Kershaw Leek 1660CB or Benchmade Mini-Grip 557SBK? Which is more fun to play with?

SpacemanSpiff23

SpacemanSpiff23

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Feb 22, 2009
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I've narrowed down my next knife purchase to either the Composite blade Kershaw Leek, or the Tanto/combo bladed Mini-Grip. Both of these will be perfect for what I need it for, an EDC when I don't feel like carrying my big Vic Swisstool, but I still need something bigger than my Vic Signature Lite. From the research I've done, both seem to have similar weight, size and blade length. Their prices are close enough, and both have excellent blade steel. So now it comes down to which one is more fun to own.

The Leek has a spring assisted opening and a cool index flipper, but the Mini grip has the Axis lock which makes closing the knife just as easy to open. The Leek has that gorgeous composite blade, very sleek and sexy, while the Mini-Grip has the much more manly black serrated tanto. It's a toss up.


What would you choose?


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KS1660CBlarge.jpg
 
I have a composite Leek, and I've had a Mini Grip. I've done plenty of gratuitous flipping with both, and they're about equal when it comes to being fun to play with, IMHO.

I see the Leek as more of a gentleman's knife. Obviously, the tip of the Leek is very fine, and wouldn't be well-suited for tasks like creating a hole in a piece of wood. The Leek is very slender, and disappears in the pocket.

The Mini Grip is more robust. It has Nortyl (sp?) scales over full steel liners. The Nortyl is a form of fiberglass-reinforced plastic, like FRN. Some people hate it. To each his own.

If it was me, and you decided on the Grip, I'd skip the tanto point and combo edge. I've never found either to be particularly useful. YMMV.
 
I have a mini Grip D2 and a composite Leek, and I can tell you the most fun to flip is the Kershaw OD-1 :P
 
I say stick with the leek. Theyre fun and will be able to stand up to most edc tasks. That was my first "nice" knife and i love it still.
-Barry-
 
Leek all the way.

The grip feels cheap. Unless you like plastic fantastic, get the leek.

As boxant said though, the most fun to flip is Kershaw's excellent new OD-1 with 14C28N steel. Framelock with stabilizer, manual flipper, it's amazing.
 
I have both, and dont really like the leek to be honest. Mine doesnt always flip all the way out, so its not that fun to play with for me. I really love my mini grips, and if you dont have an axis lock to play with, youre missing out.
 
I would say get both eventually, yeah I gotta play that card. I would get the leak first, my preferance and its fun to flick open and the composite just looks cool. After you've had that for a while get the grippy and see how you like the axis lock. Mine came smooth and I can open and close it just by pulling back on the lock and flipping it up and down. Both are good knives, I dont see you going wrong with either.

If you want a PLAY(wrong word you shouldnt play with knives) knife. Get the Kershaw E.T. Thats entertaining and just neat. I have one, dont edc it but its fun to play with.
 
Both good knives, but the minigrip will be more fun.

Word of advice...I had a D2 minigrip and the BK1 (or whatever) scratched under the LIGHTEST use. Like, tearing down just one cardboard box left a bunch of visible streaks in it.
 
HKBM45 said:
I have both, and dont really like the leek to be honest. Mine doesnt always flip all the way out, so its not that fun to play with for me. I really love my mini grips, and if you dont have an axis lock to play with, youre missing out.
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Did you lube the leek up? Have you done the TV treatment? It should open all the way up just fine.
 
The leek should definitely open hard with a thwack. Try to work it in with lots of openings, or loosen the pivot slightly.

The thing is though, having a spring open it for me isn't fun to me. I want to flick it out--AND back in. The Leek you have to "reload," but the minigrip you just pop it in and out without stopping.

That said, though, I think the RAM is even more fun (and a better knife). Might think about getting an ET too.
 
The very tip of my Leek broke off. Someone said the Leek is more of a gentlemans knife. I agree. The Grip is stronger. More of a worker knife.
 
Give in and buy both. :D They are both nice little knives and fun in their own ways.
 
SpacemanSpiff23 said:
Sorry to here that. What were you doing when it broke? Was it the Composite blade?
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Yep, it was the composite blade. I'm not even sure what happened. It was fine when I bought it. I carried it and used it (boxes, rags, some cords, the usual stuff) for about 2 months when I noticed one day the tip was gone.

It doesn't bother me much. I bought this Leek to try the CPM D2. I told myself when I bought it that I wasn't going to baby it. But I didn't abuse it either.

BTW - I really like CPM D2.
 
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