Benchmade Fakes, knock-offs, counterfeits thread...

Anybody got any ideas about this 551 Large Griptilian. Came out of a garage sale. First time I've ever seen the blade steel designation above the designers name. Old style box and the label has me wondering - Custom Shop? All screw heads with the exception of the clip screws are satin. DocJekl DocJekl - Benchmade Benchmade What say you?

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Modoc ED said:
Anybody got any ideas about this 551 Large Griptilian. Came out of a garage sale. First time I've ever seen the blade steel designation above the designers name. Old style box and the label has me wondering - Custom Shop? All screw heads with the exception of the clip screws are satin. DocJekl DocJekl - Benchmade Benchmade What say you?

0EQF4w8.jpg


UTaqxuz.jpg


DFrN5kw.jpg


G5ol97h.jpg
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Despite the low res pics and printing for the blade steel, I think that everything else looks legit including the butterfly, screws, clip, handle, axis lock, thumb studs, and box.

My oldest Benchmade is 12-13 years old, a mini griptilian, and the 145CM is printed near the handle, behind the studs in the usual location. But yours is a custom shop model so maybe the blade had different printing?

I'm going to look through all my other Benchmade knives and online and see what I can find out.

EDIT - the mini barrage on Kinfecenter and knivesplus websites has the 154CM printed in the same location as yours. The Presidio Auto has the 154CM above the Mel padre logo as well. I am unable to find an example of the Griptilian online with that placement. The butterfly is usually closer to the thumb studs, but I find some examples of the logo being farther down the blade occasionally. its a tough one.
 
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Modoc ED said:
Anybody got any ideas about this 551 Large Griptilian. Came out of a garage sale. First time I've ever seen the blade steel designation above the designers name. Old style box and the label has me wondering - Custom Shop? All screw heads with the exception of the clip screws are satin. DocJekl DocJekl - Benchmade Benchmade What say you?

0EQF4w8.jpg


UTaqxuz.jpg


DFrN5kw.jpg


G5ol97h.jpg
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Looks like NIB, no scuffs.
 
DocJekl said:
Despite the low res pics and printing for the blade steel
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DocJekl DocJekl - my cameras are both old - one purchased in September 2000, the other sometime in 2005 so sharp, clear pics can be a challenge sometimes. Here's a couple more pics in darker lighting but pretty sharp and clear.

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The Butterfly is a bit low on the blade but I have seen that placement on other, known, legit knives. To place it higher on the blade next to the thumb stud it may have clipped the upper tip of the wing due to the slope of the blade spine. Anyway, I appreciate your input as always. I'm pleased to see that you've found examples of the blade steel above the designers name. Makes me believe that the knife is legit. Thanks again.
 
Modoc ED said:
DocJekl DocJekl - my cameras are both old - one purchased in September 2000, the other sometime in 2005 so sharp, clear pics can be a challenge sometimes. Here's a couple more pics in darker lighting but pretty sharp and clear.

View attachment 2359640
View attachment 2359641

The Butterfly is a bit low on the blade but I have seen that placement on other, known, legit knives. To place it higher on the blade next to the thumb stud it may have clipped the upper tip of the wing due to the slope of the blade spine. Anyway, I appreciate your input as always. I'm pleased to see that you've found examples of the blade steel above the designers name. Makes me believe that the knife is legit. Thanks again.
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The pics are better. The logo does not look fake. Hardware looks good. The angles at the changes in the blade shape are sharper than most fakes. The grain and texture of the grind looks correct.

On most fakes the steel ring (or rim) around the opening of the thumb studs is usually too thick, and yours are NOT too thick. I'd like to see how tall the studs are, as the fakes get that wrong and are often sticking out wider than the grip scales; or the steps in the studs are at the wrong proportions as the studs get smaller towards the ends.

EDIT - I pulled out the same model Griptilian in S30V, which came in a newer box, and the edges of the thumb stud holes on yours ARE thicker than mine. Your Pivot screw is also very different at the Torx bit hole. I'm now looking for other differences.
 
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Modoc ED Modoc ED - see update. Here is a few pics of my berlnchmade 551 that was new in a sealed box from an AD - and my pivot and thumb studs don't match yours. I was comparing yours to other known fakes I took pics of, but when I grabbed pics of my real one the pivot screw and thumb studs look different. The finish on your pocket clip may be different too.

