Kershaw Blur - 1670S30V

Short Form: This is a knife that kind of straddles the "tactical" and "edc" roles, and really doesn't fit perfectly into either. That said, decent ergonomics, good feel in hand, nice looks, and very friendly price tag explain the huge popularity of this knife.

Size: Large. With a 3.4" blade and an overall length of 7.9", no one is going to mistake this for a tiny knife. With the large, curved blade and the distinctive "smack" of the speed assist open, no one will mistake this for a letter opener.

Usage Rating: Another medium with heavy-ish tendencies. I'll tell you why. The blade is positively robust, clocking in at .12" (3mm and change). With its heavy recurve and thick handle, you might think "hard usage" when you first look at this knife, but there are a few things that give me pause about rating in that way.

First, the liner lock (shown below) seems like it belongs on a much smaller knife. Compare this to the liner lock on a Spyderco Tenacious and you can see what I'm talking about. I'd be worried about seriously driving this knife into a hard substance because this liner lock seems more like something in the EDC neighborhood. I think it was done to save weight, but it's worth mentioning.

The second reason I'd put this in medium usage is the grip. Don't get me wrong. Feels great in the hand, but even with the trac-tec inserts and the light jimping, this is something that I could definitely see sliding in your hand with hard usage. Compare this to a Spyderco Native or a Mini-Grip where there is a physical barrier to your hand sliding onto the blade, and you'll see what I mean. It's also worth nothing that the aluminum (which makes it pretty darn light for such a large knife) also won't take abuse the way that a stainless steel frame does.

Steel Quality: S30V is great. Fairly easy to sharpen, great corrosion and wear resistance. There's a reason this steel is the darling of the knife community. This is one of the few S30V blades you can get that is comfortably outside of the hundred dollar range, and if you're curious to try this steel without breaking the bank, this is a nice entry point. (If you're looking at the standard models with Sandvik 14c28n, rest assured... that is a great steel, too. Even better corrosion resistance and ease of sharpening, takes an even finer edge... just doesn't have wear resistance on par with S30V). My experience is that S30V will take a really fine edge, degrade to a "working edge" moderately fast, and then keep that working edge (toothy but still cuts well) for a really long time. Great for EDC and hard use both.

Deployment Method: One handed ambidextrous. Liner lock, though, so lefties beware. All that said, Kershaw really has the assisted open down to a science. This is an easy knife to open, but not so easy you'd worry about keeping it in your pocket. Getting it closed again one handed (with your right, at least) is fairly easy despite to fairly robust torsion bar.

Performance Aspects:

1. Slicing - Despite the good steel, this is a relatively thick knife with secondary bevels close to 44 degrees inclusive; just about as fat as you'd get on a knife. Helps the edge hold up to hard use (abuse) but really limits the performance for slicing. Won't scream through materials like a Kershaw Knockout (which I'll review soon).  What's interesting about the performance here is how it defied my expectations. With the fairly noticeable recurve, I thought this thing was going to be a monster cutter on pull cuts, but the reverse is true. Pull cuts take a lot of work, but pushing cuts (especially towards the tip of the blade) work fairly well.

2. Piercing - Another strong point for this knife. The tip is fairly robust and has a lot of material behind it. I'd be comfortable piercing moderately heavy materials with this knife, and I've done so repeatedly. Works well to that end. That said, I still avoid super hard piercing tasks because of the fairly dainty lock bar.

3. Push Cutting - Gotta ding it here. That fat blade with wide edge geometry makes for a really limited push cutter. On a larger knife, though, with more cutting edge and grip, this isn't as much of a problem as it would be for a smaller knife (where you have to push cut more due to the small blade).

Retention Method:

1. Functionality - Clip does a great job here. Regardless of thick or thin materials, this knife will stay in your pocket firmly, but doesn't take an irritating amount of force to get out. The smoothed out portion where the clip meets the scale means this one won't shred your pants, either.

2. Discretion - NONE. This is a big honking pocket clip on a big, thick knife. Probable an inch of knife sticks out of your pocket in tip-up carry. Slightly less in tip down, but nothing noteworthy. Everyone in a ten mile radius will know you have a knife.

3. Versatility - I sometimes wonder of some left-handed person wronged the folks at Kershaw in the distant past. Like many Kershaw designs, no left handed options whatsoever. Right side tip-up and tip-down only. There's a lanyard hole if you're into that sort of thing, but it's smallish for paracord.

Fit and Finish: Gotta ding it here in two places. The grind of the secondary bevel and centering on my model. Secondary bevel is unevenly ground - around an inclusive 35 by the tip, thickening to 44-ish at the base of the blade (more on the problems with this below). The centering is off, too. When I use the pivot screw to get it away from the right handle scale, it becomes a fix bladed knife. It doesn't rub the liner on the right handle scale, but it is bloody close.

Kershaw's a mystery on this aspect. I have a Knockout, a Leek, a Skyline, and an Echelon that are freaking FLAWLESS. This is the only one where I've had any real fit and finish gripes. Maybe it is because Kershaw makes so many of these knives? Regardless, Kershaw has kick-ass customer service and they've already told me they'll fix both issues whenever I feel like sending mine in.

