What do you mean "even if"? From my understanding, D2 use to be THE blade steel before M390. But yeah, it really is hard to beat. I've bought about 10 Microtech and two benchmade clones so far and they're all awesome. No, I haven't seen an authentic one up close in person to compare, but they're getting so good with clones that besides the blade steel, everything else seems identical. I saw a video of someone comparing a real microtech and a clone, and the only reason the clone failed because he hammered it into a piece of wood. Well... I'm not going to do that to any damn knife, so all he did in that video was convince a LOT of people that they're going to go with the clone, including me. Not a fan of stuff made in China, but this is one exception I will make since it's just a knife.
I live in brazil and to import a original one I would have to pay double while I don't even get taxed if I buy from China, so sometimes a replica is all I can get.
I have no problem with clones so long as they don't try to pass them off as the original. Putting it in a box marked as the original, having the item marked as the original, etc. that I can't get behind.
You're not wrong. Anyone who would pass these off as the real thing is a liar and a thief, and deserves to get one stuck up his/her backside😝 But when you buy a "Benchmade knife" from AliExpress you know full well that it's not the real thing, and it's not going to be of similar quality. It doesn't really hurt the original makers, since the people they aim to sell to are hardly likely to be shopping for budget knives at AliExpress. That said, it was a Ganzo copy of the Byrd Meadowlark that convinced me to buy Spyderco knives. I'm now the proud owner of three Byrd knives, a Native 5LW and a Manix 2LW, and in time there will surely be more. It was an outright clone of the Mini Griptilian and one of the Bugout-clones shown by Paddy that convinced me to invest in a real Benchmade knife. And so today I got me a real Mini Freek, and I'm liking it so much that in time there will surely be more (real) Benchmade knives in my collection. I think for most people who knowingly buy a clone it'll work the same way (or am I the only sucker out here? 😖). I also think it doesn't really hurt the original maker since for the most part they're not exactly fishing in the same pool of knifebuyers. That said, when spending a substantial amount of money I want to be sure that I'm buying from a reputable reseller, and even when buying through Amazon you might need to assure yourself that what you're getting is the real thing. As with anything else, we need to be responsible buyers.
I noticed the Chinese websites that sell these always advertise as clones or replicas. It's when someone buys a bunch of those and trys to pass them off as original somewhere else
This is an old comment.. I just wanted to add that this knock-off most likely came from a factory that was either making or asked to make the originals. This happens all the time with factories, there are no laws against this so in many cases, you hire a factory to make product X and then they do that, but also sell that same product as their own to another country and you're none the wiser in many cases.. nothing you can do.
Thank you for posting this. Turns out the Bugout I just received from an eBay purchase three days ago is the same clone from your video. The packaging is identical to the box on the left. I wouldn't have caught this without your video.
Hi Paddy I bought a fake benchmade proper on aliexpress, and it is super, fit and finich is superb ... 15 us dollars home in the mailbox ... I just love that knife thank you china
Hi Paddy. I have one of these clones. It cost me £17.70 I've got to say that I'm not disappointed in any way shape or form. I can not afford a real Benchmade 535. So, this little beauty in my eyes is wonderful. I don't know how much the real thing costs. However, I just know that I can't afford one. I'm not criticising what BM charge for the real thing. I just looked on the website where I found the clone, and thought, that's a nice looking knife, I'll buy one. What I did notice in the websites knife information, is that it describes the blade steel as D2. This was even though it says s30v on the blade itself. I do have to say that if I had the money, then I may well buy a real one. Even though I think the clones printing on the box and the knife in places, is better. Best regards Paddy.
Clones are theft of intellectual property. Benchmade paid for the design and engineering, and someone in China stole it, called it their own, and making a copy. You wouldn't say the same if you were buying something really expensive, like a refrigerator or a car.
Theft of design, i agree. Engineering, not much. If they have cloned the "mechanical" aspects and quality of the whole thing it wouldn't be a cheap version, but a full copy with different trademark - which makes no sense. To copy blade and handle shape is something quite ordinary to do; many great marks do it. The problem is trying to sell a copy of a original as a different piece, or pass it as original - both things are ridiculous.
I just recently purchased the 945bk-1 from blade hq. The next day I ordered a clone from ebay. Even the foam was correct. The terrible part is that when the clone was made, they paid more attention to detail. The screws are flush inside the liner! The only other thing is the acid etched logos on the clone stand out enough that you can feel them. The true benchmade is faint and you can't feel it.
Here's the biggest differences that I see that weren't mentioned. Hope it helps... 1.) The C on the box of the clone is a lot different from the original. Almost seems bigger than the rest of the letters. 2.) The clone's box is smooth and the real one's box is slightly wavy. 3.) The clone has stonewashed flats and the grind is satin. Whereas the real one has satin flats and a slight stonewash on the ground parts of the blade.
Everyone going want kno where to purchase the clone… 😂 looks so close…I personally don’t own any clones.. I hope lol, but I think it’s good to have options, a value one and you kno a high end one. Some ppl can’t afford $200 for a knife.
Those are minimal differences. The main one that I see is the difference in color from the thumb flip tabs. One is a brighter blue and the other is much more dull.
I would have no idea it was a clone, that quality looks incredible. Whatever shop is making those clones needs to hire a good designer or two and do some original designs -that craftsmanship at that price point would be a real threat to any of the budget lines out there today.
Why would they do that when they can make WAY more money selling counterfeits?? It’s a shitty way to look at it and an even shittier thing to do, but that’s Chinese business “ethics” for you.. Plain and simple.
I must apologize. I have been apart of the knife community for sometime but I have not seen your channel before. I am now subscribed. I thought I was at me Nana's and one of my Uncles was talking. My Dad had 16 Brothers and Sisters. I have 57 first cousins. We came from Sligo Mayo Cork and ? I love my little Bugout. I have a Bailout coming. Thanks God Bless you!
Thanks for the video comparison. I wouldn't call that a clone, I'd call it a fake. The difference is the fake tries to pass itself off as something it's not, a clone may just look/feel/act like an original, but doesn't try to pass itself off as an original. I've never seen a fake with that much attention to detail. I'd be really interested to know what steel and heat treatment the fake has, since they have to cut corners somewhere and that seems the most obvious way. If it was a reasonable steel and not trying to pass itself off as a name brand, I would probably buy that in a heartbeat as a working spare.
