www.tribalknifeusa.com - Intellectual Property Theft & More

Mitchell Knives

Mitchell Knives

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www.tribalknifeusa.com, owned by Doug Metzger of Hayesville, NC has been producing and selling blatant knockoffs of an Alan Folts design called the "Minimalist".

Alan has been producing this model for many years, and has a licensing agreement with CRKT.

This is what the CRKT versions look like:

2385.jpg


Custom versions can be seen here:

http://www.gpknives.com/alan-folts-minimalist.html

********************

These are the knock offs:

TRIBAL-OB-33-L.jpg


TRIBAL-OB-41-L.jpg


TRIBAL-OB-38-L.jpg



http://www.tribalknifeusa.com/-strse-Custom-Neck-Knives/Categories.bok

They even decided to copy each blade shape; how clever.



To make things worse, Doug Metzger also owns http://www.premiumknifesupply.com/. This website basically sells kit knives and related materials.

He actually has the nerve to sell a kit knife version of Alan's "Minimalist" design.

tac3.png



He even sells them via Ebay for quite a bit less.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Knife-Making-Blade-Blank-Custom-Defender-Warncliff-blade-T3B-/251052287969?pt=Collectible_Knives&hash=item3a73e1e7e1#ht_1100wt_1180


He's such a nice guy, he even put a picture of himself on his Ebay store. I guess it's good to know who you are buying knock offs from.

%2524%2528KGrHqZ%252C%2521lYE65O%2521-oMUBO9N1f%252CkT%2521%257E%257E_7.JPG



His kit knives appear awfully similar to the "custom" knives sold on http://www.tribalknifeusa.com.

This folder, sold under the "Craftsman's Corner" section of his website...

TRIBAL-OB-23-L.jpg


http://www.tribalknifeusa.com/-strse-36/Classic-Sunfish-Folder/Detail.bok

...looks quite similar to the one on his kit knife website.

s57logo.jpg


http://www.premiumknifesupply.com/-strse-261/%22Sunfish%22-folder-s57/Detail.bok



Hmmmmmm, I wonder if any of those knives are really "customs"?

This kind of behavior is unacceptable.

No maker deserves to have his designs stolen; especially Alan. Alan gives more back to the knife making community than just about anyone, and it's pathetic that someone would resort to stealing his designs.

Doug Metzger/Tribal Knife and Tool will be at Blade show at table 302. I'm sure that he would also like to hear from those unable to attend: 877-504-2452.

I won't be attending Blade, but perhaps someone should inform them that intellectual property theft is frowned upon and that misrepresenting a factory knife as a custom knife is fraud.

Intellectual property theft and misrepresenting factory knives as customs is harmful to makers, collectors, dealers and the industry in general!
 
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There was a thread on this a few days ago in this same forum if you'd like to look for it. My opinion was that there are significant differences between these knives and Alan's knives, both in the blades and in the handle. The general appearance is similar, but that's about it. If you want to read my specific comments, feel free to check out the earlier thread. It doesn't bother me to see someone taken to task if they deserve it, but in this case I think it is unjustified.
 
popedandy said:
There was a thread on this a few days ago in this same forum if you'd like to look for it. My opinion was that there are significant differences between these knives and Alan's knives, both in the blades and in the handle. The general appearance is similar, but that's about it. If you want to read my specific comments, feel free to check out the earlier thread. It doesn't bother me to see someone taken to task if they deserve it, but in this case I think it is unjustified.
Click to expand...

I'm going to have to disagree with you.

The knives are as close to exact replicas as someone with a minimal skill set is capable of producing.

Don't you think that it is a bit odd that all three blade shapes were copied?

It's just a coincidence that they decided to make a recurve tanto?
 
I may have to concede the point on this one. The differences that stood out to me were the 50/50 choil on the "copies" that Alan's knives lack and the less pronounced finger grooves on the copies. However, now that I read your post and took a look at the blade shapes, I see what you mean.

