Counterfeit, anyone?

Received surprise gift AD 15. Impressive, but pivot Torx are 8 and I think they should be 10. Sad
 
http://puu.sh/HPXb0/0bfd3ee32e.jpg

Bought this Espada XL recently. Saw the logo and pin notch are a bit different from the large and other Espada XL's online. Everything matches the Large except the noted differences. The box was the same as well.

The XL looks authentic, so would the logo and notch be due to Cold Steel being sold or a newer model?
 
Xtz71 said:
http://puu.sh/HPXb0/0bfd3ee32e.jpg

Bought this Espada XL recently. Saw the logo and pin notch are a bit different from the large and other Espada XL's online. Everything matches the Large except the noted differences. The box was the same as well.

The XL looks authentic, so would the logo and notch be due to Cold Steel being sold or a newer model?
Click to expand...

I'm not aware of any counterfeiting of the polished Espadas (it would cost a lot to fake them). So I'm not concerned that you don't have the genuine article. But the absence of a notch at the base of the blade on your XL is very worrying, considering that that mating point with the stop pin is one of the Tri-Ad's design features that reinforces its lockup strength. I don't know why the new blade (as evidenced by the new logo) would be ground so differently.

I know it's a pain, especially since you shouldn't have to do so with a new knife, but you might want to contact Cold Steel with that photo and ask about the discrepancy. If it's a manufacturing error, it could compromise the safety of using the knife.


-Steve
 
Xtz71 said:
http://puu.sh/HPXb0/0bfd3ee32e.jpg

Bought this Espada XL recently. Saw the logo and pin notch are a bit different from the large and other Espada XL's online. Everything matches the Large except the noted differences. The box was the same as well.

The XL looks authentic, so would the logo and notch be due to Cold Steel being sold or a newer model?
Click to expand...
Looks genuine to me. That is the new logo. As far as the “notch”, I’ve seen them vary throughout the same model before.
 
Anyone here ever seen or heard of chinese counterfeit Code 4s? I searched back through this forum but it doesnt look like that model has gotten any attention.
 
c7m2p3 said:
Anyone here ever seen or heard of chinese counterfeit Code 4s? I searched back through this forum but it doesnt look like that model has gotten any attention.
Click to expand...
I have not, I own 3 of them, anything is possible though. Hopefully get more replies, I am watching this now.
 
Been looking around for one for a while and my initial thought was it was too good to be true but the nature of online auctions left room for doubt that I just got lucky. Unfortunately looks like its three strikes. Stock images, China shipping location, price under 50$. The seller has nearly a perfect rating and when I asked if it was a genuine cold steel product the responded that it was but I have some serious doubts.
 
c7m2p3 said:
Been looking around for one for a while and my initial thought was it was too good to be true but the nature of online auctions left room for doubt that I just got lucky. Unfortunately looks like its three strikes. Stock images, China shipping location, price under 50$. The seller has nearly a perfect rating and when I asked if it was a genuine cold steel product the responded that it was but I have some serious doubts.
Click to expand...
Just don't go that way. Look for someone selling it here or wait for a good deal in a trusted online store.
 
Raku said:
First example:
Just beware.

Edit: corrected URL. They even stolen first picture from an italian online store.
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Nice. I forgot about these cloners, see them on Ebay, thankfully Chinese Shipping tip off. I just tune them out now after reading about that Company and seeing China as the shipper a while back. I got mine before the "Big Cloning". I don't need anything from an entity I am not 100% sure of.
 
Short story: a while ago i ordered what i thought would be an original CS AD10 from an E-Bay seller, who specifically stated in the ad that the knife was the real deal and no fake.
What i received however was an AD10 clone.
Opened a Paypal dispute, sent the knife back to the seller, then got informed by Paypal that i lost the dispute because the knife never reached the seller.
Almost had forgotten all about it when the clone was returned to me by the postal service, as it had been undeliverable.
Since i was apparently stuck with the thing i decided to make it into a project knife.
Convexed the edge, gave it a wave function, and changed the backlock mechanism into a tri-ad lock mechanism.





 
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kwackster said:
Short story: a while ago i ordered what i thought would be an original CS AD10 from an E-Bay seller, who specifically stated in the ad that the knife was the real deal and no fake.
What i received however was an AD10 clone.
Opened a Paypal dispute, sent the knife back to the seller, then got informed by Paypal that i lost the dispute because the knife never reached the seller.
Almost had forgotten all about it when the clone was returned to me by the postal service, as it had been undeliverable.
Since i was apparently stuck with the thing i decided to make it into a project knife.
Convexed the edge, gave it a wave function, and changed the backlock mechanism into a tri-ad lock mechanism.






фото
Click to expand...
Nicely done on your modifications! Sorry you got ripped off, but thanks for including photos of the forgery.

So the counterfeit didn't incorporate a fake Tri-Ad? I thought most of the counterfeiters were at least doing that. On the positive side, that's definitely a surefire indicator of a phony. I suppose it costs more to mill the proper parts, though I still suspect that at least some of the couterfeits are assembled from materials smuggled out of the back doors of the very factories making the legitimate knives.


-Steve
 
kwackster said:
Short story: a while ago i ordered what i thought would be an original CS AD10 from an E-Bay seller, who specifically stated in the ad that the knife was the real deal and no fake.
What i received however was an AD10 clone.
Opened a Paypal dispute, sent the knife back to the seller, then got informed by Paypal that i lost the dispute because the knife never reached the seller.
Almost had forgotten all about it when the clone was returned to me by the postal service, as it had been undeliverable.
Since i was apparently stuck with the thing i decided to make it into a project knife.
Convexed the edge, gave it a wave function, and changed the backlock mechanism into a tri-ad lock mechanism.






фото
Click to expand...
So much for the PP Protection! Didn't receive it, easy way to get out of it, refuse it! Never thought of that.
 
The knife's new home-made Tri-Ad locking mechanism.
Exchanged the old stop pin (on the right with 4.97 mm diameter) for a thicker one (on the left with 5.43 mm diameter) made from an old piece of drill bit using a drill press together with an angle grinder, gave the lockbar pivot pin a bit more wiggle room using a diamond burr, then hand fitted the various mating surfaces with a small diamond file.
Now the lockbarhead wedges itself securely between stop pin and lockbar cutout hook in the blade (with room for wear), and there is zero blade play.
When life gives you lemons make lemonade.





 
Daniil Vygovsky, the seller of this fake CS AD10 operated on E-Bay under the name Andros999, but it seems he is no longer active there.
Даниил Выговский is his Russian name, and on Paypal he uses androswizard@gmail.com
I thought i ordered from Taiwan, but the clone was dropshipped to me by the Chinese webshop Jufule (there was even a thank you letter from them in the box)
 
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Tested the newly convexed edge with an apex @ ~22.5 degrees inclusive on an old piece of beechwood cutting board.
Got quite a bit of microchipping at the very apex but no rippling.
The steel might indeed be D2 with an estimated hardness at or slightly above 60 HRC.






Removed all damage by filing the edge flat with a small diamond file, then resharpened to a new apex angle between 22,5 and 25 degrees inclusive.
Still have to do some new testing on the same wood.
 
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