How to distinguish between real and fake pocket knives?

[armorerratic]

Hello everyone in the All About Pocket Knives forum,
I am a beginner in pocket knives and am currently learning how to distinguish real from fake knives. I recently bought a knife from a private seller, who said it was a vintage Remington folding knife, but I am not sure about its origin. The knife has signs of wear, the logo is faded and the handle is a bit loose. I would like to ask you guys to share your experiences: what are the typical signs to identify a genuine pocket knife? Are there any reliable documents or pictures for reference?
Thank you and I look forward to receiving help from the community!

[Mumbleypeg]

Welcome to AAPK, and to the knife collecting hobby. There are no shortcuts to learning how to authenticate knives. You can learn a lot about what to look for by reading the posts in this counterfeit knives forum. Those posts are to alert others of potential counterfeits, and to educate people about why the subject of the post is not right. However there is no substitute for examining and handling authentic knives. At some point you will become good at spotting fakes, but only you will know when that happens.

Everyone, especially nowadays, want a magic quick guide but no such thing exists. You have to learn it yourself, but that learning is part of why it's an interesting hobby. Aside from the pictures and tutorials in this forum, the book Counterfeiting Antique Cutlery by Gerald Witcher, has excellent information. However at the beginner stage it may be "sensory overload", sorta like jumping into deep water without having ever had any prior experience in the water.

As for the knife you already bought we will need clear in-focus pictures of the knife and its stamps to assess it.

Ken

[Dinadan]

Hello everyone in the All About Pocket Knives forum,
I am a beginner in pocket knives and am currently learning how to distinguish real from fake knives.

I doubt if you are going to find a better source of info than the Counterfeit Watch forum here. My suggestion is to avoid buying really expensive knives from unknown vendors until you learn a bit more. And if it looks too good to be true, it probably is not true.

[winst]

I thin you have stated the art to distinguishing between counterfeit and original very well Kin. I would add that first examining and becoming very familiar with the original knives of interest would be a good start. Once you "know" your knives you will more likely recognize the fakes.

[winst]

I thin you have stated the art to distinguishing between counterfeit and original very well Ken. I would add that first examining and becoming very familiar with the original knives of interest would be a good start. Once you "know" your knives you will more likely recognize the fakes.

[winst]

I thin you have stated the art to distinguishing between counterfeit and original very well Ken. I would add that first examining and becoming very familiar with the original knives of interest would be a good start. Once you "know" your knives you will more likely be able recognize the fakes.

[winst]

I thin you have stated the art to distinguishing between counterfeit and original very well Ken. I would add that first examining and becoming very familiar with the original knives of interest would be a good start. Once you "know" your knives you will more likely be able to recognize the fakes.

[peanut740]

$110 shipped.

[Mumbleypeg]

Hello everyone in the All About Pocket Knives forum,
I am a beginner in pocket knives and am currently learning how to distinguish real from fake knives.

My suggestion is to avoid buying really expensive knives from unknown vendors until you learn a bit more. And if it looks too good to be true, it probably is not true.

Both excellent points. Makers and sellers of counterfeits generally do it to make money. If the knife is inexpensive it’s less likely to be counterfeit.

Many beginner collectors hear about fakes and mistakenly become paranoid about all knives being fake. However most fakes are those represented to be older (pre-1970) knives. It’s very rare that a post-1970 traditional knife is counterfeited.

The second point is that if the knife is represented to be old - “vintage” is the word used by many sellers - but it looks new, proceed with great caution. Especially so if the asking price is high. Old knives in new, mint or near-mint condition do exist. But don’t buy one unless and until its authenticity is verified, or it’s from a very trusted seller. With time and experience you can learn to verify it yourself.

Your post says “The knife has signs of wear, the logo is faded and the handle is a bit loose.” Those are not necessarily signs of a counterfeit knife. However unless it was a very rare knife, or inexpensive, it’s likely there are better examples available. Rather than buying a knife with condition issues like you’ve described, be patient until you find that better example. In knife collecting (as with most other collectables) condition is important. An authentic knife in good condition will always have some collector value. A knife with condition issues like blade loss, loose, cracked or broken handles, “lazy” blades etc (Unless it is a very rare and highly collectable knife) will, always have low value. Some folks do collect those, however, exactly because they are not expensive.

Ken

[1967redrider]

I would reply to this question the same way I would reply to, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" Practice! Get some good reference books, like Roger recommended, look at a lot of good ones and fakes that have been pointed out, ask questions and live by the motto, Research First, Buy Later.

I hope this helps. I know the best lesson I learned just starting out was by getting bit by a counterfeit. Lucky it wasn't too painful. I see some on eBay that really hurt my stomach.

[Reverand]

I thin you have stated the art to distinguishing between counterfeit and original very well Kin. I would add that first examining and becoming very familiar with the original knives of interest would be a good start. Once you "know" your knives you will more likely recognize the fakes.

This is great advice. I have worked in banks for 36 years, and they train tellers to spot counterfeit currency by letting them handle a LOT of real currency. I have seen tellers hand-counting money very quickly, then suddenly stop because a bill did not "feel" right. We had to study it closely to see the difference, but her fingers knew what a real bill felt like.
Research and read up on a brand and pattern, then look at them at knife shows and handle a lot of them, so that you can learn to spot the fakes. Something just seems off about them.
I recommend NOT buying good old collectible knives online until you are very confident with your skill and with the buyer. Buy all of the new knives or cheap knives that you want online, but avoid the "deals" unless it is in person

[btrwtr]

I remember reading that the US Secret Service trains to recognize fake currency by studying real currency. Same thing applies to knives, as said, study the real knives and you will learn to recognize the inconsistencies of the fakes.

[bestgear]

"How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" Practice!

good point John and in support of that notion I offer up the reference to “the practice of medicine”. Doctors are trained to a level of accomplishment that still has room for mistakes; not every human body is exactly alike. The same is true for the collectors of fine pocket knives in that over time we train our brain to look for deviations from the real deal. The hard part is exercising enough discipline to walk away from a knife and trust your gut.

[Dinadan]

Thank you and I look forward to receiving help from the community!

I note that the OP has not checked back into the forum since he made his one post, and he has spent a total of four minutes logged in. He got some very informative responses: I enjoyed reading them even if armorerratic never does.

I enjoy birding, especially raptors, More than once I have had someone ask a question along the lines of: "How did you identify that bird as a Northern Harrier the second you saw it?" There is no easy answer to a question like that. Mainly I could do it because I have spent decades watching and trying to learn from what I observed. Not because of one field mark that I could point to. It seems to be the same thing with knives. It seems that a lot of times there is no magic field mark to spot in an instant.