G-10 S30V Leek (matte version)

[Joe Dirt]

sjahn,

Wow, the lock on the fram lock barely engages and the one on the G10 Leek looks like it's about worn all the way over already.

Daily I become less fond of liners locks.

What gives?

 

[sjahn]

I'm with you, Joe Dirt.
I've always tried to avoid liner locks. I now have only three liner lock models including new G10 Leek. I even avoided having aluminium handled Leek seeing it is liner lock. (Yeah, I ended up having one. )

Anyway, my G10 Leek seems to be settled down. After two days, I tamed it. The lock still bites, but it's not as aggressive as before. I can disengage the lock with less difficulty. I am used to its AO response. In other words, I adjusted myself to my knife. LOL

With regular use, this knife may turn to a wonderful little knife.
I like its grippy G10. The clip is a little too tight to easily clip on pocket, but it's ok. Again, I'm adjusting myself to the knife.

Bless Kershaw for good knife.

 

[UnknownVT]

Again, I'm adjusting myself to the knife.

LoL! Yep a lot of us do that - and it depends on what you're used to too.....

However I'd encourage you to try adjusting the tension of the pivot screw to see if you can adjust the speed/action of the assisted opening.....

A Torx T-9 fits the pivot screw and the scale screws are T-6.

Torx are relatively speaking uncommon among non-knife knuts and can be expensive.

There is a very INexpensive set from Home Depot for under $6......

Torx driver set at Home Depot

including "identi-kit" photos to show where to find it in the Home Depot

--
Vincent
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[sjahn]

Thanks for info. It's not easy to find torx driver, indeed.
Got to go look around again.

 

[UnknownVT]

I like its grippy G10. The clip is a little too tight to easily clip on pocket, but it's ok.

The pocket clip seems about the right tension - when compared with my other Leeks -
I think it's the grippy texture of the G-10 (close to being rough) that causes the difficulty in clipping to the pocket
- and even if you get used to it -
I think it will have long term wear on one's pockets......

see this thread -

Stone washed Leek and Pockets!

--
Vincent
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[sjahn]

Yeah, I forgot that. That grippy G10's gripping the pocket cloth.
You're right. It's not the clip but the grippy texture.

 

[UnknownVT]

Family of Leeks -

Vintages -

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Vincent
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[Joe Dirt]

Vincent,

Do you still currently use any of the Leeks daily? Have you used the Dec 02 model for the last 4 years? Has it been reliable for ya?

Thanks,
Me

 

[UnknownVT]

Do you still currently use any of the Leeks daily? Have you used the Dec 02 model for the last 4 years? Has it been reliable for ya?

I EDC at home the Black "boron" Leek so that's the one that gets the most usage.

However I did EDC at home the earliest all steel Leek from literally when I got it Feb/2003 until I got the black boron May/2004.

Both are holding up real well.

However the Dec/02 all steel Leek is "slower" but only really when compared to the others (in fact the rainbow seems a bit "too fast" for me) but I can back off the pivot screw so that it's just a bit looser than finger tight to get the Dec/02 to be as fast as my black boron and G-10 Leeks - that's without any side-to-side play - don't ask me how - but that's the way it is......

The 440A steel blades have a much better/sharper profile/geometry than the S30V steel blade - and just cut better.
I haven't re-profiled/sharpened the S30V yet - simple laziness.....

--
Vincent
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[UnknownVT]

More differences and possibly why the later Leeks seem faster/stronger in their Speed-Safe assisted opening -

Position at limit of spring tension -

I got these positions by closing from fully open and felt for the point of just the start of spring resistance.....

The oldest 1660 all steel Leek - spring limit is with the blade at a shade less than 90deg.

The later black "boron" and G-10 Leeks have the spring limit with the blades at noticably more than 90deg.

However my "fastest" is the Rainbow Leek where the limit is only just past 90deg - so the speed here may have more to do with the lower frictional nature of the Ti-oxide rainbow coating?

--
Vincent
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[Gary W. Graley]

Just ordered the G10 Leek, this was a thread I needed to see and just found it,
very nice write up, appreciate the comparison pics to the all steel Leek,
thanks!
G2

 

[Gary W. Graley]

Well, she arrived today, my favourite leek to date, handle size and grip feel is
perfect for me at least.

