Are you a knife fanatic like me? And truly passionate about your knives? We are on the same page. While we have some outstanding knife manufacturers out there today who provide us with blades of the finest quality to meet our needs, unfortunately, the fake version of those great blades ruins it for all of us. Almost all popular knife companies, including Benchmade, have fake versions of their knives too. And they are selling globally.
Yes, it’s true. Unfortunately, the number of counterfeit (i.e. fake) knives on the market is increasing. These products are produced very cheaply with substandard manufacturing processes and just nowhere near the quality you’ll find on the official product.
As a knife enthusiast, I know how good it feels to take ownership of that pristine pocket knife I have been saving for months to buy. But like everyone I too seek out that once-in-a-lifetime bargain to try and get the most out of my money. Maybe you find the knife you’re looking for on eBay for almost half the price. Believe me, I caved for that too. What a score, right?! Sure unless you have fallen prey to the sinister world of counterfeiting.
It’s so hard to differentiate counterfeit knives and real Benchmade knives. But I over the years I have learned certain things that improved my chances of not getting fake knives.
In today’s article, I’m going to go over some of the things and teach you how to spot counterfeit products. From here you can improve your chances of getting a real deal on a Benchmade knife instead of a fake knock-off. So let’s just jump right into it and get started.
Beware the counterfeit knife
To avoid buying a fake Benchmade knife, the basic thing to do is, check if the seller is legit and has a good reputation. Secondly, Fake Benchmade knives are way cheaper than real ones. If you have a potentially phony Benchmade knife, check it for inferior materials and quality or watch videos comparing fake and real ones. The only real way to make sure you are getting a 100% authentic Benchmade knife is to purchase it directly from Benchmade themselves. Check out Benchmade’s store on Amazon to make sure your next knife is fully authentic and not a phony.
Ways to Identify a Fake Benchmade Knife from an Authentic One
I will be honest with you my friend, it’s never like “ten ways to spot fake knives”. Unfortunately, there is no surefire way to identify a fake Benchmade knife from an authentic one that works 100% of the time. Fake Benchmade knives stick out like a sore thumb and look just like the real thing on the surface but deep down lies a piece of crap. But sometimes they are REALLY hard to pick out.
But there are some things that you can do to help you avoid the scams and get a real Benchmade knife.
In the following sections, I’m going to take a deep dive into all of the tips and tricks that I use to pick out counterfeit knives from the real deal.
Some of the tips and tricks are to help you spot fake knives when you are purchasing online. And some are to spot the real knife when you are buying from a physical store or have already acquired the knife.
Either way, if you just read through this entire article to stay clear of the fake and be better prepared to identify the fake Benchmade knives you come across.
1. Make sure Benchmade Authorizes the Seller
First thing first, while purchasing a knife, first check if the seller has been authorized by Benchmade to sell their original product. I do this every time when I am at a physical store buying a knife. The easy way to do this is, just by looking at Benchmade’s authorized seller list. Benchmade Knife Company recognizes and authorizes those who are on the authorized seller list to sell Benchmade knives. And they won’t sell you a phony Benchmade knife that’s for sure.
However, if you want to buy your knife from an individual online, it will not be authorized. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should stop buying from online stores rather you need to be extra careful while doing your research.
2. Look at Reviews and Stay clear of vendors with no established reputation
Most of the time, vendors who are more likely to sell counterfeit knives, have no positive feedback and customer reviews. Checking reviews left by the customers is universally a best practice for almost anything you buy online, but especially when you are trying to avoid getting a fake product.
Always check the seller’s reviews when you are purchasing a Benchmade knife. In addition to that, do a little bit of digging and find out the overall reputation of the seller. Typically the disreputable online sellers will list only a phone number or a P.O. box for contact information. So searching forum will give you an idea if the particular seller and store are reputable dealers or not.
Also, you need to be careful while purchasing from eBay. Sure it’s a great place to buy products but look out before purchasing from a disreputable vendor. I have seen that most counterfeit knives are made in Asian markets. So I don’t recommend buying anything that directly comes from china. For genuine knives, it’s better to stick to reputable US vendors such as Amazon and BladeHq.
3. Avoid the deals that seem just too good
If the Price is Too Good to be True, It Probably is. Always remember – you get what you pay for.
