Need help authenticating a Hakko soldering station

[PeterMadach]

Cheers guys!

I've just found a legendary Hakko 936 on a local auction site, and it has a really nice price tag, but I'm wondering if its authentic or not. I've googled the 936 and the pics showed a black device box and the iron had a black handle as well, but the one I've found is more like a classic bone-white. Could this be a real thing? Unfortunately the pics are really crappy quality, and doesn't show much.

https://www.jofogas.hu/bekes/Hakko_forraszto_allomas__paka__tarto_62359316.htm?first=1

[GreyWoolfe]

It isn't easy to tell by looking at some pictures.  If the pics are close up and hi res, you can see that the letters/logo aren't quite as clear and sharp on some of the fakes.  Others are done very well.  Under the hood is where you can see the difference.  I had one but I bought mine brand new from an authorized US seller.  I will say that the case/wand on mine was black not white.  I don't know if there was color options or not.  The 936 is one of the most copied/cloned/faked Soldering Stations around.

[helius]

The original 936 and its 900S and 900L handles were originally "bone-white" as you say, later the "ESD" versions were black. I'm not entirely sure what was different about the ESD models, but IPC standards require <2ohms from the iron tip to ground. Most of the fakes seem to be based on the black model.