Hockey Jerseys - Authentic vs Counterfeit

[diagfplz]

The Goal

The goal of this thread is to provide a simple pictorial explanation of a real authentic RBK edge jersey compared to various counterfeit jerseys that floods both eBay and craigslist.

The Purpose

The purpose of this thread is to prevent people from being duped into buying a simply obtainable $40 knockoff at an outrageous amount. If you're someone who knowingly purchase knockoffs because they're cheaper, then by all means knock yourself out. I don't expect to change your mind.

Fake or Real?

A simple way of identifying whether the seller is peddling a knockoff or actually selling an authentic jersey? The old saying rings true here: If its too good to be true, than it probably is. You wouldn't expect to buy a $100,000 super car brand new for $40,000, what makes you think a $300 jersey can be had for $120?

Keep in mind, RBK sets the price of licensed retailers to sell authentic Edge jerseys at a minimum of $299. While you can find sale prices at below that price, especially online at reputable sellers, they normally don't go below $249. This does not include tax or shipping or customs fee if its coming from the states. Most Canadian stores don't carry RBK edge jerseys because of their high retail price, but they can order it for you. The ones that do, such as Authentix at GM place, tend to mark the prices up even higher. I believe a blank RBK edge jersey goes for $329.99 at Authentix and $419.99 customized (just figures I remember seeing, may be off by a bit)

If the seller tells you he has a contact or he knows a guy, hes selling counterfeits. If the seller gives you a wide variety of options to pick from between sizes and various star players, yup counterfeits.

The pictures

Just something for you guys to compare for yourselves. Disregard the C on the knockoff. Luongo doesn't wear a C on his jersey, but you can easily request yours to be customized that way on a legitimate authentic jersey. Pay attention to how flat the knockoff jersey lays at the shoulder patch area though.

At a glance, the #1 on the back looks to be too narrow and short, and the name is crunched together and not aligned. I suspect the name is mere individual differences on knockoffs. Some might come out great, some might not. But the font seems fine, passable.

Close up comparison. Note the computerized/machine stitching on the knockoff.

Note the fake jersey's machine-like stitching and the material compared to the authentic.

Look closely at the NHL logo. Besides the differences there, the RBK collar tag appears to be completely accurate on this knockoff. While the watermark is not included in the pic of the knockoff, the RBK should be clearly visible.

The shoulder patch on this knockoff is actually surprisingly well done. (Picture taken from Luongo knockoff. The one on the Henrik jersey is not that good) But if you look at the real authentic jersey, notice how it is embroidered like the front crest and then sewn on like a patch. Note the thickness, and how it simply will not lay flat short of you making a massive fold in the middle.

The key here is the white ID tag. So far I have yet to seen a knock off with one of these tags, but its a simple piece of paper that can easily be faked. Theres probably details on the black RBK tags that are not correct on the knockoffs too, but short of you having the pictures with you to compare on the spot, the easiest method is to avoid any RBK edge jersey without this white tag for the time being.

The shoulder patches on this one is horrible. Appears to be screen printed on plastic and then sewn on like you would find on a premier jersey. The RBK necktag differences may just be a jersey made this year as oppose to last year. My authentic 3rd looks like that too. However, notice how they have the MY NHL tag folded on the sleeve? Thats to hide a stitched on RBK logo like this which is only found on RBK premier jerseys.

The fightstrap on this knockoff actually looks surprisingly accurate. However, the picture was taken in such a way by the seller that it does not show the piece of twill that holds the strap in place. This piece of twill on the knockoffs tend to be barely wide enough with maybe a couple of millimeters on each side of the strap whereas the real authentic jerseys have a nice big piece of twill. Also, there is a tendency for the actual fightstraps to be too narrow on the knockoffs with buttons that don't match up exactly to the authentics.

Some other methods

There is a "stretch" test that you can try out on the jersey in person. This is very hard to describe, but I'm going to try. A legitimate RBK edge jersey is very stretchy, as in you can pull on it with both of your hands and you can see it expand. This is best done on the front of the jersey near the crest. I suggest trying it the next time you go down to GM place. Compare how an authentic jersey feels when you stretch it, to how a premier jersey feels. Knockoffs will feel like premier jerseys/normal cloth in that it doesnt really stretch, and if you pull it a tad too hard, it'll rip (try not to rip the jerseys at authentix, they might make you buy it!)

Size 48. If the seller tells you his jersey is a size 48-Large, avoid it/him like the plague! RBK Edge jerseys do not come in size 48. They come in 46, 50, 52, 54, 56, 60

Computer Generated Image? Probably fake. Ask for pictures. But its probably fake so gauge for yourself how much time you want to spend on this guy.