I was sent a counterfeit Benchmade knife from eBay seller, he got reported and banned. Blade quality is atrocious. S30V steel has vanadium molybdenum and holds an edge near forever, the Chinese counterfeit is useless. But it will cut cheese. The people in these threads thinking they're buying the same thing for cheaper are delusional.
they copied the butterfly logo on the fake one. Call it what you want to, it’s trying to pass itself off as the real deal. If you buy this for 20 bucks, it’s a decent deal, if you buy it for what an actual bug out goes for, That’s taking advantage of someone
I could tell which one wasn’t made by Benchmade because the bevels were ground evenly on both sides! Seriously, the grinds on the fake are better than what my Mini Grip Came with. I’d never have spotted the difference without seeing them side by side, but the thumb studs also do look a little different. The fake has lighter colored anodizing and the drive holes look shallower. Maybe they even use smaller bits? Hard to tell. It’s crazy how good this is. I wouldn’t get one myself though, because it’s got Benchmade logos and is being passed off as an authentic product. It’s taking business away from the company that has put in the effort to design and develop a good product. Benchmade deserves that business. Whoever’s making these, is obviously capable of making good knives. They should design their own products and build their own brand. If they could sell stuff like this for $20, they could be very successful.
Hello. I agree with all you say exept 1 point. I dont think this is taking any business away from Benchemade. I could never afford the real thing but this would give me the opportunité to see what a bugout feels like. And for other people, trying this clone and liking it might make them want the real thing. I am against the ethics of counterfeits. It is wrong. But unless it is being sold at the same price as the original no one is fooled. All the best.
@@Spacecadet3890 difference is $5 vs $10 steel. it is a lot? yes, its like 500% times more. benchmade probably only use 5% of the price on material. dont over think it. glasses, matress, furnitunes, basically anything thats doesnt make a sale very often, the price to cost ratio is very low. the most of cost goes to labor and marketing.
agree with everything except the stealing business part. people who buy these knives 9/10 cant afford the real thing and this is a absolutely perfect option for those people.
Love the video. I bought a clone of the Kershsw Blur S30V. I'll be damned if I couldn't tell it from the real thing. The "Speedsafe" worked as good as the real thing. I watched a tear down of the real deal and it was identical, down to the color of the parts inside. I'll be honest, I am assuming it's a fake because I paid $30 on Wish. Sharp as hell.
It's easy to sharpen a knife with cheap steel. There have been many professionals who have tested these Chinese counterfeits and they do not work as intended in the field. So as a display piece or to play with they may be fine. Nobody should be delusional and think that a five dollar Chinese blade is going to work as intended. It will not.
I bought one of these clones because of this video. I wanted to see if it is worth 150-200 for the original. $25 Canadian later I’m glad I did. It’s fun to play with, and use occasionally for light duty stuff, but I won’t pay more for the original. Not worth it to me. Thanks for doing these vids. Very helpful
Those flats on the blades are a real giveaway. The fake has a stonewash finish. The real thing has vertical grindlines. So even if you don't have both in your hand there's a good way to tell which one you're holding.
No apologies needed. Last night, after the live feed, I went on Ali Express here in the States & couldn't find the clone listed. I've never used AE before, so maybe I didn't search correctly. The clone box looks better than the real thing to me also. The way I protect myself from clones is I only buy brand name knives from reputable dealers. I would buy one of those clones. Not to scam anyone, just to test out a Bugout for way less than the real thing. It looks like an excellent copy.
Ima firm believer you get what you can afford.. Iv got some grail knifes but their was a time whe. I used to see a new clone knife on pay day as a treat as that's all I could afford. Great review 👏 👌 👍
Hello. To be honest, i would buy that. Not because it is a clone but because it is a good knife at a good price! I am one of those people who dosn't care about the name on the knife. Some of my most used knives have no name and they are excellent work knives. I would never pay Benchemade prices for a plastic handled knife. I admit i have an old fashioned opinion of plastic. When i was young something plastic was the cheap version of a "real" product. You say yourself that you have replaced the springs on the bugout. My Ganzo springs have never needed to be replaced. All the best.
Aliexpress and DHGate both have a Bugout clone with aluminum scales. Great knife, no cheap plastic Benchmade crap. 99% of the value for 10% of the ridiculous Benchmade price.
I bought a clone and i completely agree with you its genuinely motivated me to buy a genuine soon! it allowed me to see a benchmade and try it without dropping 300 to 400 dollars since I'm in Australia
Paddy, I was a Coca-Cola tabletop item designer in Atlanta for years. We had production in China, and the owner of the factory making our products (Molds, prototypes, etc.) would walk across the alley to his brother-in-law's shop and sell him the production CAD files. This is a commonplace practice in the entirety of the far east. In several instances, I saw my items in catalogs for sale in the EU before our first shipment of items (for U.S. distribution) cleared customs in Seattle! Our licensees, dealers and distributors could order the clones from Europe before the legitimate items arrived ashore in the U.S., and -- as you noted -- since they're using the original CAD files, and most production uses the same equipment and techniques, the clones were virtually indistinguishable from the licensed products. Pirated intellectual property does enormous damage to every creative enterprise, and it's one reason the west will never play on a level field when competing with China.
You are 100% correct. This channel and this person saying buying a fake knife is perfectly fine doesn't understand. In a specific example of a fake knife, the purpose of a high dollar knife is to cut, and counterfeit blades fail at that task. I was sold a Benchmade fake on eBay for nearly full price. I contacted Benchmade and eBay, did not return the knife because it was counterfeit. Thankfully, other people had said the same thing around the same time about the seller. So I had a free clone but it cost me a lot of time. It did not perform like a Benchmade knife. Fact, the only thing it was useful for was spreading butter. So in reality, a super steel with a proper heat treatment that will last a generation or two verses a piece of crap that will cut cheese. I wish people would not manufacture in China until this all changes.
