“the torsion bar in a assisted knife will wear out after awhile and it won’t have enough force to fully flip open and lock in place, that’s what happened to my Kershaw leek.”

83% of 184 verified owners recommend the Kershaw Leek, based on real owner verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.
Affiliate blogs here say 80% recommend, while the owner-based score is 83%. They earn a commission on every sale — so we show them for transparency but never let them move the score.
The headline score reflects owners (Reddit, enthusiast forums), independent lab tests, blogs with no affiliate links, and YouTube owner-comments when they line up with owners. YouTube and Affiliate blogs are shown for perspective but kept out here — hover the i for why.
Synthesized from what Kershaw Leek owners say — not a spec sheet.
Retailers' own star averages, for comparison — separate from our vetted owner-verdict score above.
“the torsion bar in a assisted knife will wear out after awhile and it won’t have enough force to fully flip open and lock in place, that’s what happened to my Kershaw leek.”
“I actually don't love the shape of it but the utility and the feel just make it the knife I keep coming back to”
“ill take the leek all day. The safety is an awesome touch, the spring assist is quick and never opens in my pocket by accident whereas the blur did a few times and i quite enjoy the slightly smaller size of it”
“Had 2 leeks, lost them both, one in the lazy boy. Found the lazy boy knife after six months inside the chair. Lost it again. The clip isnt strong enough”
“I still say a Kershaw leek is the perfect every day carry, it's thin enough for dress pants , big enough to handle most light duty jobs, but not too big that coworkers judge you, one hand open , and holds a good edge. My only complaint is the safety will eventually fail”
“The safety slider was actually what sold it for me.”
“The tip on mine broke when I lent it to a friend a while back. And I’ve seen so many other leeks with their tips broke.”
“I absolutely love the Leek, it’s perfect for lite utility.”
“I loved that knife so very much and I still own it though the bushing has worn to the point of no longer being reliable.”
“Just got the same Leek a few days ago, beautiful simplistic knife, very fast opening and razor sharp.”
“Great knife, classic design, horrendous pocketclip😂”
“I had a numb thumb for about two years because of a very sharp kershaw leek and a stubborn zip tie back in college lol”
“he carries a Kershaw leek and is always talking about how much he likes how skinny it is in his pocket and I just feel like the manix is bit too much of a pocket hog for him”
“I have found the stainless version of the leek to be a great companion at any farmers market. The knife has been a joy to cut any fruit or snack, easy to clean and back in the pocket.”
“I recently bought my first (Kershaw Leek) and let's be honest - a liner lock is pretty darn primitive.”
“I had a Kershaw Leek but the screw gave out on it and haven't replaced it for like a year now.”
“Stainless Kershaw Leek circa 2004. I was working at a small fishing/hunting/paintball store and fell in love. The steel isn’t great, and I have grown to hate the partial serrated edge, but it started my knife addiction.”
“I've been super happy with my s30v g10 leek. The g10 makes a big difference gripping the sleek leek”
“Love my Kershaw Leek 1660 in stainless steel. Liked it so much I have 2, bought one for each of my sons, and bought one for my dad. Lock blade, and speed opener. The blades will snap if used for prying (ask me how I know)”
“The leek just felt like it didn’t hold an edge for very long I ended up gifting it away”
“Kershaw Leek is knife I carry every single day for almost 20 years now”
“If you are on your 3rd one, is it really that good? A Kershaw leek is a letter opener.”
“Ive carried a SS Leek for almost 20 years.”
“Even my Kershaw leek is too small for me to EDC even though it's one of my favorite small knives ever.”
Practical notes owners raise — setup, quirks, and issues to watch for. They don't say whether the person likes the product, so they're not counted in the score, but they inform the pros, cons, and who it's for.
“I have 2 leeks and on one the lock bar barely contacts the tang and the other one it's wedged in their pretty good. Both lock up just fine.”
“I have several leeks and the blades are off center on all of them. The lock seems to be secure and solid as seen in the pic.”
“I two Rainbow Leeks and both have off-centered blades. The locks are okay but they do travel far across the tang.”
“I have one of those that I use as my EDC. But mine has a liner lock and assisted opening.”
“Many of my Kershaw’s do this, until I play around with it for an hour or so”
“I have this one too but the G10 version. It's the Kershaw Leek model.”