how are you guys liking your Leafstorms???

I love this knife! I just received mine yesterday and it hasn't left my hand since. It is very well made, attractive, and for its size heavy-duty feeling. I for one, think the handle is comfortable and secure. It feels just right with the index finger behind the blade, and the thumb on the spine, even without a coil. With most of the cutting I do there is no risk of my hand slipping into the heel of the blade. If the direction of force was such that a slip could be hazardous, such as trying to pierce a difficult material, I would move my hand back so the index finger wraps around the cut-out in the handle. The grip feels very secure this way. I have smaller sized hands however.
One minor superficial issue is with the bronze bushing being visible beneath the transparent grip. When I first saw pics of the knife the first thing to go through my mind was that the pivot was dirty or stained by oil. As I said, a minor issue, and I'm over it already :o

Over all I think the Leafstorm falls into the "Gentleman's" knife category, but with the thick blade and stout construction can do some serious cutting.

Bill
 
I've had mine since Friday. Very nice fit and finish. Definitely falls under the gentleman's knife category. I really like the translucent G10, very cool look. A couple tritium tubes inlayed in the lanyard hole could make for a very cool night knife. I'm still getting used to the grip. Not as good as some other Spyderco models. Mine came very sharp. Overall, a cool design that plays to Spyderco's strengths.
 
Mine came in the mail this morning. VERY nice knife.

G1 build with 06-09 marked on blade tang under G10 scale. Removed clip (don't like the offset look) and disassembled knife to check out pivot bushing.....precision ground bushing with clearance fit over D tube and blade hole. Similar design to Sebenza with exact bushing length....just tighten both pivot screws and you have smooth blade rotation with no play. I believe all frame locks should be built this way.

I don't see a problem with ergo's...when I pick up the Leaf Storm, second and third fingers fall into handle cut out with first finger resting on "bolster". this gives good blade control...did some stab thrusts into heavy cardboard with no problem...with thumb jimping and heel tight against palm.

Used my Lansky fine diamond stone to slightly round off back end of blade....no way this will nick me now.

This is a finely crafted knive.. perfectly centered blade... crisp solid lock up with outside of lock bar lined up with edge of blade.

I bought this knife to replace a PT CC that I sold..Leaf Storm has better F&F and like a Sebenza has very little side to side blade play when closed even though Ti is thin and one side is G10.

I am super fussy and only negative I see is slight noise when detent ball rubs against gind marks on blade... similar to a damascus frame lock.

Nice Wilkens design...Great Spyderco build...definately not a "mall ninga" knive.
 
Noticed one issue with my leafstorn today. After using it as my EDC for the past few days, I noticed that the G-10 at the back end of the knife has scuffed a little, I guess from rubbing on my pants. With colored G-10, I doubt I would notice any scuffs, but they show up as white marks on the translucent G-10. Tried cleaning the G-10, but no change. Still think it's a great knife, but no longer has that new-knife look. :(
 
Tried a clip mod.

Used small rat tail jewellers file and offset outer holes to rotate clip in line with lock bar cut out....IMO looked better and acted as Hinderer Stabilizer.

Didn't like as it interfered with left hand opening...Don't like clips in general and removed it for good. You never know until you try.
 
I don't have a LeafStorm.

However, I feel that it seems to be overlooked and overshadowed compared to the other new models that have come out very recently, i.e. FRN Stretch, Manix2 G10/154CM, Manix2 S90V/CF, Sage II RIL, etc.

Maybe its just me.
 
I've been carrying one of mine for 3 weeks straight now (The Orange Millie slipped in a few times though :D ) . I like the size a lot although the cutting edge is a tad short. It's a great knife, albeit a little pricey
 
It's on my short list.

I played with one a little while ago at Plaza Cutlery and it seemed like it's very well built, and definitely more of a gentleman's folder. But I like Wilkins designs and Spyderco, so I see one in my future.
 
It seems to be more of a "gentlemans" knife. I use mine in my "office" knife rotation, where a smaller size is mandatory.

I find in use, I use the two middle fingers of my hand to hold the knife, and use my thumb and index finger to grip the "bolster" area to control the knife. Sorta like I hold a one of my smaller kitchen knives, I guess

I can see where the money went in making the design as there is a lot of machining evident.
 
I love the overall look of the Wilkins design and love the translucent G10 but I have been quite disappointed with the grip. you cannot choke up onto the blade and there is no finger choil. The Translucent G10 is also on the smooth side which feels slippery to me. I have small-ish hands for a guy and gravitate toward the smaller Spydies but this one just wasn't for me. it's worth looking at and deciding for yourself.

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I love the color! fit and finish is excellent...I orderd a D2 para as a gift when I orded the leafstorm....I want a D2 para. Its just me , I want a full comfortable grip. Leafstorm is a nice knife for sure..
 
Handled one in a store the other day. The Ti side is real nice. The G10 is smooth rather than grippy. Doesn't help the overall feel much. The grip is awkward as others have mentioned. The sharp point at the close end of the blade seemed to be a constant threat. If I bought one, I'd hit that point with a dremel tool and just round or bevel it off quick.
 
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Hi guys, this knife seems to be a winner but my question is, is it allround knife? I mean, when needed, I can do some occasionally heavy use with the Leafstorm? Build like a tank?

Thanks for any reply.....
 
I don't think it is a "heavy duty" knife. It simply isn't big enough, you'd have grip issues.

The knife is built well, though.
 
I have had my LS about a week. (New Graham has some left) I was impressed with the overall appearance when it arrived , though I think the photos online look better than it does in person. The "sheer" G-10 has a somewhat cheap look to me. Knife arrived razor sharp. Fit and finish looked to be good, but when I thumbed mine open I wasnt sure if the liner was going to engage the blade enough to lock it open. Gave the liner a little nudge to seat it deeper. It locks up well this way but is a bear to move the liner out of the way to close. Opened it normally and tried the spine whack test. Liner held and it stayed locked up, but it still just doesnt seem right. To much money for this kind of stuff. I agree that the liner side should be thicker. I was really suprised that there are any issues with this knife given my track record with Spyderco's. All have been superb cutters and fit and finish have never been an issue. I will be using mine as a work knife so not really planning on abusing the knife to the point of lock failure. Maybe as it wears in the liner will lock up deeper. Anybody else experienced this?
 
+ 1 on well built SMALL knife. No it is not a "heavy use knife".

It is not a liner , but a frame lock...a few more open/close cycles should seat the lock bar.

Why do some posters think the Ti is too thin ? I have an Eric Elson custom 3 in folder with identical dimensions which also has an 80 thou. Ti frame and is as strong as any Sebenza. Thicker than most liner locks.
 
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ehhh said:
I got mine the other day. In all honesty, it's not nearly as ergonomic as most of Spyderco's designs. You can choke up at the "bolster" but the hand position isn't great, and it's much less secure than Spyderco's traditional choil. It slopes towards the edge which is sharpened all the way down, so it doesn't instill confidence either. If you don't choke up, then the handle is small and feels lumpy towards the back.

That said, it's a beautiful work of art that is VERY well made, and that's why I bought mine. The G10 is very nice, and has a smoothly textured finish unlike most G10 scales. Only improvements I would have liked to see are a thicker 1/8" lock side and reposition the clip to sit half over the lock to act as a stabilizer. Not that either is really necessary, but I didn't expect the titanium side to be so thin compared to the G10 side (~.080" vs ~.145"). In my opinion it's more of a collector's knife than a user's knife, and I think it fills that role very well.

leafstorm.jpg
Click to expand...

thats because its not a spyderco design its a wilkins design
 
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