Kershaw Leek

Reviewed 12/24/2014 by Mike

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

i own several leeks . i have bought them both new and used . they are great ...at first . i have a repeated issue with the screws working loose and spring assists breaking .even threadlock wont keep the screws tight for long . i am an electrician and i use my knives often. the leek cant hold up to everyday use . for somone that doesnt use them as hard they might be good enough . now i carry a griptilian , 530 or tenacious .

Reviewed 12/04/2013 by Edwin

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

One of the most useful blade designs I've owned. That said, the knife is not without problems. The steel used is brittle. Very brittle. I used this knife for daily carry and snapped the tip off the blade twice cutting zip ties. The edge was also prone to chipping. The shape of the blade is ideal for every day use, and the overall ergonomics are excellent. It fits in the pocket great and it's weight is all but unnoticeable. My only complaint is the steel the blade is made with...but for a knife, that's a HUGE complaint.

Reviewed 09/03/2013 by Chris

-Price Paid: $80.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 1 year

Comments:

Love this knife. It is just the right size for everyday carry. I bought the one with S30V steel and is has not been sharpened yet. I use for opening boxes daily and other things around the house on the weekends. I have had a Gerber and had problems with it opening in my pocket. This one has a lock to prevent that but I have never needed it. It also opens very fast and smooth. This simply just a very good knife and obviously made for everyday carry. Just buy it and don't look back.

Reviewed 08/17/2011 by Jason

-Price Paid: $79.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 1 year

Comments:

There's really not much if anything to dislike about the Leek. I bought the G-10 handled version with SV30 blade. The ergonomics are fantastic, the handle has excellent grip. I like the pointed profile of the blade and the SV30 steel has remarkable durability and holds a razor sharp edge after hard use. The spring deployment of the blade is very strong and responsive...even after repeated opening and closing. Ken Onion definately did his homework.....one of his finer productions. I've did some reading up on the production of this knife, and I've learned it's even more American than you might think. Not only is it made in the U.S.A., but the materials are practically all American as well.........

SV30 Blade Steel - (Crucible Technologies -Syracuse, New York)

G-10 fiberglass and resin (PPG Industries, Lexington,NC and Pittsburg,PA)

Spring Steel for Clip - (Nucor,Birmingham,AL)

The list goes on for the Leek and the Kershaw brand. One of the greatest patriotic companies in America. And certainly one of the most innovative.

Reviewed 05/28/2011 by geokrge knowles

-Price Paid: $79.00
-Used for Light Duty/General
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

I have the limited edition polished G-10 model with a satin finish blade. They don't make this anymore, which is a shame because the rough G-10 model with the stone washed blade looks unfinished and tacky. This is a fantastic gentlemans knife for everyday carry. The fit and finish is top notch, and the materials couldn't be better. The razor sharp blade holds an edge for a long time between touch ups. Ergonomically the knife is one of the best. Tip down carry (as most knives should be) means the index finger is right on the flipper mechanism from the moment you grasp it from your pocket, which means super fast deployment. The only minor down side is the angle of the blade is pointed down too much. With a flat cutting edge this makes it hard to cut anything on a flat surface.

Reviewed 06/08/2010 by Eric Johancen

-Price Paid: $40.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

Great overall value for money. Slim,sharp,and more durable than it looks.Kershaw also has the best serrated blades for price range in the biz. Have owned cold steel,spyderco,case,Crkt,and many others. For price and quality Kershaw Kai and Lonewolf in my humble opinion are the best value knives on the market!

Reviewed 04/07/2010 by Chris Humiston

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 6 months

Comments:

I recently picked up a Kershaw Leek for my EDC needs. I have been puting the knife to the test on the job daily. What I have found is that the Leek is a very solid knife for the price. The blade is very durable and easy to sharpen and stays sharp. I cut a variety of materials such as insulated wire, coaxial cable, tie wraps, tape, etc. and the blade holds up well. This is a spring assisted knife and it deploys very fast using only one hand. I would recommend this knife to anyone needing a nice everyday working knife and I would definately buy one again.

Reviewed 04/03/2010 by Tyler

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

I bought a kershaw leek with the composite blade as a blemish so it was expected that there would be a flaw. The only flaw I found was that the tip was slightly bent, I fixed that by sharpening it a few times.

This knife came very sharp and it is super comfy to use. Also, the composite blade looks cool! Build quality is great, phosphor bronze washers, assisted opening, speed safe, all made very well. Plus it's made in the USA!

Overall,I would buy this knife again.

Reviewed 01/17/2010 by mqqn

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

I purchased my 1660OLBLK as a blemish for $29 delivered. I was not expecting such a great blade for this price.

The knive is finished in a "dusty" black/olive handle with a black coated blade. The entire knive is "flat" as in no glossy finish here.

It feels very good in hand - very high quality feeling, with a chalky-smooth feel. The knive has a good heft without being heavy in pocket.

The model and date of manufacture are emblazoned on the blade in gold, a classy touch.

The blade is 3 inches, with a 4 inch handle. It weighs in at 3.1 oz.

My knife was just a tad loose, the three torx screws holding the handles together were not fully tight. I tuned it by tightening the handle screws and the pivot screw to my liking.

The Leek as Kershaw's "Speed-Safe" assisted opening design, with a actuator lump on the bottom of the blade that is pressed with your index finger to quickly deploy the blade with one hand. The Leek also sports ambidextrous thumb studs, which allow you to deploy the blade even more forcefully - i.e. lightning fast.

