Real and fake knives

[Samael]

It's all OK. Just mind your Ps and Qs, especially in General. Welcome to the forum. We're not all jerks. Though it's hard to tell who's who without a program sometimes.

 

[Fanglekai]

Sorry, this is quite a broad forum and after being greeted with an anatomy lesson in the first thread I opened, and seeing blatant swearing and colourful vocabulary everywhere.. I also would of figured a word filter would be used where appropriate, will try not to assume as much in future.

Colorful language is only allowed in certain areas of the forum, like Whine & Cheese. There are a lot of rules here and it takes a while to figure them all out. I lurked for a long time so I wouldn't get banned immediately.

 

[Samael]

Oh, come on. It isn't all that hard. Just engage your brain. That's why you have one. Yeesh.

 

[Jaytaylor]

Those links from the first post should be removed.

What I found unbelievable is that one the sites listed in the first post sells brand counterfeited goods and that includes knives, the unbelievable part is that they have an iPhone app available through the Apple Store?!?!?!? Did Apple not check the app out???

Really need to pester Apple to pull the app.

As for Homages w.r.t. watches, they seem to have become slowly accepted on some watch forums, the problem is that many of these "homages" are part of the counterfeit system, often leaving the same factory as branded counterfeits. Buying homage goods still funds the counterfeit system.

 

[Pug-butter]

Since no amount of complaining will ever cause large-scale revolution in this regard to the industry anyway, I make a game out of it.

One of these knives is not like the others!

the camo sheath is a nice touch, is it not?

 

[Dagon]

About this remark and more in general people who knowingly buy counterfeit knives:

I'm probably one of the few people here who reads Russian knife forums but the chinese copies are very popular over there, mostly because people can't afford the originals (an XM-18 is a couple months' salary!).

I can understand the attraction of something that is out of reach. But, next to moral issues, buying a counterfeit is completely self delusional. You'll end up with a thing (I don't call it a knife) of which the blade steel is the kind that is more commonly used to make spoons. An "s30v" etching on the blade of a counterfeit is exactly as believable as the rest of the thing. And then to think that for the price of one of these close copies of a prestigious knife you can actually buy a real knife that performs well, say an Endura.... It's sheer stupidity and eagerness to "pose" to buy a counterfeit CRK or so for that price.

 

[GLDNDomer]

Well, I only try to buy knives made in the USA because that's where I live, and I enjoy being reminded of it every time I use my knife. But I don't think that knives that copy a high-end knife is so bad, because most high end knives are purchased for the feel and quality and craftsmanship ANYWAY, so if you don't care about that, then let people buy their ten dollar knockoffs. I'll take a sub-$100 USA made knife to any of the ones mentioned above.

Now counterfeits being sold as "originals" and at steep prices, THEN I would have to get upset about it. But a useless knife is a useless knife, no matter where it comes from.

 

[diablo_man]

Does that include all Sanrenmu, Enlan, Navy, and Bee knives? Those companies make knock offs of Spyderco, Benchmade, and others.

well, most of enlan and a lot of SRM's knives are original designs. shouldnt be any problem with that. many of their other ones are similar to other production knives, but much less so than the KaBar made buck 110 style folder my mum got 25 years ago. And It seems a lot of the ones that are similar, or copies are because those companies pay SRM to manufacture their knives, and probably have some kind of deal worked out.

Navy knives, and i guess Ganzo knives are much more outright copies, though are not ever branded as the real thing, so they arent fakes.

 

[thedmasterr]

SOPA/PIPA actually were in part an attempt to solve this problem. Their means of doing so was mediocre and obviously could be improved, but protecting US intellectual property is a major concern.

 

[ArfinGreebly]

I don't worry too much about counterfeits among the brands I buy, for a couple of reasons.

I buy the occasional Buck knife. The knives I buy in the brand fall into two categories: those I can buy locally -- from the factory -- and those that are out of production, and not generally the target of any counterfeiting operation.

Other brands that I buy, like Normark, haven't been in production in more than ten years, so those are pretty safe.

Now, I suppose Case is vulnerable, but I haven't yet seen anyone doing knock-offs of the Case line, and the ones I like generally don't appeal broadly enough to make knock-offs worthwhile. That said, I actually do pay attention to authenticity when buying a Case online. Just because.

