- SpeedSafe assisted opening; Frame lock; Reversible (tip-up/tip-down) pocketclip
- Steel: Sandvik 14C28N, bead-blasted finish
- Handle: 410 stainless steel, bead-blasted finish
- Blade length: 3 in. (7.6 cm); Closed length: 4 in. (10.3 cm); Overall Length: 7 in. (17.9 cm)
- Weight: 3 oz. (85 g); Made in the USA
The Leek Knife by Kershaw. The Leek series includes some of our most popular knives. And no wonder. Kershaw's Leeks offer Ken Onion's distinctive design as well as the SpeedSafe ambidextrous assisted opening system. With SpeedSafe, the user can smoothly and easily deploy the blade with one hand, either left or right. Leeks come in a variety of handle styles, some with technologically advanced coatings for enhanced performance. For example, the bead-blasted stainless steel handle offers strength and beauty. A handle with black Tungsten DLC coating produces a Leek with a non-reflective surface. For lightweight and a one-of-a-kind look, choose our "smoked" double-anodized aluminum finish in two colors. Or choose our new Pink Leek with it's fashionable pink anodized aluminum handle, the Rainbow Leek with its titanium oxide coating that produces a highly scratch resistant, brilliant, rainbow finish. Also new in 2007 is our Random Leek with a modified Tanto blade for cutting power and chromium nitride coating for hardness and corrosion resistance. For ease of carrying, all Leeks include a reversible/removable pocket clip. FEATURES of the Leek Knife by Kershaw SpeedSafe lets you quickly and easily open the knife with a flick of the flipper A portion of the handle moves behind the blade to lock it into position during use Thumb Stud adds grip Pocket Clip lets you clip this to your pocket or whatever SPECIFICATIONS: Steel: 420HC stainless-steel Handle: 410 stainless-steel Blade Length: 3 in. (7.5 cm) Closed Length: 4 in. (10.3 cm) Weight: 3.0 oz.
By Miko
I have a lot of knives, among them Benchmade, Beretta, CRKT ... but this Ken Onion Leek may be THE sharpest knife I have ever purchased. Aside from all the other great features you will read about in these reviews (they're all true) it simply has a razor edge that is a box cutter's equal. I have been developing my knife sharpening technique with a diamond stone and a steel for years now, and I can put an amazing edge on a knife. But not quite like this - this is a true razor's edge. It starts to cut you the instant you test it.
I got my Leek because I wanted an every day carry knife with a "stay closed" safety, so it only opens when I want it to. I wear my knife hanging off a carabiner with my keys, and sometimes my old Beretta would come open when sliding into or out of my truck, for example. So I love that this has a tip safety. And for sure, the Speed Safe torsion opener is waaaaay cool. It's the closest thing to a switchblade I've ever tried.
And major kudos to Kershaw for really putting a pro edge on this blade. A "criminal edge" - because it's "sharper than the law should allow". Have fun and be careful.
I got my Leek because I wanted an every day carry knife with a "stay closed" safety, so it only opens when I want it to. I wear my knife hanging off a carabiner with my keys, and sometimes my old Beretta would come open when sliding into or out of my truck, for example. So I love that this has a tip safety. And for sure, the Speed Safe torsion opener is waaaaay cool. It's the closest thing to a switchblade I've ever tried.
And major kudos to Kershaw for really putting a pro edge on this blade. A "criminal edge" - because it's "sharper than the law should allow". Have fun and be careful.
By Douglas Terry
This is actually my second Leek. I got the first one right after they came out. I used it and the current one daily from everything from opening letters to dressing game. Finally the torsion assist got weak from thousands of openings and I returned it to the factory for replacement of the spring. I didn't want to wait 6 or 8 weeks for it's return so I went ahead and bought another one before sending the old one off. Kershaw says it's good for 10,000 openings and I'm sure I had that many on it. Anyway it's just the right size for me, light, slender and the pocket clip keeps it securely in my pocket where it's readily available. Kershaw knives are the sharpest knives I've ever owned and these are no exception. They are literally razor sharp when you get them. The assisted opening works very well. You can flip the thumb stud on the blade or press the projection of the blade on the back of the knife for easy and fast one handed opening. It's always convenient of course but especially so in working in the shop or say cutting line when fishing. One hand is tied up holding the rod, you can open the Leek with the other hand and use it. They are very well made, US made I might add and that matters to me anyway. It's a fine little knife. I carry mine 100% of the time.
