Pam – not her real name – was discussing her husband’s fascination with Temu, the e-commerce marketplace that offers deals on everything from clothing to home goods to sporting equipment.
It’s all junk, she lamented, relaying the story of a SOG knife that broke its blade hours after coming out of the box.
But Pam’s husband didn’t really buy a SOG knife on Temu. SOG doesn’t sell on Temu. What he bought was a counterfeit – a cheaply made, illegal knockoff that Temu, originating in China, is infamous for allowing bad actors to sell on its site.
“I assume everything there is a counterfeit,” said Craig Powell, General Manager of TOPS Knives, talking about Temu, not just knives.
Consumers who purchase counterfeit knives may be proud of the money they seem to have saved, but the multi-billion-dollar counterfeit industry strips American innovators of intellectual property rights and drains billions from the domestic economy. Because these direct-to-consumer purchases bypass rigorous federal oversight, they also expose American buyers to low-quality materials and shoddy construction.
“When we’re talking about knives, counterfeits are not using correct materials and could lead to injury to the consumer,” said Jamin Horst, Brand Manager for GSM, the parent company of SOG and Cold Steel. “They use plastic where steel should be. Who knows what type of heat treatment the product has received? In no way or sense is it a quality product.”
In other words, it’s junk.
Counterfeits Here, There, Everywhere
In the world of counterfeit goods, Temu is the 800-pound gorilla. But the knife industry finds counterfeits all over the web, including eBay, Amazon, and Alibaba. Social media is also part of the problem.
“I’m not sure what others are seeing, but the main culprit for us over the last few months hasn’t been eBay, Temu, or Alibaba. It has been TikTok,” said Powell. There are a ton of videos out there that are being sponsored and promoted that are selling counterfeits. The latest trend seems to be showing footage and photos of a real knife in the post they make, but when you click the link to buy the knife they’re promoting, the pictures from then on show the counterfeit version. So what you’re seeing there is what you get, but what you see on the video beforehand is the real thing. This is the slimiest way I’ve seen people sell counterfeits to date.”
With counterfeit knives popping up on every corner of the internet, many knife companies have hired outside agencies to monitor new sites and product listings, some that look legitimate at first glance. Then comes the process of lodging complaints and getting the counterfeit sites taken down. It’s a full-time job.
Know Before Purchase
Consumers who want real knives should consider making in-person purchases at retailers or directly from the company’s website. For online shoppers, GSM’s Horst offers a couple of tells that indicate the product is a knockoff.
A price too good to be true is one red flag, said Horst, but he points out several other easy-to-spot signs, including:
- Old packaging and outdated logos.
- Metric rulers showing off the product.
- Photos of gloved hands showing the product.
- Showing an inventory of 500 or more.
- Direct shipment from China.
“Another quick thing you can do is Google the address,” said Horst. “Often it’s nothing more than a Walmart parking lot.”
Just Don’t Do It
There is a fundamental economic and ethical argument against counterfeiting, and it’s a huge issue in the knife industry and communities right now. It is also an issue that extends far beyond a single transaction or buyer.
“Sure, the buyer saves money on that one transaction, but I would argue counterfeits have a negative impact on any industry,” said Powell from TOPS. “The fact that people can and will blatantly ignore someone else’s intellectual property is damaging for society. If there is no incentive for people to create new products or design new technologies because they have no protection from someone else coming in and copying it without repercussion, then why would anyone go through the effort and expense of creating that new thing?”
Powell points out that there are unseen costs to developing a new knife. Even if there isn’t much new research or design to do, there are still costs for design, prototyping, marketing, and production.
A community that prioritizes authenticity, transparency, and supporting the original creator completely chokes out the market for fakes. When buyers educate themselves on how to spot knockoffs and refuse to make that purchase, they are not just buying a product; they are helping to finance the next wave of innovation in the industry.
“Frankly, the best defense against counterfeits is a savvy consumer who cares about where their product comes from,” said Powell. “If no one bought the fakes, there would be a lot fewer fakes out there.”
Learn more to Be Safe. Not Sorry.