General concluding thoughts... I'm actually very surprised at how much the fakes have improved over the course of a year or two. When the knockoff edge jerseys first came out, they were so blatantly bad. Wrong collar tags, wrong emblems, wrong font, heck, even wrong colours. But now looking at that Luongo or Henrik, if I wasn't a jerseynut, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference from pictures alone. Sure each jersey has its own inaccuracies (likely because they came from different factories) but its scary how far they've gone from the days of the Korean knockoffs

Well, I hope this helps! If you guys have any questions or want me to take additional pictures, let me know and I'll get around to it. Though keep in mind, I don't actually own a knockoff jersey so I'm just scowering the internet for pictures to compare.

[Miss Korea Bob.Loblaw]

Yeah, but the faker it gets, the cheaper it is, right?

What I want is a nice, cheap fake jersey that's expendable. One that I don't have to worry about it getting dirty or whatever.

I already have a signed Burrows jersey, chill out. It's just too valuable for me to wear it around regularly.

[TheGreenBastardTPB]

I bought those $130 Road and Home jerseys from NHL.com.....

BTW

FAQs

Q: Counterfeit jerseys don’t cost much, why should I care whether it’s real of fake?

A: Purchasing a counterfeit jersey may support unlawful labor conditions and organized crime. In addition, counterfeit jerseys are of poor quality and not very durable.

Q: Where does Reebok manufacturer its NHL jerseys?

A: Reebok manufacturers all of its authentic jerseys in Saint-Hyacinth, Quebec. Reebok’s replica jerseys are currently produced overseas in Indonesia. Both Reebok and its parent company, The adidas Group, pride themselves on being socially responsible. They only employ factories which meet strict, internationally recognized labor standards. Unfortunately, more often than not, labor regulation does not exist in the Chinese factories producing counterfeit jerseys.

Q: What’s the difference between an authentic and replica jersey from Reebok?

A: Authentic jerseys are made to the same specifications, and with the same materials, as those worn by NHL players on the ice. Reebok’s authentic jersey features (1) stretch fabric in the collar with PLAYDRY™ moisture management technology to maximize comfort, breathability and temperature control, (2) 4Way Stretch Mesh in areas including the underarms and back to provide additional range of motion and increased ventilation, (3) Reebok’s innovative BEAD AWAY™ water repellent technology, and (4) X-trafil incorporated into high-abrasion areas such as the shoulders and elbows to provide increased durability. While Reebok’s replica jersey does not include all the same performance traits of the authentic, it is made of high-quality 2Way Stretch performance material. Reebok often refers to the replica jersey as its Premier Jersey. Although, it does not have a fight strap, the quality of Reebok’s replica jersey is far superior to that of any counterfeit jersey currently on the market. Not only will Reebok’s replica jersey last longer, but it will stand up to the rigors of competitive garage leagues and is great for recreational hockey.

Q: What is a fight strap?

A: Also called a tie-down, it is a white strap that is sewn to the lower back of an authentic jersey. It is made to be looped through a strap hockey pants outer shell, and fastened with a pressure button and very rigid Velcro. The fight strap is intended to prevent the jersey from being pulled over a player’s head.

A “real” fight strap is first sewn onto a piece of solid twill and then sewn onto the jersey. The thread marks are noticeable on the outside lower back of the jersey and are always centered and symmetrical. This is not the case with most fake jerseys. Standard measurements are 10 inches long and 2 inches wide. Most fake jerseys come with a fight strap to trick the consumer into thinking it’s an authentic jersey.

Q: What is the Reebok water test?

A: All authentic jerseys feature Reebok’s innovative BEAD AWAY™ water repellent technology. Try pouring water onto the front of the jersey. If the water falls off the jersey, it’s real. However, if the water is absorbed into the fabric, it’s fake. Replica jerseys do not feature this technology.

[diagfplz]

^yah I actually made this post after seeing that one. I just dont have the luxury of taking precise pictures. Although some of the stuff they've pointed out differs too, such as that hologram. You'll find a wide ranging appearances of that hologram on knockoffs just like the black myNHL tag, hence why I went straight to that white ID tag. The ID tag is also an identifier for edge 1.0 or 2.0 jerseys, but thats not exactly part of this discussion.

http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=62048

http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=62049

That sticker they pointed out in #10 isn't correct btw. I have both RBK premier AND RBK edge jerseys that do not have that sticker. In fact, I only have one jersey that has some variation of a sticker like that and the jersey originated from Philips Arena, so my guess is that its a retailer barcode sticker that is added by the stores

[ShootOut4]

Only thing I could think to add right now is that the store at GM Place isn't called Authentix anymore... its the Canucks Team Store.

[Harvey Specter]

Well put together.

[Steve Danger]

All counterfeit Canucks jerseys are terrible quality. Other counterfeits are quite good, such as some of the counterfeit Team Canada Olympic jerseys from this year.

[diagfplz]

Only thing I could think to add right now is that the store at GM Place isn't called Authentix anymore... its the Canucks Team Store.