Ease of Maintenance: Stupid recurve. Gives the blade an interesting look, and arguably helps with some performance aspects. But it is a royal pain in the ass to sharpen on a stone. Easy to get the first 2/3 of the knife scary sharp, but that recurved bit at the blade is a royal pain in the ass, given the knife's fairly fat geometry (you'll have to try this on a stone to see what I'm talking about). This would be a "Sharpmaker only" knife for me but for the uneven grind which makes even that irritating. Once Kershaw fixes that issue, this will probably be an easy knife to maintain on a Sharpmaker. Otherwise, this thing is built like a tank. Don't foresee a lot of other maintenance. The flow-through construction makes cleaning easy.

Conclusion: This is a good knife. Lives in that line between tactical and EDC, but there's just something about it. There's a reason these knives have so many iterations and so many positive reviews. One of the best S30V iterations you can get for the price point. You get a lot for the money and Kershaw's got a kick-ass warranty.

That said, if you had to have ONE EDC (Spyderco Delica) or ONE tactical user (Spyderco Manix 2 or ZT 0300), I think you can get a better engineered product elsewhere.

Benchmade 556 Mini-Griptilian

Short Form: There is a very Zen aesthetic to doing something very ordinary and doing it spectacularly well. There is an equally Zen experience of appreciating such mastery only through time and exposure. I think the Mini-Grip really hits on both of those things. While it leans slightly more towards the "hard use" end of the pool, the Mini-Grip comes close to being a perfectly balanced EDC knife. If you're going to exceed the $50.00 range with one knife, I would recommend that it be this knife.

Size: Smallish end of medium, with a total length of 6.78" and a closed length of a very impressive 3.87". The blade hits just shy of 3" with almost the entire exposed edge being sharpened and usable.

Usage Rating: Medium going on heavy. The only reason I don't say "heavy" without reservation is because it is, on the whole, rather smallish. Other than that, this is a knife with dual steel liners, an insanely strong lock, and a moderately thick blade-stock which is ground in such a way that it can take abuse. More to the point, the texturing and gripping created by the handle make this a blade that wouldn't slip out of our hands, even if you used it to cape a deer or clean a really slimy fish, like a catfish.

Steel Quality: I almost put this in the "high" category. 154 CM is a slippery fish in that way. It is certainly an order of magnitude better than 8Cr13Mov and lower steels. I'm not sure I'd call it "better" than VG-10, although it does have better wear resistance. It is not as easy to sharpen as VG-10, and while it will take a hair-popping edge, it won't easily get to that "scalpel zone" that VG-10 and Sandvik 14c28n will. Here's the trade-off: with the big ol' carbide structures in 154 CM, it gets toothy on the edge quickly and stays that way for a long time. Put more plainly, it will hold a "utility edge" (can't shave with it but still quite useful) for a really, really long time. Easily a competitor to s30v.

Deployment Method: One-handed ambidextrous. Very old school, field-tested-and-approved thumb studs, both average in size and shape. Phosphor bronze washers around the pivot. Again, the whole crux here is that this an ordinary thing done extraordinarily well. This is one of those knives you really have to handle to appreciate it. I've just described half the folding knives on the planet, but the difference here is that you can easily flick this open with slight thumb pressure, despite the knife's rather petite size. And despite that lightning open, the in-handle retention is still very good. The only competitor I've seen to the action on these things is the ball-bearing systems that are starting to come into use on production models, and even then, this gives those a serious run for the money.

Performance Aspects:

1. Slicing - This blade is a pretty good slicer. Decent amount of curvature and a sabre-grind that starts about 1/3 of the way down the blade, ending in the secondary bevel, make for good performance in this arena. Doesn't slice as well as a full flat-ground blade, but keep it fairly sharp, and you'd hardly notice the difference.

2. Piercing - Despite the petite size, this thing has a robust tip. The curvature of the last portion of the blade makes it a fairly pointy tip, as well. Particularly good piercing for a normal, "non-wharncliffe" style knife.

3. Push Cutting - Kind of "meh" here. Only super thin knives with high grinds are great push cutters. This is further hampered by the fact that the secondary bevel is ground a bit wide (broader than 40 degrees inclusive, in some cases - more on that later).

Retention Method:

1. Functionality - this is where we get to the mini-grip's one short-coming I can think of. Clip keeps the knife in your pocket very well. Too well, in fact. The bow of the clip sits on a checkered portion of the grip. The result is a certified pocket-shredder. I won't wear this knife with suits or khaki pants because it will readily tear them up. Even my cargo shorts and jeans wear noticeably after clipping this knife quite a bit. You can cure this by working the clip and sanding the contact point, but from the factory, beware and guard your pants!

2. Discretion - not great here, either. Big, exceptionally wide clip (given the size of the knife) with a good 3/4 of an inch of handle sticking out of your pocket. Everyone will know you have a knife.

