Onion Speedsafe question

potterma

potterma

Joined
Jan 17, 2004
Messages
2,711
I just received my Random Leek in the mail yesterday :D Very nice knife. The quality is very good and the edge shaving sharp. Though I'm not thrilled with the "safety" mechanism. Functional from a safety aspect, but awkward to disengage :(
I have never owned an Onion assisted opener before, and am worried about accidental opening. I prefer to carry tip-up in my right back pocket (which faces the blade away from the pocket seam) and am worried about accidental deployment of that very sharp blade. :eek:

Any comments?

Thanks,
MPotter
 
The safety on the Speedsafe seems a little awkward but with practice you can disengage it on the draw with one of your nongrasping fingers.
 
The safety is okay, but to be honest with you I have never used any of the safetys on my speed safe knives. I have never had one go off in a pocket, or otherwise. Boes not mean it cannot happen, but I really do not think it would (is) be an issue. Thi is only my opinion, but truth be known they have never caused me a problem.
 
My speedsafe went off so many types I got rid of the dang thing. Hate the safety - defeats the purpose of the speed safe.
 
wow, I have 6 avalanches (3 bead blasted cpm440v, 3 black coated s60v), 3 whirlwinds, 3 leeks, 3 rainbow leeks, 3 chives, 4 scallions. Never had a problem with any.
 
At home I EDC a plain Leek for well over a year now - tip down, front pants pocket - or right side pullover/jacket pocket. I've not had any accidental openings. One can learn to engage and disengage the safety using either the pinky or ring finger - that is if righthanded - personally I do not use the safety.

May be worthwhile checking out these detailed reviews:

Kershaw/Ken Onion LEEK (pics)

Kershaw Rainbow Leek - a pictorial review

--
Vincent

http://UnknownVincent.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVT.cjb.net/
 
pendentive - I agree with you about the safety. I haven't found one I like, and I doubt I will. Don't like the "cross bolt" on the ER's, hate the "LaWKS" of CRKT, and am not, so far, endeared to the Onion safety.

I saw on another thread talk of replacing the torsion bar (when it got corroded beyond function).

Has anyone simply removed the torsion bar? is there enough friction from the frame-lock mechanism to keep it from falling open?

Thanks,
MPotter
 
for me, a <$100 knife is gonna be a beater and better be able to take some hard use. I couldn't put the kershaws to hard use, so I got rid of 'em. Right now, in my pocket, is a Buck 110. There's an abuse-friendly knife. ;)

There are plenty of other options. Just carry what suits your tasks best.....and for Pete's sake.....Keep 'em Sharp!

:D
 
Actually, THE reason I purchased the Random Leek was because it would be a regular-use utility, small folder with sheepsfoot/wharncliffe- style blade. I did have a reservation about the speed-safe action, but since it was repeatedly described as NOT an automatic knife, I thought I'd give it a try.

Anyone with any experience running sans the torsion bar?

Thanks,

MPotter
 
I had the blackout and the boa. Both of the torsion bars have broken on me on both of the knives, after around 3 months of opening and closing. Sure its a warranty but without the torsion bar the blade does not stay closed. You can still open and close the knife just like a usual folder with the torsion bar broken, but like i said before it will not stay closed. If the torsion bar ever broke and you weren't able to get a warranty you'd be in trouble. I got a 710 instead, I can actually open it faster than any of the speed safe knives now.
 
scottdaniels13 - Thanks for the dismal report. Somehow, I had hoped for more from Ken and his Onions. The "not stay(ing) closed" part is really a killer.

Hey, Ken, you listening?

"we got a problem, heareee...."

MPotter
 
Mine work great! :) I have a satin Avalanche (bless you, Rev_jch :) :) )
I also own a Chive and a black/gold Leek that have all been carried a LOT, I have never bothered with the safety, and never had one open unintentionally. Honestly, until I read the above, I thought it simply didn't ever happen. :rolleyes:

Anyway, mine have been great knives - I love em' :p

Jeff/1911.
 
I don't doubt that they are great knives, the blackout was my first EDC either than my wenger Adriondack, but I guess Ihad some bad luck with them.
First time the blackout broke I thought I was just a bad knife, but two different times with two different knives isn't a fluke. Plus my friends scallion's speed safe has broken 3 times in and hes had it since last christmas, but aslong as the local knife shop keeps warrantying them he doesn't have a problem with it.
 
i've replaced the torsion bar on a chive i used to have.

kershaw even sent me two replacements. i emailed them, and half expected them to mail me back telling me to send in the knife. but instead, they said, "sorry about that. replacement torsion bars coming your way!"

it was pretty cool, as well as convenient.




and IMO, the knives kind of suck w/o the torsion bar. the framelock does not hold the blade closed. at least, on my chive, it didn't.

there's a hole in my carhartt pant pocket to prove it. carhartts are expensive. :(
 
potterma said:
scottdaniels13 - Thanks for the dismal report. Somehow, I had hoped for more from Ken and his Onions. The "not stay(ing) closed" part is really a killer.
Hey, Ken, you listening?
"we got a problem, heareee...."
Click to expand...