I have both the original all black contego and the fake one. Very close, the fake blade prints on original is shinier and the clone is just a regular print but aside from that everything looks the same. Fake is perfectly centered while the original has blade touching the liner. Clone won in centering dept.
Older Legit benchmade boxes didn’t have the insert inside the box either. So that only tells you if it’s an older or newer box. I’m sure the Chinese will change it.
@Steve Paige ha... actually when I was mentioning the clone purchase vs. the authentic version in my use of the word there I was referring to the place it was made not by who..hehe...there being the USA not China..
@@knaftasticedc956 🤔 So are you saying that you'd send your money to a country where the majority of people are working hard to get ahead in spite of suffering under dicatorship rather than spend it with a country where the majority of people elected a dictator into presidency hoping that it will get them ahead?
I’ve spent a little over 500$ on 3 Benchmades in my life great knives great quality great service... but these knives are damn near the same quality and the steel is not shit steel I doubt it’s s30v but it’s a good knife holds a great edge 🤷♂️ it is what it is
The steel is very very likely to be a Chinese version of the Japanese made AUS-8. The most common variant being 8Cr13MoV, which itself is only slightly worse than AUS-8 (not quite as hard, corrodes a bit more) however the 9Cr variant is almost exactly the same or even better than AUS-8, although you wont find it commonly. I always knew that a knife with a thin blade and plastic handle wasn't worth $150, and ever since I discovered clones I knew I wasn't wrong.
I think that when a company clones someone else's product that it shows a serious lack of integrity. Pricing aside, I would rather save my pocket change to buy an honest knife from an honest company than to buy one from a company who cheats someone out of their hard work. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to show use these differences, much appreciated my freind!
Even the barcodes are the same! Only 1 has a date on the side though. Side by side you can see the package and colour quality but apart would be tough, great vid 👍🏻
@@mountaindont34ify the pocket clip and pivot screws are a dead giveaway. The original clip hides the screw above it. The clone doesn't. Also the etching is different on the butterfly
I think you have one of the best channels out there, bar none, wish I had the courage, I am wrong often, learn to acknowlege my mistakes best I can, Only a honest opinion, my own, won't stop watching, love your stuff and honesty. I myself won't ever push a clone, yes I am guilty for buying one, feel bad, needed to know, know, Thanks. Robert Douglas.
Hi Paddy, thanks for a great and informative collection of reviews.I recently purchased a Rough Rider trapper on line.Disapointed with both blades badly off centre also one high spring .I expected better from RR.Again I love your Frank reviews.
The only problem i see is the box its in. That will fool people off the bat. If the knife came in a cheap clamshell pack that would be better. Just got a clone coming, thanks for this!
Hello from TX 👋 - entertaining and informative video sir. I actually just got my bugout yesterday and I love it. It’s actually my first EDC knife and I wasn’t really aware there were fakes out there. Luckily mine was bought in store so it didn’t cross my mind.
There is a difference on the label outside 2:51 shows the production dat and some number below it, left of Blue Class. This is not present on the clone.
Absolutely amazing video I cant tell the difference at all and think the bugout clone might be one I buy myself Where are you selling your knives would love to see what your selling 😀😀
Paddy: I'll give you $20 for the' real' one. Just kidding. Several months ago I bought a Bugout clone with aluminum scales for $23 USD - SHIPPED - and it also is virtually identical to the 'real' thing. When Benchmade can slap a price of $140 on $10 worth of materials and labor, it proves you can fool some people ALL the time. The inescapable conclusion is that Benchmade is vastly, obscenely overcharging for its products. Thanks for another great review.
The date on the outer box label is the tell tale as well. Copy right (R in circle) logo is 10x bigger on the fake. The fake clip is longer on the tail and the real clip covers the scale bolt and fake clip does not.
Clone box doesn't have the manufacturing date..Also the pocket clip threads are silver instead of Black... Pocket clip on the clone doesn't cover the top screw These guys are getting much better! If someone didn't own a real one it would be hard to tell Thanks for showing us 👍👊
Damn, u just sold me on my first benchmade. I been wanting one but not at that price of 130 when I could get something like kitefin, or nuetron, or many options really, protect, whatever. But if the metal on blade is real s30v which, i doubt, either way for my purposes, I'd love that knife if it was a lot cheaper.
Thats a scarily accurate copy! The boxes I could tell apart, but the knives are spot on! Other than the clones clip being a tad bit different they are exactly the same. Thanks for sharing!
Other things to look at are the machining circles on the pivot, and how closely the omega springs wrap around the Axis stud. The other difference I noticed the most on this clone is that the pocket clip screw holes on the scales are slightly oversized. You can see the shiny steel liner at the bottom of the hole. On the real one the holes are the same size hole through both layers, you can hardly see the metal.
Wow very impressive I must say, unless I saw them side by side like this. I probably wouldn’t be able to tell which was which, but the clone looks like the thumb stud is slightly lighter in color and the torx hole looks different, maybe not as deep as the original. Other than that they look identical.
I have one. The butterfly looks to be printed rather than Laser etched but that's the only way I could possibly tell, and I wouldn't notice at a glance. Sadly, the omega spring on mine has totally buckled.
@@YahudiDestroyer yeah when the build quality is almost exactly the same it's really a no brainer. Chinese manufacturing is first rate with knives now. I say buy ten before they have their war.
Knife is pretty good I can tell by the clip and the clip holes which is the real. Box on the other hand has a more rounded corners on label on the real one. Fake one the “C” is too big. Other then that you already mentioned everything I also noticed.
I am a knife collector and I just ordered this clone today (Wednesday August 24th 2022) from Wish. They are selling them for only $12.00 today and I just couldn't pass that up. Can't wait to get mine, thanks for posting this comparison video.
You get what you pay for except in this case, in respect of the price of the clone vs the price of the original you are getting good value. I have seen another video where the clone was tested to destruction when the original held together but as I was watching the destruction test the clone failed I though why the hell would I do that to any folder.