3. Versatility - good enough. Good for lefties and righties. Tip up only, but who gives a damn?

Fit and Finish: Sadly, gotta ding it here, too. The first one I got was badly off-centered. Fixing the problem turned it into a fixed blade knife. Didn't rub the sides, but came insanely close. Plastic parts and locking mechanisms were immaculate, though.

Here's the thing. Their customer care is fantastic. I ended up screwing up my blade. Shipped it to them, and for five bucks, they put new axis lock, new springs, new pocket clip, NEW FREAKING BLADE. Cost to me? $5. And they got it back to me a month from when I sent it out. BM also has a free lifetime sharpening service if you're into that action.

Knife was absolutely immaculate when I got it back from them. Super impressed. I guess what I'm saying is that even though fit and finish aren't perfect, you may be perfectly assured they'll make it right if you aren't happy. These people are serious about keeping customers, and I don't doubt this is part of that hefty initial price-tag.

Ease of Maintenance:

Another POTENTIAL problem area. Remember that ultra-wide secondary bevel I mentioned earlier? If you're a sharpmaker guy (or any "set angle" system), your product may not work on this guy. That's how I borked my blade up in the first place, trying a re-profile. If the only tool in your box is a sharpener like that, this could be problematic.

If you just use stones, this is an easy blade to sharpen with its simple shape.

Otherwise, nice low-maintenance knife.

Conclusion: Like I said above. This is a super-solid EDC. Price keeps creeping up (I think they're about $80.00 now), but still worth the money. Great blade, great design, a pleasure to use. There are a lot of reasons this is a long-lived classic. Sometimes simple is best. Just beware of the maintenance issues and the possible pants destruction.

Spyderco Native FRN - C41BK

If you just watched me use this blade, you might get the impression that I hate it. For a $50+ blade with high-end steel, I've beaten the crap out of it. The reason is simple - it was an experiment. I had never seriously tested a linerless FRN knife, nor a blade with pin construction. I spent most of my knife-collecting career refusing to buy knives without liners because I thought they were weak. I avoided pin construction because I thought it was cheaper and indicated poorer quality.

Wrong on both counts! Keep reading and I'll tell you why. 

Here are pictures of my Native FRN (all done against a one inch grid for size reference):

Here is a link to a good video review of the Native by 0100. Here is another one by Cajun Blaze. Those should get you a better visual "grip" on what this thing looks like from all angles.

Short Form: The FRN actually makes this a "tougher" hard use knife than some with steel liners and the pins mean you never have to play with a pivot screw. The steel holds an edge forever... in short, low maintenance, hard use knife!

Size: Medium size at 7" exactly. Cutting edge is only 2.65" thanks to the finger choil, though, so if you need something with a really nice cutting/edge to handle ratio, look elsewhere.

Usage Rating: Heavy use, without question. The blade stock is thick at 3mm and keeps that thickness for a good portion of the blade. This is a blade that I've hammered through small logs. The back lock is plenty strong. The grip... what can you say about the grip in this thing? I think the literature from Spyderco pretty much nails it. "Engineered for the human hand, the Native's ergonomic design maximizes cutting ability while minimizing discomfort and fatigue." The way this thing fits to the hand, plus its thickness and texturing, make this something you can hold and use for a long time with no blisters or hot spots. 

And now to the FRN. I used to think that all knives with no metal liners were inherently weak. Man, was I wrong on that score. I've seen an FRN Native run over with a freaking car. Whereas metal would bend permanently, FRN yields and goes right back to its original shape. I've beaten this knife in ways that would have virtually assured the development of blade play in knives with liners, and it doesn't wobble a millimeter. You have to understand, this thick plastic is strong like bamboo-- it's ability to yield a bit makes it that much more formidable. 

Can you do the same things to this knife you'd do to a Spyderco Military? Maybe not, but for the money you pay, you needn't be at all shy about putting some hurt on this blade. 

Steel Quality: High end. S30V is widely revered for a reason. While it is a bit "toothy" with its large carbide structures, that is no problem in a utility knife. That super mirror polish you'd want on a cooking knife isn't necessary for the applications this blade was designed for. It will still take a hair-shaving edge and keep it for a couple of months at a time. Corrosion resistance is fantastic (again, adding to the low maintenance allure of the blade), and sharpening is relatively easy (though not ridiculously so, like it is with Sandvik 14c28n or VG-10). 

The steel was the main reason I got this knife. First blade with S30V and one of the cheapest you can get. It absolutely doesn't disappoint. 

Deployment Method: One-handed ambidextrous. This design is a little older, so it lacks an oversized spyderhole or the "hump" that makes many spyderco blades so easy to open. All that said, there is a reason designs weather the years. This blade is plenty easy to open with either hand, and the back lock and reversible pocket clip (tip-up left or right side) make this friendly no matter what your strong hand is. 

Performance Aspects: 

1. Slicing - This knife is a fairly good slicer. It doesn't compete with most really narrow, full flat-ground blades, but the moderate hollow grind does an acceptable job and the relatively constant curvature of the cutting edge also helps. This type of grind was probably used, at least in part, to keep costs low. The awesome ergonomics on this knife also improve what might be "meh" performance based on blade geometry alone. 

