There are, in my recollection, a few more convinving examples of Sino-Asian forgeries which appeared about 5-10 years back of super high-end pipes. Most of these being of $10,000+ pipes. However most did not make their way into the American or European markets so we haven't had much of a chance to study them.The endless speculations about the forgery of goods by people who do not understand, and therefore appreciate, the technical aspects in play are endlessly entertaining.
I'll cut to the chase with forgery as it impacts the PipeWorld.
Pipes aren't worth enough for convincing forgeries to EXIST. The end.
Watches, paintings, sculpture, stamps, coins, and so forth certainly can be, but pipes? No.
Sotheby's and Christies don't even bother with them. Pipes don't bring in enough to be worth their time.
Which then makes clear that if someone had the ability to convincingly replicate a given high grade pipe, he'd have the necessary skills to make pipes under his own name... and make more money without risk.
Copying something to a high enough standard to fool experts is excrutiatingly exacting in every field, for technical reasons. In the PipeWorld it is literally impossible without extensive experimentation, special tools and techniques, etc. None of which are necessary when creating pipes under your own brand. Then, you can do anything you want any way you want, and charge whatever you want for it.
So. The only "forgeries" out there are of the Nigerian Scam type, which appeal to "low information" buyers.
The only exception to this are some "fake" Dunhills that are forgeries only in a technical sense. Made in the 1980's by some disgruntled shop workers who made pipes after hours and pocketed them to sell on their own. Authentic Dunhill materials, made in the Dunhill shop, and produced by legit Dunhill staffers... but they were not authorized production.
Ironically (and entertainingly), today, they are worth quite a bit more for being so. What gives them away? As much time as necessary was taken to produce them---no "assembly line style" workstation timer hurried things along---so they are BETTER specimens than normal output in telling ways. [now that's funny rat thar, don't care who yar... ]
You're spot on though.