Bought my first Kershaw

E

EpO

Joined
Aug 22, 2005
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69
Well since its been such a hot topic here this week I just had to go out and check out the Kershaw Leeks. Long story short I walked out with one. Shhhh, don't tell my wife. So far I'm very pleased, its my first assisted knife. It locks up tight, its fast, and really light. The only thing is I'm not able to get the blade to deploy with the thumbstud, although I blame my thumbs not the knife. Now I've got to stop playing with the thing and do some work.

EpO
 
alot of the ken onion designs have that problem with the small thumb stud. I prefer to use the finger opening because it is faster than the thumb stud. The leek is a great knife, ive handled a few, and i am going to be buying one in the near future
 
"Now i've got stop playing with it and do some work."

Not gonna happen my friend.
 
EpO, thanks for trying us out, careful though, we can be addicting.

Thomas
Kershaw Knives
 
Very addicting, I'm thinking this is also going to be the first of many Kershaw assisted openers.
 
I think it's pretty cool we're seeing more people talking about and liking Kershaw stuff on this forum.

They do make nice knives.
 
When you use the thumb studs make sure you are pushing up, not out or down. What I mean is, push the thumb stud in the direction the blade points when open. Don't push out, away from the handle, nor down on the tumb stud.

I'd also found that using the thumb tip works better than the back of the thumb nail, though the opposite is true for flicking open manual knives such as a Griptilian.

Since the spring does the work, you don't have to flick it open. Just press it open a little and the spring does the rest.
 
Thanks Hair. Made all the difference. I was trying to push the thumbstud out, pushing up deploys the blade without an issue.
 
I have bought my sister a rainbow chive and rainbow leek. She loves them both and even know she doesnt know jack about knives she knows she likes AO. It fits her and her needs well. Her friends now have bought leeks due to the AO and her havin one. You picked a good one.
 
EpO said:
I was trying to push the thumbstud out, pushing up deploys the blade without an issue.
Click to expand...

The thumb studs do work when pushed in the right direction -
but no where as well as the Index-Open flipper.

However don't be tempted to remove those thumb-studs -
because they act as the (essential) stop-pin for the knife.

see these reviews -

Kershaw/Ken Onion LEEK (pics)

Kershaw Rainbow Leek - a pictorial review

Black "boron" Leek

--
Vincent
http://UnknownVT2006.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVT2005.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVT.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVincent.cjb.net/
 
I am getting the Kershaw fever, myself! It all started with an Avalanche and it's been down hill from there. I going to a gun show sat. to look for a vendor I saw at a previous show that had an old NIB Kershaw A/O with a wharncliff blade. ~2.5 blade with ATS-34 and FRN scales. I love these knives!:D :thumbup:
 
Thumbstuds have been one of the few areas of complaints I've had with Kershaw. They're nowhere near as bad as the studs CRK uses on the Sebenza, but they're pretty rough on the thumb.

I'm waiting for the G-10, S30V Leek but I may have to pick up one of the current models just to see what all the fuss is about.
 
My new Kershaw Leek shipped today. I won't have it until next week!:( I bought a limited edition with purple scales, because it matches my favorite beverage.
 
If the assisted openning action on the Leek is similar to that on the Scallion, and you're new to assisted openners with thumbstuds (like me), be careful when using the thumbstud. Do not follow through with your thumb, as on a non-assisted openning knife....stop when the spring takes over, or you may get nicked by the blade edge. It doesn't make sense that this would happen, because the theory is that the blade would move faster than your thumb. I can't explain why, but it happened to me twice. My thumb is used to a non-assisted action, following through to make sure the blade locks. I guess you just have to adapt the way you push with your thumb.

Just a little warning!

I actually just gave up on the thumbstud, (because of getting nicked, and also because it was a hassle for me to get my thumb tip against the stud). I just use the finger flipper thingy, instead.
 
The rainbow leek was one of the first knives i bought, just loved the colour and the assissted opening action. I followed this with the rainbow chive, they just look so good together.Couldn't stop there though and bought another pair from Santa fe Stoneworks with Apache Gold scales.
A great pair of knives that come shaving sharp out of the box.