The 440C stainless steel blade is what I would call a modified Wharncliffe design that is more slender and pointed. The blade is extremely pointed, and it is very thin. One would be asking for trouble using this blade as a pry-bar, but for cutting needs it is outstanding.

The knife came sharp enough to rough shave, and with a little work on a leather stop it now is able to cleanly shave the hair on my arm. The profile of the cutting edge makes it very easy to sharpen.

The blade lock is a frame lock, and its simple elegance makes it a joy to hold and play with. The lockup is strong, and there is just the slightest lateral blade-play as I have it adjusted at the pivot screw.

There is a sliding anti-deployement lock on the butt-end of the handle on the clip side, which simply slides over the tip of the blade when closed to prevent the blade from coming open accidentally.

When I received my example, the anti-deployment slider was too loose, and it would slide to the locked position while in pocket. I cured this by tightening it down to hold it firmly in the unlocked position, as I feel it is not needed.

The clip is designed for tip-down carry only, and it allows about a half-inch of the knife to protrude from your pocket. The Leek is VERY slim, and you could easily remove the clip and carry it loose in pocket if you wanted - it would be unnoticeable.

I have been carrying it daily for about two weeks now, and I really enjoy having it around for my cutting chores.

High quality, slim, great ergonomics, decent clip, razor sharp blade, and inexpensive price make this made in the USA beauty a must have for any lover of great knives.

Reviewed 01/16/2010 by jimbo

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Other
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

one of the sharpest blades ive had come out of the box. its also the thinnest knife ive ever handled, just a little too petite for my every day liking.

Reviewed 01/07/2010 by MRP

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Light Duty/General
-Owned for 6 months

Comments:

The Leek is a really cool little knife. It is pretty compact, pretty light, and has a surprising amount of cutting power. The blade has a very slim profile, and I like the overall feel.
The knife is relatively easy to sharpen and holds an alright edge for quite a while. The knife has also stayed smooth without adjustment to the pivot over the course of time that I owned it.
Kershaw really did a nice job with the Ken Onion series knives(well Ken Onion did a nice job too). The assisted opening mechanism is great, as is the frame lock.
Overall, there really aren't many flaws with the Kershaw Leek, especially for a 50 dollar knife. As others have mentioned, it does get a little slippery when wet, but I don't find it to be a problem very often.

Reviewed 12/18/2009 by rwasham

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

This is a great knife for light duty and edc use. I got this knife quite a while ago and it makes its way into my poket quite frequently. I have the discontinued white and black anodized aluminum handled version. The handle is really slippery and not very good in wet conditions. It will slip out of your pocket if you dont keep an eye on it. Aside from that small flaw its a really great knife, I use it a lot for opening up carboard boxes. The slim blade and needle-like tip is great for piercing packaging and cardboard boxes. My only other concern about the knife is that when I purchased mine I found that the blade was warped to one side. This makes it somewhat difficult to sharpen. I feel like this was probably an isolated incident however and have handled several other versions of this knife without this flaw. Overall its a pretty nice knife.

Reviewed 12/17/2009 by Kilroy

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 1 year

Comments:

I have a Random Leek with a sheepsfoot plain stonewashed blade. I originally got it for the assisted opening and because it was US manufactured. I think it's important to support US manufacturers and jobs, and I vote with my money. The Random Leek is beautiful. It snaps open seemly instantaneously with a flick of the index finger on the flipper, making a satisfying "clack." I've never had any problems with the framelock, and it seems strong enough for anything I'll use the knife for. The blade shape seemed weird when I saw it online, but in use, it's practical. The tip is super sharp, should I ever need to stick something, and the blade has enough of a belly to be useful. The stonewash finish is pretty as well. The knife arrived razor sharp and is stupidly easy to keep that way. By far the easiest knife I've ever sharpened, and it stays sharp. The handle. The only thing I don't completly like about this knife is the steel handle. I haven't experienced any problems with it yet, but I see some big potential ones. If the knife was muddy and wet, or had some glop on it, it'd be slippery. I must add that the knife being smooth makes it super-easy to slide out of my pocket without damaging my pants. The handle could also potentially get too hot to handle if it was left in a car on a sunny day. (Which is why you always carry it on you!)The clip can be switched to tip-up or down with two torx screws, and the entire knife can easily be taken apart with the same screws. The clip does it's job well, never had a problem. I prefer really low profile clips, but most people are so oblivious, it could have lights on it and people wouldn't notice. I'd recommend this knife for EDC, there are probably better choices if you need a hard-use knife. I know I love my Random Leek far too much to abuse it. There are also damascus steel versions and limited edition leeks. Now go check one out!

Reviewed 07/26/2009 by Jeremy

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 1 year

Comments:

The Kershaw is my first "real" knife, and as such I can't give much comparison to other knives. I can however say that I have used this knife for almost a year carrying it almost every day. It holds it's edge very well and is very easy to open with one hand if needed. The knife feels a little narrow in your hand, but otherwise great and not enough so that it's a problem. I do like it better than a friends similar quality/design Buck knife and the Kershaw holds it's edge longer. The buck feels a little more comfortable because it's wider. I feel it's a great value for the money compared to the other knives I've used and discussed with other knife carriers. One thing I will warn against is that it WILL slip out of your pocket if you use the clip. I'm actually on my second one, and it almost got away too.

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