Kershaw Leek 1660 Knife
Kershaw Leek 1660 Stainless Steel Folding Knife Review:
The folks at Kershaw recently send me a few folding knives to evaluate. I looked at and reviewed the Blur knife, [see review] Need Work knife [see review] and Kershaw Leek 1660 knife.
As a remodeling contractor, backpacker, outdoor enthusiast and daily carrier of a pocket knife I’m a fan of pocket knives and always appreciate a useful, well made and functional knife when I see one.
When looking at the Kershaw Leek 1660 I was particularly interested in looking at several points:
- Quality
- Durability
- Functionality
- Ease of use
- Application
First Impression:
The Kershaw Leek 1660 knife is a popular knife for Kershaw and its easy to see why.
Out of the box my first words were, “Wow what a sweet looking knife.” It came out of the box sharpe
r than any knife I’ve ever bought and has an excellent finish and great design.
The Leek was designed by world renowned knife maker Ken Onion and features his SpeedSafe blade assist opening mechanism which allows the knife to open smoothly with one hand. One flick to either the thumb stud or the blade protrusion and the blade deploys open, easily, quickly and effortlessly and locks open for safety.
Fit and finish on the Leek 1660 is one that screams quality. I immediately loved the compact size and 3 ounce weight of this knife.
Quality and Durability:
The Kershaw Leek 1660 is made in the USA and has a bead-blasted 410 stainless steel handle and a 14C28N Stainless steel blade.
Everything on this knife is quality from the materials used, to the stainless steel screws holding the frame together.
When reviewing this knife a friend of mine told me that he had two negative issues with it which I found to be minor. The first was that the knife opened when dropped. I tested this and did get the knife to open on a few drops but this can be resolved by;
1. Not dropping the knife
2. Using the lock mechanism
3. Who really cares? Close it
I also forgot the knife in my pocket and found it open int he clothes washer. that could be dangerous, but it was my fault.
The second complaint he had was that the blade locking mechanism loosened over time and was unreliable. This issue is easily resolved by tightening the lock screw. When I started reviewing the Leek 1660 I swapped the reversible pocket clip to the other side for faster deployment – and tightened the lock to render it inoperable – by choice. It’s an easy fix and a moot issue.
The Kershaw Leeks come in a variety of handle styles, some with grip and non-reflective coatings for tactical performance. For example the Leek 1160CKT has a black non-reflective coating that is perfect for law enforcement carry.
The leeks also offer plain blades as well as serrated edges and one model has a Tanto blade for cutting power and chromium nitride coating for hardness and corrosion resistance.
The tip on this knife is very sharp and I can see it breaking easily if used for prying or other non cutting applica
tions. It you need a no nonsense work knife that can take a beating take a peek Kershaw Needs Work knife, my review is linked above.
Functionality:
The Kershaw Leek 1660 is a lightweight, comfortable and easy knife to carry whether you use the pocket clip or remove it and carry it loose in your pocket.
The pocket clip is non-intrusive and holds securely to your pocket.
The spring assisted opening is very fast, and I really liked having the option of using my thumb or forefinger [blade protrusion] to open. After awhile I primarily use the forefinger and with practice found that it opened well with either hand.
Once the blade is open it is locked in place by the knife’s frame lock which prevents the knife from accidentally closing back into the handle during use.
The ambidextrous thumb stud on the Leek 1660 is low profile which might bug some people but I like that it doesn’t get hung up on clothing or mu pant pocket.
The knife safety tip lock works to lock the knife closed which I can see some folks liking – I did not and disabled it as I mentioned above.
Using The Kershaw Leek 1660:
I’ve carried the Leek 1660 everyday for almost a month during this review and have used it for all sorts of applications from opening letters and boxes to cutting rope and carpet. Unfortunately I lost it today as I write this – go figure!
The blade has stayed sharp and the ability to deploy the knife one handed is a plus. A few law enforcement friends of mine are considering the Leek CKT black, non-reflective knife as a light weight tactical / duty knife.
The size, quality and weight have impressed me the most. It is by far the nicest knife and easiest knife to use I’ve seen or used. So far I have not found anything to fault the Leek 1660 on.
Kershaw Leek 1660 Features and Specifications:
- Made in USA
- SpeedSafe® Assisted Opening
- Frame Lock
- Thumb Stud
- Pocket Clip
- 14C28N Stainless steel
- Blade length 3 inches
- Closed length: 4 inches
- Overall length: 7 inches
- Weight: 3 ounces
- Lanyard hold
- Lock open or closed
Sharpening the Kershaw Leek 1660:
Kershaw knives come with FREE lifetime sharpening. Its easy just send your knife to them, they’ll sharpen it and return it back to you.
While I sharpen all of my knives this is a great opportunity for a Kershaw knife owner to ensure that their knife stays sharpened to the 18 to 22 degrees recommended for a properly sharpened blade.
To send your knife to Kershaw to be sharpened mails your knife to: Kershaw Knives18600 SW Teton AvenueTualatin, Oregon 97062
Overall Impression:
After reviewing the Kershaw Blur, Kershaw Needs work and the Kershaw Leek I chose the Leek as my all around everyday carry, the only exception being when working at a job site. When on the jobsite or working in the yard, I need a beater knife so I now carry the Kershaw Needs Work knife.
My carpentry crew prefers to carry the Blur over the Needs Work on the jobsite because they like the Speedsafe blade assist, the knife’s weight and blade size. All are quality knives.
As far as the Leek 1660 knife goes this simple, sturdy, no-nonsense knife is compact and light enough to carry everyday, in all types of clothing and also reliable enough to clip in your ballistic vest or pant pocket as a tactical knife.
I really enjoyed my short time with the Leek 1660, it was by far the nicest knife I have tested and owned. Plus it’s made in the USA.
Highly recommended.
How Much And Where To Buy:
The Kershaw Leek 1660 sells for $ 38.00 online here: Kershaw-1660-Leek
The Kershaw Blur sells for $55.32 online here:
Kershaw-Onion-Folding-Knife-Speed
The Kershaw Needs Work Knife sells for $39.75 online here: Kershaw-Needs-Work-Knife-Sandvik-Stainless-Steel
