Kershaw and the Leek

Kalsu

Kalsu

Gold Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2010
Messages
1,848
So I am new to the Kershaw world. I have been into knives for some time and own various Chis Reeve, Benchmade, Victorinox, and Leatherman knives/multi-tools. With that being said I have never really (for what ever reason) gotten into Kershaw.

I have heard good thing of the Leek, but just never really paid them much attention. A friend at work bought one and showed it to me. I was impressed at how fast and smooth the action was, but didn't really get a chance to scrutinize it.

A few days goes by and I found myself thinking about that Leek and more and more. So I starting reading about it and finding all these good thing being said about the Leek and Kershaw in general.

So Sunday morning I end up ordering a Leek with S30v steel (it should be here tomorrow). I am pretty excited to get it so I can see first hand what everyone else is talking about.

So I guess my question is how does Kershaw compare to say Benchmade in quality and customer service (I say Benchmade because I am familiar with their products)? Not having ever owned any Kershaw products I am anxious to hear what you all have to say about this. I really haven't been this excited waiting for a knife for a long time. I can see that there may be another manufacture for me to start buying from.

Thanks again for the input. I will let you know what I think of the Leek when I get it. :thumbup:
 
I have an s30v leek with g10. I love it. It's incredibly smooth, the steel is great, and it has a nice blade length without being bulky or heavy. I haven't had any problems with my Kershaw knives so I can't comment on customer service, but from what I've read on here it seems to be top notch. I'm sure you'll enjoy that leek.
 
I have a previous edition Leek with S30V and polished G10. I would expect that overall Benchmade quality would be better than Kershaw, but you couldn't tell it from my Leek which seems to be very good. I think Benchmade makes knives with more expensive features and they have been able to charge more based on their reputation, which doesn't mean that Kershaw quality isn't good too. I really like my Leek but it is a bit smaller than what I like to carry.
 
Kershaw service is top notch. I've only used it a couple times but it went flawless and there are tons of good reports on here about it. I've used Benchmade's only once and it went well too.

As for quality, both companies have a huge variance in the types of knives they create. Knives in the same price range, I would say that Kershaw is at least as good as Benchmade. They are quite different from each other and both have nice knives and that's the great thing about it...something for everyone. I personally keep coming back to Kershaw though.
 
I love my Kershaw knives, and although I like my benchmade designs better, I feel like the quality is about the same. However, from what I've heard around forums, It seems like the service is better from KAI (who owns Kershaw and Zero Tolerance)
 
Leek_Freak said:
As for quality, both companies have a huge variance in the types of knives they create. Knives in the same price range, I would say that Kershaw is at least as good as Benchmade. They are quite different from each other and both have nice knives and that's the great thing about it...something for everyone. I personally keep coming back to Kershaw though.
Click to expand...


That is an excellent point that I hadn't thought of. Different companies different knives. I don't think that Kershaw quality is by any means bad (I don't want anyone here to think that). I guess I am just trying to get a feel for what people think and feel about the company as a whole.

I would like to add though I have not ran across very many negative things being said about Kershaw. You are always going to see a few negative things, but that is normal with anyone I would think. So the question isn't if they are bad (because they aren't) it is how good are they?
 
I suppose I have to say something here as nobody seems to be positioning themselves on this side of the fence.
I actually don't like the Leek. I bought one (two actually) and after carrying it for a while I just dont enjoy using it.
That doesnt mean its a bad knife! its a fantastic blade, the s30v is a great steel, the frame lock is superb, no wiggle or anything.
I just don't like folding knives that small. I am 6'6" and have very large hands and I don't like a knife that doesn't have a minimum 3.5" blade.
I feel like the leek is just too awkward to hold and I cant get a good grip on it.
The only other Kershaw knife I own is an NRG 2 and I don't like it either.
I thought I did when I bought it but I just don't appreciate the aesthetics as much as other people do.

sigh, I guess Im just a benchmade guy...
 
Kershaw tends to drop knives if they don't do very well in sales. As nice as the NRG 2 is that was previously mentioned, it has been discontinued. That being said, the Leek as been around for a while, and if that many people are buying them they must be a great pocket knife. I had one for a bit, it never got carried just because there were so many other of my Kershaw that I liked better, not that I found anything wrong with the Leek. Personally I really liked the NRG 2, but I guess I'm just a bit odd.
 
Oh, and as far as quality goes, Benchmade has nothing on Kershaw. Especially if you look at the "bang for you buck" aspect.
 
As far as customer service goes, I've unfortunately had to deal with them more than my fair share lately but it was so easy and the service was top notch. Communication was fantastic and the reps I dealt with were as nice as could be. They were even nice enough to supply me with Kershaw and ZT decals for my pickup.

That being said, I don't own any Benchmades and have never had to deal with their customer service, but from looking around it seems Kershaw offers more for your money. What other company offers $40 knife (Needs Work) that's made in America and has a lifetime warranty?

I own a Leek and absolutely love it. It's a very handy size and stupid sharp. It's also fantastic to sit and play with when you can't sit still like me :D
 
The Leek was my 1st Kershaw and now I've owned 4 of them and A bunch of other kershaws. The leek is one of my favorite edc and I love the variety that you can buy of them. Buying the knife I felt like a became apart of something bigger then just a pocket knife. Kershaw is like a family. I can call them up/email them with a query/problem and know that I will get a quick and helpful response from someone who cares. I'm not just a case # I'm Kershaw family. And the 1660BB Leek brought me to this and I'll forever love the Leek.
 
I have several Leeks either purchased users or blems and I have never had issues with any of them. This covers years as well as other models owned and used over that period. I have purchased blems for friends as well with no issues resulting either. Leeks hold up to EDC use for me and I am a teamster. No issues with tips breaking or any such thing as is feared by some. Buy em and use em, then buy some more.
 
I wound up selling both of my Leeks but that did nothing to diminish my love for Kershaws. The Leek just wasn't for me.

I've actually moved away from the Speedsafe knives because I love the unassisted flippers so much. The only assisted Kershaw/ZTs that I have as my S30v Blur and my ZT0350.

The rest are the Skyline, 2 Zings, a Groove, od-1 and a ZT0200.

I love the Skyline and the tanto Zing has really grown on me for small EDC knives. If you like the blade shape of the Leek and the framelock, find a OD-1. The flipper takes a bit of getting used to but onces you've got it, it's just as fast as an AO knife.
 
I've recently received an S30V blur and I like it a lot. It is very much different from the Leek though, other than both having fast and smooth actions. The Leek is very slim and trim, with an almost straight cutting edge and a very fine tip. The Blur is larger, with a blade that has a lot of belly and a less fine point. My Leek opens via the flipper, the Blur opens with its thumbstud. The Leek is a bit hard for me to operate in a hurry because it is small and I have large hands, the Blur is very easy for me to operate.

DSC_6654b.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top