This is another reason I'm glad I only carry traditional knives, things like this are scary. Counterfeits are not very common in the world of traditional knives ( except in the antique Bowie segment ) and they're almost never well done when you do see them. The only counterfeit traditional knives I've seen that might fool anyone were fake Buck vanguard's. You can find horribly done counterfeit Victorinox Swiss champs, you'll see fake Buck 110's that you can spot a mile away, and once in a while you'll see a Case logo slapped on a random little $5 knife that's not fooling anyone. That's about it though, nothing is ever scary close like this is. Of course you should always buy from a reputable dealer but these counterfeit modern folders have gotten so good secondhand deals can be a nightmare, with traditional folders I you just don't have to worry like you do with modern knives.
It’s very easy to tell the difference between clone bugouts and the real ones for me. They always use an incorrect pivot screw and the thumbstuds are different
In my opinion it shows how much Benchmade is over charging for their knives they shouldn't be $100 + for a pocket knife they charge twice what they should
Couldnt agree more,they are taking the piss with their prices,just got a mini presidio cf £140 in the uk and the quality control(or lack of it) While not shocking is very hard to justify for the money.Torx not nipped up properly,blade off (surprise surprise)centre,ok tiny bit of open blade play and grind sharp but so toothy it like a serrated edge,im honestley happier wirh my CRKT pilar3 which cost less than half the price,each to their own but dont think ill be buying anymore benchmade🤷♂️😀
I can't tell you how much I agree with you. My vocabulary isn't expansive enough to express my agreement. Screw the big rich companies, they'll have to compete.
I have a copy of clones and if you take them apart the liners are not finished as nicely as the real ones. I also have a Spyderco PM2 clone, only the original clip position was threaded, the other holes were drilled by not threaded. Plus its liners had a really rough finish.
The C on benChmade is the wrong size on the clone. I'm curious if you had the clone sent in for warranty I'm curious if benchmade could figure it out, i'd love to see a video on that. It's a pretty good clone, there are a few things you can look for to tell if it's a clone but if i wasn't aware of how benchmade grinds and does fonts I probably wouldn't be able to tell. Benchmade knifes has straight lines in the steel, that's how they grind the knife, you won't see that in a clone. I'm also curious if the steel is actually s30v, likely not given how expensive it is to make & work the steel.
Different and big letter C in BenChmade on top of the clone box and on the bag. Couldn’t tell if the blade has the same inconsistency from the real logo.
Hey Paddy , If you were to have both in hands while walking and accidentally trip causing them to fall on the floor would you be able to tell them apart ??
Slick Slicers if you find where you can buy one for $20 I want one too I don’t make enough money to be able to buy anything benchmade makes besides there blue lube 🤣😭
I bought one of these fakes and I was impressed as well. You can see the machining on the balde on the fake. The fake hardware is steel and is attracted to a magnet and the real Bugout has Titanium hardware (non-magnetic). The hardware also has a different size Torques for the screws. The blade on the fake rust very easy. Not real S30V. Usually these fake use 440A steel.
Even if the steel is D2 for $20 this is hard to beat.
What do you mean "even if"? From my understanding, D2 use to be THE blade steel before M390. But yeah, it really is hard to beat. I've bought about 10 Microtech and two benchmade clones so far and they're all awesome. No, I haven't seen an authentic one up close in person to compare, but they're getting so good with clones that besides the blade steel, everything else seems identical. I saw a video of someone comparing a real microtech and a clone, and the only reason the clone failed because he hammered it into a piece of wood. Well... I'm not going to do that to any damn knife, so all he did in that video was convince a LOT of people that they're going to go with the clone, including me. Not a fan of stuff made in China, but this is one exception I will make since it's just a knife.
Most likely it's 8Cr13MoV but still a great deal. If it was D2 would make this an even better deal.
Pot metal! Unless you sent it out for testing you will never know, except it won't hold an edge worth crap! They won't even use 8Cr in them! 🤣
I have one that was under 12 dollars shipped.
It cuts great, holds an edge, and I like it a lot.
🤔
It's a keeper.
I live in brazil and to import a original one I would have to pay double while I don't even get taxed if I buy from China, so sometimes a replica is all I can get.
I had a real one trust me when I say you won
Start cutting anything with the clone and tell me you won.
I have no problem with clones so long as they don't try to pass them off as the original. Putting it in a box marked as the original, having the item marked as the original, etc. that I can't get behind.
You're not wrong. Anyone who would pass these off as the real thing is a liar and a thief, and deserves to get one stuck up his/her backside😝
But when you buy a "Benchmade knife" from AliExpress you know full well that it's not the real thing, and it's not going to be of similar quality. It doesn't really hurt the original makers, since the people they aim to sell to are hardly likely to be shopping for budget knives at AliExpress.
That said, it was a Ganzo copy of the Byrd Meadowlark that convinced me to buy Spyderco knives. I'm now the proud owner of three Byrd knives, a Native 5LW and a Manix 2LW, and in time there will surely be more.
It was an outright clone of the Mini Griptilian and one of the Bugout-clones shown by Paddy that convinced me to invest in a real Benchmade knife. And so today I got me a real Mini Freek, and I'm liking it so much that in time there will surely be more (real) Benchmade knives in my collection.
I think for most people who knowingly buy a clone it'll work the same way (or am I the only sucker out here? 😖). I also think it doesn't really hurt the original maker since for the most part they're not exactly fishing in the same pool of knifebuyers.
That said, when spending a substantial amount of money I want to be sure that I'm buying from a reputable reseller, and even when buying through Amazon you might need to assure yourself that what you're getting is the real thing. As with anything else, we need to be responsible buyers.
It's theft of IP. Guarantee these are coming from China.
I noticed the Chinese websites that sell these always advertise as clones or replicas. It's when someone buys a bunch of those and trys to pass them off as original somewhere else
personally i dont give a shit, a knifes a knife so long as it cuts
I dont see the problem. More like charging $150 for a 50g knife with a plastic handle and a thing blade is the problem.
Damn, that's impressive, China are really getting scarily good! Good advice on the friend or reputable dealer, seems the way to go with this one now!
This is an old comment.. I just wanted to add that this knock-off most likely came from a factory that was either making or asked to make the originals. This happens all the time with factories, there are no laws against this so in many cases, you hire a factory to make product X and then they do that, but also sell that same product as their own to another country and you're none the wiser in many cases.. nothing you can do.