For an update Kershaw replaced the knife with the broken torsion assist at no charge so I've got two of them now. DLT 8/24/09
For an update Kershaw replaced the knife with the broken torsion assist at no charge so I've got two of them now. DLT 8/24/09
By Mthompson
This is a very nice knife that is VERY sharp and is a nice handy size and is slim. If it concerns you it is very sharp and pointed at the tip. It is nice for keeping in a backpack or coat pocket for cutting up an apple or something while hunting or skiing or the like...
It has a lock on on it that you can slide into place to keep the blade from coming open in your pocket. It can be disassembled with a small torx key for cleaning if needed.
I have a few of them and have found Kershaw knives to be of very high quality.
I hope this review was helpful
It has a lock on on it that you can slide into place to keep the blade from coming open in your pocket. It can be disassembled with a small torx key for cleaning if needed.
I have a few of them and have found Kershaw knives to be of very high quality.
I hope this review was helpful
By Mopen
I love this knife. When handling and deploying blade you can feel the ruggedness of the knife. The overall build quality and material used is excellent. Blade came super sharp and Kershaw will even sharpen the blade for you at no charge. You only have to pay one way shipping to them. Feels great in the hand. I have a large hand and this knife doesn't feel awkward to hold at all. The belt clip is sturdy but has enough give to easily remove and attach to your pocket. Overall design and appeal is great. The best part is the speedsafe assisted opening. The bottom part of the blade sticks out slightly behind the handle where when you press firmly down on it the blade will deploy. The feel of this deployment is natural and sturdy. There is a safe guard located at the bottom of the handle to prevent accidentally opening the knife. I personally have had no need to use the safe guard as I feel the pressure needed for deploying the speedsafe is unique enough not to need it. But I can see certain applications where someone would need/use it.
For the money this is a great buy. This knife sits right next to my CRKT drifter as my top EDC knifes to use. I find myself using the Kershaw most of the time.
For the money this is a great buy. This knife sits right next to my CRKT drifter as my top EDC knifes to use. I find myself using the Kershaw most of the time.
By Chris
I've just received this knife so I can't review it's durability or utility yet. This review is focused solely on flipping the pocket clip since I was unable to find a review that showed the knife in both carry positions (tip-up and tip-down). The knife comes in the configuration shown in the product picture (tip-down) but I prefer to carry tip-up. Some reviews were complaining about the screws being stripped when they tried to flip the pocket clip so I was afraid there was permanent thread locker (loctite) on the threads or something.
Turns out there was no thread locker on the threads of the screws holding in the pocketclip (see pic) and they came out without striping at all. This is not to say they were loose or at risk of coming out on their own. Turns out if you RTFM (pic included) the screws holding the pocket clip are a T6 (a torx bit, NOT AN ALLEN/HEX WRENCH). The manual goes even further to say that if you attempt to use an Allen wrench that it will strip the screws. I have to assume the instances of these screws being stripped are all due to user error.
The knife rides higher out of the pocket in the tip-up configuration and I've included photos of each and the disassembled pieces. The gap in the frame/liner lock is visible if you switch the clip to carry tip-up. Also the open end of the pocket clip is much closer to the end of the knife in the tip-up configuration, making it slightly more difficult to slide the material of your pocket into the clip. Non of these are deal breakers and I will continue to carry it tip-up but I wanted to share it all with you in case you were considering turning the clip around as well.
Turns out there was no thread locker on the threads of the screws holding in the pocketclip (see pic) and they came out without striping at all. This is not to say they were loose or at risk of coming out on their own. Turns out if you RTFM (pic included) the screws holding the pocket clip are a T6 (a torx bit, NOT AN ALLEN/HEX WRENCH). The manual goes even further to say that if you attempt to use an Allen wrench that it will strip the screws. I have to assume the instances of these screws being stripped are all due to user error.
