Light duty EDC; Random Leek, 1660CB Leek, or Speedform II?

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dwburke811

Joined
Aug 3, 2013
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62
Been lurking around for a little, but this is my first post here. I'm not a huge knife guy, but I do enjoy them.

I currently EDC a rainbow Leek and love it, I don't really do anything tough with it, hardest thing would probably be cutting down a cardboard box or plastic blister packs, zip ties here or there, just stuff like that. I got the rainbow because I really like the way it looks, but I've noticed less "negative reactions" when I use it compared to other knives I've had and can only assume it's because it's rainbow.

My birthday is coming up soon, and my girlfriend wants to get me another knife. There's not really anything I don't like about the Leek; size/weight, speedsafe, sharp, all that. So I think I want to stick with a Leek, but am interested in the Random because of the cool blade shape (and S30V), and the combo blade since it has a D2 edge (and think the combo blade would look really cool if I put it in the VIB frame). For what I will be doing with the knife, is one steel going to be significantly better? I'm also wondering how the Speedform II compares to the Leek in size, weight, and feel; I've looked at pictures but can only get so much from them and am wondering if anyone has handled both and what they think. The big plus for me with it is having the ELMAX blade, but the knife looks somewhat bulky compared to the Leek; I also don't like that the Speedform isn't assisted opening, but that's not a deal breaker.

I carry a G26 appendix with a spape G17 mag and a Ka-Bar TDI support-side any time I'm not in bed, and if I'm wearing jeans or pants there's probably a little 340PD on my ankle. So I'm not really worried that the Leek/Speedform aren't good self-defense options.

So now that I've rambled on for too long; TLDR; I love my 1660VIB, want another similar knife. Leaning toward 1660CB, D2 edge and may put blade on my VIB handle. Think the Random Leek looks cool, but not crazy about the half serrations. Like the idea of the ELMAX blade in Speedform II, but worried it's going to be bulky compared to Leek.




Any help will be great and highly appreciated, and thank you for reading my book of a post
 
Speedform 2 is much bulkier than the leek. Very nice knife but less eegonomic than the leek so I modified the heck out of my handles & liners with a belt grinder to suit me. I would say hold one before buying if possible. You also might check online at a store where you can search for folders by blade size like knifecenter to see what other options are out there.
 
I have a G10 s30v leek and a speedform 2. The sf2 looks cool but It's awful to open the way the stud is placed. I get the concept but it seriously needs a flipper. The one I have also has a poorly ground blade. Like noticeably bad. It's smooth to open and feels ok in hand but slightly cramped. It's not heavy but the shape is bulkier than the leek. The bead blasted portion of the blade got rust spots the first time I carried it. The elmax steel was somewhat tedious to reprofile but it takes a sharp edge. I paid $64 shipped. If it had a flipper I would carry it all the time. The thumb studs are terrible for a lefty so i rarely carry it. Its a shame because it looks classy and the steel seems good. It has a thick liner lock too. My main complaint is the awkward opening. That's really my main issue.
 
The Random Leek can get scratched badly (best to have it in change pocket and out of contact with metallic objects) and since it's so small serrations eat up a good portion of the blade. Still the S30V steel blade is great.

The CB blade Leek is great. No complaints. Leeks are thin!

The SpeedForm II is actually one of my favorite Kershaw folders. Elegant with a great Elmax blade. The machined G10 looks and feels great. The thumb stud is stupid and I'm trying to be nice! If that got fixed and the handle made thinner it'd be a total winner.

Probably my favorite little Kershaw folder is the RAM but it has been discontinued although you may still be able to find them. Certainly, the Sandvik (13C26 or 14C28N) steel is not as good as Elmax, S30V or the Sandvik 14C28N/D2 Composite in the Leek 1660CB.

Overall, I'd say Leek 1660CB Composite Blade for about $70 delivered is a winner!

PS - Welcome to BladeForums in general and this Kershaw Knives / Zero Tolerance manufacturer subforum in particular! :)
 
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my favorite knives - random task 2 and speedform 2. For EDC more like random task 2.
 
I have a Leek G10 S30V and a Speedform II. The Speedform is way prettier, but I almost never carry it. My Speedform II doesn't have a bead blasted portion. The two sections are ground in a different direction, though.
 