Thanks for the courteous response!
 
you've got to be kidding me its a blatant rip off!, they are almost exact copies and to have 3 knives look exactly the same is not coincidence!

popedandy said:
There was a thread on this a few days ago in this same forum if you'd like to look for it. My opinion was that there are significant differences between these knives and Alan's knives, both in the blades and in the handle. The general appearance is similar, but that's about it. If you want to read my specific comments, feel free to check out the earlier thread. It doesn't bother me to see someone taken to task if they deserve it, but in this case I think it is unjustified.
Click to expand...
 
Exactly; this was no accident.

If I were to ask every knife maker on the forum to design 3 knives, none of them would look the same.

It is impossible that two people would design the exact same 3 knives right down to the blade shapes.
 
hang him! :D (that's my response to anything right now :) )

seriously though, those are pretty damn close... with knives, there really is only so many blade styles and handle types.. materials make it a bit more varied.. but those are really just a rip off. China has fake (insert favorite knife here) and on and on.. sucks there have to be USA fakes..
 
Well the recurve tanto is a bit much. What a ripoff. Not only are they knockoffs, he has the nerve to charge $80 and up for these.
 
sloth357 said:
hang him! :D (that's my response to anything right now :) )
Click to expand...

LOL!

seriously though, those are pretty damn close... with knives, there really is only so many blade styles and handle types.. materials make it a bit more varied.. but those are really just a rip off. China has fake (insert favorite knife here) and on and on.. sucks there have to be USA fakes..
Click to expand...

I've got a feeling that they are not even made in the USA.
 
TriviaMonster said:
Well the recurve tanto is a bit much. What a ripoff. Not only are they knockoffs, he has the nerve to charge $80 and up for these.
Click to expand...

The really absurd thing is that you can get a custom "Minimalist" direct from Alan Folts for not much more.

Some people simply have no integrity or shame.
 
His "custom" folders are Rough Rider knives right down to the matchstriker openers and the 440C steel. His knives feature mirror polish because he needed to buff the "RR" branding off.

RR912.jpg
 
i wonder if he'll have on his battle gear helmet and goggles at the blade show?

from what you've showed us.....looks pretty bad, for this fellow. thanks for the heads up.
 
CWL said:
His "custom" folders are Rough Rider knives right down to the matchstriker openers and the 440C steel. His knives feature mirror polish because he needed to buff the "RR" branding off.

RR912.jpg
Click to expand...

Good eye; I've never heard of that brand before.

Selling a factory knife as a custom has to be one of the most dishonest and pathetic things someone can do...besides stealing designs from others.
 
CWL said:
His "custom" folders are Rough Rider knives right down to the matchstriker openers and the 440C steel. His knives feature mirror polish because he needed to buff the "RR" branding off.

RR912.jpg
Click to expand...

How dishonest of a person to pass off a $7.00 knife as his own. You can clearly see the same characteristics, right down to that pattern on the bolsters.
 
The 'custom' knives are said to be by "H.farren".

A quick google turns up "My name is Hal Farren and I make custom knives with sheaths."

Hal Farren
1729 Compass Meadows Dr.
Hayesville, NC 28904

^Note it's the same town as Metzger.

He only has one pattern on his website in different handle materials:

fb136.jpg


It looks an awful lot like

s20.bmp


from Metzger's website on which he sells blanks, both claimed to be 440c.

(I like his great description of 440c: "440C Stainless steel maintains a sharp edge can be resharpened when necessary and is resistant to rust.")

They've got a good con going.


edit: His real name is Harlie W. Farren.
 
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Vanguard41xx said:
How dishonest of a person to pass off a $7.00 knife as his own. You can clearly see the same characteristics, right down to that pattern on the bolsters.
Click to expand...

Doesn't SMKW own the Rough Rider brand? If so, I wonder what Kevin Pipes would think about this?
 
He could well be buying those sunfish by the case from a place like SMKW before sending them out for a trip to the buffing wheel. A lot of things on that site scream out as being lower end items passed off to an uninformed consumer at vastly inflated prices.
 
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