Thank you for posting this. Turns out the Bugout I just received from an eBay purchase three days ago is the same clone from your video. The packaging is identical to the box on the left. I wouldn't have caught this without your video.
Hi Paddy I bought a fake benchmade proper on aliexpress, and it is super, fit and finich is superb ... 15 us dollars home in the mailbox ... I just love that knife thank you china
How is it holding up?
@@mc1996 well I have had one for 9 months, used it alot, also quite hard, holds up fine..it is 440c though so yeah, you sharpen it more often
No trouble with clones, I actually like the idea of a cheap version of high-tier blades. However, trying to pass them as originals is unfair play.
Der Alte it’s fraudulent
. End of discussion. Have some character ffs.
Hi Paddy.
I have one of these clones. It cost me £17.70
I've got to say that I'm not disappointed in any way shape or form. I can not afford a real Benchmade 535. So, this little beauty in my eyes is wonderful.
I don't know how much the real thing costs. However, I just know that I can't afford one. I'm not criticising what BM charge for the real thing. I just looked on the website where I found the clone, and thought, that's a nice looking knife, I'll buy one. What I did notice in the websites knife information, is that it describes the blade steel as D2. This was even though it says s30v on the blade itself.
I do have to say that if I had the money, then I may well buy a real one. Even though I think the clones printing on the box and the knife in places, is better. Best regards Paddy.
Clones are theft of intellectual property. Benchmade paid for the design and engineering, and someone in China stole it, called it their own, and making a copy. You wouldn't say the same if you were buying something really expensive, like a refrigerator or a car.
Theft of design, i agree. Engineering, not much. If they have cloned the "mechanical" aspects and quality of the whole thing it wouldn't be a cheap version, but a full copy with different trademark - which makes no sense. To copy blade and handle shape is something quite ordinary to do; many great marks do it. The problem is trying to sell a copy of a original as a different piece, or pass it as original - both things are ridiculous.
@@stephencarter6289 is it the exact same? If so, where did you get it?
I just recently purchased the 945bk-1 from blade hq. The next day I ordered a clone from ebay. Even the foam was correct. The terrible part is that when the clone was made, they paid more attention to detail. The screws are flush inside the liner! The only other thing is the acid etched logos on the clone stand out enough that you can feel them. The true benchmade is faint and you can't feel it.
Here's the biggest differences that I see that weren't mentioned. Hope it helps...
1.) The C on the box of the clone is a lot different from the original. Almost seems bigger than the rest of the letters.
2.) The clone's box is smooth and the real one's box is slightly wavy.
3.) The clone has stonewashed flats and the grind is satin. Whereas the real one has satin flats and a slight stonewash on the ground parts of the blade.
The real ones all have a foam pocket that surround the blade/paper
I love how 2 out of 3 differences are on the box for a $100 price difference 😂
the pivot screw and the bar code
Everyone going want kno where to purchase the clone… 😂 looks so close…I personally don’t own any clones.. I hope lol, but I think it’s good to have options, a value one and you kno a high end one. Some ppl can’t afford $200 for a knife.
Those are minimal differences. The main one that I see is the difference in color from the thumb flip tabs. One is a brighter blue and the other is much more dull.
I would have no idea it was a clone, that quality looks incredible. Whatever shop is making those clones needs to hire a good designer or two and do some original designs -that craftsmanship at that price point would be a real threat to any of the budget lines out there today.
Why would they do that when they can make WAY more money selling counterfeits?? It’s a shitty way to look at it and an even shittier thing to do, but that’s Chinese business “ethics” for you.. Plain and simple.
You have one of the best knife channels paddy
I must apologize. I have been apart of the knife community for sometime but I have not seen your channel before. I am now subscribed. I thought I was at me Nana's and one of my Uncles was talking. My Dad had 16 Brothers and Sisters. I have 57 first cousins. We came from Sligo Mayo Cork and ? I love my little Bugout. I have a Bailout coming. Thanks God Bless you!
Your welcome mate,and very happy to have you onboard.dont be a stranger. Atb paddy 👍☘️
Thanks for the video comparison. I wouldn't call that a clone, I'd call it a fake. The difference is the fake tries to pass itself off as something it's not, a clone may just look/feel/act like an original, but doesn't try to pass itself off as an original.
I've never seen a fake with that much attention to detail. I'd be really interested to know what steel and heat treatment the fake has, since they have to cut corners somewhere and that seems the most obvious way. If it was a reasonable steel and not trying to pass itself off as a name brand, I would probably buy that in a heartbeat as a working spare.
The correct word is counterfeit.
I was sent a counterfeit Benchmade knife from eBay seller, he got reported and banned. Blade quality is atrocious. S30V steel has vanadium molybdenum and holds an edge near forever, the Chinese counterfeit is useless. But it will cut cheese. The people in these threads thinking they're buying the same thing for cheaper are delusional.
they copied the butterfly logo on the fake one. Call it what you want to, it’s trying to pass itself off as the real deal. If you buy this for 20 bucks, it’s a decent deal, if you buy it for what an actual bug out goes for, That’s taking advantage of someone
Where did u buy it ? Great video
Whoa that clone is pretty darn close! Make sure to be careful when buying indeed! Thanks for showcasing this for us Paddy!
I could tell which one wasn’t made by Benchmade because the bevels were ground evenly on both sides! Seriously, the grinds on the fake are better than what my Mini Grip Came with.
I’d never have spotted the difference without seeing them side by side, but the thumb studs also do look a little different. The fake has lighter colored anodizing and the drive holes look shallower. Maybe they even use smaller bits? Hard to tell.
It’s crazy how good this is.
I wouldn’t get one myself though, because it’s got Benchmade logos and is being passed off as an authentic product. It’s taking business away from the company that has put in the effort to design and develop a good product. Benchmade deserves that business.
Whoever’s making these, is obviously capable of making good knives. They should design their own products and build their own brand. If they could sell stuff like this for $20, they could be very successful.
Hello. I agree with all you say exept 1 point. I dont think this is taking any business away from Benchemade. I could never afford the real thing but this would give me the opportunité to see what a bugout feels like. And for other people, trying this clone and liking it might make them want the real thing. I am against the ethics of counterfeits. It is wrong. But unless it is being sold at the same price as the original no one is fooled. All the best.
