To be honest, I dont...
To be honest, I dont understand why people get so worked up over good quality knock-offs. In many cases the only difference is the "official license." In fact i've found that in some instances the unlicensed "knock-offs" are better quality than their licensed counterparts.
Please provide actual examples
of the "many cases" of significantly lower-priced knockoffs that are identical in all ways (except the license) to authentic Knoll, Herman Miller, or Fritz Hansen products.
Also, please provide a partial list of the knockoffs that you've found to be of better quality than the real thing.
Well off the top of my head,...
Well off the top of my head, I'd say some of the Le Corbusier knocks offs ive come across are much better than the real deal. Also, some of the Eames 670 Lounge chairs that Alphaville made in the early 2000's were atleast as good as the real deal. They were essentially indistinguishable. Only way to tell the difference were the clips that held the cushions in place. Just as comfortable, just as cool looking and you didnt have to worry about actually using it because it was only 1/4 the price.
The Modernica shell chairs are another example, real fiberglass, same molds and much better looking than the plastic mostrosities that are actually licensed.
Well, let's see...
The Le Corbusier chairs aren't produced by any of the three manufacturers I mentioned, and "some I've come across" is hardly a specific example. I've seen some good LC2 replicas, too, though (although I've never seen a good LC4 replica), so I'll give you half a point for that one.
While it was in production, the Alphaville 670 cost nearly as much as the real deal ($2200+ as I recall, when the HM chair was just over $3K). I have no first-hand knowledge of its quality, but the rest of the Alphaville line had a reputation for fragility.
I agree with you that the fiberglass Modernica shells are nicer than the polypropylene Herman Miller shells, but wouldn't you say that the difference in materials makes them different chairs? I don't think one can be said to be a "higher quality" version of the other. And certainly you'd agree that the old shells produced by Herman Miller in fiberglass weren't lower quality than the current Modernica shells, right?
Any other examples?
I'm not trying to be argumentative, by the way.
It's just that I've hardly ever seen a knockoff that wouldn't look cheap and awful if it were placed next to the real thing, so I'm curious whenever I see a statement about attitudes toward unlicensed reproductions that uses the phrase "high quality knockoff" in its premise.
Knock-off
There was this Barcelona Chair which I assumed must have been a knock off because it had hex bolts on the sides holding the horizontal beams across the front, center and top.
It was extremely well chromed, suede was done nicely all with patches - rather than one whole piece stitched - and was very old - and we love it.
Looks great, and while it may be a knock off, the quality is extremely high. The thing weighs a ton and the chrome finish is very deep.
Can't say the same for other knock-offs I have seen of MCM chairs, but in my personal case with this chair, I am very happy.
- A.S.
fastfwd,
You're the one...
fastfwd,
You're the one that mentioned those manufacturers, I didnt.
I gave you examples that I immediately remembered experiencing first hand, which was the basis for my initial response.
tinyarmada, brings up the barcelona, again ive seen some very good copies of this chair as well. I would also throw in the wassily as I've seen atleast one exceptional copy that was just as good as the original. I've also seen a bunch of the Panton stuff copied that looks and feels exactly like the licensed stuff.
As for your comment regarding the Modernica shells, they are not different chairs. Modernica's are closer to the original than the actual licensed chair. The licensed chairs are not accurate and therefore inferior. I would also throw in Modernica's take on the Eames desk, which is much more accurately built than the Design Within Reach version.
I'm sure there are many more examples. For some reason people get caught up on labels. Fact is that even the licensed versions are nothing more than reproductions themselves. At the end of the day if you buy your furniture and use it for what its intended, who cares if it's licensed or not.
load of bs
what a load of BS.
The comment "Buying "fake" means your f..."
So I guess buying a Wassily from Knoll means your buying a fake seeing as Knoll got the Ok to make them after about 4 other people did?
What a dickhead comment.
Only a real twat would think that only the original "Is the best produced piece in the world" when clearly a custom production of just about any mass produced piece would be better quality.
Your the type they line up in taste testing blind studies that prove people are hung up on what they are told rather than what they can sense.
Real stupidity from obviously a person who knows zero about construction - other than from what they have been taught by good marketers from good furniture companies.
Dork. You wouldn't have a darn clue.
- A.S.
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