2. Piercing - The Native is an awesome piercing knife. Some have certainly groused about the thin tip, but I think its narrow profile makes it an even better piercer and the concerns about a "delicate tip" are unfounded. I've driven the tip through canvas, heavy plastic, and even nailed it into wood and it is none the worse for wear. What I keep seeing when people break the tip is that they use it for prying. Prying will break the tip off just about any knife. It isn't what knives are used for, so I don't really factor that into my reviews. 

3. Push-Cutting - This is a thick blade, so push cutting isn't spectacular. 

Retention Method:

1. Functionality - The hourglass clip Spyderco uses ain't pretty and it ain't discreet... but it works perfectly. With the "pinch point" nicely placed over the smooth logo, it is the perfect amount of tension to keep this blade clipped to your pocket without getting it out turning into a wrestling match. The hefty chunk that protrudes from your pocket when clipped makes taking the knife out easier, as well. 

2. Discretion Factor - The barrel screw used for this clip is an elegantly simple solution to the problem of how to anchor the clip on a linerless knife. The problem is that this clip (along with the relatively thick handle of the knife) really make this thing protrude. There is no chance in hell that anyone will ever think you are doing anything other than carrying a knife. 

Aside: It is also worth mentioning that, on the whole, this is a kind of aggressive-looking knife. The contoured grip, finger choil, and thinned tip kind of make the whole blade look tactical. I find myself only carrying this one on the weekends, because even though I think it is firmly in the utility knife category, its looks could bother "non-knife" folks.

3. Versatility - It's left and right side tip up only. Good enough, but not the delightful "however the hell you want it" of the Delica and Endura series. 

Fit and Finish:

I was actually disappointed here. This was my first Spydie from Golden, CO. I expected masterful workmanship. What I got was fairly "meh". Don't get me wrong - the knife deploys, locks, and unlocks perfectly - but the FRN handles are only roughly finished inside, and the pins which hold it together look battered. This is by no stretch a pretty knife. 

But then again, it kind of goes back to what I said in the beginning - this is a hard use knife. Not meant to go in a show room.

Ease of Maintenance:

If there's a selling point for the knife, it is under this category. The pin construction means that you don't have to screw around with the pivot. No bi-monthly adjustments, or messing with blue loc-tite, or anything like that. This blade was perfectly centered when I got it, and it remains that way (even after it got run over!!!). 

That's the real strength of the FRN. Even if it gets dropped or smashed, that yielding, but incredibly tough plastic just keeps its shape, no matter what. Also, since it is plastic, you don't have to oil the pivot to keep the action smooth. 

Like, ever. 

I mean, you could, but you'd be wasting time. I've not oiled that knife for two years of hard use, and I can still flick it open with my weak hand. 

You can wash the blade with no worry. There's no steel liners to rust, and the S30V steel has fantastic corrosion resistance (not to mention fantastic edge retention). 

Conclusion: 

This is a working man's knife. It's affordable. It works well. You can beat the daylights out of it. You can get away with sharpening it two or three times in a year of regular use. In short, you can ignore this knife's needs and get great performance anyway. Sal Glesser designed this knife with "big box" stores in mind. It's a design aimed at people who needed good cutting tools but aren't willing to jump through all the hoops us "knife knuts" love so much. 

If I'm right about what Glesser was aiming for, he hit the bullseye with the Native. 

Spyderco Delica 4 - FFG

The Delica is one of those knives you just can't get around. Do any meaningful research into EDC blades and you'll hear a lot of people talk about the Delica being the "perfect EDC". My review will make about the forty billionth one on the internet, but like I said when I started this, the goal is to create more useful data points for those researching their own purchases.

Here are pictures of my ZDP-189 Delica (pen on the bottom is a standard Pilot G2 for size comparison):

Here is a link to Blade HQ's video review of the Delica 4. It is a good visual reference point, and always, a fairly nice, concise review in and of itself.

Short Form: I don't think the Delica 4 is perfect (nothing is), but it is a really, really nice blade, especially for the price point. Its merits (many) outweigh its flaws (few). Not the most discrete knife in the world, though.

Size: Medium

The knife is 7.125" open, 4.25" closed. The blade itself is 2.875", but the cutting edge is only 2.563". This puts it in the medium category, creeping up on what I'd call large for an EDC blade. Some people complain that there's a lot of handle for not much knife here, and I think that's valid. You can get a lot more cutting edge in a smaller package with something like a Benchmade Mini-griptilian. That said, I think the increased size does pay dividends in ergonomics, but we'll get to that in a second.

Usage Rating: Medium

Unlike the Kershaw Leek, which seems downright dainty, this is a knife I would (and have) taken into the woods. Like most Spyderco knives, it has a rock solid lock-up that has stayed with absolutely zero play after a year of solid use (abuse) at my hands. The grip is solid from an ergonomic stand point and is appropriate for heavy chores. Between the thumb ramp and the bi-directional texturing on the handle scales, you're just not going to accidentally let go of this knife... ever. Great for fishing and light bushcraft.

