Another Fake on ebay

[Gollum]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Spider-Spyderco-828-Tactical-knife-Full-20cm-/170648289255?pt=Collectible_Knives&hash=item27bb6e3fe7#ht_541wt_1141

[Pinetreebbs]

Reported to eBay.

[Creepo]

This is a new fake model for me, never seen it before.

[applevalleyjoe]

I'm new to Spyderco...how can you tell this is a fake or for that matter...any Spyderco?

[delicafreak]

if its made with "stainless steel" its fake lol if its spelled spIderco, its probably fake, be wary of liner locks unless its a millie

[ChrisR]

I'm new to Spyderco...how can you tell this is a fake or for that matter...any Spyderco?
It's not easy but if you look at Chinese websites that sell knives then you will see the exact same fakes (and same photos, like this) displayed. Of course Spyderco make knives like Tenacious in China and those are all legal and above-board but some rogue Chinese factories have been making fakes of some models ... but it is always the same models so they are quite easy to spot with experience. If you browse the "knock-offs and fakes" forum you'll see examples of all of them there.

Also, if you buy from a recognised mainstream retailer then you'll have no problems - these fakes are mainly sold on eBay and Chinese websites. ;)

Off the top of my head, the commonest fakes of Spyderco models are: Poliwog (usually with a really bad camo/black coating); UKPK black G10 (with clip slots on only one side); Gunting; Spin (etched version); Volpe; the one in this thread (based on an old model).

But there are many "fakes" that are just rubbish Chinese knives with Spyderco etched on them - wrong shaped hole, wrong everything.

[The Deacon]

As Chris said, most are fairly easy to spot.

Some are designs Spyderco never made, like the one in this thread and this very common one (http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&hash=item3367efb22f&item=220787094063&nma=true&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&rt=nc&si=hZ%252BxiwCvoyt%252BJpEaiwTin0qjTCk%253D). Easiest way to defend against those is to check Ted's list of models on Spydiewiki (http://www.spydiewiki.com/models/).

Some are copies of actual models, but very poorly done, like the Poliwog with a "capsule" shaped bar in its lock instead of a ball, and the Gunting with a liner lock instead of a compression lock. Spotting those takes at least a minimal familiarity with the brand.

The only one that's fooled anyone with moderate or better knowledge of Spydercos is the UKPK. That one, aside from the lack of clip mounting grooves on the left side, is disturbingly accurate.

Checking here can't hurt. Avoiding sellers in China is a smart move, there may be a few honest ones, but it's simply not worth the risk.

The other point to keep in mind is that no brand is safer than any other. They don't just fake Spydercos, they fake every name brand out there.

[Freediver]

Ah I was just about to post this one.