[Steve Danger]

The authentic team Canada jerseys are made of an entirely different animal so I cant really comment on that. I can only tell you that the counterfeits wont come anywhere near what the real ones would feel like

[FinFan]

I'd totally buy that $40 knockoff over a $400+ authentic.

Great thread though, I'm sure this will help out a lot of people.

[Luongo_owns_your_soul]

yeah,the Burrows one I have is a knockoff, but I got what I paid for. It's not that bad really, the only thing bad about it is the number, the crease like mad compared to the authentic jerseys.

[MegaNuck]

You can spot those fake ones from a mile away. The colors are WAY off for the Canuck ones. I see alot of them at Canuck games.

[Rypien's Left Fist]

Good post I've been trying to help many people out on here as possible via messages, the knock off you show is actually slightly better than most some have the wrong shaped and size orca and wrong font for the c in Vancouver doesn't have the top or bottom tail to it if that makes sense.

Edges also do come in a 58 but not to sure if they made it to retial levels or if just for game issued / game used.

What everyone has to remember by buying a fake all you are doing are making the slave masters richer who own and controls their slaves, when the slaves are ill and can't work they get replaced leaving them to suffer horrible conditions and certain death, diseases are common place in the sweet shops, poor or even lack of food, paid an absolute pittance, many of the workers are sold about from one sweet shop to another or even worse some end up going on into the sex slave industry such as child prostitution!

Come on people please only buy genuine jerseys and if you can't afford one just yet save for longer like the good old days, what's with the I must have it now culture we all seem to live in these days, don't you care anymore? if you buy a fake you are just a part of this industry and you all should be ashamed of yourselves by supporting it!

[YVR Canucks]

Everyone should buy counter fits.

If everyone wears them, then you won't feel left out.

[Steve Danger]

Haha, counter fits.

[diagfplz]

Good post I've been trying to help many people out on here as possible via messages, the knock off you show is actually slightly better than most some have the wrong shaped and size orca and wrong font for the c in Vancouver doesn't have the top or bottom tail to it if that makes sense.

Edges also do come in a 58 but not to sure if they made it to retial levels or if just for game issued / game used.

What everyone has to remember by buying a fake all you are doing are making the slave masters richer who own and controls their slaves, when the slaves are ill and can't work they get replaced leaving them to suffer horrible conditions and certain death, diseases are common place in the sweet shops, poor or even lack of food, paid an absolute pittance, many of the workers are sold about from one sweet shop to another or even worse some end up going on into the sex slave industry such as child prostitution!

Come on people please only buy genuine jerseys and if you can't afford one just yet save for longer like the good old days, what's with the I must have it now culture we all seem to live in these days, don't you care anymore? if you buy a fake you are just a part of this industry and you all should be ashamed of yourselves by supporting it!

[diagfplz]

oh and I think 58 might be just gamers, but I'm not 100% sure about that either.

[Rypien's Left Fist]

Yah, I was actually super surprised at how good those two are. If the shoulder patches on the Henrik are the ones from the Luongo, that'd be very hard to tell apart from pictures alone. I'm sure it'll fool just about all but the most careful collectors

The part about the slave owners and bit is overblown I think. I've read articles in the US south linking counterfeit jerseys (NFL/MLB mostly there) with terrorism when reality, its just another leech business like knockoff brand name stuff like coach or LV. They set up machines to mass produce going for efficiency over accuracy so of course, it is expected that their products have lower quality of detail. The variation between those two knockoffs I picked as examples, as well as the older ones where the colours or fonts are wayyyy off, pretty much demonstrates that theres several sources of jerseys being made, then distributed to middle distributors that put it online for sale in China. The last step is of course, people locally who purchase them and then resell at monster profits. These guys take the highest risks to being prosecuted too. Think drug trade, except the officials aren't cracking down at the growers and the street level guys dont have a boss that takes all their profits.

[diagfplz]

Actually it's not over blown here in the UK there have been quite a few hidden camera shows programs on the BBC and such like that go behind the scenes of sweat shops from India right through to China that make knock off goods from those of RBK, Nike all the way through to the likes of Burberry, DKNY etc. Most cases the people wanting to make cheap goods go to India as it's cheaper for them to do the work but then in turn the middle men in India out source to Thailand, China etc. as it's even cheaper, so the middle man makes even more money, many call centres have been at the brunt of this too as they thought they had out sourced to India only to find out India has passed it on to a 3rd party hence why some people have been at the receiving end of money disappearing from bank accounts, private details sold on etc., but going back to these hidden camera programs they also highlight that many of the kids caught up int his are indeed shipped around to the cheapest bidder for work and some slip through the gaps into the child sex slave industry, others are just thrown out onto the streets if they become too ill to , same goes for some of the adults too when they have out lived their use and are too tired to work.

As I say people buying knock offs should really give their heads a shake that they are support all of the above.

[Steve_Nash]

I would never be caught dead wearing a fake jersey, looks like crap lol.