What’s this?

[rycen]

Poor pics but looks legit

Cold steel Gen 1 Recon 1 Black AUS-10 Tanto folding knife in mint shape | eBay

This is a First Generation Coldsteel Recon 1 in AUS-10 That I bought new roughly 12 years ago, before they started using s35vn around 2015 or so, I carried it very little after I bought it, and for 95% of its life its sat in my knife tool chest. Cleaning out and making room for other stuff so...

www.ebay.com

 

[jlauffer]

Poor pics but looks legit

Cold steel Gen 1 Recon 1 Black AUS-10 Tanto folding knife in mint shape | eBay

This is a First Generation Coldsteel Recon 1 in AUS-10 That I bought new roughly 12 years ago, before they started using s35vn around 2015 or so, I carried it very little after I bought it, and for 95% of its life its sat in my knife tool chest. Cleaning out and making room for other stuff so...

www.ebay.com

Few red flags here. It says Gen 1, which would go back to the early 2000s when it had the Ultra Lock, but it has the current CS logo (from the GSM buyout). Next, CS didn't start using AUS10 until 2019, and finally, as far as I know, the only Recon 1 that was/is available in AUS10, is the Mini. If it was 12-ish years old, would have been AUS8 or possibly XHP.

 

[rycen]

I’m not necessarily concerned what the auction says. I trust my eyes. With that said what are we looking at?

I suppose it could be entirely fake, but I’ve never seen a Recon 1 marked with AUS 10.

 

[jlauffer]

I’m not necessarily concerned what the auction says. I trust my eyes. With that said what are we looking at?

I suppose it could be entirely fake, but I’ve never seen a Recon 1 marked with AUS 10.

Ok, so that still leaves the issue of there being no record of a full size Recon 1 ever being made in AUS10, let alone in the last few years since they changed the logo. They went from AUS8 to XHP to S35VN. Only the Mini is in AUS10, when they brought it back in 2021.

 

[jux t]

I saw that listing as well and was thoroughly confused. It looks otherwise like a recent production s35vn, even the thumb studs looked ok from what I saw. Really odd. I doubt the seller’s memory of when they bought it is accurate.

 

[jlauffer]

I saw that listing as well and was thoroughly confused. It looks otherwise like a recent production s35vn, even the thumb studs looked ok from what I saw. Really odd. I doubt the seller’s memory of when they bought it is accurate.

Yeah, even if it was legit, could only be about 4 years old, as that's about how old the current logo is.

 

[kreole]

I didn't know they came in anything but XHP and S35vn til I swear this post recently:

https://www.reddit.com/r/knives/comments/1mhuq4b/recon_1_aus_8a_spear_point_combo_edge_stripped

From the owner there, they got their triad recon 1 in Aus 8 in 2012. Aus 10 from 12 years ago, so then the next year production after that one, would make sense if they ever used it.

Interesting one

Edit:
Went through the catalogs starting at 2014. 10A isn't in their description of steels until 2019. At that point the Recon 1 is S35vn. One curiosity, unless I missed it, the steel isn't listed for the Recon 1 in the 2015 catalog though.

 

[rycen]

The first recon 1 with the triad lock were AUS 8 Teflon ( painted ). Then CTS XHP with DLC

 

[jlauffer]

I didn't know they came in anything but XHP and S35vn til I swear this post recently:

https://www.reddit.com/r/knives/comments/1mhuq4b/recon_1_aus_8a_spear_point_combo_edge_stripped

From the owner there, they got their triad recon 1 in Aus 8 in 2012. Aus 10 from 12 years ago, so then the next year production after that one, would make sense if they ever used it.

Interesting one

Was AUS8 until 2015 when they changed to XHP. Then to S35VN in 2019.

 

[rycen]

I’m wondering if it could be a proto,test etc of a recon 1 lite?

 

[kreole]

I went through the catalogs starting at 2014. 10A isn't in their description of steels until 2019. At that point the Recon 1 is S35vn. One curiosity, unless I missed it, the steel isn't listed for the Recon 1 in the 2015 catalog though. Maybe they knew steel was going to be changed that year(?). Also given that is the year of the change maybe some were tried in 10a?

 

[rycen]

Even if that was the case, which I definitely don’t think it is, this has the new logo on it.

 

[jlauffer]

I went through the catalogs starting at 2014. 10A isn't in their description of steels until 2019. At that point the Recon 1 is S35vn. One curiosity, unless I missed it, the steel isn't listed for the Recon 1 in the 2015 catalog though. Maybe they knew steel was going to be changed that year(?). Also given that is the year of the change maybe some were tried in 10a?

I noticed that too and figured the same...they knew it was changing so left it out. But the knife in question has the current CS logo, which didn't start until 2021.

 

[DocJD]

The original listing photos are pretty blurry .

That alone makes me suspicious .

But I don't see the motivation to go to all the trouble to fake something that never existed .

Why ? For the big $50 payoff ?

 

[killgar]

I believe it's a counterfeit.

Although this listing no longer appears on AliExpress, remnants of the listing still exist on the internet.





A remnant from a different listing on Aliexpress.





Here's a remnant from a listing on DHGate.

 

[rycen]

K killgar with the deep dive. Thank you

I wonder what the other side says. Seems weird to me to make a fake of something that didn’t exist.

 

[jlauffer]

I remember after the CS version of the AD15 came out, there were fakes on eBay marked as M390 and other steels that were never actually used.

 

[rycen]

They also used farbon ciber scales too

 

[SharpBits]

It's seems to be a trend on eBay where sellers purchase a counterfeit, use it for awhile, then pass it off as a real, albeit used knife. I got burned by a fake Benchmade last month. Amex did a charge back for me after eBay, PP, and the seller refused. Caveat Emptor.

 

[killgar]

K killgar with the deep dive. Thank you

I wonder what the other side says. Seems weird to me to make a fake of something that didn’t exist.

You're welcome.

Unfortunately those were the only pics I could find.

As far as counterfeiting knives that don't exist, that's common. That fake Recon 1 isn't even close to being the strangest I've seen. Some counterfeiters put a lot of effort into reproducing the originals as close as possible, but for others, anything goes.


Here's one of the strangest I've seen. A "Microtech" lever lock.