Ganzo knives...Spyderco/BM clone

A place to list and reference all Spyderco counterfeits, clones, and replicas that are found. Anything that isn't a legitimate Spyderco fits in this area.
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TkoK83Spy
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Ganzo knives...Spyderco/BM clone

#1

Post by TkoK83Spy »

Just got into work and got an email from a friend of mine I work with. He found some knives from Ganzo, said they are pretty cheap, use 440C steel and look like Spyderco and Benchmade had a baby.

Paramilitary 2 with an Axis Lock!?!?

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15 :bug-red 's in 10 different steels
1 - Bradford Guardian 3 / Vanadis 4E Wharnie
1 - Monterey Bay Knives Slayback Flipper / ZDP 189
1 - CRK Small Sebenza 31/Macassar Ebony Inlays
1 - CRK Large Inkosi Insingo/ Black Micarta Inlays
1 - CRK Small Sebenza 31 Insingo/Magnacut

-Rick
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Larry_Mott
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Re: Ganzo knives...Spyderco/BM clone

#2

Post by Larry_Mott »

Yeah, kudos to Ganzo who manage to poop all over two known fine brands, all in one knife..
Personally i'd rather start collecting stamps instead if these were all i could get. Please don't contribute to their survival as a company!
"Life is fragile - we should take better care of each other, and ourselves - every day!"
//Eva Mott 1941 - 2019. R.I.P.
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Re: Ganzo knives...Spyderco/BM clone

#3

Post by TkoK83Spy »

Larry_Mott wrote:
Mon Jan 07, 2019 11:21 am
Yeah, kudos to Ganzo who manage to poop all over two known fine brands, all in one knife..
Personally i'd rather start collecting stamps instead if these were all i could get. Please don't contribute to their survival as a company!
Absolutely not! My friend was a bit fired up about it, as he's strictly a BM guy. Couldn't believe it when he saw that concoction.
15 :bug-red 's in 10 different steels
1 - Bradford Guardian 3 / Vanadis 4E Wharnie
1 - Monterey Bay Knives Slayback Flipper / ZDP 189
1 - CRK Small Sebenza 31/Macassar Ebony Inlays
1 - CRK Large Inkosi Insingo/ Black Micarta Inlays
1 - CRK Small Sebenza 31 Insingo/Magnacut

-Rick
BornIn1500
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Re: Ganzo knives...Spyderco/BM clone

#4

Post by BornIn1500 »

I'll admit, that Ganzo G729 (G10, not "carbon fiber") was my introduction to Spyderco. I didn't know anyone with a Spyderco knife and I was skeptical to how the hole would be for opening because it was so different from anything I ever used and I wasn't going to drop around $100 for a tool with a key feature I was unsure of. For $13 shipped I couldn't resist. Turns out the opening hole is great so now I buy Spydercos. So.... was that purchase really that bad? I assume some people never advance to buying the real thing. But for me, it's entirely the reason for getting into Spyderco in the first place.

I also have to say I think Spyderco can take note of how Ganzo chamfers the G10. It's a great improvement ergonomically instead of squared edges.
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Re: Ganzo knives...Spyderco/BM clone

#5

Post by SpyderEdgeForever »

Why doesn't Ganzo collaborate with Spyderco and get permission, perhaps licensing the blade hole from them?
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Re: Ganzo knives...Spyderco/BM clone

#6

Post by Larry_Mott »

SpyderEdgeForever wrote:
Mon Mar 04, 2019 8:46 pm
Why doesn't Ganzo collaborate with Spyderco and get permission, perhaps licensing the blade hole from them?
Just guessing here, but i wouldn't think Spyderco wants to be associated with that *[Censored] company?
"Life is fragile - we should take better care of each other, and ourselves - every day!"
//Eva Mott 1941 - 2019. R.I.P.
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Wartstein
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Re: Ganzo knives...Spyderco/BM clone

#7

Post by Wartstein »

Ganzo at least does not do exact copies (clones) of Spydercos and sell those as originals. Makes them a little "better" than real "clone-companies" in my eyes, but still NOT GOOD in any way!!

Though honestly I don´t know if they bought patents from Spyderco or have some kind of agreement with them. But I guess not.
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
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The Deacon
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Re: Ganzo knives...Spyderco/BM clone

#8

Post by The Deacon »

Wartstein wrote:
Tue Mar 05, 2019 3:24 am
Ganzo at least does not do exact copies (clones) of Spydercos and sell those as originals. Makes them a little "better" than real "clone-companies" in my eyes, but still NOT GOOD in any way!!

Though honestly I don´t know if they bought patents from Spyderco or have some kind of agreement with them. But I guess not.

FWIW, they also make an axis lock "homage" to the Stretch. :D I doubt they have any agreement with Spyderco, Shame, really, as their knives aren't half bad.
Paul
My Personal Website ---- Beginners Guide to Spyderco Collecting ---- Spydiewiki
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Re: Ganzo knives...Spyderco/BM clone

#9

Post by Larry_Mott »

The Deacon wrote:
Tue Mar 05, 2019 9:48 am
Wartstein wrote:
Tue Mar 05, 2019 3:24 am
Ganzo at least does not do exact copies (clones) of Spydercos and sell those as originals. Makes them a little "better" than real "clone-companies" in my eyes, but still NOT GOOD in any way!!