BUT and you know there always seems to be one of those

This knife has the poorest grind of the primary edge bevel of ANY knife I've ever
owned, barr none! Amazingly poor, I'm taking a break right now from sharpening
a new, even bevel onto the knife, once that's done I'll be a happy camper for sure
as the look and feel is great, stone wash looks good to me, only other possible
nit pic would be the liner lock is a little on the lighter side, but no biggy, I don't
intend to be fighting with this, and I'm usually pretty careful when using knives
anyways, use slippies with no worries, so no bones to chew on that score.
BUT the edge bevel, WOW, I was going to take some before images, but didn't do
it, just jumped right in to straightening it out.

G2

 

[UnknownVT]

This knife has the poorest grind of the primary edge bevel of ANY knife I've ever owned, barr none! Amazingly poor, I'm taking a break right now from sharpening a new, even bevel onto the knife

Thanks for the input G2 -
yes, I was kind of surprised at the more obtuse edge on the textured G10 S30V Leek - it was noticably less acute than the older 440A Leeks, enough that I commented on it and ad-hoc casual cardboard cutting showed it definitely did not cut as well as the 440A Leeks.

One would have thought that with a more premium steel like S30V with its reputed better edge holding - Kershaw would have put a more acute edge on the blade - and now almost 2 years on.

The limited run polished G10 S30V Leek had a more typical Kershaw acute edge.

--
Vincent
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[nativecajun57]

One person said "I am starting to leave my assisted opening leek at home along with my axis locks because they make me nervous" For one thing are they ilegal to own were your are. I can see the assisted opener cause I always thought they would spell trouble for the owners and one day be grouped with balisongs and automatics. If you think about it pressing that flipper on the spine and the blade flies out what is the difference between that and a automatic. But why leave the axis locks home. It is just another way of locking the blade. When that Buck 110 came out the lawyers thought the sky was falling and got their panties tied up in a wad over them.

But I like the manuals not because I am afraid of owning an assisted opener but I own a OD-1 with that round thing on top. I always thought the round flipper was prone to getting broke off but when you operate that thing that blade just flies open just as fast as any assisted opener but when helped along with a wrist flick I think it beats the assisted ones by a large margin.

I really want to buy that tiny EROS. That thing is small. (good suit and tie knife)>>>I have issues with most of those type of knives though. That is why I have a kershaw Zing orange handle for EDC now. You can put that clip on either side. Along with benchmades those two compaines with some of their knives "many of them" you have that choice. It is an issue for me cause I am a lefty. Actually Spyderco treats lefties nice as well.

But with that tiny EROS I would just take the clip off and just slip it in my pocket. I do not know what that ACUTO steel is but I can only assume it is at least minimaly good at least. Very sweet little splinter picker.

Well when I say S30V on a kershaw leek it really grabbed my attention. But it seems its clip cannot be placed on the other side from where it is for right handers. But that may not stop me. Are their other models that Kershaw uses S30V??

Well good review and I apprecieated it very much. Is that boron coating a bit slicker than the black version??? It seems to look that way.

Not wanting to hijack your thread can someone list all the knives that Kershaw now uses the S30V steel. By far that is my favorite steel. But the new propriotary steel 14C28N I think it is. Well I think it is a great steel. Very great.

By the way when I find the G-10 a bit rough I just take 1500 grit wet dry sandpaper to it and knock the roughness off. So that will not be a stopper for me also. But I do like the thinness on the steel frame models. But on the other side I think the G-10 gives one much better purchase on the knife.

Daniel

 

[powernoodle]

UVT, you continue to produce the best reviews on BF, IMO.

If I recall correctly, I had a G10 Leek that was so incredibly grippy on the pants pocket that I sold it. I have figured out since then that G10 roughness can be smoothed out easily with a little sandpaper. All of my Cold Steel folders have gotten the sandpaper treatment.

 

[UnknownVT]

By the way when I find the G-10 a bit rough I just take 1500 grit wet dry sandpaper to it and knock the roughness off. So that will not be a stopper for me also. But I do like the thinness on the steel frame models. But on the other side I think the G-10 gives one much better purchase on the knife.

If I recall correctly, I had a G10 Leek that was so incredibly grippy on the pants pocket that I sold it. I have figured out since then that G10 roughness can be smoothed out easily with a little sandpaper. All of my Cold Steel folders have gotten the sandpaper treatment.

Thank you both for your very kind words - and for the hint regarding mitigating the over-grippyness of the G10 on this knife.

Light sanding seems like a very good and relatively easy solution.

However being a review it is pretty important to let people know what to expect "out of the box" -
but that was a very good suggestion -
many thanks.

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