Random leek is my favorite EDC, wish it was a plain edge but i deal with the serrations to get the S30V and tanto tip which is alot stouter than regular leek blade tip.
 
I really like the G-10 S30V Leek... it is a lot more secure in my hand... and very pointy...
 
I like my Random Leek, and I have given many "regular" leeks as gifts so you can't go wrong with either. I have never handled a speedform so I can't help you there.

 
The CB Leek is great, but I find it to be too thin. Like the Shallot, the speedsafe flipper is great for deploying the blade, but as far as ergos are concerned I'll take the Speedform II over the Leek any day. It is bulkier, but feels so much better in-hand. I have no problem flicking the blade open either, despite it being unassisted. I'm also a fan of Elmax, and I've never had any discoloration or rust on any of my Elmax blades.

IMG_20130807_053429_776_zpsdec1aeff.jpg
 
CB Leek would get my vote. If you prefer the reverse tanto blade shape on the Random Leek over the standard Leek blade shape, then that would be a fine choice too. In my experiences so far, the CPM-D2 on the CB Leek performs as well as S30V. The Speedform 2 is a very nice knife as well, and it does feature an Elmax blade. It is a larger and thicker knife though.

Some obligatory comparison pics...

Speedform2_G10Leek_CBLeek_800x450.jpg


Speedform2_G10Leek_CBLeek_thickness_800x378.jpg


Thickness of CB Leek (left) vs. Speedform 2 (right)
CBLeek_Speedform2_thickness_800x376.jpg


Thickness of CB Leek (left) vs. G10 Leek (right)
CBLeek_G10Leek_thickness_800x392.jpg


Thickness of G10 Leek (left) vs. Speedform 2 (right)
G10Leek_Speedform2_thickness_800x397.jpg
 
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freewheeling said:
I have a Leek G10 S30V and a Speedform II. The Speedform is way prettier, but I almost never carry it. My Speedform II doesn't have a bead blasted portion. The two sections are ground in a different direction, though.
Click to expand...
the spine is bead blasted. It rusted while the rest of the blade, the non bead blasted part, was rust free.
 
Awesome, thanks for all the info and the pictures. I'm more or less down to the CB and SF2; the shape of the random is cool but I'm not into the serrated blade at all.

The size/weight is what has me leaning toward the Leek, and honestly I've never really held the Leek and though it was uncomfortable.

If the SF2 was an assisted opener I would probably go with it because it doesn't look that much bulkier, but that plus the clip (which I'm not really into how it looks, or how high it would sit when tip-up) bring it down a good amount.


Last question, is the Damascus something to consider, or is the steel just pretty but doesn't perform all that well?


Thanks again, everyone has been very helpful. :)
 
dwburke811 said:
Awesome, thanks for all the info and the pictures. I'm more or less down to the CB and SF2; the shape of the random is cool but I'm not into the serrated blade at all.

The size/weight is what has me leaning toward the Leek, and honestly I've never really held the Leek and though it was uncomfortable.

If the SF2 was an assisted opener I would probably go with it because it doesn't look that much bulkier, but that plus the clip (which I'm not really into how it looks, or how high it would sit when tip-up) bring it down a good amount.


Last question, is the Damascus something to consider, or is the steel just pretty but doesn't perform all that well?


Thanks again, everyone has been very helpful. :)
Click to expand...

The SF2 is not heavy at all. Weight shouldn't be a concern.

Assisted opening is a gimmick; it's no better than having a knife that opens smoothly without an assisted opening mechanism, and really a smooth non AO knife is better than an AO because it doesn't have another part to break.

The problem with the SF2 is that the thumb studs are situated awkwardly close to the handle scales, which does not make opening the knife as easy as it should be. The SF2 could have been much better if it had either a flipper or a blade that was easier to open. This has been repeated by many people in many threads, so it's not just me. I don't think the knife is comfortable to open. The leek is much better with both the thumb studs and the flipper.

The clip really was not thought out very well for this knife. It looks out of place and it's awful in tip up position. I highly recommend tip down.

Damascus is for looks but it can perform fine. There are stainless and non-stainless damascus steels so check the combination. You will not get special performance from damascus but it can look cool.
 
I was looking into the Speedform...Youtube seems to like it as well. Does anyone have a pic of the SF closed? How close is the stud to the scales? Is it different, than say, a Blur? I thought opening the SF would be kind of similar as they use the same stud...
 
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