Though honestly I don´t know if they bought patents from Spyderco or have some kind of agreement with them. But I guess not.

FWIW, they also make an axis lock "homage" to the Stretch. :D I doubt they have any agreement with Spyderco, Shame, really, as their knives aren't half bad.
During a discussion on a Swedish FB group we found "homages" to God knows how many models from different manufacturers, there were "Benchmade Onslaughts" "Delicas" "Stretch" "Lionsteel" Shirogorv-ish creations.. It went on and on. They simply couldn't design their way out of a phone booth.
I have heard that they are decent knives for the money, but in my case i simply can't see myself demagnitizing my moral compass enough to buy one.
"Life is fragile - we should take better care of each other, and ourselves - every day!"
//Eva Mott 1941 - 2019. R.I.P.
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Re: Ganzo knives...Spyderco/BM clone

#10

Post by Wartstein »

Larry_Mott wrote:
Tue Mar 05, 2019 1:31 pm
The Deacon wrote:
Tue Mar 05, 2019 9:48 am
Wartstein wrote:
Tue Mar 05, 2019 3:24 am
Ganzo at least does not do exact copies (clones) of Spydercos and sell those as originals. Makes them a little "better" than real "clone-companies" in my eyes, but still NOT GOOD in any way!!

Though honestly I don´t know if they bought patents from Spyderco or have some kind of agreement with them. But I guess not.

FWIW, they also make an axis lock "homage" to the Stretch. :D I doubt they have any agreement with Spyderco, Shame, really, as their knives aren't half bad.
...but in my case i simply can't see myself demagnitizing my moral compass enough to buy one.
I feel exactly the same. But have to admit: I purchased one once, before I knew anything about the company, and very little about Spyderco and cloning, counterfeits and so on (in fact, I have liked Spyderco knives for quite some time now, but the interest in their background and history developed only later).

It's a model that looks a lot like a byrd meadowlark, and I really almost did not use it, don't know where it is and if I even still have it...
Top three going by pocket-time (update March 24):
- EDC: Endura thin red line ffg combo edge (VG10); Wayne Goddard PE (4V), Endela SE (VG10)
-Mountains/outdoors: Pac.Salt 1 SE (H1), Salt 2 SE (LC200N), and also Wayne Goddard PE (4V)
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Re: Ganzo knives...Spyderco/BM clone

#11

Post by SpyderEdgeForever »

The Deacon wrote:
Tue Mar 05, 2019 9:48 am
Wartstein wrote:
Tue Mar 05, 2019 3:24 am
Ganzo at least does not do exact copies (clones) of Spydercos and sell those as originals. Makes them a little "better" than real "clone-companies" in my eyes, but still NOT GOOD in any way!!

Though honestly I don´t know if they bought patents from Spyderco or have some kind of agreement with them. But I guess not.

FWIW, they also make an axis lock "homage" to the Stretch. :D I doubt they have any agreement with Spyderco, Shame, really, as their knives aren't half bad.
That sounds interesting and scary. What did they call that monster model?
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Re: Ganzo knives...Spyderco/BM clone

#12

Post by SpyderEdgeForever »

This also brings up a question I have: I have heard some people try to down-play the copy-making of knife and other artifact designs, by saying "Mimicry is the sincerest form of flattery" and I read on this forum that some of the Chinese companies have tried to defend their copying by claiming they are "giving honor and homage to the original maker", but, where is the line of ethics drawn, between that, and outright counterfeitting and copying of an already-existing design?
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Re: Ganzo knives...Spyderco/BM clone

#13

Post by The Deacon »

SpyderEdgeForever wrote:
Fri Mar 08, 2019 7:36 am
That sounds interesting and scary. What did they call that monster model?

They don't seem to be offering it anymore, or anything else with a Spyderhole for that matter, but they called it a G733. They also made a liner lock version called the G734.

SpyderEdgeForever wrote: This also brings up a question I have: I have heard some people try to down-play the copy-making of knife and other artifact designs, by saying "Mimicry is the sincerest form of flattery" and I read on this forum that some of the Chinese companies have tried to defend their copying by claiming they are "giving honor and homage to the original maker", but, where is the line of ethics drawn, between that, and outright counterfeiting and copying of an already-existing design?

Some things are definitely wrong, others questionable, others ok. Outright counterfeits, where everything's copied right down the the markings and packaging in an attempt to pass something off as the original, are definitely wrong. Patents should be honored, as should copyrights and trademarks. However, patents expire in a fixed amount of time and, after that, there's nothing wrong with copying a design as long as it's not being passed off as coming from the original maker. Some companies "game" the system by making minor changes to an existing design of theirs and getting a new patent for it. People will disagree on whether copying something like that is right, or wrong. Then there's the simple fact that "intellectual property" is strictly a Western concept. The Chinese don't see anything wrong with things that we in the West consider to be counterfeiting or, at the very least patent infringment. Neither did the Japanese until relatively recently. They see copying an existing item that works as logical. What we see as innovation they see as "reinventing the wheel".
Paul
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Re: Ganzo knives...Spyderco/BM clone

#14

Post by TkoK83Spy »

An update on this knife...My buddy showed it to a guy here at work that likes knives, but doesn't want to spend the kind of money we do on Benchmade or Spyderco knives. I guess he placed an order for one from some overseas distributor (gearbest) I believe he said?? It apparently showed in stock and he ordered it a few weeks ago but still hasn't received any notification of it shipping.

