How to identify fake Victorinox Swiss Army knives?

Kragnut

Kragnut

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Is there an easy way to do this? I notice on Ebay that several of these come from the Russian Federation and in colors that aren’t even on the Victorinox website, so I assume these are fake?


https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/GXgAAOSwlsVeWFgN/s-l500.jpg

One thing I notice is that the Swiss cross occasionally has those little lines joining to the shield and sometimes not...is this in indication of a fake? I see both versions on the Victorinox website however....ugh.
 
That image looks like a Victorinox Huntsman. They do come in green and have the image of a deer on the other scale.

I wasn’t actually aware that there are counterfeit Vics out there. Cheap imitations galore but not counterfeits. If you have one in hand it should be easy to tell, there are loads of distinguishing characteristics that all Vics have: tang stamps, the construction, the spacers, the tools themselves..

Edit: I went and checked, the Hunter model with the deer image has the deer on the same scale as the Victorinox shield so I'm not actually sure what model that green knife is.
 
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Copied, yes. You can find copies and clones all over the place.

Counterfeit? I doubt it. I won’t say it doesn’t happen though.

Victorinox (maker of Swiss Army knives) offers different products in different markets. For example, a few years back they offered black Alox with a red shield in Europe but not North America.

Chances are you will be ok. Do some reading about the dealer to put your mind at ease.

I’ve ordered SAK gear from Russia without any problems.
 
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I must be getting old....whats the difference between a copy / clone and a fake? Anyway to tell if its a real Swiss made Victorinox?
 
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Kragnut said:
I must be getting old....whats the difference between a copy / clone and a fake? Anyway to tell if its a real Swiss made Victorinox?
Click to expand...
A copy/clone is a knife that is functionally and probably (mostly at least) aesthetically the same but sold under a different brand (think hook and loop strips that aren't Velcro, facial tissue that isn't Kleenex, etc.). Counterfeits are aesthetically the same and emblazoned with the real deal name brand (think fake Rolex watches, $100 dollar brand new iPhones, etc.). Counterfeits usually only show up in luxury status type goods, are often made by people with no experience in the making of the thing, and are usually very inferior to the original in all aspects (materials, worksmanship, finish).

As for telling them apart, if you can get them in hand you can probably tell. I've never had a crappy Victorinox, but I've had some crappy 'Swiss Army Style' knives.
 
There are counterfeits our there, but they're mostly counterfeits of the the Swiss champ.
I don't know how could describe what to look for, best way is to own a Victorinox knife like the $20 tinker.
Have one to compare and the differences are night and day.
Of course pictures can be receptive and such but if you saw one in person the crappy $5 quality really jumps out at you.
It's night and day in person.
 
Counterfeits of the SwissChamp, and Rescue are the most common. You won't likely detect a fake from the photos, as they generally don't post photos of the actual product.
In general things to watch for, overall fit and finish, tools that are the wrong shape (like the can opener being a claw type instead of the curved blade) In tools like the rescue, the serrations on the legit one will have an offset that the fakes do not. There are a couple good blog posts from an ebay seller, and there are other resources around to help you find fakes. Scales and colors can be done in such limited runs, and swapped around after the fact that they don't make the best indicator, although in some cases if the seller is doing an "new from factory" of an odd configuration, you can always ask. They should be able to quote a special edition or similar.
 
I just stick with reputable dealers and avoid the whole issue of fakes/clones in this perilous age of online shopping...
 
there are fakes of various victorinox models
but seeing a purportedly fake opinel has
me thinking that nothing should be left
to chance when it comes to the possibility
of being duped. :-(
i guess when in doubt - just absolutely don't!
 
I'm not so sure that opinel is a fake, I think it may just be a Lemon of a current model opinel with their new lock ring design.
 
GIRLYmann said:
well it doesn't make sense but apparently they exist according to some...
https://bushcraftusa.com/forum/threads/fake-counterfeit-replica-opinel.233841/
Click to expand...

Well damn, I guess that's what you get when a popular well respected knife goes from $10 to $20 and isn't quite the super value it used to be.
Worth the raise in price I'm sure ( the roundness and thickness is still holding me off for now ) but to some people it may seem like too much.

I do find it interesting that the Chinese can sell it so much cheaper yet not match the F&F while they could if they wanted to sell it for the $10 the opinel #8 used to cost.
Opinel couldn't maintain both the quality and low cost and the price had to change, this just proves that sometimes a company can't maintain a favorably lopsided price to quality ratio for ever.
 
opinel has been around for 130 years.
for a business to survive that long is
in it self a truly remarkable feat of
growth and management.
it also must be because they had something
rather unique enough for generations
of customers to continue to place their
trust in the brand.
in all that time they must have faced many
types of challenges.
and that probably includes copyright
and patent infringements from time to time...
" ... Italian case: Italian customs had intercepted a container transporting 2,652 dubious pocket knives from China. The knives had been sealed for two years pending a court decision. In its ruling dated 18th July 2013, the Court of Trieste agreed these were Opinel counterfeits and ordered their destruction. The importer was convicted and received a suspended prison sentence of five months and 10 days and a fine of €18,000...."
source - https://www.opinel.com/en/company/corporate-news
 
To tell a real Swiss Army Knife from a fake, you really need to handle it and check the balance as you cut. Most likely if great external stress is applied, a true Swiss Army Knife will remain neutral.
 
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