Ok all knife collectors have purchased a fake or counterfeit knife at one time or another it simply goes with the territory. Unfortunately most Counterfeits are purchased by beginner collectors who don't have the experience and don't know the basics. While there are many books out there devoted to counterfeit knives and how to spot them , it's simply not enough. After serving over 21 years in the US Military and traveling half the planet , I've made many friends in every corner including the former soviet union all of whom I'm still in contact. All of them will speak freely regarding the manufacture of Counterfeit high quality brand names like Strider , Microtech and Zero Tolerance in their countries. These knives bare the same weight , feel , blade stampings and even come with the exact same boxes, paperwork and certificates of authenticity , but they are not real. I've acutally had my hands on some pretty convincing fakes that I believe would even fool an expert. Please share your experiences to help others.