The only reason I don't rate this as hard use is because of the thin blade-stock and fairly steep secondary bevel.

Blade Steel Quality: Moderate / Superior

The VG 10 on the regular model is one of the best all-around steels I can think of. Notably better edge retention than the "budget" steels like 8Cr13Mov and 420HC. It is also crazy-easy to sharpen and polish. It takes a great mirror edge and resists rust quite well. I feel like this particular steel really hits that "sweet spot" where it performs well, but isn't so expensive that you would baby it and keep it from being really used hard.

I put the "superior" tag on there for those that want to fork out $30 extra for the ZDP-189 steel. I have both versions of the Delica 4, so I figured I'd throw this information in. ZDP-189 really is in a league of its own. I don't think I've ever seen steel (even s30v or D2) come close to the edge retention properties of ZDP-189. It will take and hold an extremely steep (less than 30 degree inclusive) edge for months at a time. I am a sharpness freak with my blades, and I have gone three or four months without sharpening my ZDP-189 Delica because it can still shave hair.

I will place a few warnings on this steel, though.

1. Higher price point = greater fear: I do find that I "baby" this one more than my regular Delica. It has that wonderfully ground, super-hard blade and I'd hate to screw it up, especially since it is so damn expensive for an everyday use knife. As a result, it sees less actual use than some of my cheaper "workhorses".

2. Corrosion prone: a whopping amount of carbon is to blame for that wonderful edge retention. The trade off is that it is more rust prone than most high end knife steels. You really can't let this thing get wet, and even handling it regularly with your hands creates a noticeable "patina" over time (although this doesn't affect the performance of the blade in the slightest).

3. Chips: Because this steel is so hard, it is more prone to chipping at the edge than rolling like softer steels do. This matters because this steel is, frankly, a royal pain in the ass to re-profile and polish. The hardness which lends to its performance adds challenge to the maintenance.

Deployment Method: One-Handed Ambidextrous

Ahh... the truly ambidextrous knife. Lefties and righties can open and close this thing with equal ease. And "ease" is the operative term here. The 14 mm Spyderhole is about the easiest opening method on the market, as far as I'm concerned. I've never met anyone that didn't quickly fall in love with this method and start grousing about thumb studs in short order. No matter your hand size or position, wet or dry, gloved or no, you'll be able to get this knife open easily.

I should point out, though, that the deployment on this one isn't lightning fast. The sturdy back lock, which makes for a thin knife and makes it truly ambidextrous, does slow deployment a bit. The reason is because of the tension that the back-spring puts on the blade as it rotates out into the open position. Don't be expecting that explosively fast opening that you get on a Kershaw assisted opener or even a really well-designed liner-lock knife. Not a deal breaker for me, but I know it bothers some people.

Performance Aspects:

1. Slicing - The Delica is a decent slicer, but not spectacular. The lack of curvature in the blade means it doesn't perform quite as well as a Mini-Griptilian or even the Delica's cheaper cousin, the Persistence. That said, the extremely thin blade-stock and steep secondary bevel do make up some of that lost ground. The extremely ergonomic grip also helps. I've never been aggravated with this knife's slicing performance, but I've never really been blow away by it, either.

2. Piercing - The Delica is a decent piercing knife. This iteration has a stronger tip than previous incarnations. You used to read about older versions losing their tip when dropped. That isn't an issue here, but that stockier tip costs the knife some of its piercing power. It doesn't pierce nearly as well as a clip-point knife or something with a needle-fine tip, like a Kershaw Leek. That said, I'd be much more comfortable driving this into a hard material.

3. Push-Cutting - The Delica is a pretty good push-cutting knife. The fairly straight blade, which hurts slicing, seems to help in this aspect. Further, the thin blade stock and steep bevel help here, too. Again, I can't stress how much the good grip on this thing makes all its uses easier.

Reading the three evaluations, you get the impression that the performance on this blade is kind of "meh". Let me try and disabuse you of that notion. While it doesn't do any one thing spectacularly, it does just about everything well. The more you use one, the more you'll appreciate the value of this. For an EDC blade, I think you really need something like that.

Retention Method:

1. Functionality - Like most things Spyderco, this is the focus. This hourglass pocket clip isn't pretty or discreet, but by God, it does its job. It will hold the knife in the pockets of about any pants (jeans to light slacks) securely, based on the broad surface area "pinching" the fabric. Also, the fact that the bow of the clip contacts the smooth logo panel (regardless of configuration) means that your pants won't get torn to shreds on this one.

2. Discretion Factor - Fail. This is a large clip, but in tip-up carry (which is the preferred option for most folks), a large portion of knife sticks out of your pocket. Some people like this for the ease of drawing it out (again - Spyderco cares about function), but I can't say as I've ever had any serious problems pulling out blades with deep carry pocket clips (which I greatly prefer).

3. Versatility - As versatile as it gets. Four way carry plus lanyard plus wave capacity with a zip tie means you can carry this thing however you like to carry knives and it will work quite well.

