Do you guys/girls prefer automatic, assisted, or manual mechanisms? asking because i'm considering a kershaw leek

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LegendaryPillow

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Dec 31, 2021
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I'm thinking of getting a kershaw leek in the near future, so I was looking to see your guys' opinions on the different mechanism types. The general community (as i've seen) does not favor automatic/assisted mechanisms.
 
I generally prefer manuals. Automatics can be problematic if you want to travel with it. Assisted opening knives always feel gimmicky to me. I carried a Leek years ago and really liked it, but I think a manual opener with a good pivot and detent is a lot more pleasing and they don't have an action spring that can break.

With that being said, if you like the Leek go for it, they are good knives and Kershaw is a good brand. Two things I always liked about the Leek were the good blade geometry for slicing and the thin handle profile made it carry in the pocket very well.
 
most of the youtube videos i’ve seen, suggest owning atleast one leek in your lifetime. i personally looked at one in walmart and thought the tip too thin. so i bought a sebenza
 
Several members here at BF carry autos on a daily basis, and use them (there's an entire sub-forum dedicated to autos).

Myself, I prefer manuals for practicality and daily carry, but autos at home for the "fun/cool factor".

Although I could legally carry assisted openers, I never had any interest in them.
 
It depends on the particular knife. The spydie hole is my favorite and also the fastest of all the ones I have tried so far. But the kershaw speed safe would rank number two on my favorites list. The leek is a very good knife from everything I have seen of it.
 
The short answer is Yes. I like all three depending on how they're executed. Right now I would say my general preference is automatic>manual>assisted, but a good, snappy assisted opener can be fun, too. The Leek is a classic that a lot of folks have done a ton of work with. To be perfectly honest, I find the handle a bit small and a bit slippery for me, but if it works for you, go for it. I'm very fond of my Knockout that uses the same A/O mechanism.
 
The Leek is a lighter duty blade, but there's a reason it's popular. Tip cute and precision cuts are going to be where it shines. Just be careful not to break off the tip, but the blade shape is very easy to fix if you do!
 
I prefer manual actions. Lock back and flippers with fewer parts.

Fewer parts to worry about, break, gum up, or fail and I can operate my manual knives just as quick and maybe quicker. Especially the bearing flippers.

I like to use my knives and depend on them to do the job without problems. The automatic and assisted knives I’ve tried would sometimes fail to operate or function properly in cold temps or in dusty environments. I’m not going to babysit a high dollar knife that’s high maintenance and finicky operation needs when I’ve got to get things done in a timely manner. They’re fun and in cleaner environments they can be useful but In my part of the world it’s just to dirty for most autos and assisted knives.
 
Oh and the Kershaw Speedsafe has never given me trouble. Had dozens in the last 6 years. I generally prefer manual but mainly because opening slowly helps to not spook certain people ;)
 
My collection consist of the mostly manuals, then auto, and lastly assisted.

The leek its a design that has become a icon and if it interest you. I would say it’s a great knife. Can’t go wrong for light task.
 
I started out like 15 years ago really enamored with automatics and spring assisted knives but as I got deeper into the hobby I realized that I appreciate a nice smooth but controlled manual opening. Even better with thumb studs or a hole. And still today I prefer manual.

Edit: That said, a Leek was one of the first-ish knives I ever had and I really still like them. I believe I still have about 5 of them in different varieties at my parents house. I used to sell knives for a living and sold Leeks so I ended up with a bunch of them. The tips are very thin, but I like a nice thin blade and grind on my folders now days. My favorite Leek is the Random Leek. It has a thicker tip.
 
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Agree with the guys that prefer the manual openers. Assisted openers and automatics do have the cool gadget factor, but a good manual with a thumb stud, disk or flipper is close enough not to make any difference. Manuals are simpler and therefore more reliable which trumps gadget factor in my book even though I am not a high speed low drag type.
 
I carry a Leek about half the time and despite the hysteria I've never had it flip open on its own and gut me.
 
Assisted actions were great back when great manual actions were less common or more expensive. For instance, I got my first Leek in 2004. I was very impressed with the action then. Fast forward about a dozen years and things had changed. Caged bearings had come way down in price and were becoming much more common. As I began to see more budget knives with good manual action, I slowly stopped caring about assisted actions.

Now in 2022, my old Speedsafe knives from Kershaw feel downright janky. I've got a drawer full of budget knives with great manual action from companies like Civivi, Kizer, Bestech, Petrified Fish, and more. They are all so much more impressive than my older assisted knives. I've only got one Speedsafe knife still hanging on in my EDC rotation, a premium version of the Dividend. (Coincidentally, it's the knife that retired my Leek.) Every time I use it, I notice the little bit of slop in engaging the assist and the pressure needed to overcome it upon closing the knife. If I found something to replace its specific EDC niche, I'd drop it in a heartbeat.
 
If it's not an OTF, I don't personally want anything to do with assisted. I want my OTF to be auto for very specific reasons, those beings that an OTF has the advantages of being deadly, surprising, and I can buy one cheaper and carry it more places than a 9mm.

Personally, I love smooth clean manual action (flippers or thumb studs). I mean, who doesn't?
 
A lot of "internet experts" love to parrot all kinds of BS about assisted knives being 'bad', I suspect most of them have never actually had one. A good assisted opener (and Kershaw is probably king) is a fantastic knife.

The Leek is one of the most popular 3" knives available. If you're not sure about it, and you don't want a specific version, you can usually get a blem (factory second) for around $40. If you are looking for a little bigger, I highly recommend the Kershaw Blur instead - better thumbstuds, no flipper, no safety, and a little better ergos.
 
I have a leek and I don't like it.
It has a safety on it which immediately ruins the knife for me.
My wife has it in her purse.

I prefer the delica for that size range.
Useful well made, fidgety and no safety.
 
I like both manual and assisted knives (autos are illegal here). The Leek, like all of the Kershaw and ZT assisted knives I've owned, has a well-implemented assist.

It's almost impossible to fail to open the knife unless you really try, but it's not so aggressive that it's difficult to close. You can also open it with your thumb on the spine, "absorb" the force of the spring, and slow-roll it the rest of the way for a less flashy opening.

I'm keeping my collection pretty lean these days, and I own a Leek. Great little knife, and a fantastic slicer with a real splinter-picker tip. :)
 
No autos or assisted openers for me. I could put the spring back in my ZT 350 and make it assisted but I like how it is.

We can carry auto here in MI since a few years ago but never bought an auto. I don't need an auto knife and I have had some problems with sheeple giving me the evil eye after pulling out an Endura. I can imagine the reaction I'd get if I fired out an auto. Cell phone out, police called. Yes, I'd be within the law but no need to stick around and talk to the police and waste everyones time.

I'm totally content with the selection of manual knives out there.
 
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