The knife rides higher out of the pocket in the tip-up configuration and I've included photos of each and the disassembled pieces. The gap in the frame/liner lock is visible if you switch the clip to carry tip-up. Also the open end of the pocket clip is much closer to the end of the knife in the tip-up configuration, making it slightly more difficult to slide the material of your pocket into the clip. Non of these are deal breakers and I will continue to carry it tip-up but I wanted to share it all with you in case you were considering turning the clip around as well.
By K. Huber
BEST KNIFE EVER! I love this knife, I needed an everyday carry & this is it. Sharp as shlt, check. Nice looking, check. My new fav, check. Fastest draw I've ever seen & a smoking deal!!$$$. You can adjust the clip to carry on any pocket. I keep mine on the front left. It does not get in the way.
There is s cheap plastic guard to prevent it from opening. It is cheap & broke for no reason the first day I got my knife. I returned & had a new one 3 days later. I've had my new one for 2 months now with no issues. I do not keep the safety on, but sometimes it slips up. I guess I could remove it, but it is not a big deal. This knife, for the price, is the best you are going to find.
If you like knives, just buy it. You will not be disappointed. Made in the USA!!!
There is s cheap plastic guard to prevent it from opening. It is cheap & broke for no reason the first day I got my knife. I returned & had a new one 3 days later. I've had my new one for 2 months now with no issues. I do not keep the safety on, but sometimes it slips up. I guess I could remove it, but it is not a big deal. This knife, for the price, is the best you are going to find.
If you like knives, just buy it. You will not be disappointed. Made in the USA!!!
By David R. Todd
Very well made knife, and is thin enough for the front pocket. Sharp and easy to open and close with one hand. Just be sure it is completely closed before you return it to your pocket, Because of the torsion spring, it does not SNAP shut like old style pocket knives. The tip may stick out of the handle just enough to cut you. Great price at Amazon - will order several for gifts.
By P. C. Burger
Not much else to say. This is my first Kershaw knife and I am very impressed with its design and function. I own other "assisted-opening" knives and this one performs as well as a knife costing three times as much. Unlike other knives I own, the thin profile of this one makes it easy to clip to the inside of a pants pocket without feeling it against your hip. Overall, a great knife that will serve a buyer well for years to come.
By BenL
I had a Volt 2 for several years and loved it. However, it was a little bulky, in my opinion, for pocket carry every day.
This is about the same length, but it is much slimmer. Hardly noticeable in the pocket.
Blade is SHARP from the factory. Easily take hair off your arm.
Action is very quick and smooth. Sharp looking. Good size for a full hand grip
Very reasonable for ~$40. I'm sure it will hold up well like the other Kershaw products I've had.
This is about the same length, but it is much slimmer. Hardly noticeable in the pocket.
Blade is SHARP from the factory. Easily take hair off your arm.
Action is very quick and smooth. Sharp looking. Good size for a full hand grip
Very reasonable for ~$40. I'm sure it will hold up well like the other Kershaw products I've had.
By Pachyderm
Old knife tech, nothing new here.
But it is still one of the highest selling folding knives you can find today at this price point.
Kershaw sells knives made in various Asian countries for the most part, but they have a number that are made here in the US. (Portland, Oregon, I think.) The Leek is one of these knives, and the quality of build is excellent. Unlike many reviewers here, I do not buy a knife to nervously flip open and closed all day long while trying desperately to look tough to all the other kids in my high school. I actually *use* my EDC as it was intended. I have *never* had the safety slider break on one of these, and I have owned about ten over the past decade and a half. Mine have never broken, not even the supposedly fragile tip. I guess grown-ups don't misuse or intentionally abuse our tools?