And Opinel doesn't seem to be a target either.

Other favorites of mine, like EKA, seem to be immune. At least for now.

However . . .

I have recently started seeing Mora knock-offs. And that kinda sux. I mean, who the heck counterfeits a $10 or $20 knife already?? I was examining a piece at auction and noticed the markings weren't consistent with other Moras, so I asked the seller. China. China? Really? These things are less than $20 new from Sweden!

So now I have to be careful that I don't buy a cheap substitute for a cheap knife?

OMG!

However, I imagine it won't be long before I have to pay serious attention, because the next brand on my list is Spyderco, and I'm reasonably sure they've got exposure.

Happily, most of my tastes run to brands that don't have much -- or any -- exposure.

But for those of you who are Mora junkies like me, let's be careful out there.

 

[Spinerazor]

just wanted to let everyone know i cam across a new version of the fake XM18 tonight using CPM S35VN, supposedly they have only been available since Friday. The telltale lock bar has been "fixed" and the insert has been removed, the new fake is ridiculously close to looking like the original, far better than any fake I've seen until now. I'm not going to post where this is cause i don't support anyone buying these ripoffs but be warned if these start getting sold as real Hinderers a lot of newbs will be getting ripped off. why cant these people spend as much time designing and building there own knives if they can do these knock offs so well i'm sure they could make some real decent original knives.

 

[Chipped Karambit]

if it is any consolation, i found a few knockoffs of Mtech here in vietnam for only 50,000 bucks (2.50$) lol no one is safe, not even the chinese

 

[jill jackson]

Does anyone find it a bit ironic, that the big manufacturers took the best technology to China to make decent goods cheaply (for export back here) and now the Chinese are making clones of everything on their own? Maybe it would have happened anyway, but I think it was definitely sped up by having so much state of the art know how and equipment readily available.

 

[Ankerson]

Does anyone find it a bit ironic, that the big manufacturers took the best technology to China to make decent goods cheaply (for export back here) and now the Chinese are making clones of everything on their own? Maybe it would have happened anyway, but I think it was definitely sped up by having so much state of the art know how and equipment readily available.

They defiantly made it easy for them that's for sure.

 

[jill jackson]

Kind of like hiring your neighbor, because he will work so cheaply, then all of a sudden he's doing your line of work on his own!

 

[Zach Gulsby]

If anyone is actually interested in this topic, I recommend reading China in Ten Words by Yu Hua, especially the "Bamboozle" and "Copycat" chapters. Heck, I've got two copies and I'll cover shipping if someone's curious. Just email me; it's an excellent read.

 

[Spinerazor]

i'd love to check that out, i'll see if the bookstore near me has it today.

If anyone is actually interested in this topic, I recommend reading China in Ten Words by Yu Hua, especially the "Bamboozle" and "Copycat" chapters. Heck, I've got two copies and I'll cover shipping if someone's curious. Just email me; it's an excellent read.

 

[espnazi]

just wanted to let everyone know i cam across a new version of the fake XM18 tonight using CPM S35VN, supposedly they have only been available since Friday. The telltale lock bar has been "fixed" and the insert has been removed, the new fake is ridiculously close to looking like the original, far better than any fake I've seen until now. I'm not going to post where this is cause i don't support anyone buying these ripoffs but be warned if these start getting sold as real Hinderers a lot of newbs will be getting ripped off. why cant these people spend as much time designing and building there own knives if they can do these knock offs so well i'm sure they could make some real decent original knives.

Yeah these have just been released although some people from Guns.ru seem to have them already.

This maker engraves them with the word titanium and sometimes marks the blades with his name as opposed to when they were left blank and second parties engraved the real deal logos. So hopefully people wont be victimized.

Fake:

 

[Zach Gulsby]

i'd love to check that out, i'll see if the bookstore near me has it today.

The insight provided in the book is very helpful in trying to understand how Chinese culture developed the way it has in the past half century. You won't regret reading it!

 

[Ankerson]

Kind of like hiring your neighbor, because he will work so cheaply, then all of a sudden he's doing your line of work on his own!

Yeah it's exactly the same thing, you train your neighbor, supply them with all the tools etc and before you know it they take all of your business. LOL