There's a gun show tomorrow...

[Zerolessmusic]

What is everyones opinion on buying knives at gun shows. Anything from $50-$500? Any good ways to tell if a higher end knife is a real or counterfeit other than paper work... Don't mean to sound paranoid, but if i am spending a lot of money on a knife, I would like to know it is a real one... There are (normaly) alot of CCC (cheap Chinese clunckers) knives at gun shows but some booths sell higher end knives. Thanks for the time reading and any tips/advice, Have a nice day/night!




(Example of higher end knives: Zero Tolerance, Chris Reeve knives, Microtech, Benchmade, ETC)

 

[Icky Thump]

Its going to boil down to knowing what you are looking at. How familiar you are w/ a particular. Might be some great deals, some rip-offs and that occasion when a vendor/dealer doesnt quite know what they have....on both sides of the fence. Up to you to be educated and aware and beware as a buyer. Reputable promotors will have better % of weeding out straight cons, not gaurenteed, and have zero say in what an item can be priced at. Up to you to do your homework.

 

[Bigfatts]

I'll second most of the above. Know what you're looking at and don't be too quick to buy. Our local Suncoast shows have always had a pretty good knife presence but I'm afraid my favorite dealer may have retired. Haven't seen him in the last few shows. Shame, I did a lot of business with him. We have another larger dealer that has oodles of customs from several good makers, but he also sells knock off Benchmades, so I'm leery of dealing with him. The only other dealer sells at full retail so no go there. It's all about knowing what you're after. If you find something you like but aren't so knowledgeable about don't be afraid to walk and look it up on your phone. Nothing like having the world's information in your pocket.

 

[kershawguy13]

Watch out for fakes.

 

[Zerolessmusic]

Thanks for the help so far....still looking for tips.

 

[Scurvy092]

If you are going to drop real money, make sure the dealer is legit. Has a brick and mortar store or at least a website.

Gun Show here last weekend had a knife store with a booth that was selling the 940-1 for $217!

 

[rycen]

We don't know what models you're looking for so it's hard to give you any tips. If you're not confident enough in your own ability to spot a fake then I wouldn't take the chance.

 

[gazz98]

I don't buy high end knives so I can't help you there but my experience has taught me that prices for knives at gun shows here in MI tend to be higher then average so I usually pass. I make a list of knives I'm interested in, google em, and make a price range low-high (including s/h) so I know what is reasonable. As for spotting fakes...like Scurvy said, an actual brick/mortar store or website helps the legitimacy.

Honestly, the forum here is a great place to pick up knives.

 

[Zerolessmusic]

We don't know what models you're looking for so it's hard to give you any tips. If you're not confident enough in your own ability to spot a fake then I wouldn't take the chance.

Looking at large sebenzas (yes risky when not for sure if real or fake...hence this thread) ZT 301, ZT 0561 and ZT 0550.

 

[Icky Thump]

Looking at large sebenzas (yes risky when not for sure if real or fake...hence this thread) ZT 301, ZT 0561 and ZT 0550.

Try Youtube. Type in "How to spot a fake..[fill in the blank] Should be some on the CRK`s for sure. Other, newer models may lag on posted reviews\fake breakdowns. Be a good place to start...

 

[pnsxyr]

As someone who used to sell at guns shows, my experience from having been to at least 50 of them is that they are either 100% hits, or 100% misses. This especially goes with ammo and knives. Some days you can drop 3 grand on crap, sell half of it, and recover your initial investment and shoot (or in this case, cut) with the remaining half for free. On other days, you feel like you want your money and time back.

From a seller's perspective, 'hit' days are generally good given you often find yourself with so many new potential customers that you can share them with the competition, and it's a plus whether it is you or your competition or both bringing more people in the door. You want to give buyers a reason to come and pay admission. And the word gets around fast regarding if a show is or is not worth going to. If there are no good deals, admission after the first day (and sometimes after half of the day) goes to crap. If there are good deals, the joint can look like an iPhone release. This works in favor of buyers of course, given they want as many people possible at that show. And as they are paying a lot for tables, plus they are often going for quantity sales, this often works in your favor. So my point here is that I would not hesitate to make offers if I were you, especially if you are offering cash. The worst case is a seller says no...but you'll often find sellers willing to negotiate at least somewhat on pricing. I generally find sellers most willing to negotiate on the last day shortly before close (of course the selection at that point will be less).