Fit and Finish:

The Spyderco knifes from Seki in Japan are good, but not mind-blowing. Everything was clean and functional. No gaps, stripped screws, or overtly sloppy bits of work. On closer inspection, though, two of the three Delicas I own have centering issues. Two also suffer an uneven grind at the tip, like the person grinding it just nodded off. It doesn't affect the performance noticeably, but for perfectionists, I might be irksome.

I will point out that the ZDP-189 Delica had significantly better fit and finish. Immaculate grind and perfect centering to supplement an already great knife.

Ease of Maintenance:

Generally pretty good. A monthly touch-up on the Sharpmaker will keep the VG-10 shaving sharp. It takes a fine edge easily. The more I use and evaluate knives, the more I start to appreciate how much ease of sharpening matters. The ZDP-189 stays crazy sharp so long as it gets touched up bi-monthly, but God help you if you put a nick in it or really trash the edge. Getting it back to razor sharpness is a certifiable nightmare.

Because of the closed, lock-back design, these things are definitely lint magnets. Invest in pipe-cleaners and compressed air to keep the mechanism free of debris. If you're not finicky about keeping grime out, the action on these knives does get gritty.

For reasons I don't know, my ZDP-189 Delica attracts grime way more than the VG-10. Perhaps the tighter tolerances make it more noticeable when something is out of whack?

The phosphor bronze bushings make the knife open smoothly, but I've also found that these blades need a dab of mineral oil or teflon spray to keep their peak performance.

Conclusion:

It is really easy to see why this blade is in the pantheon. It is one of the most quintessential examples of the qualities that makes Spyderco a great company. If you need a small-medium size folder to keep you company for a half decade or so of regular use, and still be a fantastic tool at the end, this one is for you. I really can't think of a more versatile lock-bladed folding knife.

Review of the Kershaw Leek, Model 1660

The Leek is like that movie that I really didn't want to see, but finally went to because everyone and their mother had seen it and told me how great it was. I didn't like the knife's long, weird looks, straight blade, or funky pocket clip. That said, I had to acknowledge that tons of people love this knife. It has over 500 five-star ratings on Amazon. If you type in "Kershaw Leek" and "best knife ever" on Google, you'll get hundreds of hits. You can find any number of glowing reviews for this blade. I avoided getting one for years, but curiosity finally got the better of me. The way I figured, there must be something to this blade that I'm missing since so many people drool over it. I got one and carried it daily for a few months to see if I could start to understand what the fuss was about. In the end, it didn't join my pantheon of greats, but it is fun to carry and use, and mine will stay in my rotation for a while to come.

Here is a link to the Bladereviews.com video review of the Leek which you can use to get a good visual on the knife, as well as another reference point for your own evaluation. Here's pictures of my stainless Leek.

Short Form: The Leek handles most EDC chores and has nice fit and finish for the price, but has some stylistic quirks that keep it from being a good "all around" pocket knife.

Size: Medium

The 7" open length puts this firmly in the medium size category. Good size analogs would be the Spyderco Delica 4 (7.125" open) and the Benchmade Mini-Griptilian (6.78" open). Mine, which is the steel frame-lock version, clocked in at 3 ounces exactly. The handle is a super-slender 5/16" thick without the pocket clip, and the handle is slightly less than 1" wide at the widest point (with the blade closed).

Usage Rating:  Light

There's going to be some debate here. I put this in the light usage category, for three reasons.

1. Thin tip - The tip, as is discussed in many reviews, is needle fine. This ain't a bad thing (see below), but if you even think about thinking about prying with it, the tip will snap off. Similarly, if you tried to pierce a heavier material, I suspect the tip would bend or fold. I've also heard a lot of stories about people losing the tip when the knife gets dropped.

2. Thin blade - The blade thickness is 0.090", which is the same as a Delica 4, but it tapers quickly and gets dramatically thinner well before the tip of the knife. While this does help the knife with slicing performance, the trade off is strength. The fairly steep secondary bevel makes for a razor-sharp edge... but it rolls quickly. If you took this thing into the woods, you'd likely be sharpening it a lot.

3. Slick grip - The grip is very slick. The jimping on the thumb ramp and choil certainly help, but this is not a knife you'd want to use with wet hands or gloves. The lack of texturing on the scales and the rather amorphous handle shape (not molded to fingers) keeps this blade from really locking into your hand. In my opinion, if the grip ain't great, you really shouldn't be using a blade for anything other than light duty. (I make no commentary on the G-10 version. That might be an improvement, but I can't see where even grippier scales would have a drastic impact on this knife's "hand profile".)

The reason I say there's debate on the usage rating is the price tag. I can see where some people would beat on this knife and ramp it up to medium usage. I got mine from Amazon.com for $38 and change. That isn't so horrifically expensive that you couldn't replace it if you maimed one beyond repair. It should also be mentioned that Kershaw has fantastic customer service. I've seen a lot of instances where they will simply send out replacement parts for free if requested, and they have a blade replacement service for a paltry $10.00. When you take that into account, I suppose medium use could be feasible.

