Counterfeit Global Knives 　

Global knives are a popular counterfeit item. Fake are sold a through a number of channels but invariably with the same sales pitch- “Genuine knives at a discount! Direct from the manufacturer! Surplus stock but be quick, cash only”. The three most common scenarios are

• Cheap sets of Global Knives being sold on Ebay. The most popular set is a 12 piece set with a 'laptop style' carry case. Most are described as 'brand new’ but none are described as being genuine - for obvious reasons. These are more than likely fakes, they look pretty good at first glance but the blades are poor and dull within a few months
• In another example, you may have visited a trade fair or exhibition and been approached by someone offering the deal of a lifetime. The story is that I am an exhibitor and its time to pack up. We have items out of their packaging/cant be bothered to transport the knives back to the warehouse interested in these? For cash, of course.
 • Sets being sold to tourists. I recently returned from Shanghai where these 12 knife sets are being sold in markets and on the streets to tourists for around $50 US.

The products may be cheaper but for good reason- they are vastly inferior, incorporating cheap steel, poor manufacturing standards and blades that will not hold an edge for more than a couple of uses. The easiest way you can tell real Global knives is by the dimples on the handles - they should be perfectly symmetrical and evenly spaced out and not painted black - the metal itself is a darker colour. 'Global' should be laser etched (not painted) on both sides of the blade. It should be noted that Global is an EU registered trademark, despite the fact that some counterfeit products have duplicated this protected trademark. Other reproductions may be labelled with 'Global Chef' or 'Global Professional', which have no association with Global Knives although every effort has been made to pass the reproduction off as a genuine product. For peace of mind it is best to purchase your Global Knives & Accessories through an authorised stockist - they will be able to offer you not only genuine, expert advice but also the genuine product.

Additional reading
 http://www.globalknives.uk.com/counterfeit.htm
http://www.yoshikin.co.jp/w/rights/index.html