Kershaw Ken Onion Rainbow Leek

Dexter Ewing

Dexter Ewing

Joined
Oct 3, 1998
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4,670
<b>KERSHAW’S NEW “RAINBOW LEEK” CHOSEN AS KNIFE OF THE YEAR</b>

WILSONVILLE—Spectacular looks, combined with Kershaw’s Ken Onion Speed-Safe technology and top-quality manufacturing, have captured an important title for Kershaw’s NEW “Rainbow Leek.”

Kershaw’s Rainbow Leek (Model 1660VIB) was recently honored as Blade Magazine’s 2002 Knife of the Year®. This is a top-of-the-top industry award. The winning Rainbow Leek was selected by an overwhelming vote of trade-industry members, including leading companies such as Benchmade, Buck, and Gerber. The winner was chosen based on a range of criteria—from design and function to craftsmanship and quality.

The Rainbow Leek not only passed this tough, industry scrutiny, but was specifically chosen for its ability to deliver cutting-edge, Speed-Safe technology in a visually spectacular manner and in a size designed to please customers.

The visual drama of the Rainbow Leek comes from custom designer Ken Onion’s attractive styling—and the knife’s high-polish, rainbow titanium-oxide coating. Titanium oxide is a low-temperature PVD film that adds a durable, decorative, metallic coating to the Leek’s blade and handle. Though the coating is just one-half micron thick, it offers tough, ceramic-like wear properties. The rainbow colors are made by the application of electric currents in different intensities and duration to the titanium oxide. Without dye or pigments, this anodizing produces a literal rainbow of scratch-resistant colors and gives the Rainbow Leek a unique finish unmatched by other surface-finishing processes.

“When we designed the Leek, we were responding to customers requests,” said Jack Igarashi, Executive Vice President for Kershaw Knives, Ltd. “Customers loved the design of our award-winning, small-sized Chive, but they wanted that same design in a larger size—suitable as a dress knife that can also function as a work knife.”

Yet, instead of just ‘upsizing’ the Chive, Ken Onion decided to make some design modifications that enabled the Chive’s styling to work gracefully in the larger size. The pocket-sized Leek features a 3-inch blade of premium high-carbon 440A stainless steel and measures just 4-inches closed. It weighs 3 ounces.

The Rainbow Leek features the patented Kershaw Ken Onion Speed-Safe assisted-opening mechanism. This proprietary technology enables the knife user to open the knife with one hand. A short push on the thumb stud moves the blade into position smoothly and easily. It then locks into place for safe, secure use.

The Rainbow Leek also boasts top-quality Kershaw construction. It will be manufactured exclusively in Kershaw’s Wilsonville, Oregon facility. Production is scheduled to begin in August of 2002. The knife will retail for $99.95. An uncoated version of the Leek (Model 1660) will retail for $69.95. Both will be available in attractive packaging.

Kershaw’s NEW Rainbow Leek—The Blade Magazine’s 2002 Knife of the Year®—is sure to add color to anyone’s knife collection.

A free, full-color Kershaw product catalog may be obtained by writing to Kershaw Knives, 25300 SW Parkway Avenue, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070. Or visit www.kershawknives.com
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Very cool, but do the words "premium" and "440a" belong in the same sentence. Especially at 100 bucks!

Jack
 
Nice looking. I do hate it, however, when I read through an entire 400 word industry press release on the introduction of a new folder and at the end still have no idea of the handle material. :grumpy:
 
Very impressive, but I wonder how well those colors will hold up with usage. I am sure we will find out once people have used these knives for awhile.
 
Nice shape, but I do not like the colors much. I wonder if the "uncoated" version will have both the blade and the scales uncoated ... or just the blade.

David
 
Originally posted by David1967
Nice shape, but I do not like the colors much. I wonder if the "uncoated" version will have both the blade and the scales uncoated ... or just the blade.

David
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David - the uncoated model will have the blade and handle bead blasted.

Bill - I think the handle material is 420 SS. I can tell you for sure it is a steel handle like the Chive.
 
Dexter, thanks for the info. In that case I will get the coated version after all...I hope it will be available in October when I will be visiting US....

David
 
Originally posted by David1967
Dexter, thanks for the info. In that case I will get the coated version after all...I hope it will be available in October when I will be visiting US....

David
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David - I think you'll be safe. Kershaw is still talking about a late summer release for both versions.
 
Heh, pretty eye-catching. Say, is the rainbow Chive out now? I haven't seen it anywhere?

And I'm assuming the Leek is a framelock, right?

Joe
 
Originally posted by Joe Talmadge
Say, is the rainbow Chive out now?
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Joe - Kershaw ran into problems with the coating on the rainbow Chive. Turned out that it was not as durable as they thought even though it is a form of boron carbide. The rainbow coating on the Leek is a different type of coating, a titanium oxide coating applied by the use of electric current as opposed to a PVD (physical vapr deposition) type coating. I hope they do get around to doing the Rainbow Chive. It is a cute little eye catching piece. Then again, I have one of the prototypes for the Rainbow Chives sitting on my desk :)
 
Originally posted by Dexter Ewing


Then again, I have one of the prototypes for the Rainbow Chives sitting on my desk :)
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@$@$%! :)

Thanks for the info Dex. I'm a huge Chive fan, hope they do come out with a rainbow version.
 
looks great, but 440A?!?!?! What are they thinking??? I could maybe survive 440C or AUS8 at a minimum, but 440A??? Why, oh why . . .
 
$99 and all that fancy eye candy for a knife with a 440A blade?

Foooooork. Bad thinking. It is a better design than the Boa. Put a premium steel in it for heaven's sake!

Also, the Speed-safe without a flipper sucks. Not only does it not facilitate opening the knife, since you have to find the thumb stud and give it a flip that would open most one-handed folder without any assistance, but it creates added possibility for injury, because if your thumb flip technique is poor, you can push your thumb right onto the edge.

I love the Scallion. $40 for speedsafe and flipper. Great value, no confusion about market niche. Bring it with a frame lock.

I have high hopes for the Whisper. This model looks like a gimmick.
 
Steve, are we sure that little projection doesn't stick out far enough to be useful as a flipper? I agree that I probably wouldn't go for speed safe type action minus the flipper

Joe
 
Is there a picture of the right side? I'm wondering if the Leek will have a safety device like the Chive's (er, not too cool). I also agree that a better type of steel should have been used.
 
Originally posted by toothed
Is there a picture of the right side? I'm wondering if the Leek will have a safety device like the Chive's (er, not too cool). I also agree that a better type of steel should have been used.
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IIRC, the Leek does have a safety. The same type sliding switch style as the Chive.
 
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