Maybe they bought a lot of Cabers so they could make more passable knockoffs?
It would be interesting if you could do some testing on both from Caber and from China. Brinell hardness would be one. The others I can think of is something like x-ray defraction or atomic absorption to get an idea of composition.
I bought a 381 starter cover from aliexpress a couple of years ago, because it was slightly different than the 038 and I liked it better.
When I got it - it looked ok on the outside, but the axle that holds the starter wheel was molded metal with a chrome/nikkel finish and was inserted in to the starter cover at anything else than 90 degrees, and I had to grind away in the screw holes to make it fit. Then I had a second look at the 038 starter cover that came with the Farmertec kit and the axle was machined steel inserted perfectly straight.
Its Chinese quick and dirty, but what I think Farmertec do is to select parts based on whats the best they consider any of the many chinese manufacturers can offer.
I dont think they are a factory themselves, I think they are buying large quantities from selected providers and put the parts in a "Farmertec" bag.
That is what we would call here in the west as "quality assurance" compared to what you might get at aliexpress or ebay.
You might be happy with what you get for that cost or not, but you likely get some of the best they can offer.
If the caber rings they sell as "genuine caber rings" was not, it would sooner or later be discovered - and I really dont think they would consider that "good for business". They are relying on the western market and they dont hide behind a fiction character at ebay, so that would mean law suits and a bad reputation.
And as you know; the only thing you can truly own for all eternity - is a bad reputation
