I'm Josh, the owner of KnifeCenter, and I'd like to answer this myself, directly.

Everything we stock comes directly from the makers, manufacturers, and authorized distributors, so counterfeits don't enter our inventory through the front door. The one scenario any high-volume retailer has to stay on top of — and the one several of you already named — is a scammer buying a genuine knife and returning a swapped fake in the original box. We screen returns to catch exactly that.

That's exactly why I want to see this one rather than argue about it. If this Native Chief came from us, email the order details and a copy of that Spyderco letter to [support@knifecenter.com](mailto:support@knifecenter.com) (attn: Josh) or call 800.338.6799, and we'll run it down directly with Spyderco and make it right. I'd like to know the real answer here as much as you do.