Gunner Grips being cloned!

R.W.Clark

R.W.Clark

Joined
Apr 30, 2001
Messages
1,742
When a product achieves the reputation for form and function that the Simonich Gunner Grip has, it is expected that at some point someone will try to make a cheap knockoff clone. From the beginning Rob knew this day might come. Yesterday I was informed by a Simonich Knives fan that this has indeed finally happened.

I have placed links in this post to all the information that I was given to the product and to the manufacturer. It is being produced in Japan by a company called and appears to be a cheap injection molded plastic POS.

I spoke with Christine this morning. While there is nothing we can legally do about the company producing them in Japan, she has decided to use every resource at her disposal to protect the intellectual property rights of Simonich Knives here in the US and in all Countries that recognize US patents, trademarks and copyrights.

With that said, I am asking for a favor from all of you. I can not be everywhere. If you see or here about these products being sold or advertised in any business or on any website please forward that information on to me so that I may pass it on to the proper legal channels. Feel free as well to let the business owner know that he is dealing in items that are in violation of another’s intellectual property rights. And feel free to let said business know just how you feel about them doing such ;) .

http://www.sheriff.co.jp/

http://www.arniesairsoft.co.uk/inde...ull&id=1112126388&archive=&start_from=&ucat=4

Thank you.
Ron
 
Man, they even have the nerve to rip off the name Gunner Grip?! :mad: Can't Christine sue over something like this? That really sucks. PO'd email on the way to them.
 
Hi all,

I don't know how much Japanese any of you can read, so all of this may already be known (if so, egg on my face) but I thought a little info on the products themselves might help you choose what sort of campaign to adopt. Sheriff (the cloning company in question) is an airsoft retailer - for those who don't know, airsoft pistols are 1:1 clones of real firearms that shoot soft plastic BBs.

There are a LOT of airsoft companies making copies of real-life pistol gear - grips, sights, lasers, lamps, etc. Right down to the trademarks. Sometimes the marks are licensed, sometimes not.

This probably doesn't make you feel any better (and shouldn't, given that the name and image was used without permission) but these grips aren't meant for or advertised for use on real pistols. Probably wouldn't stand the strain, either.

Since legal recourse is out (different country and all) I hope there's some way to either turn this into a profitable situation for the Simonich family, or that Sheriff will have the decency to cease production.

Hope I didn't make a fool of myself by telling everybody what they already knew...

Andrew Lee
 
Hi Andrew,

We fully understand that the product is advertised as being for airsoft. However, it can be attached to a real firearm. Also the use of the name "Gunner Grip" without permission of Simonich Knives LLC is a violation of the rights of Simonich Knives.

As it stands, I have not been able to find any dealers selling them inside of the US so they have not "offically" broken any laws. I have also not been able to get any response from any overseas websites as to whether or not they will ship to the US (which would be a violation).

I am in the process of filing the proper papers with Ebay to prevent them from being sold there. They are actually really good about things like that. Once that paperwork is filed they will cancel any auction I ask them to that list the cloned grips within a few minutes.

I also have a very good friend who is a pretty respected business law lawyer who is writting up cease and decist orders for me. Any business I catch selling them in the US will be served so fast it will make their head spin. And God save Sheriff if they step foot onto US soil for any trade shows.


I knew that this was going to happen. I thought that it would be another knifemaker that would try to get away with it first. When Rob died, I made a promise to myself that the first person/company that ripped of the Gunner Grip would lose body parts and that is one of many promises I am willing to follow through on.
 
Thanks for the reply. Good hunting to you; if I see the knockoff grips being sold by any company that caters to US customers, I'll post it here.

Andrew Lee
 
Arniesairsoft has already pulled their product review! Good for them. I will be sending them a nice thank you sometime soon.

Still no sign of them popping up in the US so far. But have found some in the UK.
 
R.W.,

Feel free to contact me offline for assistance on this matter.

I have some information that might be helpful.
 
CRKT has several knives with fake Gunner Grips too. A couple fixed blades and maybe even some folders if I remember correctly.
 
PlaceKnives said:
CRKT has several knives with fake Gunner Grips too. A couple fixed blades and maybe even some folders if I remember correctly.
Click to expand...

Which models?
 
CRKT reached an agreement with Rob before his death to continue to use the texture of the Gunner Grip. The did not however get permission to use the name Gunner Grip hince the name Operator Grip/Texture. If in the future they want to make it really official and put the Gunner Grip name on it they would need to enter into further contracts with Simonich Knives.

Andy, will be getting with you soon. Man, now I have to cantact you on that island where that scary guy who melts all that plastic lives :D .
 
http://www.wa-gunnet.co.jp/cool/wa-kmba.html

Thats a link to the actual item from the website. Pistols are coming fitted with replica grips as standard

--

After moaning to a couple of Airsofters about the use of 'gunner grips' on replicas, they informed me that so far they'd been unable to obtain real grips in the UK and as such had to give patronage to the replica makers.

Are there any stockists of the real grips that would ship to the UK?
 
Simonich has Gunner Grips in stock and I am sure will be happy to ship to the UK.

I love the Copyright and all rights reserved mark and the bottom of their webpage. Guess they don't mind ripping off others though. :mad:
 
I just picked up a pair of the new olive drab Gunner Grips for my 1911, and man, they were worth every penny. Really well done.
 
Cool to hear. Thats something that you won't find with those injection molded plastic POS's. :D
 
What about the grips being used by Kimber, on the Warrior for example?

Thanks.
 
Keep my eyes peeled R.W. - Rob is one maker I wish was still around...........I never go to meet him or even know of him untill he was no longer with us. He deserves for us to look after his families wellfare.

Post bookmarked!
 
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