Kershaw Leek, BlackWash Pocket Knife (1660BLKW); 3 Sandvik 14C28N Steel Blade, 410 Stainless Steel Handle, BlackWash Finish, SpeedSafe Assisted Open, Frame and Tip Locks, Reversible Pocketclip; 3 OZ

Aerik ArkadianUnited States

Great compact knife!

I got this knife two days ago, so while I can't comment on longevity, I can say that I have really been enjoying it so far. For such a small, thin knife, it does have some heft. Overall, it just feels like a quality product, so let me address a few things. To start out with, it's really sharp. I got the non-serrated version because I have too many half serrated blades. It's probably the sharpest knife I have, but remember - because of it's size, it doesn't carry a lot of weight behind it, so some of my heavier and slightly duller knives seem to cut things easier sometimes. It is VERY compact. It is without a doubt the thinnest folding knife that I own, and this makes it sit very comfortably on my belt. The belt clip is sturdy and works as it should... (you may wonder how a company can screw up something as simple as a belt clip, but believe me I've had terrible belt clips - so I can safely say this one is GOOD) it is apparently removable with a small torque bit screwdriver, but I wouldn't remove it personally. I do like the fact that it's all one color. Some people may find it to be "plain." As I said, the knife is COMPACT. People with larger hands may have trouble holding it. My hands are regular size and the knife feels small, but that's okay because I wanted a small knife. The thumb buttons (on either side of the blade, when you're holding the knife you use these to help swing the blade out) are almost impossible to use. It might sound strange, but in order for me to grip the knife in a way in which I can use them puts the side of my palm over the area that the blade tip swings out across. Bottom line, I can't use them, and unless you have tiny hands, you won't be able to either. They're also positioned really close to the body of the knife so there's not a lot of room to wedge your thumb on it to begin with. The only reason that this wasn't a deal-breaker for me is because of the excellent "assisted" opening mechanism. While holding the knife, you press on the top of the handle, behind the blade, and this pushes the blade out. There's a spring inside, so once you give it a little force, it takes care of the rest. This opens very quickly and easily, although I might want a little more tension in the spring. The downside of this function is that it makes it harder to close, but not too much to be an issue. I REQUIRE TWO HANDS TO COMFORTABLY CLOSE THIS KNIFE. Most knifes I can easily close with one. This is a little bit frustrating... although it comes out quick and easy, it's a little tough to put it back in. (that's what she said?) There is a "safety" ... which is a little plastic bar inside that you can slide back and forth to hold the knife in locked position. This is pretty necessary... you don't want this thing going off in your pocket. The mechanism that locks the knife in place (when open) is a little different on this knife. Most folding knifes have a little strip of bent metal running through the middle (but beside the blade), when you open the blade, the strip clicks over underneath the bottom of the blade, locking it in place. The Kershaw uses the entire side of the knife to do this, instead of adding an addition piece. It's kind of hard to see because it's under the belt clip... you might not be able to tell from the pictures. This seems like it makes the locking mechanism a lot more sturdy... but it is another factor in making it difficult to close. Most knives give a textured feel to the surface of the locking piece... because in order to close it, you have to put your thumb over it and push hard enough so that it moves back to the side. The Kershaw keeps this piece smooth, like the rest of the knife... probably in part because we're using the entire side of the knife. This makes it really hard to get a grip on when you want to close the knife. All in all, I would recommend this knife to you.