Can we please get some perspective here?

How long have you owned your Kershaw Onion Speed-Safe?
and is it actually giving you any problems?

The Speed-Safe knives are designed to be assisted opening - and NOT designed to be used without their torsion bar/spring - so not staying closed when the knife is already "broken" is .... well...... please........(!)

I am not for a second doubting any of the problems posted here.
Any mechanism can and will have problems -
so the Kershaw/Ken Onion Speed-safes are going have their share for basically a mass produced item.

However that in itself is telling - if the knives are so prone to accidental openings - then I think we would have had a lot more reports - the knife deemed "UNsafe" - and probably lots of people sueing Kershaw.

The broken torsion bar/spring - of course it can happen - but what kind of percentage? - I think these knives are popular and sell a lot - and Kershaw would be in serious trouble if the torsion bars are easily broken just from the inundation of warranty repairs and replacement torsion bars -

this is what Ken Onion said himself about the Kershaw Onions in this thread :

QUOTE:
our tests prove that an undamaged tortion bar can survive 50-60,000 cycles without failure.
UNQUOTE

Please, let's not get carried away here.

Thanks.

--
Vincent

http://UnknownVincent.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVT.cjb.net/
 
To each his own I guess I have never heard of so many problems with my knives . I have been carrying speed safe knives from the beginning and never had one go off in my pocket . Can't immagine what your doing different . Yes from time to time a speed safe tortion bar breaks usually after approx 50,000-60-000 cycles as I test them Kershaw tests them and our failure data proves this average . Thats not to say that an occasional dud doesn't slip past a qc person at Kershaw it does and Kershaw is very good with there customer service ,the best IMO.Pick what knife suits you. if a Buck 110 suits you, great!I had a few of them too. I don't know what your doing with your knives to call them " Hard Use Knives " I look at a knife as a fine cutting impliment. I can't imagine what you did to break your Kershaw I'd love to know because I have beat the **** out of most of them and they have held up quite nicely.
Kershaw has a new safety I think you'll like better than the current one .I never use them anyway.
 
I EDC'd a Rainbow Leek for the better part of a year (tip-down) and never once did it accidentally open. I ended up locking down the safety so it'd never be locked.

I never carried tip-up, but I could imagine it accidentally be flipped open when pulling your hand out of your pocket
 
Ken,
I really appreciate it that you take the time to browse this forum and respond to individuals with concerns. Let me be clear that I have NOT had an incident with the speed-safe mechanism. I've only had the Random Leek for two days, but it is obvious that if I reverse the clip to tip-up carry and carry it in my right rear pocket, I risk cutting my a** if I put my wallet back into my pocket. Its happend to me with blades with just a thumb stud, so this is from experience.
Solution: carry the Leek tip down and deal with the fact that its upside down.
At any rate, today I have started to EDC the Random. I don't anticipate any problems carrying tip down, just need a little re-adjustment of my deployment technique!

Thanks everyone for the conversation! :D

MPotter
 
Ken - perhaps, in all fairness, mine was a dud. Who knows...maybe it's because of my chunky hands....but that thing had a hair-trigger on it. Just a lil' touch and "fling!"...it was open. Nice when I needed it, bad when I didn't (in my pocket. :()

Ken, I don't doubt the quality of your knives - we met at Blade and I got to see it first hand. I still want to see another Ken Onion Khukuri...:D


Re: hard use

I'm hard on everything....wear out shoes too fast, pants, cars, even friends....:rolleyes:

I really wanted the kershaw to be a lil' pocket flipper to use to open letters (no need for self-defense) and other paper/carboard tasks. For that it was splendid.

I just lost the love when I had to keep it on safety.

Like you said - to each his own. You have probably 10 satisfied customers to every one of me....so.....

:D
 
Planterz said:
I EDC'd a Rainbow Leek for the better part of a year (tip-down) and never once did it accidentally open. I ended up locking down the safety so it'd never be locked.
I never carried tip-up, but I could imagine it accidentally be flipped open when pulling your hand out of your pocket
Click to expand...

It's "possible" either way -

Tip down - the flipper could get caught while being extracted - and possibly open.

Tip up - the thumb-studs could get caught up and possibly accidentally open.

These are just "possibles" - but from my experience and observations - pretty UNlikely -

as I see enough people with difficulties in opening the Speed-Safes with the thumb studs when they first encounter the knife.

And I really tried to accidentally open the knife via the index-open (flipper) by dropping the knife and even hitting the flipper (hard) - please see the review (link) -

Kershaw/Ken Onion LEEK (pics)

Again, not saying or doubting that it hasn't happened to the the people who posted -
but it hasn't happened to me - for well over a year's worth of constant at home EDC, and even deliberately trying to have them open "accidentally".

--
Vincent

http://UnknownVincent.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVT.cjb.net/
 
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