Especially with the crazy super good buys on ammo and knives, you want to be there on day 1 as early as possible as they go fast. For example, I once sold the better part of 70,000 rounds of 5.56 in about 30 minutes on the first day of a 3 day show. One person alone bought about 15,000 rounds. So my advice here is go as early as you can on the first day if it is those insane grab-me deals you seek because they go fast.

Finally, if you are not sure about a knife, the best spot check IMO is pulling up high-res images on a smartphone and comparing some of the more minute details. Additionally, fakes general lack the fit and finish of real models. Grinds will not be as even, opening will not be as smooth, lockup wont be as solid, the edge may be very poorly sharpened, logos will look off, etc. I think you are most likely to find fakes buying from sellers who sell products other than knives but happen to buy a few at a really good prices for resale, not realizing they were bogus pieces. With that said, I've never personally come across a fake that was labeled as real, although I've done more selling than buying/browsing at shows, so I cannot comment to how common or how rare it is.

 

[Zerolessmusic]

As someone who used to sell at guns shows, my experience from having been to at least 50 of them is that they are either 100% hits, or 100% misses. This especially goes with ammo and knives. Some days you can drop 3 grand on crap, sell half of it, and recover your initial investment and shoot (or in this case, cut) with the remaining half for free. On other days, you feel like you want your money and time back.

From a seller's perspective, 'hit' days are generally good given you often find yourself with so many new potential customers that you can share them with the competition, and it's a plus whether it is you or your competition or both bringing more people in the door. You want to give buyers a reason to come and pay admission. And the word gets around fast regarding if a show is or is not worth going to. If there are no good deals, admission after the first day (and sometimes after half of the day) goes to crap. If there are good deals, the joint can look like an iPhone release. This works in favor of buyers of course, given they want as many people possible at that show. And as they are paying a lot for tables, plus they are often going for quantity sales, this often works in your favor. So my point here is that I would not hesitate to make offers if I were you, especially if you are offering cash. The worst case is a seller says no...but you'll often find sellers willing to negotiate at least somewhat on pricing. I generally find sellers most willing to negotiate on the last day shortly before close (of course the selection at that point will be less).

Especially with the crazy super good buys on ammo and knives, you want to be there on day 1 as early as possible as they go fast. For example, I once sold the better part of 70,000 rounds of 5.56 in about 30 minutes on the first day of a 3 day show. One person alone bought about 15,000 rounds. So my advice here is go as early as you can on the first day if it is those insane grab-me deals you seek because they go fast.

Finally, if you are not sure about a knife, the best spot check IMO is pulling up high-res images on a smartphone and comparing some of the more minute details. Additionally, fakes general lack the fit and finish of real models. Grinds will not be as even, opening will not be as smooth, lockup wont be as solid, the edge may be very poorly sharpened, logos will look off, etc. I think you are most likely to find fakes buying from sellers who sell products other than knives but happen to buy a few at a really good prices for resale, not realizing they were bogus pieces. With that said, I've never personally come across a fake that was labeled as real, although I've done more selling than buying/browsing at shows, so I cannot comment to how common or how rare it is.

Ok.. Thanks for the advice and info! Definitly looking more at knives than guns (but still looking at both)

 

[EChoil]

The key, of course, is a reputable vendor.

If it's a gun show of long presence or an obviously reputable larger show (which you can check with venue management), you should start to feel OK.

If it's a first-time or smaller show not previously known to you definitely check it out with venue management, local BBB or via web.
​

If the particular vendor sells only knives and has a relatively large display and has been part of the show for a while (which you can check with the show promoter who will likely be on premises) you can feel even better. The show promoter should be happy to brief you on his own experience working with the vendor.

If it's a first-time vendor or someone who strikes you as possibly shady, ask the show promoter how much he checked out the vendor before leasing him space. Ask too if he will stand behind you in trying to track the guy down later should any kind of fraud be discovered; whether he will vouch for the vendor.​

Reputable vendors will have on display many of the knives/brands you will be familiar with from these pages alone. They will be knowledgeable and run a clean, well displayed operation. They will spend time with you on questions or requests to examine a few knives.

Get their business card and be sure you get a store receipt from them with business indicia (not some blank, un-numbered form from a bulk "receipt book"), explicitly written and properly filled out, in addition to whatever credit card receipt they may offer should you pay with plastic. If you pay in cash have that written on the store receipt. "Paid cash."
​

Discuss the warranty with the vendor and get anything in writing that you can, either by way of manufacturer's literature or the vendor guarantee itself.

