Jan 22, 2020

Counterfeit pruning shears highlight fruit industry labor challenges

Anna Claire Novotny from Buttonwood Hollow Farms in Chatham, New York, has relied on Felco No. 2 secateurs for years. For her, the shears represent both craftsmanship and an essential orchard tool, making counterfeit versions a direct example of fruit industry labor challenges that threaten growers’ efficiency.

Her parents still use Felco shears from the 1970s and 1980s. Her father even gave her and her husband each a pair as wedding gifts. “They’ve been a part of my life, a symbol of good craftsmanship, and a necessary tool for us,” she said.

That’s why she was shocked when she ordered another pair online and opened the box to find a knockoff. “A counterfeit, and a poor copy at that,” she said.

Felco responds to counterfeit

Novotny isn’t alone. Ryan Amberg, Felco business development manager, said the company first heard reports of counterfeit Felco shears in late 2018. After tracking dozens of complaints, Felco launched a replacement program in 2019. The program allows growers to send in suspected counterfeits and receive genuine tools free of charge if their tools are confirmed to be fakes.

Although Felco also produces pneumatic and electric pruning shears, the most commonly copied are the classic models: the iconic Felco No. 2, the ergonomic No. 6, and agriculture favorites No. 7 and No. 8.

“Customers are often professional pruners or gardeners,” Amberg said. “They know these products are built to last, generation after generation.”

One grower from the Finger Lakes areas of New York even tattooed the Felco shears on his forearm, underscoring their importance.

How to spot fake pruning shears

Felco advises customers to check several details to avoid counterfeits, including:

• Genuine blades are attached with three pins, never screws.
• Counterfeit versions often have screw attachments and sloppy laser-cut logos with misspellings like “ELCO” or “FILCO.”
• Real tools feature a clear, deeply stamped logo in the aluminum handles.

Online marketplaces complicate the issue

E-commerce platforms complicate the counterfeiting problem. Felco worked with about 2,000 U.S. retailers, some of whom sell online.

“We do not work with Amazon directly, but we know there are retailers and wholesalers that do work with them,” Amberg said.

Felco estimates that 3,000 customers unknowingly purchased counterfeit pruners on Amazon. Stephan Kopietzki, Felco’s chief commercial officer, said the company contacted Amazon but has not resolved the issue. “Counterfeit tools continue to be sold on Amazon, even as recently as this week, and some customers have returned counterfeits only to receive a replacement counterfeit product,” he said.

Protecting growers and brand integrity

For growers, counterfeit tools add to fruit labor industry challenges, reducing efficiency and threatening long-term trust in critical equipment. Felco’s replacement program is expensive, but Amberg said it protects customer loyalty.

“It’s something we felt we had to do,” he said. “This legacy that Felco has is one of the last of its kind in the tool world to manufacture things for a lifetime. This kind of product doesn’t exist as often as it did 40 years ago. Now we have a bit of a throwaway culture in certain tool markets, and Felco really stands behind something that, you replace the blade, your replace the spring, the nut, the bolt and you keep this tool over 10, 20, even 40 years. We see this counterfeiting scenario as a direct threat to brand integrity and we want to make sure our customers know we make a long-term commitment with them.”

How growers can respond to fruit labor industry challenges

Customers who suspect they own a counterfeit tool can download a free shipping label from the website and mail the pruners to Felco. If the tool is confirmed to be fake, the company will ship a genuine replacement at no charge.

Novotny hopes the program will protect growers from poor-quality tools. “I’m a huge fan of Felco. I give them as gifts, and I recommend them to other farmers. I want these frauds stopped,” she said.

— Stephen Kloosterman, associate editor