Kershaw S30V Blur v. G-10 Leek v. Avalanche v. Boa

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pooperpoopypoop

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Mar 28, 2007
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Well I'm after a new EDC, thinking about the s30v blur, g-10 leek, avalanche, and the boa. I want s30v steel, i like g-10, prefer liner locks, and love fast hard hitting AO's. Any suggestions? there isn't a knife shop worth a darn anywhere near me, so there is no way I can handle any of these, so I'm relying on all of you fine people. I have a blur tanto, and really like the blur platform, but that is all i have to go on.

Chees! :jerkit:
 
My friend just bought the Leek in Green alum handles. The AO on that thing is nice. You can use either the thumbstud or the little flipper on the side. You get a nice hard "click" to ensure that the bad boy opens. It also has a lock that ensure that it doesnt open when in the closed position.

I'm assuming that the G-10 S30V is the same thing just with G-10 and s30v. If I wasnt so in love with my d4 or my Bm 558, I would pick one of those up. The blade is very thin, I know it will be an amazing slicer. I'm not so sure about how it would hold up with harder chorse besides lite cutting.
 
I thought long and hard about the S30V Blur as my regular Wal-Mart version has served me faithfully. In that respect I would recommend it for its light weight, thin profile, and insane quickness for assisted opening. I don't really like the idea of a flipper on the other knvies because they seem to be able to accidentally spring the blade easier. In fact, the AO is what evenutally turned me off of Kershaw and led me to the more controllable speed of the AXIS.
 
I've had one of the original leek for a couple years now, and love it as an edc because of how thin it is. I worked at a place called Knives and Things in Kissimmee, Fl for a year and was able to see the G10 leek and use it for a while. It made me love the knife even more. The handle on the G10 gives it a more sturdy feel, and it's slightly thicker as well. According to the Kershaw site they have a S30V Leek as well, but I've yet to see one in person. It's quite distinctive compared to the regular leeks because of the tanto tip. I love the blur I have as well, and think an S30V one would work awesome.
 
I have a Boa so that’s what I’ll comment on. It’s a really nice knife, the AO isn’t as fast as a Leek, and the grip pattern on the flipper and thumb ramp will rip through your pockets like a chain saw. The plus side of the knife is it’s blade profile, very few knives will give the amount of belly you get with that blade, it can be a real pleasure to use. The handle isn’t too grippy, but the whole thing feels pretty good.
From the sounds of it you would like the Avalanche or the G-10 Leek. The Avalanche looks like a more refined design that might be better for EDC, but the Leek has a flipper and will probably open faster.
I’m sure you’d be happy with either one.
 
I'm upgrading from the opposite direction PooperPoopyPoop. I too want better steel. I have a 440A Leek that I EDC and I have a S30v Blur on order. I love my Leek and the flipper is fun to play with. I'm confident that the blade will open fully whenever I need it with the push of my index finger. I haven't had any accidental openings and I never use the safety while its in my pocket. I don't use the thumbstud though as I feel like I'm going to cut my finger on the serrations when I try. It's a much better AO knife than my SOG Blink. The only drawback is that non-knife people will think its a switchblade if you flick it open in front of them. I just try to be discreet when flipping it open in public. I would love a G-10 Leek with the stonewashed S30v blade, but since I already have a Leek I figured I would give the S30v Blur a shot. Hope that helps.
 
ive got a g10 s30v leek and its a super knife.
the thicker g10 scales make using the thumbstud nearly impossible but i never need it with the flipper.
its so easy to open and ive never had the thing open on me accidentally either.
i reground the bevel on one side to about 10 degrees so its got a total of around 25 degrees and its pretty scary.
thought the harder steel should be able to stand up to the smaller bevel angle.
no trouble getting it to shave at all.
 
Since you have a Blur already, I'd go with the G-10 Leek. You'll like having a smaller knife occasionally, and the Leek is my favorite mass-produced design (Ken Onion Taboo is my all-time favorite!).

Check ebay for the 1660CGT leek.
 
The Leek is the smallest in your list in both length, width, and thickness. However, I'm personally not a big fan of the blade profile, but that's just personal preference. If you find you like it, then it should be a great choice for you. The S30V G10 Leek is quite nice and the G10 feels great. I find the flipper very useful as I find it more difficult to initiate the AO on virtually any AO knife with the thumbstud (from other brands also). The Avalanche has a slightly longer blade (only about 1/8"), but the blade is wider and beefier. I like the Avalanche's blade shape better as it has more belly and a better shape for my uses. The G10 is equally comfortable to the Leek's, and with it's wider handle, it fills the hand better. However, it is also thicker and wider in your pocket. The S30V Blur is nice too...probably the biggest feeling of the 3 in your hand. The handle shape is comfortable, but I prefer the all G10 scales of the Avalanche. The blade shape is nice tho...slight recurve to give you good belly. I've never handled the Boa, so I can't comment on that, but I have been considering a Boa for some time now. I like the design and Kershaw's aluminum scales feel great. Between the 3 I have handled, I'd go for the Avalanche.
 
pooperpoopypoop said:
Well I'm after a new EDC, thinking about the s30v blur, g-10 leek, avalanche, and the boa. I want s30v steel, i like g-10, prefer liner locks, and love fast hard hitting AO's. Any suggestions? there isn't a knife shop worth a darn anywhere near me, so there is no way I can handle any of these, so I'm relying on all of you fine people. I have a blur tanto, and really like the blur platform, but that is all i have to go on.

Chees! :jerkit:
Click to expand...

I would suggest the Blur, except you already have one, so you know how great a knife it is.

I have a regular (aluminum handle) Leek, and it's a great little knife, perfect for dress occasions (or knife unfriendly offices). Just beware that it's a pretty compact package - it's borderline too small for me, so if you have large hands I'd think you would have trouble using it. My only complaints about it are it doesn't hold itself closed like the Blur, and the flipper can get in the way sometimes.
 
I got my S30v Blur today and I love it. Just wish they put a flipper on it like the Leek. I took some pictures of my Leek and the Blur so you can compare the sizes of the two.

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I too am looking at Spec Blurs, but I am not the biggest fan of the darker blade coatings on folders. I would much prefer satin. They just seem harder to find.
 
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