Japan had been etched out on verified C01

[Denis]

I have a C01 (early) no hole, fat and skinny scale, not beveled. One the blade side one "SPYDERCO-USA" on side two "SEKI-XXXXX". Where the XXXXXs are the word Japan has been obliterated by a grinder/dermal tool.

Is anyone familiar with this "defacing"?

[Michael Janich]

Dear Denis:

Welcome to the Spyderco Forum.

Stay safe,

Mike

[Doc Dan]

https://www.spydiewiki.com/index.php?title=C01_Worker

I am unaware of a CO1 made without a hole. If it is legit, then it would have to be a factory defect. However, I am no expert and some who know more than I will pipe in.

[Hopsbreath]

I have a C01 (early) no hole, fat and skinny scale, not beveled. One the blade side one "SPYDERCO-USA" on side two "SEKI-XXXXX". Where the XXXXXs are the word Japan has been obliterated by a grinder/dermal tool.

Is anyone familiar with this "defacing"?

Pics?

[Denis]

[spydergoat]

Not familiar. Just a guess-- maybe a previous user did it as a statement? In the 80s I think made in Japan products were still derided by some. Not to mention if the user was American and old enough to have experienced WW2 they could have really anti Japanese sentiments.

[cabfrank]

Can you post a photo of the blade without a hole? I'm curious.

[Denis]

Sorry, I was referring to no lanyard hole

[Hopsbreath]

Not familiar. Just a guess-- maybe a previous user did it as a statement? In the 80s I think made in Japan products were still derided by some. Not to mention if the user was American and old enough to have experienced WW2 they could have really anti Japanese sentiments.

[rycen]

Can you post a photo of the blade without a hole? I'm curious.

Probably means no lanyard hole

[cabfrank]

Ah ha.

[Doc Dan]

Someone just scratched out the word Japan for reasons of their own.

[Denis]

I was hoping for a response from Spyderco. US Customs has a lot of very strange rules on importations and trade marks. Since Japan was so neatly etched out I was wondering if they might have had a hand in this defacement. Customs doesn't do it but they require it be done to allow importation. I am sure the knife is early production when changes were fluid and a small batch my have run afoul of a Customs rule.

Having "USA" on one side of the blade and "Japan" on the other side made me wonder if this got Customs involved. End of Story?

[GarageBoy]

People used to deface the markings on Pentax cameras to avoid import fees or something along the lines of that

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/8-f ... ddity.html

[Denis]

Yes, they did it in Nikon as well. It was a trade mark issue with EPOI who owned the US trade mark and Customs was the enforcer.