Can we really quantify the number of counterfeit tools ??

Upon reading "Heat shrink holder material composition question?" the question in the title came to mind. A while ago I read about the pair of counterfeit Mits Verniers someone had purchased. Then before buying a new set of leads for my Fluke VOM I found that there are knock offs there too (check you tube, then e-bay if you still don't believe.).
I mean it is akin to other countries counterfeiting bank notes to hasten the decline of the US economy. I swear I purchased a few others too, can't remember specifically. Blind fold me and place a Horrible freight adjustable in my left hand and a Snap-On in my right and I'll tell you the difference right quick.

What do you guys and gals think???? Should I just go back to looking for that second bullet on Dill Worth plaza or are we being defrauded by some less than honest folks? Lets hear your thoughts; I would not be opposed to doing some vids on You Tube to expose these dastardly charlatans.

This really does not reply to the question you asked but thought I'd add it to the discussion FWIW. Counterfeiting/forgery/knock-offs has been going on for centuries in many cultures. I've personal experience with fakes in Euro designer fashions, currency, art, watches (Bolova...), jewelry, and Japanese swords. I even worked with a Russian immigrant that told/showed me the work he and a crew had done in Russia faking the proof stamps of old silversmiths and jewelers to deceive the collectors. That tooling is being faked is news to me but I'm not really surprised that lower price tag items are being faked now that the marketplace is available to the global community. I do have to say that many products I've purchased directly from the manufacturer that were supposed to be made here in America have been of such poor quality that I can no longer have any real expectation of products being up to the standards of what they once were regardless of origin. The notion of QC being the final barrier between the consumer and a plethora of look-alike crap died 20 years ago as the bean counters were given the full approval to run/overlook things in the name of greater profits. I'm almost of the mind that if a product is produced in some hut with a dirt floor that can stand up to the standards of normal service then I'm almost ok with it being a counterfeit. I'm that sick of cheap crap coming from ALL companies domestic and foreign. It's a shame too, we used to build world class things here in every city across the nation. Sorry for the rant, I'll go sit down in back now.

Counterfeit tools are everywhere.

The local VW Bug club members all bought identical looking breaker bars that purported to be a known brand. Some of the guys were lucky to still be alive. Some of those breaker bars snapped into three pieces like spaghetti. The ones bought on eBay were made of really low grade steel.

The genuine ones and the fakes were made in China and had the same minor imperfection in the finish. You couldn't tell by look or feel. In some cases, I believe there is a pecking order in quality, with eBay/HF near the bottom and the genuine brand at the top.

Was just talking to a music shop owner yesterday and he was complaining about counterfeit "Gibsun" and other guitars. It's also a huge problem with electronic parts and devices. There doesn't seem to be much effort to stop it. It's a lot like fights in hockey games- if the powers that be really wanted to stop it, they could do so instantly.

You're a bit behind the times, tool knockoffs have been around for decades. I used to see some pretty nice knockoffs of Snap-on/Cman/other decent-good hand tools at car shows before the Chinese crap really became popular, a lot of folks actually thought they were stolen originals bc of the quality.

CWB said:

You're a bit behind the times, tool knockoffs have been around for decades. .

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Many decades.

My father in law was Douglas R. Starrett, who headed Starrett tools. He was at the house one time maybe thirty years ago, and I asked him why the people in the plant couldn't spell the company's name correctly. I showed him a hacksaw blade stamped STARRET (only one ending "T"). He looked at it, got excited, and wanted to know exactly where and when I had gotten it. It was an 8" carbon steel blade, and I said that it had been in my grandfather's tool box and therefore dated back to no later than the 1950's. He was relieved, and said that there had been a bunch of counterfeits on the market then, they thought from Mexico. It was also marked US, and he said Starrett always marked them USA. He did say that they weren't terribly bad blades.

Wow did not realize the scope of counterfeiting

Guess I'll crawl back under my rock now, at least I Know that is American made for all intensive purposes.

doug8cat said:

Wow did not realize the scope of counterfeiting

Guess I'll crawl back under my rock now, at least I Know that is American made for all intensive purposes.

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How about a nice Mitutogo indicator?

Mini Universal Flexible Magnetic Base Holder Stand Dial Test Indicator Tool | eBay

Ha.... Mi Tu Take Off GO far away from this kinda crap.

Unfortunetly you can't depend on a brand name being quality anymore. Everything can be "World sourced" anymore.
I used to work for a big mail order company and I was on the quality control committee. We found the reaL problem with chinese products was buying the cheapest items. We had real problems with some stuff and we found if we asked for and paid a little more we got much better quality and it would surprise you how little!! We once had some oil pressure gauges that had about a 50% return rate. They were junk. I asked and was sent cutaways of the 4 quality levels of gauges, and I picked out one that had a more robust construction and the return rate went down to 3% and the gauges only cost $.35 CENTS each MORE!!
Jeff