Buying From an Authorized Dealer to Avoid Counterfeits

If you are shopping for a quality knife, chances are, you will face hard time identifying original knives from the counterfeit counterparts. Today, the market is not only flooded with products from different brands, but is also flooded with more counterfeit products. These knife imitations are so well finished that it becomes hard for a person to differentiate between the original and counterfeit products. So, it has become increasingly important for the customer to have the basic expertise on ways to differentiate between the original and the counterfeits. Read along to get a more thorough knowledge on the topic.

Beware of the Low-Price Trap

It’s always a good deal to get a quality product at a cheaper price but, the true challenge is to find out, whether the product is a counterfeit or an original one. Getting a product at a price much lower than the actual/original price is an indication that there is something fishy. If you find a $150 knife at say around $50, accept the fact that it cannot be the original product. These fake items are sold at cheaper price, as they are comparatively easy and cheap to manufacture. Non adherence to the quality standards and usage of low quality material makes the fake items cheaper. Falling in the price trap, set by these counterfeits is sure to land you in the high-regret zone.

Know the Markers to Identify a Forged Imitation

It is indeed a tough task for a non-professional to distinguish between the original and the counterfeits. The finishing of the counterfeit products is as good as the original one. However, on closer look the actual story is revealed. Scrutinizing the craftsmanship of a product will reveal its true identity. The telltale of a fake knife may include – patchy finishing, dimensional differences, hard to open, wobbly, misspell brand name, missing/ misleading trademark and many more. One of the better indicators would be the packaging of the product. The originals come with neat outer packaging mentioning matching details of the product. The fake knives however don’t adhere to any such specification.

Not all Vendors are Authentic

Purchasing a knife has become lot easier, with knives being sold everywhere, from flea market, retail store to super market and online auction store. However, if you are a quality conscious customer, it is advisable to trade carefully. Buying your product from an authentic retailer would help you stay away from the counterfeit products. Most of the quality knife manufacturers sell their products through their own stores or through some established retailers (both physical and online). Undertake a basic research of your own to find out retailers that are authentic and reputable. Buy the quality product only from the retailers that are reputed and authentic like the Crosstown Concepts (Team Python).

  • Buy from a reputable dealer. If you buy a CRKT® product from a reputable retailer, whether cutlery, sporting goods, hardware or department store, or a known internet retailer, you can be sure that you are receiving a genuine product and that the retailer and CRKT® will stand behind the product. Your purchase of the new CRKT® products will be covered by our appropriate warranties, including our excellent Limited Lifetime Warranty on new knives.
  • Consider the price. If a price for a new “CRKT® product” seems to be too good to be true, it probably is. Unlike some manufacturers, we set our Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) recommendations at very competitive levels. So we don’t anticipate that a quality CRKT® product will require a much lower “street price” to be a great value. If you see a new “CRKT® product” on the web reduced from $79.99 to $19.99, an alarm should go off. This is very likely a knockoff, and not a genuine CRKT® product.

We know you will find some occasional used knife bargains on sites such as eBay and Craigslist, but there really is no way to know how much use or abuse these knives have received. So again, it is a matter of buyer beware. If you pay through an escrow service, you may be able to return an unsatisfactory knife, but the CRKT® Limited Lifetime Warranty is valid only to the original owner.