewashed finish on both the lockside and blade will stand out on the real deal. Per OP's original concern, it does have a more muted "thwack" when flipping open too.

Good luck Fish figuring this out.
 
Those fakes are scary. I only found one real difference, that somehow nobody else pointed out. The pocket clip screws are all wrong.

That said, if somebody sold me that Southard, I would have a really hard time telling it was a fake. I'm guessing the blade steel would give it away.
 
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