Tenacious or Leek?

J

Juramentado

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Aug 23, 2003
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185
After getting an thorough education on Kershaws - through my other thread here - I am now considering buying a Leek.

http://www.knifeworks.com/kershawleekplainedgecomeswithfreekydexnecksheath.aspx

But something else is making me reconsider my decision:

http://www.knifeworks.com/spydercotenaciousg-10handleplainedge.aspx\

I would like to get both, but I can't. I'm interested in the leek for its blade design and the framelock, and this will be my first framelock. But the Tenacious' G10 handle and the flat grind is making me reconsider my choice.

So I want to ask you guys...which one should I get?
 
I own neither of those two models but have other Kershaws and Spydies. I vote for the Spydie. I like G10 over metal handles. The metal shows scratches too easily and G10 is usually grippier. I also prefer the blade shape of the Spydie. Both are quality knives tho.
 
I have both. My Leek is a G-10 with S30V steel blade. It was more money than the one you linked, but it is a super knife. it makes a great daily carry when I am around the office and for general, light duty cutting tasks. More comfortable in the pocket than the Spyderco. The linerlock is thinner and a bit harder to access on this knife. The assisted opening feature is fun to play with, but not much more than that.

The tenacious is awesome for the price. Bigger in the pocket, but a real workhorse. I carry the Tenacious when I really have harder uses in mind throughout my day. It opens easily, and the linerlock is very quick for the thumb to find. The G10 gives you a great grip.

If you want a lighter duty, fun to carrry knife, get the Leek. If you want a hard use knife, go Tenacious at that price.

-just noticed the Leek you are looking at is a frame lock. Disregard my comment on that linerlock. I will add that the Leek is harder to open with the thumbstud placement. Not a big deal, as most use the Speedsafe.
 
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Well those are two VERY different knives in pretty much every aspect, maybe you be more specific of your intended use for the knives?

If it' s for EDC, you should consider that the Tenacious is alot larger and slightly bulky compared to the Leek, which is quite small, thin and carries more discreete than the Tenacious.
So I really can' t tell you which knife I prefer, they are just too different to compare to me.
But I can tell you that both are excellent knives and should serve you well, can't really go wrong with either:thumbup:
 
My intended use is for EDC and SD. I'm intrigued by the leek's framelock and I'd love to add one to my small collection. But that Tenacious is just too good to not consider.
 
I'll reiterate what miro said.

They are VERY different knives, and happen to be one of my two favorites.

LEEK
The leek is a discreet EDC, where elegance and weight are a concern. It's smooth, slim, and carries very well in a pant of jacket pocket. The Sandvik steel is great, takes a wicked edge, and is rather easy to maintain. It deploys in an instant, using either the flipper or the thumbstud, and has an acute point.

TENACIOUS
This is the 300lb gorilla in the budget knives category. For all-around-use it absolutely destroys the competition. It's big, angry, with G10 and liners on both sides, with a very beefy liner lock. It deploys much slower than the Leek, basically requiring you to move the blade with your thumb. It's also probably 3X the weight of the Leek, and certainly looks like it's 3X the size. The sheepie WILL notice it, trust me.

If you plan a lot of hard use for the knife, or cannot use an assisted knife where you live (consider your laws), the Tenacious is a wise choice. On the other hand, the Leek is an inexpensive gentleman's knife... without compromising an ounce of performance. As others may note - a knife isn't a very good self-defense tool, and regardless, you're not going to be using it for that purpose 99.999% of the time, so pick a knife that meets your utilitarian needs. For SD - the best knife is the one you have on you.
 
I have both. I carry the leek more because it is lighter and has a smaller profile. the tenatious takes up your while pocket and makes reaching for thing in your pocket a hastle. The tenatious is a great knife, awesome for working and hard use but for an EDC go with the leek. unless you use a knife a lot for work or do a lot of camping the leek is near perfect for everyday tasks.
 
I am a fan of both---

The Leek's frame lock and country of origin (the good, old United States of America) are its highlights for me. I also like Kershaw's SpeedSafe.

