Originally Posted by
datlas
Main tip-off was quick link looked funny. And it did not “snap” like the original one. See pic below of fake chain installed with quick link. It’s CLEARLY not Shimano.
The picture isn’t clear enough to make out the inscriptions on the quick link, and of course we cant see the other side, but it doesn’t appear to say Shimano, not does the QL, so if that’s the case, I get what what you’re saying.
At the same time, though, we’ve had 10 years of 11 speed, right, so I think it’s both reasonable and likely changes were made by Shimano to both product and packaging over that period, so that the chains are not identical is not necessarily revealing or damning.
It is also reasonable to assume there are counterfeits out there, and it’s reasonable to assume non-authorized vendors in grey and black market channels like eBay and Amazon would be the places to find those fakes.
Being up on the minutiae of Shimano chain variants over the years is super-deep geeky stuff, and while I won’t be surprised if that person is out there, I don’t know if we’ll get those definitive answers in this thread, so I think the big takeaway here is to stick to ADs (authorized dealers) and official channels when buying chains. EBay could be fine, but you’ve got to know your vendor; legit shops sell on eBay, but so counterfeiters.