Blade steel makes a huge difference in cost to manufacture and just cost of it to start with
@@Spacecadet3890 difference is $5 vs $10 steel. it is a lot? yes, its like 500% times more. benchmade probably only use 5% of the price on material. dont over think it. glasses, matress, furnitunes, basically anything thats doesnt make a sale very often, the price to cost ratio is very low. the most of cost goes to labor and marketing.
Seriously, why don’t they just design their own shit??? They have channels like Ali and wish to market from.
agree with everything except the stealing business part. people who buy these knives 9/10 cant afford the real thing and this is a absolutely perfect option for those people.
Damn dude, that could fool almost anyone. Thanks for showing it.
Love the video. I bought a clone of the Kershsw Blur S30V. I'll be damned if I couldn't tell it from the real thing. The "Speedsafe" worked as good as the real thing. I watched a tear down of the real deal and it was identical, down to the color of the parts inside. I'll be honest, I am assuming it's a fake because I paid $30 on Wish. Sharp as hell.
If you're lucky the blade steel will be 8Cr13MoV or D2, both of which are good and inexpensive in China.
It's easy to sharpen a knife with cheap steel. There have been many professionals who have tested these Chinese counterfeits and they do not work as intended in the field. So as a display piece or to play with they may be fine. Nobody should be delusional and think that a five dollar Chinese blade is going to work as intended. It will not.
I bought one of these clones because of this video. I wanted to see if it is worth 150-200 for the original. $25 Canadian later I’m glad I did. It’s fun to play with, and use occasionally for light duty stuff, but I won’t pay more for the original. Not worth it to me. Thanks for doing these vids. Very helpful
Same. For $20 USD my "fake" bugout is a great knife.
Where did u buy and I guess it was no issue getting across the border?
Easy to see the counterfeit! They never get the butterfly quite right! 🤣
I just bought 10 of the clear light blue handled ones for gifting this Xmas! 👍
Those flats on the blades are a real giveaway. The fake has a stonewash finish. The real thing has vertical grindlines. So even if you don't have both in your hand there's a good way to tell which one you're holding.
Easiest tell is the 3 holes for the pocket clip look threaded on the clone and on the authentic it is kind of invisible looking.
Moral of the story is only buy Benchmade from a Benchmade certified retailer. Seems pretty straight forward to me
Or I'd rather have the fake.. vs overpriced
lovely and relaxing watching your vids, well done :)
No apologies needed. Last night, after the live feed, I went on Ali Express here in the States & couldn't find the clone listed. I've never used AE before, so maybe I didn't search correctly.
The clone box looks better than the real thing to me also.
The way I protect myself from clones is I only buy brand name knives from reputable dealers.
I would buy one of those clones. Not to scam anyone, just to test out a Bugout for way less than the real thing. It looks like an excellent copy.
Yeah I couldn't find it either. Good $20 knife to knock around
Try Wish. They have this exact clone. 1 month wait, though. Was $20.
only "looks"
Ima firm believer you get what you can afford..
Iv got some grail knifes but their was a time whe. I used to see a new clone knife on pay day as a treat as that's all I could afford.
Great review 👏 👌 👍
Hello. To be honest, i would buy that. Not because it is a clone but because it is a good knife at a good price! I am one of those people who dosn't care about the name on the knife. Some of my most used knives have no name and they are excellent work knives. I would never pay Benchemade prices for a plastic handled knife. I admit i have an old fashioned opinion of plastic. When i was young something plastic was the cheap version of a "real" product. You say yourself that you have replaced the springs on the bugout. My Ganzo springs have never needed to be replaced. All the best.
Aliexpress and DHGate both have a Bugout clone with aluminum scales. Great knife, no cheap plastic Benchmade crap. 99% of the value for 10% of the ridiculous Benchmade price.
I bought a clone and i completely agree with you its genuinely motivated me to buy a genuine soon! it allowed me to see a benchmade and try it without dropping 300 to 400 dollars since I'm in Australia
Paddy, I was a Coca-Cola tabletop item designer in Atlanta for years. We had production in China, and the owner of the factory making our products (Molds, prototypes, etc.) would walk across the alley to his brother-in-law's shop and sell him the production CAD files. This is a commonplace practice in the entirety of the far east. In several instances, I saw my items in catalogs for sale in the EU before our first shipment of items (for U.S. distribution) cleared customs in Seattle! Our licensees, dealers and distributors could order the clones from Europe before the legitimate items arrived ashore in the U.S., and -- as you noted -- since they're using the original CAD files, and most production uses the same equipment and techniques, the clones were virtually indistinguishable from the licensed products.
Pirated intellectual property does enormous damage to every creative enterprise, and it's one reason the west will never play on a level field when competing with China.
You are 100% correct. This channel and this person saying buying a fake knife is perfectly fine doesn't understand. In a specific example of a fake knife, the purpose of a high dollar knife is to cut, and counterfeit blades fail at that task. I was sold a Benchmade fake on eBay for nearly full price. I contacted Benchmade and eBay, did not return the knife because it was counterfeit. Thankfully, other people had said the same thing around the same time about the seller. So I had a free clone but it cost me a lot of time. It did not perform like a Benchmade knife. Fact, the only thing it was useful for was spreading butter. So in reality, a super steel with a proper heat treatment that will last a generation or two verses a piece of crap that will cut cheese. I wish people would not manufacture in China until this all changes.
I have both the original all black contego and the fake one. Very close, the fake blade prints on original is shinier and the clone is just a regular print but aside from that everything looks the same. Fake is perfectly centered while the original has blade touching the liner. Clone won in centering dept.
Older Legit benchmade boxes didn’t have the insert inside the box either. So that only tells you if it’s an older or newer box. I’m sure the Chinese will change it.
Excellent!
Thank you for sharing!
Been wanting a bugout... could not see paying there price...might have to go with a clone..thanks for sharing..