The Tenacious comes with Spyderco's great customer service---they're my favorite to deal with---and the great functionality inherent in every Spyderco design. The blade geometry and ergonomics are excellent.

I wouldn't hesitate on purchasing either; the Leek makes a lighter companion in pocket, while the Tenacious can handle slightly more demanding chores.
 
It depeneds on what you need it for. In my opinion heavy duty work would more suit the Spydie. However, if your tasks are light, than the leek would be exactly what you want.
 
Split the difference and get a Delica? Tough choice, but I guess it depends on what you are using it for.
 
The Leek is better suited towards a lighter duty, more gentlemanly knife. The Tenacious is really more like a cheaper Manix (it'll take anything you dish it).

A fairer comparison is the Shallot vs. the Tenacious and that is a much more difficult decision in my mind. I actually prefer the ergos of the Shallot to the Tenacious but the Spyderhole with manual opening beats any (really, ANY) other opening mechanism, and the Tenacious can be had for quite a bit cheaper. The Shallot is a tough knife though.
 
I own each, as others have said they are very different knives. If you want smaller and lighter or are using it for lighter utility tasks such as just opening packages than you want the Leek, you wont even know you have it and its assisted but I find that the blade is a little softer.

The Tenacious is heaver but has a great harder use blade and is cheap so if you chew it up its not big deal.

For what its worth I carry the Tenacious much much more but thats just me.
 
SD the Tenacious wins hands down if you ask me. I can operate a one hand Spyderhole faster than the flipper on a Leek. Plus grip is more substantial and you are unlikely to slip on the Tenacious.
 
I like the
leek's assisted open feature. It has served me well and is thin enough to be very comfortable for edc. if I were considering the Tenacious, id rather get a larger knife from spyderco like a nice police​
.
 
eccvets said:
I like the
leek's assisted open feature. It has served me well and is thin enough to be very comfortable for edc. if I were considering the Tenacious, id rather get a larger knife from spyderco like a nice police​
.
Click to expand...
Yes, I would rather have the Police too but for 4x or 5x the price of the Tenacious it isn't fair to compare the two.
 
gnius said:
dget knives category. For all-around-use it absolutely destroys the competition. It's big, angry, with G10 and liners on both sides, with a very beefy liner lock. It deploys much slower than the Leek, basically requiring you to move the blade with your thumb. It's also probably 3X the weight of the Leek, and certainly looks like it's 3X the size. The sheepie WILL notice it, trust me.
Click to expand...

The Tenacious is about 1/2 inch longer and weighs another ounce (3.05 oz to 4.10 oz). The Kershaw carries much better, but 3x the size and weight is a bit of an exaggeration. Don't know what people are like where you live but I used the Tenacious at work and in public many times without so much as a glance. I'd expect the speedsafe action of the Leek to get noticed before the size of the Tenacious, but neither has been an issue in practice for me.

I like the blade shape of the Leek better and how well it carries, but would go with the Tenacious for a more comfortable and secure handle, the opening hole, full flat grind and 4 way clip.
 
again.. for light edc tasks, the thin handle and blade of the Leek is great. For tougher tasks, the thicker handle, blade and heft of the Tenacious is better. I can get a lot better grip on the Tenacious as well.
 
I will define myself as a bit of a snob. The only two things holding me back from the tenacious are the steel and the fact it is made in China.

The Leeks are great knives and are probably the single best selling knives, at least for Kershaw. The 13C26 is a very nice steel. It is very fine grained and takes a super sharp edge. Edge retention is probably not as long as some premium steels (154cm, s30v, VG-10) but likely a bit better then the 8CR13MOV on the spyderco. I also much prefer frame locks to liner locks.

Nice things for the Spyderco is the grind, full height flat grinds are my favorite and I wish Spyderco would use it on knives that didn't all cost over $100. The greater blade width and length will allow for greater versatility in general cutting tasks (the Leek would be better for fine detail type work). As for the scales, I like G10 a lot but only if it is cut right. Spyderco seems to usually do it right but I have no experience with this particular knife. The clip looks like it can be put in any of the corners of the knife where as the Leek is set up for right handed people.
 
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