I have owned so many because I keep losing them out in the field or loaning them out to co-workers, so I have to go buy new ones every year or so. I still have the first one I bought back in the 1990s. It is still quite sharp. I have had to resharpen it maybe four times over the years. I have used it a lot, too. The spring mechanism has never failed, there is still no side-to-side play in the blade, the safety tip lock slider still works perfectly. I have used this knife a LOT since I bought it (in 1999?). It lives in my rolling tool chest in my shop at home. I guess that is why I have never lost it by loaning it out - I do not ever carry that one on me.
The Sandvik 13C26 stainless steel blade is very thin/narrow, and that alloy can give you an edge that can be rolled if it is as thin as the Kershaw/Ken Onion blade shape. I have rolled parts of my blade edges in the past, but it always sharpens out. If you do not use this knife for tasks meant for other tools you will not roll the edge.
Tips can be snapped off, I hear, but when I see how I just laugh at the stupidity of the person who did it. What were they thinking when they did that to a $40 pocket knife? IT IS NEITHER A HATCHET, NOR A HAMMER, NOR A DRILL, STUPID! DOH! (I guess some people need to have their hands held in order to cope with real life.)
This knife is decent for a lefty like me, so I have stayed with it since I first discovered it. The design works well in the left hand, the only thing I dislike is that the blade LOCK is still for a right-handed person, and only a right-handed person would not get how that is. A left-handed lock would be on the other side. DOH x 2!
The Sandvik 13C26 stainless alloy is easy to sharpen and it holds a keen edge through a lot of use.
There are a lot of variants of this knife put out by Kershaw over the years. Seeing how it is an excellent pocket knife, is affordable and comes with many variations it is a popular knife to collect. I do not collect them. I just use them; then I lose them, heh, heh...
Highly recommended!
But it is still one of the highest selling folding knives you can find today at this price point.
Kershaw sells knives made in various Asian countries for the most part, but they have a number that are made here in the US. (Portland, Oregon, I think.) The Leek is one of these knives, and the quality of build is excellent. Unlike many reviewers here, I do not buy a knife to nervously flip open and closed all day long while trying desperately to look tough to all the other kids in my high school. I actually *use* my EDC as it was intended. I have *never* had the safety slider break on one of these, and I have owned about ten over the past decade and a half. Mine have never broken, not even the supposedly fragile tip. I guess grown-ups don't misuse or intentionally abuse our tools?
I have owned so many because I keep losing them out in the field or loaning them out to co-workers, so I have to go buy new ones every year or so. I still have the first one I bought back in the 1990s. It is still quite sharp. I have had to resharpen it maybe four times over the years. I have used it a lot, too. The spring mechanism has never failed, there is still no side-to-side play in the blade, the safety tip lock slider still works perfectly. I have used this knife a LOT since I bought it (in 1999?). It lives in my rolling tool chest in my shop at home. I guess that is why I have never lost it by loaning it out - I do not ever carry that one on me.
The Sandvik 13C26 stainless steel blade is very thin/narrow, and that alloy can give you an edge that can be rolled if it is as thin as the Kershaw/Ken Onion blade shape. I have rolled parts of my blade edges in the past, but it always sharpens out. If you do not use this knife for tasks meant for other tools you will not roll the edge.
Tips can be snapped off, I hear, but when I see how I just laugh at the stupidity of the person who did it. What were they thinking when they did that to a $40 pocket knife? IT IS NEITHER A HATCHET, NOR A HAMMER, NOR A DRILL, STUPID! DOH! (I guess some people need to have their hands held in order to cope with real life.)
This knife is decent for a lefty like me, so I have stayed with it since I first discovered it. The design works well in the left hand, the only thing I dislike is that the blade LOCK is still for a right-handed person, and only a right-handed person would not get how that is. A left-handed lock would be on the other side. DOH x 2!
The Sandvik 13C26 stainless alloy is easy to sharpen and it holds a keen edge through a lot of use.
There are a lot of variants of this knife put out by Kershaw over the years. Seeing how it is an excellent pocket knife, is affordable and comes with many variations it is a popular knife to collect. I do not collect them. I just use them; then I lose them, heh, heh...
Highly recommended!
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