"90-Day unlimited guarantee" can easily be written by the vendor right on your store receipt.​

I also ask whether warranty or exchange will be through the vendor or the manufacturer. If the vendor will involve himself I consider that a plus.

When you're being shown something with which you aren't familiar or appears suspect, someone at the show will have a computer you might be able to use to independently source confirmation of its legitimacy. The vendor himself should be glad to pull up info on his own computer if you appear to be a serious shopper.

If it's someone with a table full of cheap guns, China dolls, carnival slum, promoting bail bonds and displaying knives on a prayer towel then it's caveat emptor. Again, the show promoter is the one to start with for background check.​

I've never been really gimped at a gun show. Only near-experience lately was when a vendor told me if the BokerPlus Kalashnikov auto I purchased from him ever broke Boker would fix it for me. They won't. But I didn't really give a damn.

I enjoy browsing the real thing after so many hours of looking at pics online. Armed with some basic knowledge and common sense I think you will find, once you enter the gun show, you will pick out the reputable dealers quickly...and likely have a pretty good time.

Enjoy.

 

[EChoil]

The key, of course, is a reputable vendor.

If it's a gun show of long presence or an obviously reputable larger show (which you can check with venue management), you should start to feel OK.

If it's a first-time or smaller show not previously known to you definitely check it out with venue management, local BBB or via web.
​

If the particular vendor sells only knives and has a relatively large display and has been part of the show for a while (which you can check with the show promoter who will likely be on premises) you can feel even better. The show promoter should be happy to brief you on his own experience working with the vendor.

If it's a first-time vendor or someone who strikes you as possibly shady, ask the show promoter how much he checked out the vendor before leasing him space. Ask too if he will stand behind you in trying to track the guy down later should any kind of fraud be discovered; whether he will vouch for the vendor.​

Reputable vendors will have on display many of the knives/brands you will be familiar with from these pages alone. They will be knowledgeable and run a clean, well displayed operation. They will spend time with you on questions or requests to examine a few knives.

Get their business card and be sure you get a store receipt from them with business indicia (not some blank, un-numbered form from a bulk "receipt book"), explicitly written and properly filled out, in addition to whatever credit card receipt they may offer should you pay with plastic. If you pay in cash have that written on the store receipt. "Paid cash."
​

Discuss the warranty with the vendor and get anything in writing that you can, either by way of manufacturer's literature or the vendor guarantee itself.

"90-Day unlimited guarantee" can easily be written by the vendor right on your store receipt.​

I also ask whether warranty or exchange will be through the vendor or the manufacturer. If the vendor will involve himself I consider that a plus.

When you're being shown something with which you aren't familiar or appears suspect, someone at the show will have a computer you might be able to use to independently source confirmation of its legitimacy. The vendor himself should be glad to pull up info on his own computer if you appear to be a serious shopper.

If it's someone with a table full of cheap guns, China dolls, carnival slum, promoting bail bonds and displaying knives on a prayer towel then it's caveat emptor. Again, the show promoter is the one to start with for background check.​

I've never been really gimped at a gun show. Only near-experience lately was when a vendor told me if the BokerPlus Kalashnikov auto I purchased from him ever broke Boker would fix it for me. They won't. But I didn't really give a damn.

I enjoy browsing the real thing after so many hours of looking at pics online. Armed with some basic knowledge and common sense I think you will find, once you enter the gun show, you will pick out the reputable dealers quickly...and likely have a pretty good time.

Enjoy.

 

[leghog]

You mention high end knives. The best advice I can give is if you don't know the knives you had better know the vendor. Otherwise wait until you know one, the other, or both.

Regarding knives at gunshows in general, it depends on what you are looking for I suppose. You can find good deals. You can also get ripped off. I find knives at gunshows often. The last few were a Western 902S, a Schrade 108OT, and an Imperial barlow (in a guy's "junk bucket"). Got them all very inexpensively. I still kick myself for not buying an early Wenger Allsport over a relatively small difference in negotiaion. The seller lives close, but I've yet to see him at another show so I have no idea if he still has the knife.

At another gunshow I got a new in box Helle Harding and Helle Viking below any price I could find anywhere else, B&M or internet.

 

[addylo]

I agree with the advice about a reputable dealer but to me it's more important that you know what you are looking at and how much it sells for on the street. Be on the look out for fakes and know your pricing.

