All categories/Everyday Carry/Pocket knives/Kershaw/Kershaw Leek
Kershaw Leek

Kershaw Leek

Scored on 184 verified owner verdicts, from 954 comments read across 4 communities
TL;DR
Owners love how thin, light, and sharp the Leek is for the money, and most carry it for years without trouble. The recurring gripes are a paper-thin tip that chips or snaps if you pry with it, and the spring-assisted opening wearing out or the safety failing over time. A few also find it slippery and easy to lose, since the pocket clip isn't very secure.

83% of 184 verified owners recommend the Kershaw Leek, based on real owner verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.

See the problems 20 owners report →

What 184 owners say
954 comments reviewed · scored on the 184 clearest verdicts
83%
Recommend
152 owners
6%
Neutral
12 owners
11%
Don't recommend
20 owners
Source
Score
N
Counted in the score
Reddit
84%
122
BladeForums
79%
62
Reviewed, but not counted — and why
YouTubeiowner comments
74%
31
Affiliate blogsipaid commission
80%
5
No clear verdictiSetup, tips & quirks
6

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.

What owners like
  • Thin, light, and disappears in the pocket · 24 · 13%
  • Razor sharp and holds a good edge · 22 · 12%
  • Outstanding value for the price · 20 · 11%
  • Fun, fast spring-assisted opening · 15 · 8%
  • Comfortable, perfectly sized EDC · 14 · 8%
What owners flag
  • Thin tip chips or snaps off easily · 11 · 6%
  • Assisted opening / torsion bar wears out or safety fails · 6 · 3%
  • Slippery and easy to lose; weak pocket clip · 5 · 3%
  • Off-center blade and lock travels far across the tang · 4 · 2%
  • Mediocre steel that doesn't hold an edge long · 3 · 2%
Who it's for
A great fit if
  • Office and dress-clothes carriers wanting a thin, discreet knife
  • EDC users prioritizing lightweight one-hand assisted opening
  • Budget buyers after a sharp, USA-made everyday cutter
  • Light tasks: mail, packages, food, splinters
Look elsewhere if
  • Heavy-duty users who pry or torque (fragile tip snaps)
  • Those needing a secure clip (slips out of pockets for some)
  • Anyone wanting a hard-use or larger fixed-blade alternative

Synthesized from what Kershaw Leek owners say — not a spec sheet.

How buyers rate it elsewhere

Retailers' own star averages, for comparison — separate from our vetted owner-verdict score above.

Top quotes, sourced

954 reviewed · 191 shown
Sentiment
Community
Sort
Reddit▼ don’t recommend

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.

YouTube— neutral

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

YouTube▲ recommend

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

YouTube▼ don’t recommend

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

Reddit— neutral

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

YouTube▲ recommend

The safety slider was actually what sold it for me.

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

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.

YouTube▲ recommend

I absolutely love the Leek, it’s perfect for lite utility.

YouTube— neutral

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.

YouTube▲ recommend

Just got the same Leek a few days ago, beautiful simplistic knife, very fast opening and razor sharp.

YouTube— neutral

Great knife, classic design, horrendous pocketclip😂

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

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

Reddit— neutral

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

YouTube▲ recommend

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.

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

I recently bought my first (Kershaw Leek) and let's be honest - a liner lock is pretty darn primitive.

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

I had a Kershaw Leek but the screw gave out on it and haven't replaced it for like a year now.

Reddit— neutral

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.

YouTube▲ recommend

I've been super happy with my s30v g10 leek. The g10 makes a big difference gripping the sleek leek

Reddit— neutral

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)

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

The leek just felt like it didn’t hold an edge for very long I ended up gifting it away

Reddit▲ recommend

Kershaw Leek is knife I carry every single day for almost 20 years now

Reddit▼ don’t recommend

If you are on your 3rd one, is it really that good? A Kershaw leek is a letter opener.

YouTube▲ recommend

Ive carried a SS Leek for almost 20 years.

Reddit— neutral

Even my Kershaw leek is too small for me to EDC even though it's one of my favorite small knives ever.

Showing 124 of 191

Common problems & things to know

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.

BladeForumsⓘ good to know

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.

BladeForumsⓘ good to know

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.

BladeForumsⓘ good to know

I two Rainbow Leeks and both have off-centered blades. The locks are okay but they do travel far across the tang.

Redditⓘ good to know

I have one of those that I use as my EDC. But mine has a liner lock and assisted opening.

Redditⓘ good to know

Many of my Kershaw’s do this, until I play around with it for an hour or so

Redditⓘ good to know

I have this one too but the G10 version. It's the Kershaw Leek model.