Mal
 
Pocketknife said:
If...you're new to assisted openners with thumbstuds (like me), be careful when using the thumbstud. Do not follow through with your thumb, as on a non-assisted openning knife....stop when the spring takes over, or you may get nicked by the blade edge. [snip] My thumb is used to a non-assisted action, following through to make sure the blade locks. I guess you just have to adapt the way you push with your thumb.

Just a little warning!

I actually just gave up on the thumbstud, (because of getting nicked, and also because it was a hassle for me to get my thumb tip against the stud). I just use the finger flipper thingy, instead.
Click to expand...

Instead of pushing the thumbstuds, think kicking it with your thumb...like you're shooting a marble. This method works also with non-assisted opening knives, except that now you should also be flicking the knife at the same time. Either way, you do not need to follow through with your thumb at all.
 
Pocketknife said:
It doesn't make sense that this would happen, because the theory is that the blade would move faster than your thumb. I can't explain why, but it happened to me twice.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what is happening. The blade is moving faster than your thumb. So normally when you'd continue along the opening arc, the blade is already open, and instead of pushing a thumbstud, you're pushing against the cutting edge of the blade.

Any knife will do it, doesn't have to be an AO. One of my Spydercos did this to a friend who wasn't used to the thumbhole (did it to me too, actually). It opened faster than he thought and he kept going with his thumb. The result was an inch long slice in his thumb.

The worst damage an AO has done to me was the blade stop on my Camillus Heat pinched the hell out of my finger once. I was up on a ladder hanging a sign and not looking at the knife. I guess my hand was higher up on the handle than I thought. That hurt, a lot.
 
I've been practicing with the thumb stud, and I'm able to use it, but so far I do prefer the "finger flipper". I have also already cut myself using the thumbstud, but no knife is truly mine until I accidently cut myself on it. :) The only thing I'm going to change is the position of the clip, for two reasons 1. to have better access to the safety 2. personal preference.
 
Pocketknife said:
I actually just gave up on the thumbstud, (because of getting nicked, and also because it was a hassle for me to get my thumb tip against the stud). I just use the finger flipper thingy, instead.
Click to expand...

Right....

Here's what I wrote way back almost 3 years ago -
in this thread link that I gave above:

Kershaw/Ken Onion LEEK (pics)

QUOTE:
Action -

The Speed-Safe assisted opening is fast - perhaps not as fast as the much smaller Chive, or Scallion - but it's marginal - it feels and seems fast.

One of the great features of the latest series of Kershaw/Ken Onion Speed-Safe knives is the Index-Open - which kind of looks like a trigger that protudes from the back of the knife when closed - using the index finger to press/pull back on this overcomes the initial resistance of the mechanism - thereby activating the torsion spring bar to make the blade open. When the knife is open that Index-Open acts as a finger guard. Very clever and works very well.

Index Open
Kershaw_indx.jpg


The knife also has ambidextrous opening thumb-studs - but although I can work this fairly well - since I have used Speed-Safe knives since they first came out some 3 years ago - I find that the thumb-stud requires a slightly modified technique when compared to a straight unassisted/manual liner or frame lock, and may not suit everyone.

To open one has to push the stud outwards - away from the handle - and when the blade starts to open - get the thumb out of the way - it's not as complex, or difficult as it sounds - but it is not the same as opening a manual liner lock......

But it is different enough, that in the early days Kershaw demo knives at first had a plastic guard covering the blade toward the heel, and later had UNsharpened blades, because some people did not get their thumbs out of the way fast enough, or used the "follow through" as if opening an unassisted/manual liner lock, and have nicked themselves.

So why the thumnb-studs - when the Index-Open works so well? - is this a case of "belt and braces/suspenders"?

No..... the ambidextrous thumb-studs are actually the Stop-bar to stop the blade against the handle.

If one examines the knife open - one can see that the thumb-studs are flush/hard against the handle and there is no stop-bar on the back of the handle that stops the blade's back heel - as in a traditional unassisted/manual liner or frame-lock.

Stop Bar/Pin
Onion_spns_S.jpg

UNQUOTE

Hope that helps.

--
Vincent
http://UnknownVT2006.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVT2005.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVT.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVincent.cjb.net/
 
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