I bought a counterfeit Benchmade Mini Grip 556

chrono · **on:** December 25, 2022, 08:09:43 AM

I rarely encounter counterfeit knives, as I do not go out of my way to seek for them. So far, I have handled following fakes over the years:
- Spyderco: Dragonfly, Paramilitary 2 tanto
- ZT 0230
- Benchmade 940, Bedlam, Skinner

They all had something standing out either cheap construction or cheap feel in the hand. Until the Benchmade Mini Griptilian 556 I had today. Man, I was almost fooled. It is snappy in action, the plastic feels good as any legit one, the logo is slightly thick but not too different from some models I have.

What made me doubt the authenticity is the slight dent on the clip. This is something "they" can fix with improved stamping fixtures. Some ways you can spot fake Mini Grips (fake one on the right in all my pics):
- Markings: thicker butterfly and "benchmade.com/pat" on other side (not reliable signs, IMO)
- Dent clip (not reliable)
- Scale pattern: probably the most reliable tell-tale sign. Pay attention to the pattern near the hole on the butterfly side. Real one has full pattern on the immediate diagonal line next to the hole, while the fake does not. "They" have to redo the tooling to "fix" this.
- Screw size: real ones use imperial thread, fake ones use metric on clip screws. The metric screws are a bit smaller, "real" screws will not start on the metric thread. This is a good method to confirm, but requires you to have a real one handy.
- Jimping: fake ones are not as grippy as real, though hard to tell if you do not have a real one to compare.

As stated, this is a crazily good fake. I wonder if all the efforts put into this just to reaffirm how well the Chinese can replicate pretty much anything.

SteveC · **Reply #1 on:** December 25, 2022, 01:58:06 PM

That's a good fake alright

Aloha · **Reply #2 on:** December 25, 2022, 03:32:00 PM

I'd have a hard time spotting a fake. I'd say they certainly can make a darn close fake. With enough companies having things made there and teams to help make sure they are made to their specifications its not hard to believe.

Old Boy · **Reply #3 on:** December 25, 2022, 07:07:12 PM

When I was in China I was just blown away by the cheap Gucci bags and Armani stuff. Complete with certificate of authenticity.

Farmer X · **Reply #4 on:** December 25, 2022, 09:54:01 PM

I had a similar reaction when I visited Thailand.

Thanks for this detailed look, chrono!

nate j · **Reply #5 on:** December 26, 2022, 02:29:05 AM

That would have been tough to spot, especially without a real one to compare it to.

Best way to avoid getting scammed IMO is to buy new knives from reputable, authorized dealers.

And remember that if a deal seems too good to be true, then it probably is…

chrono · **Reply #6 on:** December 26, 2022, 03:33:14 AM

I got this in a really good bundled deal, so I can consider it a freebie without thinking too much about it. The seller did not try to scam me for sure. I will probably give it away to a non-knife guy at work to cut open packages. I guess the steel is at least 440 or 18Cr13MoV.

These counterfeit makers on sites like dhgate are getting more brazen. They openly sell these for RESELLING, having "fixed" old tell-tale signs like boxes, packaging details... The Chinese knife manufacturers can surely make darn good, original blades, as shown by WE, Civivi, Kizer, and some upcoming brands.