Blade Steel Quality: Moderate

Current models come with Sandvik's 14c28n steel. This is Kershaw's flagship steel and for good reason. The rust resistance has been good (better than on my Spyderco Persistence with 8cr13Mov), and this steel takes a very fine edge (similar to the VG-10 in the Delica 4). In terms of wear resistance, it is hard to say what to associate with the quality of the steel and what to associate with the geometry of the knife. This is a very thin blade with a very steep bevel, and a very steep secondary bevel. It makes for a fine, "scary sharp" cutting edge, but that thin edge is prone to rolling when you put it to work. I'm not sure if this just the steel or the thinness of this particular blade. I'll have to put a few more 14c28n blades with different geometry through the paces and update this when I do.

Note: The edge's tendency to roll under pressure isn't necessarily a bad thing. Unlike chips in the edge (which are common with some of the harder steels), you can hone the rolls right out of this blade and get it back to shaving sharpness with a common kitchen steel. Even stropping it on a belt will more or less put it back where you want it.

I'm not a metallurgist, so I can't give you all the technical crunch and lab data, but I can tell you this: I've got to sharpen this blade slightly more often than I do my VG-10 blades that get put through the same paces, but significantly less often than my 420 HC and 8cr13Mov blades. On average, I'd say it took one trip to my Sharpmaker for every month I used it regularly. (You should note that A - I did only use it for light jobs and B - I sharpen before the edge gets too dull; it was still a working edge when I cleaned it up.)

Deployment Method: Ambidextrous (?) One-Handed Assisted

The knife has Ken Onion's patented "Speedsafe" assisted opening, which consists of a small torsion bar (read - stiff piece of wire) nested in the handle scale opposite the frame lock. It works well and flips the knife out quickly. Kershaw's literature has said that each one of these torsion bars has 10,000 openings of mileage in it. No idea if that is right. Mine is still snappy after a lot of use. They'll send you a replacement if you wear one out.

You can easily open this knife with either hand, but since this is a frame lock, I would imagine that closing the blade one-handed with the left hand would be problematic. Hence my question mark above.

Ignore all the reviews that talk about how much the thumb studs suck. They aren't thumb studs. Read the literature that comes from Kershaw. They're called blade stops. Their size and location differentiate them from thumb studs. If Kershaw's own literature is to be believed, they did not intend these studs to be used for opening the knife. (As an aside, I have used the blade stops to open the knife from time to time, and after a little practice, they work just fine.)

Performance Aspects:

1. Slicing - I was a little nervous about the wharncliff style blade, with virtually no curvature. There was no reason to be. This thing is so thin and steep at the edge that it will slice through most materials with virtually no resistance. Fresh from the sharpening stone, easily glided through paper and light cardboard. It even handled heavy cardboard and paracord well, though the edge did degrade fairly quickly on those tougher substances.

2. Piercing - I know of no folding knife which pierces better than this folding knife. The needle tip (which people bemoan constantly) makes this thing perfect for opening up boxes and most packaging. There's virtually no resistance for most substances. This feature (which I thought I'd hate) turns out to be one of the knife's best points (no pun intended).

That said, I'd be nervous trying to pierce tougher substances like linoleum, because I think the tip might give before the material did.

3. Push-Cutting - Mixed bag here. Push cutting means more pressure on a smaller surface area in the cutting edge. Do a little push cutting and you'll get great performance because the blade is so dang thin. Do a lot and you're going to have problems because of how the edge degrades under high pressure.


Retention Method:

1. Functionality - The pocket clip is one of the weird things about the Leek. A mixed bag in all respects. What makes this a good "suit knife" is that the scales are slick and the clip isn't super-tight. This means that you can clip it on without worrying the fabric getting ripped to shreds. The problem, though, is that it is slick. If the clip catches on anything, this thing will slide out of your pocket. (This happened to me 3 times in the first month I owned the knife, and I was a habitual knife-carrier for 10 years when this occurred.) As such, the clip doesn't function to keep this thing firmly in your pocket.

2. Discreetness Factor - Another schizophrenic area for this knife. The blade is super-slim, which would make it discreet, except that the clip is over two inches long (way big on a knife that is four inches closed), and it is broad and shiny, to boot. The clip attracts the eye and anyone with half a brain will know that you are carrying a knife. If there was any doubt on this point, in tip-down carry, there is about three quarters of an inch of shiny knife sticking out of the tip of your pocket. Go tip up and I believe you've crested an inch of exposed knife. That is a lot. Between the brazen pocket clip and the speedsafe (which could be intimidating to non-knife carriers), this design just doesn't seem quite sure where it fits into things in terms of whether it is people-friendly or not. Possibly the biggest issue with the blade, in my opinion.

3. Versatility - You can only go right side tip up and down on this one. Left sided handle scales are completely smooth, so lefties are left out in the rain here.

Fit and Finish:

Kershaw generally does well in this department, and the Leek is no exception. Blade was perfectly centered when I got it (impressive for a sub-$40 frame lock), and stayed that way after a lot of use. Everything was flush and there was no blade play.