S. AllenUnited States

Very nice, well made knife

Only had this knife a few days so this is just a cursory review I will add things later as needed. First, I guess that either I got one that wasn't exactly sharpened like everyone elses or maybe my definition of "insanely sharp" is much different than everyone elses. Mine came in the box I would say at best "somewhat sharp" or "utility Sharp" it wasn't dull by any means but not even remotely scary sharp, hair popping sharp, and all the other degrees of sharpness extolled in all these reviews. No biggy, I will sharpen it soon. It feels nice in the hand, although for me personally a bit on the small side which is fine because I bought this for my wife which has small hands. It does feel good though, feels well made, slight bit of heft to it for its size. The blade looks nice, has a great shape. Opening is super easy and smooth, flick the index opening with a little extra flick of the wrist and BAM, its there instantly as if by magic can't even see it open. Closing it is "slightly" more difficult than a non assisted opening knife but still easily done with just a few minutes of practice. It is very thin, has a great clip so you do not even feel it in your pocket, goes in and out of pocket very easily, can reach for it, pull it out and have blade open easily within 2 seconds. I bought this as I stated for my wife mainly for her to EDC when she goes out walking the dog without me sometimes. For her, with her hand size, she is only 5.2 with tiny hands this should be about the perfect size for self defense. I think I am going to name it "Sting" 3" long blade that I WILL sharpen to hair whittling razor sharpness with this blade shape, very pointy will easily put a severe hurting on any attacker not armed, one or two cuts in the right places and they will not being doing anything but trying not to bleed to death. All in all very pleased so far, it is clearly a well made knife and has a lifetime warrantee from a company that by all accounts is very good to deal with and its well under $50. Probably be the best knife made for that price.

KyleUnited States

Best EDC

I've tried several different knives that were compact, easy to open, and good quality that I could keep with me all the time. This is where I stopped the search for the perfect pocket companion. The Kershaw Leek. I've carried one pretty much every day since 2017. And if I'm not carrying the leek then I have the Kershaw blur or a cryo on me. The first one I bought in 2017 is still my daily and I'm writing this review because I finally broke it. I'm very mean to my knives. They are tools and I use them to pry and to cut stuff they really shouldn't be cutting. Any who today I was trying to remove a screw that was probably 40 years old and had been painted over several times. Instead of running out to the truck to grab a flat screw driver I whipped out my knife and started prying on it. The tip of the knife broke off leaving the last 1/8 inch or so flat. Which made it much more ergonomic to remove the rest of the screws. I'll sharpen a point back on it and continue to carry it around. Once a year or so I take the knife apart and clean it out and regrease it. The opening mechanism will start to jam up or slow down when it gets junk in there. While I had it open a few years ago I removed the tip lock. I kept pulling my knife out and trying to open it only to have the tip lock engaged even tho I hadn't put the lock on. So I removed it. I've never ever had one open in my pocket. The material used it obviously very sturdy. I've cleaned fish and small game with my leek and had it submerged or wet for a couple days at a time and there is zero rust on it. The blade stays very sharp even with my repeated abuse. I've cut sheet rock, copper wires, even thin sheet metal. I've pryd (oof is that how you spell that? It looks gross) on countless objects thinking I would break the blade but never have until today. The knife is very well made I definitely recommend this knife to anyone looking for a sleek and sturdy EDC. Not only does it look beautiful but it's extremely functional and versatile. Good job Kershaw for making great products.

Charles E. ArmsUnited States

There's no perfect knife, but..

There is no perfect knife. They're no different than any other tool. You need the right tool for the job, but this one surely checks a lot of boxes. First of all, the knife is very well made from excellent materials. This fact alone nearly warrants the rating. But also, it is easy to open and close, and easy to carry around in your pocket. The blade came from the box sharper than I will ever need and there is VERY little flex in the hinge. The clip works great even though I rarely use it. I just stick it in my pocket. The blade, as mentioned, is very sharp and useful for the various things most people use a pocket knife for. Wood, paper, plastic, etc. But, it is a fairly thin blade. If you tend to use your knife for a screw driver or pry bar often, you may want to choose something else. This blade, while seemingly tough for what it is, is thinner. I would not pry too much with this knife as I think it would be fairly easy to break. (compared to a heavier knife of comparable steel) The blade lock (for when closed) has no detents or other method of keeping it where you put it. I have learned that it may be locked or unlocked when I take it out of my pocket, regardless of how it was when I put it there. This is not a huge deal, as I can't see the blade opening for no reason. It's just something to know. The assist action is very, very good and super easy to get used to using. The design is simple, so it should stay that way for a long, long time. Overall, if you are a "normal" user of a pocket knife, this one makes for a good one, and it's made well enough, it may be your last one!