found a fake Cold Steel(I think)

[Erik88]

I went to a pawn shop here in Knoxville a few months ago and they had a whole shelf full of Cold Steel Mini AK-47 knives. The odd thing is that they were marked $5.

So I asked to see one and the guy reluctantly pulled one out from the case. It came in a Cold Steel box and says Cold Steel Ak-47 right on the knife but it just didn't feel like normal Cold Steel quality. I bought it anyways and when I got home I did a little searching and found that it has to be a knock-off. It really isn't a bad knife for the money but I don't think it's authentic. I'm just surprised that they would put in so much work to make it look real and then sell it for almost nothing.

I'll post pictures of the knife I bought and a real Cold Steel. See if you can notice the differences.

authentic

[Oh Shoot]

Thumb studs in blade instead of thumb "plates" are an obvious dead giveaway.

Here's a well-known pirate Chinese site selling better looking fakes, assuming you actually get them.

Wholesale Cold Steel AK 47 tactical folding knife pocket knife folding knife utility knife

Even theirs are $6.11 in quantity, so you got a helluva deal.

- OS

[Erik88]

Even theirs are $6.11 in quantity, so you got a helluva deal.

- OS

wooo hooo!!!

also, the texture on the fake knife is completely different than the G10 scales on the real one.

[Oh Shoot]

wooo hooo!!!

also, the texture on the fake knife is completely different than the G10 scales on the real one.

Sic Lynn Thompson on them, he'll waddle in there and chop 'em up with his new Gladius Machete:

I think he's about to have a stroke toward the end of this one.

- OS

Edited April 18, 2011 by OhShoot

[xRUSTYx]

dude it too lazy to even get a new mail tube himself ... has one of his minions take care of it for him! LMAO!!!

[G27]

Re: the video

"Lots of times when you're fighting with a sword..."

Really?

And yah, he looks like he's done lots of sword fighting - his level of fitness is astonishing...

[Lumber_Jack]

hilarious - "thats your arm cut off above the elbow, no problem"! ummm wake up jackass you arm has a huge bone in it. Gonna be a little tougher than a mailing tube.

Erik,

noticed several differences, lack of jimping on fake, handle material, size of screws, the fake appears to be a liner lock and original is spine lock. But hey for 5 bucks I'm sure it will make you bleed!

[Guest 10mm4me]

I used to be a huge Cold Steel supporter until they actually started making their real knives in Taiwan. I wouldn't touch a Cold Steel now. I'd rather spend the extra $$$ and get a Bark River, Spyderco, higher end Benchmade, or have one made by a bladesmith. You probably didn't do too bad. The fake and the real are probably made by the same folks.

[Erik88]

I used to be a huge Cold Steel supporter until they actually started making their real knives in Taiwan. I wouldn't touch a Cold Steel now. I'd rather spend the extra $$$ and get a Bark River, Spyderco, higher end Benchmade, or have one made by a bladesmith. You probably didn't do too bad. The fake and the real are probably made by the same folks.

you do realize most Spyderco knives are made in Japan and not the U.S right?

or do you just not like things made in Tiawan?

[Guest mrl4ng]

haha. A co-worker was bragging about getting an "amazing deal" on what turned out to be one of these fakes. He paid $20. Not a terrible fake, but definitely not worth more than $5. I kinda felt bad for him.

[Guest 10mm4me]

you do realize most Spyderco knives are made in Japan and not the U.S right?

or do you just not like things made in Tiawan?

I have no problem with Japanese blades. I have a thing about products in countries that do not honor copyright laws or patents. I am on the verge though of disavowing all production knives in favor of 100% American, handmade knives by one of the many fine bladesmiths around.

[Magiccarpetrides]

I really like my SOG...but im not a knife junkie....that Video is helarious....if people ever turn into mailer tubes I know what im gonna carry.....

THE GLADIUS!

[Guest Grout]

Kinda funny in a way,Cold Steel being ripped off.Seeing as how they copy other designs their own selves

[East_TN_Patriot]

I read an article in Blade magazine about a year ago that talked about how most big name knife makers are being counterfeited by the Chinese (just like they do with most other brand name merchandise - I saw where they are now selling fake Vibram FiveFingers shoes of all things). I've read that on the web, as many as 75% of products like that are fakes. I've gotten to the point where I just don't buy anything like that over the web unless I do some serious homework first. Some businesses are even mixing the fakes in with their real products to help cover their tracks. It's a real shame.

[Guest mosinon]

Sic Lynn Thompson on them, he'll waddle in there and chop 'em up with his new Gladius Machete:

I think he's about to have a stroke toward the end of this one.

- OS

Well, if mailing tubes ever turn to zombies....

OhShoot,

I know you've worked in video before and I have a question:

Are these videos from knife makers actually satire or something? Cause it seems like there is some competition betwixt knife makers to make the worst video possible.

[Oh Shoot]

...Are these videos from knife makers actually satire or something? Cause it seems like there is some competition betwixt knife makers to make the worst video possible.

Lynn Thompson is a special case ... he's his own parody.

Must work, though ... I have a pile of Cold Steel stuff!

Got a Counter Tac II around neck right now.

- OS

Edited April 26, 2011 by OhShoot

[Guest mosinon]

Lynn Thompson is a special case ... he's his own parody.

Must work, though ... I have a pile of Cold Steel stuff!

- OS

yeah, it is pretty ridiculous. I'd like to see some Lynn real world use videos.

"Say, I 'm attacking the 72 ounce steak at Big Texas. I drop my steak knife. If I retrieve it valuable time will be lost. The only knife tough enough to get the job done is the cold steel boot knife! (Whips off bib and releases the boot knife). Feel the pain 72 ouncer!"

[Oh Shoot]

yeah, it is pretty ridiculous. I'd like to see some Lynn real world use videos.

"Say, I 'm attacking the 72 ounce steak at Big Texas. I drop my steak knife. If I retrieve it valuable time will be lost. The only knife tough enough to get the job done is the cold steel boot knife! (Whips off bib and releases the boot knife). Feel the pain 72 ouncer!"

- OS

[hso]

I'm just surprised that they would put in so much work to make it look real and then sell it for almost nothing.

Think about that for a moment. The pawn shop sells them at a price that makes a profit. Maybe 1$ each. That means they paid $4/ea and the guy that sold them to them made money (and he isn't the manufacturer). Then the smuggler who got them into the US made money so that by the time you trace them back to the source, who made money, there's probably $2 in materials and labor in them. With an off the dock source running additional production of knives contracted by CS you get similar quality, but fewer middlemen for a cheaper price. To get dirt cheap you're dealing with real knockoffs that are using cheap plastics and cheaper metal. Run the knife for a few weeks and monitor how many cycles the pivot or lock lasts.