Quality of the screws was an issue, though. When I went to migrate the pocket clip for tip up carry, the first screw stripped. It stripped even though I used the appropriate torx bit and applied gentle pressure. Kershaw was good to send me new screws and a new clip free of charge, but this was definitely a disappointment. When I finally got the clip off, I saw the likely culprit for the stripped screw. The screws had been covered with blue loc-tite (or something similar) from the factory. For a knife where you've got the option to remount the clip, sending it out of the factory with loc-tite seems like a strange choice. If you do move the clip on this one, be careful and do whatever seems best to you in order to navigate loc-tited screws.

Wish I'd known about that before trying to move the clip.

Ease of Maintenance:

The Leek does well here. The almost perfectly straight blade is very easy to sharpen, and steel takes a razor edge very easily. Open, flow-through construction makes cleaning the knife easy. It isn't a lint magnet. Despite my above warning about not taking it into the woods, I did exactly that and the knife didn't rust even though it spent the better part of 24 hours moist. The satin-finish blade likes to grab on to little pieces of adhesive when you open packages, but it is nothing that a little Goo Gone can't fix. As previously mentioned, honing the knife back to a true edge is very easy, and while I don't speak from personal experience, youtube makes it seem as if replacing the torsion bar isn't terribly challenging.

Conclusion:

For around $40, there's a lot to like about the Leek. For a knife I actively disliked when I acquired it (long story), it grew on me and still sees time in my pocket with some regularity. It definitely has unique looks that appeal to a lot of people, even if it does cost the blade some of its functionality. The slim profile, easy deployment, and superior piercing make this a really nice knife to use for day to day chores. This is a nice knife to have in a rotation if you know what jobs might get thrown at it on a given day. Given its limitations, however, I wouldn't go with this blade as a sole EDC. For a little more money, you can get a better all-arounder (hint: Delica 4). If you're brand-loyal to Kershaw, you could go with a Skyline get a lot more functionality for almost the exact same amount of money.

Review Criteria

I like things that are elegant. That is, things which give the appearance of simplicity but, in fact, are quite refined and have layers of form and function. Hence the name of this blog. My purpose here (for now, at least) is just to review a few of my favorite folding knives and provide more data points for potential consumers and the industry at large.

I really like Tony Sculimbrene's work at www.everydaycommentary.com, and his very structured review system conforms with my own idea that data needs to be A) specific and B) contextual in order for it to be useful.

I ain't a math major, so I'm not stealing Tony's number system. I speak in terms of categories. Think of it in terms of how people like Darwin and Linneus grouped different animals into different taxa. Here's my breakdown for folding knives:

Short Form: Every review will start with one sentence that captures the whole thing. As any good trial attorney will tell you, if it can't be summed up in one sentence, you haven't mastered the material yet.

Size: 

1. Small - less than 6" in length, when open.
2. Medium - between 6" in length and 7.5" when open
3. Large - larger than 7.5"

Usage Rating:

1. Light - suitable for projects around an office (packaging, envelopes) and simple food preparation.
2. Moderate - suitable for light usage plus somewhat heavier chores, like cutting cardboard or paracord, but still not so sturdy that you'd make it a primary blade while camping.
3. Heavy - suitable on a construction site or campground. Could handle jobs like bushcraft, skinning a large animal, or cutting heavy materials like linoleum flooring. Possibly sturdy enough for activities like batoning wood.

Blade Steel Quality:

1. Budget Steels - steels like 420 HC, 8Cr13Mov, Sandvik 13c26, and whatever they make Swiss Army Knives out of. Generally blades that aren't going to crest $35 in price.
2. Moderate Steels - steels like VG-10, Sandvik 14c28n, and H1 that cost a bit more and generally have much better performance properties (viable secondary bevel angle, edge retention, rust resistance). Usually range between $35-70 in price.
3. High End Steels - steels like s30v, D2, 154cm, ZDP-189 and others that have truly exceptional performance qualities and equally exceptional price-tags. Usually starting at $70 and going upward to a ridiculous degree.

Deployment Method (Left-Handed, Right Handed, Ambidextrous):

1. One-Handed Manual
2. One-Handed Assisted Opening
3. One-Handed Automatic
4. Two-Handed Opening

Performance Aspects (all three covered in every review):

1. Slicing - This refers to how well the blade cuts when its cutting edge is being drawn backwards or forwards along the material being cut.
2. Piercing - As the name implies, this addresses how well the blade performs when pressure is being applied at the tip.
3. Push Cutting - this addresses how well the blade performs when a portion of the cutting edge is being pressed directly into a material with no lateral movement of the cutting edge.


Retention Method (all three covered in every review):

1. Functionality - how well does the knife stay where it is supposed to be carried?
2. Discretion Factor - how eye-grabbing is the intended carry mechanism?
3. Versatility - how many options does the user have for how to carry this particular blade?

Fit and Finish: Pretty much speaks for itself. This is really something that is always going to be evaluated relative to price.

Ease of Maintenance: addresses everything from how easy it is to clean, to how likely it is to attract lint, to how difficult it is to sharpen a particular blade.

Errata: If some relevant piece of info isn't covered in the gauntlet above, I'll put it in at the end of the review.