Companies never post " how to spot a fake" then it would be very easy for someone to recreate the item. If they said " our screws are silver t6 screws" guess what the fakers would use then. I can tell from dealing with benchmade the aluminum handles are by far the most expensive part of the knife. They are often the dead give away. Anodized aluminum is very light, marks easily, feels very dry etc. the coating is also extremely thin. The coating on the handles appears thicker than what the aluminum on my benchmades look like.
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UPDATE ! Microtech expert & able to spot a fake vs a real one?
- Thread starter testdepth
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A quick google image search shows several differences. This is the only model that shows up with the button on the flat, not on the side. This button looks like the benchmade infidel design. The screws are different, the blade shape is different, the writing on the clip is in different order.
These fakes are everywhere....Scopes, bags, clothes, knives etc all from China. Sadly most soft goods are made there so the fakes aren't that different and in some cases better since they offer additional things to make them seems more legit. Purchase this stuff all day long at Aliexpress.com or DH gate.com... Dont get ripped off, buy from an actual authorized dealer when it comes to accessories. Here's a Chinese FAKE... My EDC OTF dull as math class:
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Just for reference, this is a (real) Combat Troodon. Note the screws and deployment button on the side.
OP, you cannot blame the company because you bought a fake. Yes, they could do more to inform the public about the fakes they are aware of...but you should know what you're buying. The knife you bought looks nothing like a real Combat Troodon, and anyone familiar with them could tell that's a fake just from the first picture you posted.
Of course they advise you to purchase only from authorized retailers, any manufacturer of any product would do the same. Just because you had a bad experience doesn't mean all used Microtech's are fake. I've bought and sold several used Microtechs and never found myself with a fake. The bottom line is you have to be aware of what you're getting.
OP, you cannot blame the company because you bought a fake. Yes, they could do more to inform the public about the fakes they are aware of...but you should know what you're buying. The knife you bought looks nothing like a real Combat Troodon, and anyone familiar with them could tell that's a fake just from the first picture you posted.
Of course they advise you to purchase only from authorized retailers, any manufacturer of any product would do the same. Just because you had a bad experience doesn't mean all used Microtech's are fake. I've bought and sold several used Microtechs and never found myself with a fake. The bottom line is you have to be aware of what you're getting.
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Kind of hard to know what a fake looks like if the company doesn't appear to know and then inform the public. The company should be the experts on their own product right? anyone familiar with them could tell that's a fake just from the first picture you posted That's what I thought when I called them. I described the knife in detail to the woman and she could not tell me it was a fake over the phone. I told her the button was not on the side of the knife and she still wanted pictures. If that was a tell tale sign of a fake then she didn't know it either and she works there. She also didn't mention the logo on the handle or the writing on the blade.
I am not a Microtech expert or collector and I came upon this knife 20 miles from home being sold by a private individual who represented it as authentic because he believed it to be. I am familiar with the Microtech name so I bought the knife. I didn't pay alot for it because the guy appeared to be having money problems. It's a fake but it appears to be a good quality fake! I can tell you I will not buy a used Microtech from anybody. There is enough of a problem with fakes that Microtech doesn't want you to buy a used one either because they recommend to only purchase retail from a dealer. That's so you don't shell out hundreds of dollars and get stuck with a fake. If the fakers will go through the trouble of faking the boxes, paperwork, glass breaker, belt clip with logo, finish of the handle and blades then what's to stop them from faking the rest of it unless the company does more to prevent it.
I am not a Microtech expert or collector and I came upon this knife 20 miles from home being sold by a private individual who represented it as authentic because he believed it to be. I am familiar with the Microtech name so I bought the knife. I didn't pay alot for it because the guy appeared to be having money problems. It's a fake but it appears to be a good quality fake! I can tell you I will not buy a used Microtech from anybody. There is enough of a problem with fakes that Microtech doesn't want you to buy a used one either because they recommend to only purchase retail from a dealer. That's so you don't shell out hundreds of dollars and get stuck with a fake. If the fakers will go through the trouble of faking the boxes, paperwork, glass breaker, belt clip with logo, finish of the handle and blades then what's to stop them from faking the rest of it unless the company does more to prevent it.
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Close attention to what a real one looks like on the interweaving will often help you spot a fake. Have bought the majority of mine used but do METICULOUS research on each one before purchase. Comparing pics, clips, screws, blade shape, marking. Enough attention to detail weeds out the fakes in pretty short order.
You can't expect a company to know what the fake replicas of their products look like, just the real thing. I bet Oakley can't identify all the Chinese glasses with their logo, nor could Rolex describe each pot metal copy of their designs. If you sent them a picture, though, of the item in question, they could compare it to a known original and give a verdict from there.
My point was this. Anything I buy used on the internet (whether knife or gun or backpack, etc.), I first find a picture of from a reputable dealer. I then ask for pictures of the item in question from the seller, and if they refuse the deal ends there for me. Upon receiving pics of the item in question, I scrutinize it next to the known original and brand new picture to discern any differences, whether they be in the craftsmanship, materials, or condition. If anything seems questionable at all, I'm out. Your situation could have been avoided by comparing pictures of the knife you purchased to pictures all over the internet of authentic Combat Troodons.
Microtech, like many other companies, likely hires interns (read pretty young women) to answer the phones and respond to emails. A more experienced employee likely could have told you from your description that it was a fake, but likely would have still requested pictures to be sure.
No matter how bad it sucks to have to deal with now, you're the only one who could have prevented your situation. Not Microtech.
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I used to work some private sector intellectual property theft cases for Oakley, Polo, Rolex, Tommy, Coach, LV and others. We were brought out their main facilitates and taught how to spot fakes and we still had to send some back to the companies for final word on if they were real or not. Some replica stuff is that good. Some is even made in the same factory as the real deal stuff. They run the real deal, then do a run for the counterfeiters. China is crooked as hell.
I agree with the majority of your points and if I had the time to research the knife more I would have. Any and all research you do will not be on Microtech's website however, because they do not mention anything about people faking their knives anywhere on their website. They should at the very least post a disclaimer that several of their knives are being faked and they recommend you buy retail only.