@Steve Paige thank you for correcting me it means so much . Thanks for taking the time Mr.. Spellcheck..lol
@Steve Paige ha... actually when I was mentioning the clone purchase vs. the authentic version in my use of the word there I was referring to the place it was made not by who..hehe...there being the USA not China..
@@knaftasticedc956 🤔 So are you saying that you'd send your money to a country where the majority of people are working hard to get ahead in spite of suffering under dicatorship rather than spend it with a country where the majority of people elected a dictator into presidency hoping that it will get them ahead?
@@esoteric5277 I'm sending my money to whom I get the most for my money.
@Steve Paige Not Obama I was referring to. But where is he now?
This video helped me determine my bugout i just bought is real.
Look at the box with the large logo on the side..the butterfly with the M are completely different.
I was just about to purchase this knife, same color and all, on Amazon but now I'm afraid to. Thanks for posting this very informative video.
I did my research and the steel used in the clone one is 440c! not bad at all for a 15usd knife
I’ve spent a little over 500$ on 3 Benchmades in my life great knives great quality great service... but these knives are damn near the same quality and the steel is not shit steel I doubt it’s s30v but it’s a good knife holds a great edge 🤷♂️ it is what it is
The steel is very very likely to be a Chinese version of the Japanese made AUS-8. The most common variant being 8Cr13MoV, which itself is only slightly worse than AUS-8 (not quite as hard, corrodes a bit more) however the 9Cr variant is almost exactly the same or even better than AUS-8, although you wont find it commonly. I always knew that a knife with a thin blade and plastic handle wasn't worth $150, and ever since I discovered clones I knew I wasn't wrong.
I think that when a company clones someone else's product that it shows a serious lack of integrity. Pricing aside, I would rather save my pocket change to buy an honest knife from an honest company than to buy one from a company who cheats someone out of their hard work. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to show use these differences, much appreciated my freind!
Even the barcodes are the same!
Only 1 has a date on the side though.
Side by side you can see the package and colour quality but apart would be tough, great vid 👍🏻
Send it to benchmade lifesharp see if it fools them
I bet it could until they sharpened it and realized how easily it sharpened
@@mountaindont34ify the pocket clip and pivot screws are a dead giveaway. The original clip hides the screw above it. The clone doesn't. Also the etching is different on the butterfly
@@mountaindont34ify its tool sharpened they'd have no clue.. s30v isn't that hard to sharpen
They will probably think: hey this benchmade is centered how the hell did that happen.
@@polarweis Whahahaha Cool answer
I think you have one of the best channels out there, bar none, wish I had the courage, I am wrong often, learn to acknowlege my mistakes best I can, Only a honest opinion, my own, won't stop watching, love your stuff and honesty. I myself won't ever push a clone, yes I am guilty for buying one, feel bad, needed to know, know, Thanks. Robert Douglas.
the newer clone don't squeeze I genuinely think it could pass for a genuine for anyone who isn't doing a hand by hand comparison
I was CONVINCED the left one was the real one!! It looks so much more luxury
Hi Paddy, thanks for a great and informative collection of reviews.I recently purchased a Rough Rider trapper on line.Disapointed with both blades badly off centre also one high spring .I expected better from RR.Again I love your Frank reviews.
I think these are getting sold around my town. Thanks for the heads up.
The thumb stud on the clone looks noticeably lighter. Anyone notice that?
Thanks for making the video.
The 'C' on the fake gives it away.
We all bought a clone or 2 especially before we really knew! Facts
biggest tell: 2:52 the authentic one is on the left (after being rotated) look at the UPC, al the #s are together
Just found your channel, great stuff. Silver logo, with "Benchmade" on the top of the box, is off center on the clone.
The only problem i see is the box its in. That will fool people off the bat. If the knife came in a cheap clamshell pack that would be better.
Just got a clone coming, thanks for this!
Hello from TX 👋 - entertaining and informative video sir. I actually just got my bugout yesterday and I love it. It’s actually my first EDC knife and I wasn’t really aware there were fakes out there. Luckily mine was bought in store so it didn’t cross my mind.
I own a copy one. Wanted to see if I actually like the knife. Absolutely love it. Took it to a shop and compared to a real one. Hard to see anything.
Right.
How is it holding up so far?
There is a difference on the label outside 2:51 shows the production dat and some number below it, left of Blue Class. This is not present on the clone.
The Real one has a date code on the box that you can see at 2:50 into the video.
It’s amazing how many 535 bugouts are on eBay and I own 2 and have a hard time telling them apart I really do. Great Video
Absolutely amazing video I cant tell the difference at all and think the bugout clone might be one I buy myself
Where are you selling your knives would love to see what your selling 😀😀
Paddy: I'll give you $20 for the' real' one. Just kidding. Several months ago I bought a Bugout clone with aluminum scales for $23 USD - SHIPPED - and it also is virtually identical to the 'real' thing. When Benchmade can slap a price of $140 on $10 worth of materials and labor, it proves you can fool some people ALL the time. The inescapable conclusion is that Benchmade is vastly, obscenely overcharging for its products. Thanks for another great review.
Hit the nail on the head!
The date on the outer box label is the tell tale as well.
Copy right (R in circle) logo is 10x bigger on the fake.
The fake clip is longer on the tail and the real clip covers the scale bolt and fake clip does not.
I'm stone cold sober and these knives look the same. Nice comparison Paddy
Clone box doesn't have the manufacturing date..Also the pocket clip threads are silver instead of Black... Pocket clip on the clone doesn't cover the top screw These guys are getting much better! If someone didn't own a real one it would be hard to tell Thanks for showing us 👍👊
Damn, u just sold me on my first benchmade. I been wanting one but not at that price of 130 when I could get something like kitefin, or nuetron, or many options really, protect, whatever. But if the metal on blade is real s30v which, i doubt, either way for my purposes, I'd love that knife if it was a lot cheaper.
I ordered one of these from Wish just to beat on and treat badly. I'm not into clones, but I'm also not into ruining genuine knives.
Thats a scarily accurate copy! The boxes I could tell apart, but the knives are spot on! Other than the clones clip being a tad bit different they are exactly the same. Thanks for sharing!
Probably made in the same exact factory in China!
