Counterfeit Gallery
Cohiba Behike
The creation of the
Cohiba Behike BHK trio of cigars in 2010 was well received around the
world. The cigars, all of them with pigtail caps, were delicious,
attractive and pricey. And the packaging was very sophisticated, which
initially kept counterfeiters at bay. The first fakes we heard about
were pigtailed cigars with standard Cohiba bands. Obviously you should
never buy these.
The
true Cohiba Behike BHK band is ornate, and designed to thwart
counterfeiters. Note the artfully lettered "BEHIKE" and "COHIBA"-each of
these words are raised in embossed type, and you can feel the texture
on the genuine band. Most counterfeits miss this step.
The real band also has
a pair of holograms. The first is within the golden Taino Indian head,
which has ridges on the inside along with a second, smaller head. This
inner head looks different from different angles, and will reflect light
in a rainbow pattern. The second hologram, which appears on this scan
as a number of small heads and the word Cohiba over and over, will also
shimmer in a rainbow pattern in the light.
Many fake cigars have
been packed in bundles, due to the exquisite detail of the Cohiba Behike
BHK box, but we have discovered a fake box that attempts to replicate
the artwork. For detailed videos showing the difference between a real
and a fake box, click here.
Counterfeit purchased in United States
This fake band misses on a few of the many details of the true Cohiba Behike BHK band. The holograms are not true holograms—the small head within the large golden head is simply pasted on and looks the same from any angle. The larger head also is missing the ridged lines, as well as the thick black border around it, and the nose is not quite right. The smaller “hologram” has the right images but not the right patina, and looks the same from every angle. The final mistake is the lack of embossed type on the words Cohiba and Behike.
Counterfeit purchased in St. Maarten
This band came off of a counterfeit Cohiba Behike BHK purchased in St. Maarten, Netherlands Antilles. It was sold in a bundle of 25 (Behikes only come in boxes of 10). Note the differences in the central profile. The nose on the Taino Indian is incorrect, and the holographic element within the profile is very grainy. The holographic security bar on the left under the word Cohiba is also very grainy and poorly transferred.
RSS