I've noticed that gun shows often get a bad wrap around here but the horror stories we hear are usually from people who have no clue what they are buying. Like anything else it's always "Caveat Emptor". There ARE good deals out there but you need to know what you are doing. Otherwise you're just a chump looking to be taken. And always remember... if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.

 

[leghog]

I've noticed that gun shows often get a bad wrap around here but the horror stories we hear are usually from people who have no clue what they are buying.

What I can't get over is the guy who buys a knife or gun THEN asks if he got a good deal. My response is usually along the lines of, "Does it matter now? You already bought it."

 

[Inazone]

I've had mixed results buying knives at gun shows. On one hand, I first "discovered" the ZT 0801 at a show and paid about the going rate. I got smoking deals on a Gerber USA Covert (or whatever they call their Applegate-Fairbairn folder) and a SOG Mini Pentagon, so-so deals on a Kershaw Scamp (my first Kershaw) and a couple of Bokers and CRKTs, and unfortunately also bought what turned out to be a fake Boker Plus. The last one really stung because I liked the design a lot, but 1) it turned out not to be based on a real Boker anyway and 2) the actual construction proved to be terrible. Prices are all over the spectrum, but I've found that the best prices come from the guys who aren't really looking to be knife salesmen and just want to unload some stagnant inventory.

Avoid the Pakistani Damascus stuff. There are always at least two tables full of it, sometimes selling only that and others mixing in some cheap Chinese folders.

 

[Zerolessmusic]

The key, of course, is a reputable vendor.

If it's a gun show of long presence or an obviously reputable larger show (which you can check with venue management), you should start to feel OK.

If it's a first-time or smaller show not previously known to you definitely check it out with venue management, local BBB or via web.
​

If the particular vendor sells only knives and has a relatively large display and has been part of the show for a while (which you can check with the show promoter who will likely be on premises) you can feel even better. The show promoter should be happy to brief you on his own experience working with the vendor.

If it's a first-time vendor or someone who strikes you as possibly shady, ask the show promoter how much he checked out the vendor before leasing him space. Ask too if he will stand behind you in trying to track the guy down later should any kind of fraud be discovered; whether he will vouch for the vendor.​

Reputable vendors will have on display many of the knives/brands you will be familiar with from these pages alone. They will be knowledgeable and run a clean, well displayed operation. They will spend time with you on questions or requests to examine a few knives.

Get their business card and be sure you get a store receipt from them with business indicia (not some blank, un-numbered form from a bulk "receipt book"), explicitly written and properly filled out, in addition to whatever credit card receipt they may offer should you pay with plastic. If you pay in cash have that written on the store receipt. "Paid cash."
​

Discuss the warranty with the vendor and get anything in writing that you can, either by way of manufacturer's literature or the vendor guarantee itself.

"90-Day unlimited guarantee" can easily be written by the vendor right on your store receipt.​

I also ask whether warranty or exchange will be through the vendor or the manufacturer. If the vendor will involve himself I consider that a plus.

When you're being shown something with which you aren't familiar or appears suspect, someone at the show will have a computer you might be able to use to independently source confirmation of its legitimacy. The vendor himself should be glad to pull up info on his own computer if you appear to be a serious shopper.

If it's someone with a table full of cheap guns, China dolls, carnival slum, promoting bail bonds and displaying knives on a prayer towel then it's caveat emptor. Again, the show promoter is the one to start with for background check.​

I've never been really gimped at a gun show. Only near-experience lately was when a vendor told me if the BokerPlus Kalashnikov auto I purchased from him ever broke Boker would fix it for me. They won't. But I didn't really give a damn.

I enjoy browsing the real thing after so many hours of looking at pics online. Armed with some basic knowledge and common sense I think you will find, once you enter the gun show, you will pick out the reputable dealers quickly...and likely have a pretty good time.

Enjoy.

Okay.. I tend to stay away from a table with cheap guns, cheap knife brands ETC... I have had someone with a table full of junk who was supposedly selling a strider sng, That, honestly, was really easy to spot ( stuff like the price tag, a bunch of smal details off of the strider normal.) But thanks for the response, I haven't been on for long... So far I am enjoying the super nice people and helpful information!

 

[PI2DMP]

If it's crossroads of the west I'd definitely say no way! I literally see knives sell there for $740 when anyone can buy them online for $525. Or I should say "not sell there". And that's at the two or three tables that actually sell knives other than $10 Chinese POS knives. There's one table there, I think it's called razors edge, a store based in LA area that's ok at best. Otherwise, and I'm only speaking for crossroads, knives are a def no go at the show.