Spyderco Forums

Hi all,
Need some help.
Browsing the network I found an interesting Spyderco knife.
The seller claims it to be the Police Prototype.
I can't say if it genuine or not, because I've never seen fonts and numbers like that used on Spyderco knives.
Here are the pics the seller sent:




What do you think?

Thanks

It isn't "the" prototype, the bevelled handle edges and lock location are second generation. I can't make out the tang mark well enough to read the steel type, but it doesn't look like any of the stamps I have seen. It looks like ATS 218, which I've never even heard of. Unless Sal himself chimes in, I'd say fake.

I'd agree that the Y in Spyderco does look like the wrong font. I'm no expert on early versions, though.

I wouldn't call myself an expert either, but I do have a few, and none of them are marked like that.

Stamping doesn't look familiar, but it appears to be legit otherwise... Sal??... :o

My point exactly.
The knife looks legit, I don't think someone would fake it, but the stamping is so unusual for a Spyderco.

Space wrote:My point exactly.
The knife looks legit, I don't think someone would fake it, but the stamping is so unusual for a Spyderco.

Considering how active Sal is on the forums it'll only be a matter of time before he chimes in and sheds some light on this knife. Could very well be some sort of prototype.
I can't imagine someone going to such lengths to fake a Police without it having the regular markings and without it being a notorious fake.

Seems like a good score to me, but we'll have to find out what the verdict is from Sal or someone else that's more familiar with this model than we are...

I suppose someone could have taken one of the sterile pieces I've heard of but never seen and engraved those markings on it themselves. That would make it a genuine Spyderco, but I wouldn't call it legitimate. My search engines couldn't find ATS 216 or ATS 218 anywhere, even as a failed experiment. I have seen that font on Chinese fakes, and I've seen CPM H1 on Chinese fakes, so ATS 218 in that font makes me think fake.

It is possible but in my opinion is really unprobable.
Why do it? What is the purpose?
The seller has a good reputation, so I am still in the dark about this.

I"ve had several POLICE models over the years and I have to agree with what these first 3 guys said for the most part. On the surface it looks like a Spyder but the steel type, lettering and just the way the thing looks on the profile doesn't pass the smell test for me.

It's possible that it could be an obscure prototype but depending on where and how you got it would tell us a lot. I"ve talked to two of my old time knife dealer friends in the past two months and they both tell me that the counterfeits are getting very close in resemblence to the real McCoy models.

That's one reason I pretty much avoid Ebay anymore and I'm very picky who I buy from everywhere else. It's getting to be a minefield out there.