Scam Alert: "Hand Forged" knives from US and Canada (Really Pakistan Carnival Crap)

Uath

Uath

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On eBay:

The sellers represent themselves as being from Canada, or the USA. The pictures make you think that you're dealing with a small independent forge (the kind we all love so dearly). They like to use terms such as "Bushcraft."

The knife arrives very slowly, if at all. Communication goes unanswered. The knife comes shipped from Pakistan. There's nothing "Forged" about it. It's either so poorly tempered that the tip bends over like a fishhook, or, it's a crappy 440 Stainless, cut out of a patterned sheet. No matter that it represents as "High Carbon."

We all know about the uber-shoddy "Damascus" knifes. Here comes a new twist. I could send it back, but I know better. I'll just get charged no shipping and never see it again.

This knife cost me over 60$:

9-Custom-Hand-Forged-1095-Steel-Hunting-Skinning-Bushcraft-Knife-Timurknives-_57.jpg
 
I was at a gun show in Edmonton yesterday, these were everywhere.

In the meantime, the 2 real knifemakers attending the show were struggling to sell 3 pieces during the whole event.

Sad times.
 
I'm seeing knives like this more often, it's a shame. I've also seen cheap damascus slipjoints at antique shows touted as custom knives they want hundreds for.
 
Well, I guess there's enough

1) suckers born (every minute :D) and
2) people willing to buy cheapo knives

to keep these people in business and cranking these out.

If it were't a profitable venture, they would move on to a better profit stream.

Look at "China" now and a couple years ago.
 
Amateur knife makers need to be able to sell their stuff on eBay and make a small profit. I see railroad spike-knives all the time for around 40-100. Some of them are quite good...

I think these Pakistani distributors find someone in the US or Canada to provide cover. There has to be some way to discern them.
 
Uath said:
Amateur knife makers need to be able to sell their stuff on eBay and make a small profit. I see railroad spike-knives all the time for around 40-100. Some of them are quite good...

I think these Pakistani distributors find someone in the US or Canada to provide cover. There has to be some way to discern them.
Click to expand...

If some of those are quite good, then most would be quite bad. Like this knife you bought.

So I'm not really seeing what the difference is. The guys who made that knife can make a profit too. Buyer beware.

And what do you mean by "provide cover"? I don't see what you are getting at. You don't need "cover" to sell on eBay. It's not like they are being sold in brick and mortar stores.
 
Did someone say CFK Knives? Oops...
I feel like we all know if it's under $100 and Damascus (and not from a well known, trusted manufacturer) that it's probably a Paki-made knife. Problem is that most of the knife buying public buys for looks and has no clue or care about the quality. As for the knife makers struggling, I feel like this is an art like any other and there will always be "starving artists" who struggle to make it because of these kinds of manufacturers and sellers. Those true makers who innovate tend to succeed more and can catch the eye of even the uninitiated when it comes time to buy a knife.
 
I see plenty of crappy knives by US makers at US gun shows. They charge more than the Pakistan knives, which makes it more of a rip-off.

I also see an occasional US-Anglo native selling Pakistan knives as their own work. I think he gets them finished and cold-stamps his mark on them. At least the guy from the Middle East is up front about the knife's origin and has the lowest price.
 
Uath said:
Amateur knife makers need to be able to sell their stuff on eBay and make a small profit. I see railroad spike-knives all the time for around 40-100. Some of them are quite good...
Click to expand...

I love them actually :) Railroad spike tools and knives are a family of their own!
 
Uath said:
On eBay:

The sellers represent themselves as being from Canada, or the USA. The pictures make you think that you're dealing with a small independent forge (the kind we all love so dearly). They like to use terms such as "Bushcraft."

The knife arrives very slowly, if at all. Communication goes unanswered. The knife comes shipped from Pakistan. There's nothing "Forged" about it. It's either so poorly tempered that the tip bends over like a fishhook, or, it's a crappy 440 Stainless, cut out of a patterned sheet. No matter that it represents as "High Carbon."

We all know about the uber-shoddy "Damascus" knifes. Here comes a new twist. I could send it back, but I know better. I'll just get charged no shipping and never see it again.

This knife cost me over 60$





I'm just curious, what exactly did you think you were getting for $60?
Click to expand...
 
Timur Knives, among others.

And while we know better, the general run of eBay buyer does not. They are the prey for these "custom knife" guys.
 
Perhaps a rite of passage for knife newbies. If they just want a pretty display knife, well, it fits the bill, and they are happy. If they try to use it and find out what junk it is, some of them will eventually learn what constitutes a good knife from a trusted maker and their future purchases will be better researched.

The money paid for the junk knife was their tuition fee for the school of Educate Yourself Before You Buy". Many people started out with a knife that looked cool or pretty, at an affordable price, which became the knife they bought when they "didn't know any better." Some of my earlier knife purchases, while not bad knives, are ones I would not repeat given the additional knowledge I have since acquired.

Though in this case it sounds more like a true scam and not just an inexperienced buyer.
 
If these "pak-rats" only sell one knife to an unexpecting customer one time, they will still profit. How many people have jumped in the knife world because of Forged In Fire that don't know any better? My guess is alot. And then they see these "damascus" peices at stupid low prices and think that is the norm.
 
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