One of the biggest red flags that potentially marks a Benchmade knife as a phony is if the price is WAY below the original price. Check what Benchmade themselves or the authorized dealer is selling the particular knife for to get the idea about base prices.
Benchmade knives are high-quality and come with a lifetime warranty. So they are worth a pretty penny. If someone is trying to sell you a genuine Benchmade for a really cheap price, then there’s a chance it not real.
Sure, you can find some great deals online from private sellers who are trying to get rid of their knives, but if the deal is too good to be true, it probably is.
4. Check if the knife match with Official Benchmade Photos of the Knife
For this trick, simply go to the official Benchmade website and look up the model of knife you are interested in purchasing. Then with your hawk-eyed gaze compare the knife to photos of the genuine Benchmade knives. The differences are pretty noticeable. Look for the shape of the blade, the knife’s overall design, and the coloring of the knife.
This method of identifying fake Benchmade knives is excellent because it works in-person as well as online. It’s pretty easy to spot the fake ones if you have them side-by-side.
That is if the seller is providing real photos of the knife they are selling if it’s fake it will be different. And again if unauthorized dealers are using some stock photo or a picture taken from the Benchmade site then you know something’s up!
5. Examine the knife for signs of poor workmanship and Defects
One thing to know about Benchmade Knife Company is that they pride themselves on the exact and precise quality of their knives.
Phony Benchmade knives don’t always have the original construction quality, which makes them easy to spot if you know the differences and ways Benchmade makes their knives.
Benchmade Knife Company uses pretty high-quality and expensive technology that makes their products very precise. And many of the fake knives have features that are simply non-existent on the official versions
This method of finding the fake one works only if you own a Benchmade knife already. Then you will know where to look for the imperfections and defects for weeding out the fakes.
What I have discovered recurring defects in fake knives is, the edges of the handle will be rough and not sanded down all the way. Take a good look over the edges, if you find imperfection or defects that’s a major red flag right there. Genuine Benchmade knives are always too perfect.
6. Check the Knife for Poor Quality Materials
Benchmade is very consistent about is using very high-quality materials in all of their knives. When you pay for a good Benchmade knife, the quality of the materials used is spectacular.
And it’s no brainer that Benchmade knock-off knives aren’t not made out of suitable materials. There are namely knives of appalling quality, which pose an immediate risk to the user. As they are often made out of cheap metals and plastics to cut down the cost of producing the knife.
However, this trick for spotting fake Benchmade knives doesn’t work if you are purchasing your knife online. The seller can tell you whatever they want to if you ask them anything regarding the materials.
But, if you are buying a Benchmade knife that seems phony in person, then it’s wise to take some time to inspect the materials used to make the knife. If the blade has a stamp that labels it as a cheap metal or the handle seems like cheap plastic, you probably have a fake on your hands.
7. Watch the Comparison Videos of Real and Fake Benchmade Knives
This last and most important tip is probably this one. It works even if you aren’t very experienced in spotting fake Benchmade knives.
All you have to do find out the videos of the particular model of Benchymae knife you are interested in, it can be an in-depth review video of the knife or maybe the videos comparing fakes to the real deal. Not all Benchmade knives have comparison videos, that’s when you have to rely upon review videos.
This tip is great if you have already purchased the knife or are buying from a physical store, but it can also work if you are getting it online. Just inspect the photos of the knife if it is online, and do your best to spot the differences between a fake and a genuine Benchmade knife.
Wrap it up
None of us want to be ripped off by receiving a counterfeit knife. Hopefully, you found this article helpful and it serves as a reminder to watch out for the cheap fakes out there. Always remember you get what you pay for. A high-end knife is always worth each penny. Top pocket knives now reaching upwards of $200, $300, and even $400 these days whereas the counterfeiters see a prime opportunity to make knock-offs which cost around $20, Just enough discount to lure you in. Most of what you need is simply common sense and you should be fine.
Hopefully, you found this article helpful and it serves as a reminder to watch out for the cheap fakes out there.
Hi, my name is Taras Kulakov and I’m a knife enthusiast. I have been collecting knives for over 30 years and I’ve owned literally thousands of different models over that time. My goal with this site is to share some of what I’ve learned about knives. You can find more info about Taras Kulakov here.