All benchmarks at made in the US in Oregon
Other things to look at are the machining circles on the pivot, and how closely the omega springs wrap around the Axis stud. The other difference I noticed the most on this clone is that the pocket clip screw holes on the scales are slightly oversized. You can see the shiny steel liner at the bottom of the hole. On the real one the holes are the same size hole through both layers, you can hardly see the metal.
Just bought one from BladeHQ...wish I haven’t thrown the box away!!! Great video. Thanks!!!
Jeff Ferrari Blade HQ will not ever sell you a fake. They get their knives directly from Benchmade.
Which shop sells these? I really tried to find a good copy but no luck until now.
Knowing the Chinese knife makers the steel is probably 440C.
The thumb stud colour is the biggest giveaway with a cursory look.
Wow very impressive I must say, unless I saw them side by side like this. I probably wouldn’t be able to tell which was which, but the clone looks like the thumb stud is slightly lighter in color and the torx hole looks different, maybe not as deep as the original. Other than that they look identical.
Are the screws on the clone metal and not plastic please?
I have one. The butterfly looks to be printed rather than Laser etched but that's the only way I could possibly tell, and I wouldn't notice at a glance. Sadly, the omega spring on mine has totally buckled.
I bought a benchmade hunter and it's absolutely brilliant. It was 30 bucks and the original is 450. Benchmade is a rip-off and deserves it.
I understand your point its abit overpriced for some steel and "plastic" lol
@@YahudiDestroyer yeah when the build quality is almost exactly the same it's really a no brainer. Chinese manufacturing is first rate with knives now. I say buy ten before they have their war.
Knife is pretty good I can tell by the clip and the clip holes which is the real. Box on the other hand has a more rounded corners on label on the real one. Fake one the “C” is too big. Other then that you already mentioned everything I also noticed.
The ® symbol on the box looks off on the outside by the BUGOUT name.
I am a knife collector and I just ordered this clone today (Wednesday August 24th 2022) from Wish. They are selling them for only $12.00 today and I just couldn't pass that up. Can't wait to get mine, thanks for posting this comparison video.
Lol can I get the link
"thanks" for sharing !
I was 100% positive the clone box was the real one. It looks better. Wow!
You get what you pay for except in this case, in respect of the price of the clone vs the price of the original you are getting good value. I have seen another video where the clone was tested to destruction when the original held together but as I was watching the destruction test the clone failed I though why the hell would I do that to any folder.
Sooo where did you get the clone from 🤔
This is another reason I'm glad I only carry traditional knives, things like this are scary.
Counterfeits are not very common in the world of traditional knives ( except in the antique Bowie segment ) and they're almost never well done when you do see them.
The only counterfeit traditional knives I've seen that might fool anyone were fake Buck vanguard's.
You can find horribly done counterfeit Victorinox Swiss champs, you'll see fake Buck 110's that you can spot a mile away, and once in a while you'll see a Case logo slapped on a random little $5 knife that's not fooling anyone. That's about it though, nothing is ever scary close like this is.
Of course you should always buy from a reputable dealer but these counterfeit modern folders have gotten so good secondhand deals can be a nightmare, with traditional folders I you just don't have to worry like you do with modern knives.
It’s very easy to tell the difference between clone bugouts and the real ones for me. They always use an incorrect pivot screw and the thumbstuds are different
I wonder if the steel is actually the same
Where are you gents getting the good quality ones?
In my opinion it shows how much Benchmade is over charging for their knives they shouldn't be $100 + for a pocket knife they charge twice what they should
That's the real benefit of cloning. If a $20 copy comes "close enough" to your $130 real thing... Maybe that $130 will come down a bit.
Couldnt agree more,they are taking the piss with their prices,just got a mini presidio cf £140 in the uk and the quality control(or lack of it) While not shocking is very hard to justify for the money.Torx not nipped up properly,blade off (surprise surprise)centre,ok tiny bit of open blade play and grind sharp but so toothy it like a serrated edge,im honestley happier wirh my CRKT pilar3 which cost less than half the price,each to their own but dont think ill be buying anymore benchmade🤷♂️😀
I can't tell you how much I agree with you. My vocabulary isn't expansive enough to express my agreement. Screw the big rich companies, they'll have to compete.
I have a copy of clones and if you take them apart the liners are not finished as nicely as the real ones. I also have a Spyderco PM2 clone, only the original clip position was threaded, the other holes were drilled by not threaded. Plus its liners had a really rough finish.
The C on benChmade is the wrong size on the clone. I'm curious if you had the clone sent in for warranty I'm curious if benchmade could figure it out, i'd love to see a video on that. It's a pretty good clone, there are a few things you can look for to tell if it's a clone but if i wasn't aware of how benchmade grinds and does fonts I probably wouldn't be able to tell. Benchmade knifes has straight lines in the steel, that's how they grind the knife, you won't see that in a clone. I'm also curious if the steel is actually s30v, likely not given how expensive it is to make & work the steel.
Buy a Ganzo if you wanna try out a blade shape etc…
Different and big letter C in BenChmade on top of the clone box and on the bag. Couldn’t tell if the blade has the same inconsistency from the real logo.
The C in Benchmade on the clone box appears to be slightly different than the real one.
Hey Paddy ,
If you were to have both in hands while walking and accidentally trip causing them to fall on the floor would you be able to tell them apart ??
The tumb flip out on the real one is diffrent so id say yes he would.
I'd love to see that counterfeit's steel tested for composition and hardness. I'd guess it's more 440C or 8CR13MOV.
Probably the latter
That’s scary close! The box liner is the only real giveaway. For $15, I want one!
Slick Slicers if you find where you can buy one for $20 I want one too I don’t make enough money to be able to buy anything benchmade makes besides there blue lube 🤣😭
I bought one of these fakes and I was impressed as well. You can see the machining on the balde on the fake. The fake hardware is steel and is attracted to a magnet and the real Bugout has Titanium hardware (non-magnetic). The hardware also has a different size Torques for the screws. The blade on the fake rust very easy. Not real S30V. Usually these fake use 440A steel.
Thanks for showing, I wonder if the scale would fit on the other, it looks like it would 👍
Top review Paddy ta be sure
Makes me proud to own genuine benchmades