Kershaw Leek

I've owned and used this knife as an EDC for nearly four years. It's been used camping, backpacking, and everything else I needed a knife for. I even abuse it by cutting cardboard once in a while.

I also have three Benchmade knives, a Gerber fixed blade, and a Boker knife. This Kershaw doesn't hold an edge as well as the Benchmade knives, but it's fairly easy to sharpen. The blade appears to be pretty strong. Even though the tip is pretty fine, I've never had a problem with breakage, but I wouldn't try prying with it (and you shouldn't—with any knife).

The mechanisms still work well after probably thousands of actuations (it's a fun knife to just flick open—sort of addictive), and there doesn't appear to be any wear. The blade is still as tight as when I bought it, there's no wobble or indication of looseness. The black coating on my blade is pretty tough. Hardly any scratches, and no evidence that it's wearing off at all.

The size and weight are great. It's even easy to carry in lightweight dress pants. With jeans or heavier material you won't notice it at all. The only criticism I have is that the scales are smooth, and wouldn't give a great grip. The shape helps some, but for heavier use a rougher fininsh would be better. For its intended use, it's fine as made. (I use the Benchmade Mini-Rukus for heavier cutting or when I need a good grip with wet hands.)

The only issue I've ever had with the Kershaw was that the pocket clip got bent outward and wouldn't hold onto my pocket very well. (It was my fault that the clip got bent. I snagged it somehow.) I couldn't get the littler screws that hold the clip on, so I sent it to Kershaw to get a new clip installed, fully expecting a fee since I caused the problem.

I received the knife back within two weeks of mailing it out. Kershaw didn't just fix the clip; apparently they disassembled the entire knife and reworked everything! I know it got a NEW BLADE, and I suspect they also put in a NEW LINER since the lock was much tighter than when I sent it in. I'd guess that the only part of my knife that was returned was the outer scales—everything else appears to be new. The refused to charge for any of the parts or work. There's no way you can beat that kind of customer service.

Overall, a great EDC knife that will satisfy all your needs 90% of the time, but you may want something a little beefier for heavy duty use. Can't beat this knife for the price, handling, and customer service (that's worth the price of the knife by itself!).

A lightweight, low-profile pocket knife that is a perfect companion for all occasions. Very well-made, super smooth assisted opening, and really good-looking.

I was looking for a high-quality knife that I could carry everyday. Durability and functionality were tops on the list, but it needed to keep a good edge, be easy to open one-handed, and just look really nice. The search was over as soon as I laid hands on the Leek, and I now have four different designs (all stainless, blackout, Damascus, and a combo-blade).  

The knife sits very flat in your pocket, with very little bulge at all. Pulling it out and engaging the flipper causes the assisted-opening mechanism to spring the blade forward into the lock position. It’s been over a year, and it opens EVERY SINGLE TIME.... love the quality.

The blade holds an edge quite well—no complaints in that area. I’ve had many, many compliments on the knife, and everyone knows I have it—so it’s always being borrowed.

Overall, this is by far the best knife I’ve ever owned. For the money, you simply cannot find a better set-up.  

The onIy drawbacks, and I’m being really picky to find anything, are:

1. It is a little heavy if you are wearing lightweight shorts or pants
2. The screws that keep the pocket clip in place can loosen pretty easily. The clip has never come off, but if does shift around a bit
3. This is just a personal thing, but I’d like for the clip to set the knife a bit deeper in the pocket.

This is a great knife. You will not be disappointed.

Background

I have dozens of knives, and now only carry one of the four of these that I own.

I just got mine the other day, and I'm greatly impressed. I also bought a Scallion at the same time; I like it better, but that's another story.

I'm new to the world of GOOD folding knives, and the pivot has always been the weak point in the cheapo varieties I've carried before. So, by the second or third time I've flipped the blade out, I grab it (carefully!) with my other hand and start applying pressure, in every direction I can think of, push, pull, bend, twist—and NOTHING moved AT ALL. That sucker locks up like a bank vault. Very confidence-inspiring. I don't abuse knives, but this one looks like it could take some punishment if it needed to.

The biggest problem I have with mine is the finish. I've got the "stone-washed" stainless-handle model, and I find the handle too slippery. It definitely needs some gripping texture; not much, but it needs some. I'd have liked the jimping to be sharper, also, especially on the flipper. A little more surface area on the lock release.

Minor gripes aside, this is a really great knife. The handle's shape and size give a good grip for control and strength. Blade opens really easily—and very fast. Quality is top shelf throughout. Blade is extremely sharp, all the way to the tip. Nice safety features.

I've only had mine a couple weeks so I haven't really tested it yet, but so far I love it.

It deploys lightning fast, although it sometimes doesn't deploy all the way, but that doesn't happen very often.

Another thing that I love about it is it so thin you barely feel it in your pocket, and it has a reversible pocket clip which I really like 'cause when I first got it the clip was attached by the blade and U think it's kind of inconvenient that way because then you have to flip it around to hold it right. If you reverse it it's already the right way when you take it out.

When the blade is open it locks extremely solid. You can't get the blade to wiggle no mater how hard you try.

The knife has a stupid little safety on the bottom to keep it from opening accidentally, but the blade won't come out unless you open so I think that it's just a waste. It's probably just to keep Kershaw from getting sued when someone cuts themselves.

The only thing that U don't like about it is that its grip sucks. I have a lot of knives and out of all of them its grip is the worst.

It's a fun knife to play with.

My only complaint is the blade shape. It would be easy to break the tip off. But it deploys lightning fast.

Great light use knife.

This assisted opening pocket knife is great for EDC.

Love this knife. Kershaw has a great customer service and a free sharpening service for life. The tip broke, but I just sanded it down and it still works great. I have had this for many years and that's my only complaint.