I'm not clear on what if any changes they may have made between an older 551 in the old box and 154Cm and one in S30V in the newer box. I'm looking for any boxes for a 154CM model, as most of my 154CM Griptilian are used with no box.

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Here are profile views of the thumb studs


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Here is another Griptilian in my collection, with a different looking pivot screw from my 551, in THE OLD STYLE BOX, and it's similar to yours.

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And my thumb studs might be closer to yours on my older 154CM knife, although the printing on the Mel padre side is not like yours.

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Here are some pics of a real 20CV Griptilian with grey/blue liners and a fake I sent back to eBay

FAKE THIUMB STUDS LEFT - REAL ON THE RIGHT (steps are not as tall)
incorrect shape to thumb studs and liners.JPG

REAL KNIFE ON LEFT - FAKE ON RIGHT (OPPOSITE OF THE FIRST PIC, SORRY)
* COMPARE PIVOT'S HEX HOLE REAL VS FAKE (real is flatter in the center of the axis lock bar holes, not conical)
* COMPARE G10 TEXTURE REAL VS NO TEXTURE FAKE
* COMPARE FAKE THUMB STUDS RIGHT ARE THICKER NEAR THE CENTER THAN REAL ON LEFT
* TEXT ON FAKE BLADE HARDER TO READ, LARGER (R) ON FAKE

wrong hardware and logo and placement.JPG
wrong texture and hardware and logo position.JPG

LOOK AT POOR FINISHING QUALITY ON TANG OF BLADE ON FAKE LEFT VS REAL ON RIGHT (SAME WITH JIMPING)

poor finish on blade - washers too small - liners too thin.JPG

LOOK AT THE SHARP LINES ON THE BLADE ANGLES REAL LEFT VS FAKE WHERE THE ANGLE CHANGES ARE SMOOTHED OVER AND IRRECGULAR

wrong texture and hardware and logo position.JPG
 
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DocJekl said:
I'm not clear on what if any changes they may have made between an older 551 in the old box and 154Cm and one in S30V in the newer box.
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DocJekl said:
@DocJekl - I think that's a key point that you make. My knife is years older than your's and during that span there were bound to be subtle variances however slight that were caused by machine wear, mould wear, engineering changes, etc.. Even the material used to make parts can be different effecting say, how sharp the ridges on a thumb stud might be - steel thumb studs or aluminum thumb studs etc.. Subtle differences/changes are not uncommon between releases of a same pattern knife as time goes by. A lot can happen Again, thanks for all your pictures and your write-up. I'll go over them again as the week goes by.
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Modoc ED said:
DocJekl DocJekl - my cameras are both old - one purchased in September 2000, the other sometime in 2005 so sharp, clear pics can be a challenge sometimes. Here's a couple more pics in darker lighting but pretty sharp and clear.

View attachment 2359640
View attachment 2359641

The Butterfly is a bit low on the blade but I have seen that placement on other, known, legit knives. To place it higher on the blade next to the thumb stud it may have clipped the upper tip of the wing due to the slope of the blade spine. Anyway, I appreciate your input as always. I'm pleased to see that you've found examples of the blade steel above the designers name. Makes me believe that the knife is legit. Thanks again.
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This seems legit. It looks like somone ordered a custom 551 but wanted satin screws/pivot instead of black. I seem to recall that the earlier custom knives had the blade steel printed above the logo to leave more area for custom laser marking. The box also seems legit.
 
Benchmade said:
This seems legit. It looks like somone ordered a custom 551 but wanted satin screws/pivot instead of black. I seem to recall that the earlier custom knives had the blade steel printed above the logo to leave more area for custom laser marking. The box also seems legit.
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Benchmade Benchmade - Thank you very much for your input on my knife. I appreciate your time.
 
Benchmade said:
This seems legit. It looks like somone ordered a custom 551 but wanted satin screws/pivot instead of black. I seem to recall that the earlier custom knives had the blade steel printed above the logo to leave more area for custom laser marking. The box also seems legit.
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Yeah, I was finding that the pivot screws matched some of my knives but not others, and the thumb studs were pretty close to what I've seen on legit ones. As well as some Benchmade having blade steel over the Mel Pardue logo.
 
There is something strange about the 10 - 14 days to ship, booking for a plain blade 710 that is out of stock. Rather have a butter knife than a Chinese clone.
 
Anything with benchmade in the name is a scam.

Benchmade would never license their name for other websites.
 
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