I'm sadly interested in seeing the quality of this knife compared to my PM2's. I can't imagine an $18 knife holding a candle to a Spyderco!
15 :bug-red 's in 10 different steels
1 - Bradford Guardian 3 / Vanadis 4E Wharnie
1 - Monterey Bay Knives Slayback Flipper / ZDP 189
1 - CRK Small Sebenza 31/Macassar Ebony Inlays
1 - CRK Large Inkosi Insingo/ Black Micarta Inlays
1 - CRK Small Sebenza 31 Insingo/Magnacut

-Rick
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Re: Ganzo knives...Spyderco/BM clone

#15

Post by The Deacon »

TkoK83Spy wrote:
Fri Mar 08, 2019 9:59 am
An update on this knife...My buddy showed it to a guy here at work that likes knives, but doesn't want to spend the kind of money we do on Benchmade or Spyderco knives. I guess he placed an order for one from some overseas distributor (gearbest) I believe he said?? It apparently showed in stock and he ordered it a few weeks ago but still hasn't received any notification of it shipping.

I'm sadly interested in seeing the quality of this knife compared to my PM2's. I can't imagine an $18 knife holding a candle to a Spyderco!

They seem to have stopped making all the Spyderco looking models although you can still find them on eBay. As for quality, it probably wouldn't match PM2 quality, but neither does a Tenacious.
Paul
My Personal Website ---- Beginners Guide to Spyderco Collecting ---- Spydiewiki
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WTC # 1458 - 1504 - 1508 - Never Forget, Never Forgive!
BornIn1500
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Re: Ganzo knives...Spyderco/BM clone

#16

Post by BornIn1500 »

The Deacon wrote:
Sat Mar 09, 2019 2:26 pm

They seem to have stopped making all the Spyderco looking models although you can still find them on eBay. As for quality, it probably wouldn't match PM2 quality, but neither does a Tenacious.

They 100% still make them. In fact, they still make the exact model shown in this thread, along with many others. Gearbest lists it as Ganzo Firebird F729 - CF. Or you can type "Ganzo" into the search bar on that site and see them all.
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Re: Ganzo knives...Spyderco/BM clone

#17

Post by BornIn1500 »

TkoK83Spy wrote:
Fri Mar 08, 2019 9:59 am
It apparently showed in stock and he ordered it a few weeks ago but still hasn't received any notification of it shipping.
I think it took around 35 days before I received mine. If your friend took the "free shipping" then it will come via unregistered air mail, so he won't get updates.
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Re: Ganzo knives...Spyderco/BM clone

#18

Post by TkoK83Spy »

BornIn1500 wrote:
Sat Mar 09, 2019 5:28 pm
TkoK83Spy wrote:
Fri Mar 08, 2019 9:59 am
It apparently showed in stock and he ordered it a few weeks ago but still hasn't received any notification of it shipping.
I think it took around 35 days before I received mine. If your friend took the "free shipping" then it will come via unregistered air mail, so he won't get updates.
Thanks for the heads up. I'll be sure to let him know, as he's a bit worried about it. It does seem a it sketchy, but that will be reassuring for him.
15 :bug-red 's in 10 different steels
1 - Bradford Guardian 3 / Vanadis 4E Wharnie
1 - Monterey Bay Knives Slayback Flipper / ZDP 189
1 - CRK Small Sebenza 31/Macassar Ebony Inlays
1 - CRK Large Inkosi Insingo/ Black Micarta Inlays
1 - CRK Small Sebenza 31 Insingo/Magnacut

-Rick
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Re: Ganzo knives...Spyderco/BM clone

#19

Post by The Deacon »

BornIn1500 wrote:
Sat Mar 09, 2019 5:25 pm
They 100% still make them. In fact, they still make the exact model shown in this thread, along with many others. Gearbest lists it as Ganzo Firebird F729 - CF. Or you can type "Ganzo" into the search bar on that site and see them all.

That dealer may still show them and may, or may not, still have them in stock. However, they don't show up on Ganzo's own website anymore, which is where I looked. I assumed that meant they were no longer offering them, but I guess they could still be making them and just not advertising the fact. Only "Spyderco-ish" knife that shows up on their site is a midlock that looks like the FRN Meadowlark, but with an oval opening hole.
Paul
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Re: Ganzo knives...Spyderco/BM clone

#20

Post by BornIn1500 »

The Deacon wrote:
Sun Mar 10, 2019 3:42 am
they don't show up on Ganzo's own website anymore, which is where I looked.
Well, that's interesting. Gearbest is also showing some as discontinued, although some other "Spyderco tributes" still show up as having hundreds in stock. Maybe they've stopped.
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