11% of 184 verified Kershaw Leekowners don't recommend it, and 2 describe specific problems — based on real owner comments from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.
For balance: 83% recommend it. This page collects the complaints so you know what you're signing up for — read the full owner report for both sides. How we score
“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.”— boglimaniac on Reddit
“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”— @billetboy4070 on YouTube
“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.”— queasyquof on Reddit
“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”— palpatedprostate on Reddit
“I recently bought my first (Kershaw Leek) and let's be honest - a liner lock is pretty darn primitive.”— Mammoth_Ingenuity_82 on Reddit
“I had a Kershaw Leek but the screw gave out on it and haven't replaced it for like a year now.”— titaniumlid on Reddit
“The leek just felt like it didn’t hold an edge for very long I ended up gifting it away”— thebladeinthebush on Reddit
“If you are on your 3rd one, is it really that good? A Kershaw leek is a letter opener.”— dzmccoy on Reddit
“I see the Kershaw Leek here. I find it too large for me and prefer the Kershaw Chive.”— kittenskadoodle on Reddit
“the spring is weak slow blade and don't lock up solid 100% of the time. I have an old China Knockoff of this knife i got off of ebay years ago. it still works great. has a lot stronger spring and Solid Lockup after years of use than this brand new Kershaw does. Waste of 60 dollars if you ask me.”— @richbutler7828 on YouTube
“Tip is the weak link in my opinion.”— @Moontrak on YouTube
“The blade has a paper thin tip which most people break.Break that tip and the safety switch is useless. *The assisted opening function crapped out on mine after a few years of ownership.”— Frotier76 on BladeForums
Not complaints — practical notes from owners that didn't affect the score.
“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.”— gitarmac on BladeForums
“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.”— Stonehenge69 on BladeForums
“I two Rainbow Leeks and both have off-centered blades. The locks are okay but they do travel far across the tang.”— allenC on BladeForums
“I have one of those that I use as my EDC. But mine has a liner lock and assisted opening.”— shortwave_radio on Reddit
“Many of my Kershaw’s do this, until I play around with it for an hour or so”— bogardo on Reddit
“I have this one too but the G10 version. It's the Kershaw Leek model.”— _g00tz_ on Reddit