I just bought the Amazon daily deal Leek and was surprised when I saw how weak the lockup looked after flipping it open. For a brand new knife, I was expecting it to engage further. As it stands now, I'm worried that it's weak. The knife in question is the Stainless Leek on the left, compared to my liner lock in Orange on the right. Hardly any of the frame lock is actually engaging the blade stock. What does everyone think? Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
Interesting.... I have a 1660 LEEK that is a liner lock just like the orange one in the photo..... But, Kershaw says the LEEK is a frame lock. Lateck, Sent from my VS996 using Tapatalk
They make Leeks in different variations with each lock. I'm just concerned because my liner lock engages deeper than the frame lock - which is supposed to be stronger! Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
The good thing is your Leek has a fine tip making it a pretty bad choice for anything else than cutting. I don't see it to fail from normal use and I'd say it will wear it a bit if you open/close it several times. Otherwise contact Kershaw and get a replacement.
Hmm. I also don't like the looks of the lock up for the knife on the left, which I understand is the one you just received. If it were me, I'd return it to Amazon. If the seller and/or the fulfillment were a third party, I wouldn't ask for a replacement; I'd ask for a refund. I've bought plenty on Amazon but I'm cautious about who the seller is. There are some very dodgy folks on Amazon... On the other hand if the seller is in fact Amazon (meaning Amazon isn't just the fulfillment house, maybe you can chance a replacement. Good luck; let us know how it works out. L'chaim! Moshe ben David
Maybe there is just a little burr on the lock side? Meaning when you close your hand around the handle and therefore press on the lock, what’s happening? Had a knife like this and after breaking it in, it was perfect. Must not be like this, but could. Else I go with @Adahn as this is a delicate knife and the lock might be stronger than the tip anyway. Sent from my Glade Air Freshener.
When I press on the lock, I can force it to engage more, but it takes a good amount of force. I'm guessing that this is on the higher side of allowable tolerances. There is a consistent build in resistance the farther I press the lock. I can press it all the way to the opposite scale, but it takes a lot of effort. I've been flipping it non-stop since I got it, and it seems to have improved very slightly. Hopefully as I open it more, it will continue to break in. This isn't going to be a hard-use knife, and should hold up fine to some slicing. I just want to make sure it's 100% good to go before I gift it to a non-knife enthusiast. Thanks for the responses! Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
IMHO the whole lock strength discussion is a stretch anyway. How do you work a slip joint? Yeah, I do understand what a lock is good for, and how it works. Think about a liner lock. That’s pretty thin-ish. How much force does it need, to bend it enough to disengage the blade. Why do we, all of a sudden in history, need locks that can hold the weight of a truck? Not saying I don’t like them. But for me they are more of a safety measure than anything else. Sure, I know, people stab through car hoods with tantos. On YouTube. If you ever feel like doing that to someone, say in a road rage, see a doctor. Sent from my Glade Air Freshener.
While I agree with the locking vs. non locking knives discussion above, I believe you also have to take into account the design of a knife. A slip joint is designed with a spring to hold the blade open while in use, the Leek, however doesn't have this, instead it relies on the lock and to a much lesser extent, the torsion bar that assists it. Given Kershaw's warranty service and knowing that Amazon usually is a hassle free exchange, I would first try to return it for an exchange or refund, and if that becomes an issue, just send it to Kershaw.
I have several Leeks. Most are framelocks and the lock is on about half of the width of the blade on each. The liner lock also covers half the width of the blade which is the full width of the lock. If you are unsure, contact Kershaw. I've dealt with them on the past and they were always helpful. Hope that info helps. Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
I have a 0450cf that when I bought it in January, was just contacting the tang, maybe 15%? I "gingerly" tested to see if the lock would fail, but it never did. I tried to force close it and even lightly spine whacked it but nope, didn't move. After playing with it and using it off and on since, I have noticed it's locking up near the 25% mark. I figure that it will stop at some point and stay there until my grandkids send it back to ZT for a new lock bar insert. If you don't want to send the Kershaw back, just use it, keeping an eye on the lock to see if it improves. If not, Kershaw will fix it, at least that's what I think.
@Stuart Your lock is more in line with what I expected to see. @Colin I plan on opening & closing it more to see if it improves with wear. Worst case, I'll contact Kershaw to see what they can do. Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
If in your shoes, I'd contact Amazon or simply initiate a return, saying I received a defective knife and would like a replacement. That definitely doesn't look right to me. It might break in a little and shift over, but possibly not. There's no way to tell.
I've EDC'd a Leek since 2004. If you have concerns, mail it to Kershaw. There's a downloadable form to write your concerns, apply postage, mail, and Kershaw will perform any maintenance, sharpening, or replace as needed and mail back. I've done it a half dozen times. I just got my black handled Leek back two weeks ago. The opening mechanism was repaired and the blade replaced.
Thanks for posting this. Never thought of this; didn't check the website. I've made myself a note in one of my apps for the next time...! L'chaim! Moshe ben David
