How to Spot Fake Konad Nail Stamping Products

The Konad system of nail art stamping and the many products used in this process are collectively the hottest new thing in contemporary nail art technology. However, before you jump on the Konad bandwagon, there is one thing that you should be aware of. Many companies based in China are currently marketing poorly crafted knock-offs of Konad's line of products which, although visually similar to Konad, produce inferior results. If you want to offer genuine Konad results to your clients, you need to be able to avoid these knock-offs. In this article, I'll show you how to tell the difference between these shoddy fakes and the genuine article.

(By the way – in our store we sell only genuine Konad products. So if you are worried that you might have trouble telling the difference, you can always avoid problems by buying directly from “Viva La Nails”. I've tried both products myself and know from experience that only the real Konad system is worth spending money on.)

Scraper - the first item that you can look at to see if you are getting a genuine Konad product is the scraper. Notice how the Konad scraper on the left has the brand name printed clearly on the front and is of a slightly darker colour than the fake on the right. You can also tell the difference by the spacing of the holes on the scraper edge. The real product has evenly spaced holes while the fake does not.

The genuine Konad scraper features a straight and precise metal blade which leaves no excess nail polish on the plate.

Stamper - the original Konad stamper is somewhat hard to differentiate from the fake. However, if you look closely, you will notice that the Konad stamper has a slightly darker coloured surface. This results from using a higher quality material.

Image Plates - the difference in quality between the stamping plates is the number one problem with using fake Konad products. Fake plates are made using an inferior crafting method, resulting in imperfect designs.

The Konad plate (pictured on the left) was made using a precise advanced laser etching technology. As you can see, the fake image plate was created using an inferior laser technique, resulting in rough edges and inferior performance.

Fake Konad image plates have a dangerous sharp edge around the sides, again resulting from poor manufacturing. The producers of Genuine Konad products smooth the edges to prevent the possibility of injury.

Special Nail Polish - real Konad nail polish has a higher viscosity than regular nail polish or fake Konad nail polish. This results in a smoother application. Fake Konad polish also tends to come in duller, less vibrant colours, making it easy to spot.

Hologram - finally, the easiest way to differentiate real Konad products from the fakes is the Konad hologram, which you can see here. In it you can see a textured array of flowers and the Konad brand name. Fakes will lack this identifying marker.

The Result

The difference between the results that you can achieve with Konad and the results you can expect with a fake is obvious. Notice how the Konad nail art (on the left) is so much sharper and clearer than the fake Konad nail art (shown on the right). If you want your clients to be happy with their nails, by all means, make sure that you only purchase genuine Konad products.