GERBER Mark II™ FAKE KNIVES

I define a "Fake" knife as one that has been intentionally made, modified or altered to deceive a prospective buyer in the hope of enhancing the knife's value.

They are designed to circumvent the adage "Buy the knife, not the story" by physical modifications that seem to authenticate the story.

Modifications include repainting a handle to a rarer color, laser etching a knife's blade with various Special Forces group identification, as well as adding patches, photos, pins, knife cases and other "extras", again in an effort to verify the story.

Some of the modifications are easily detected but others, especially laser etching, are very professionally done and use the identification of well known Special Forces groups.

The majority of the Fake knives below are from a very prolific scammer in Offenbach, Germany. There is no provenance whatsoever given in any of his Mark II knife auctions, just a lot of hype and BS.

BUYER BEWARE!

There is no 1st Delta Force. Delta is a Operational Detachment of 1st Special Forces, a special operations force of the United States Army.

This is a very early 1994 knife; Serial number is K9864S.

I'm not positive because it was sold from Belgium, but probably a resale of a Fake from Offenbach, Germany.

Note that the German word "Bataillon" is used on the knife blade rather than the English Battalion.

This is a later 1993 knife; Serial number is K8171S.

This is a Fake from Offenbach, Germany.

It used to be that scammers would just try to pass off a 20th. Anniversary knife as an original 1967 knife. But as collectors became more knowledgeable, someone altered the serial number to try to lend a false sense of legitimacy to the knife.

This is a 1986 20th Anniversary knife. There is no 20th. Anniversary etch on the blade and the serial number has been altered to make it appear to be a low serial numbered 1967 canted blade knife. The leading XX portion of the standard serial number was not stamped and two leading zeros were substituted, possibly by hand stamping.

The knife is a 1986 20th Anniversary knife with an altered non-valid serial number 000867.

I unfortunately purchased this knife believing it was a genuine 20th. Century Fox film item.

The knife is a mid 1981 knife; Serial number is 101673.

This is an early Fake from Offenbach, Germany.

In the ebay write up this knife was touted as Number 23 of 50 Aliens Commando Crew Daggers and the date code puts it back on 1985 ...... taken by the movie scouts for screen use in 1986.

The knife's serial number is not visible but "NO 23" can be seen on the hilt in the third picture.

This is a Fake from Offenbach, Germany.

It came with an arrow with a laughable description: A rare military used Highspeed Arrow. "De Oppressor Liber" Logo on the arrows shaft. Arrow features a toxic green / black camouflaged spined body, silent 3-bladed "Bone-Cutter" Steelblade Broadhead.

This is a later 1988 knife; Serial number is H1177S.

This is a Fake from Offenbach, Germany.

This knife supposedly came from a flight engineer of a Black Hawk UH-60 helicopter.

Odd red coating on one side of the blade. It looks like red layout dye, a transparent fluid that is used to coat metal to provide a glare-free, uniform color so scribes appear clear and sharp.

The knife is a early 1981 knife; Serial number is 101373.

This is a Fake from Offenbach, Germany.

Obverse is marked Swift - Silent - Deadly / 1st Recon Batallion USMC. The reverse is marked with A. G. RUSSELL KNIVES / ATLANTA BLADE SHOW 2008.

Note that the German word "Bataillon" is used on the knife blade rather than the English Battalion.

This is a 2008 knife; Serial number is 08AGN / 04146.

This is a Fake from Offenbach, Germany.

Note the blade of this knife has bar type camouflage rather than the more typical tiger stripe pattern.

This is a mid 1983 knife; Serial number is B7274S.

This is a Fake from Offenbach, Germany.

Their LOGO is a stylized "SHARK" symbolizing rapid, overwhelming engagement.

This is a mid 1980 knife; Serial number is 098059.

This is a Fake from Offenbach, Germany.

There is no FBI West Point Academy. The FBI does do Anti-Terror Training at West Point but that started much later in 2006 and isn't specific to the HRT teams. HRT training is done at the FBI Academy on the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia.

The knife is a early 1985 knife; Serial number is D0563S.

This is a Fake from Offenbach, Germany.

There is no FBI West Point Academy. The FBI does do Anti-Terror Training at West Point but that started much later in 2006 and isn't specific to the HRT teams. HRT training is done at the FBI Academy on the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia.

The knife is a very early 1981 knife; Serial number is 100917.

This is a Fake from Offenbach, Germany.

A KSK unit badge is engraved above the serial number

The knife is a mid 1998 knife; Serial number is N1880S.

This is a Fake from Offenbach, Germany.

A KSK unit badge is engraved above the serial number

This is basiclly a copy of the KSK #1 knife with the addition of the small target reticle. The knife is a mid 1998 knife Serial number is N1830S.

This is a Fake from Offenbach, Germany.

The knife is a mid 1993 knife; Serial number is K7652S.

This is a Fake from Offenbach, Germany.

Armorhide has a distinctive texture that is difficult to reproduce. If the orange handle is smooth or has a shiny surface, it is almost certainly a fake. The second picture shows a comparison of a true Orange Armorhide handle (top) and a knife handle that has been repainted orange (bottom).

Back in 2005 when I was a relatively new Mark II collector I bought this knife from another collector. I knew the sheath was wrong but still wanted the knife. When I received the knife I had no trouble telling it had been repainted. I had a difficult time getting my money back but was successful.

The knife is an early 1971 knife; Serial number is 019476.

The blade shape is similar to the initial design submitted by Bud Holzmann. (See: https://www.militarycarryknives.com/MKHISTORY/MkHistory.htm) but bears little resemblance to the intermediate design shown there. Also there is no mention of any cant on this supposed prototype.

And why would a prototype have a well used sheath?

The Serial Number is 00848. Date is unknown as the serial number is not valid.

This is simply a well done reground blade and has no connection whatsoever with Seal Team One. I had another collector tell me that he knew the knifemaker who reground the blade.

The knife is a mid 1968 knife; Serial number is 007756.

This is a Fake from Offenbach, Germany.

There are so many things wrong about this knife it's laughable. The sheath is wrong, the blade teeth are wrong, the engraving is bogus, the logo is wrong and the original alphanumeric serial number (?2162S) has been altered to 021622. The leading zero is crudely hand engraved and smaller than the other numbers and looking at the last "2" in the serial number, you can see a faint "S".

The serial number of 021622 would be mid 1972 knife but the Vertical 1 logo places this knife as no earlier than 1982.