Assisted and Automatic Knives

Kershaw Leek Review

Last Updated: December 1, 2019
The Kershaw Leek is a popular EDC knife designed by legendary custom knife maker Ken Onion. Between his designs for Zero Tolerance Knives, Kershaw, and CRKT, Ken’s work has received a lot of attention on this site. This is for good reason as he is highly regarded as a knife designer.

Buy the Kershaw Leek at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

The Kershaw Leek is firmly planted in the Every Day Carry (EDC) category. In fact, this is something of a gold standard for EDC. It comes in a great size and is a durable design, perfect for daily carry. Additionally, the Leek has been offered in wide variety of colors and finishes, including some limited edition versions over the years. This makes the Leek a collectable knife. For these reasons the Leek has become a favorite of both hardcore enthusiasts and casual pocketknife users.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Leek has an overall length of 7″, a 3″ blade, weighs 3 about ounces, and is made in America. Like the vegetable it was named after, this is a sleek and slim design. This lightweight folder is aimed directly at the Every Day Carry (EDC) market.

Here is a size comparison with the Leek in between my Kershaw Skyline and Kershaw Chive:

The Kershaw Leek features a modified wharncliffe style blade. The Leek’s mostly flat edge is almost completely devoid of belly. This makes the knife well suited for tasks that involve the tip of the blade. The Leek’s blade comes to a very fine tip and it makes the knife great for piercing tasks and detail work. Stuff like scoring boxes and clipping coupons is a breeze with a wharncliffe. It’s also easy to sharpen a wharncliffe blade like this relative to a knife with a curved edge. Another advantage of the wharncliffe design is that pressure is applied uniformly to the edge. This allows you to place a good amount of leverage into a cut.

On the flip side, folks may not like the wharncliffe blade because it has no “belly” or forward curvature to the blade. Belly is especially useful when preparing food (think, rocking a kitchen knife back and forth) or skinning game without piercing the hide. And that tip, while very precises, is somewhat fragile. You don’t want to drop any knife, or pry with any knife, but the tip of the Leek is especially delicate.

Another argument against the wharncliffe is that it looks funny. It lacks the traditional elegance of something like the Loveless Drop Point Hunter. This wharncliffe blade may take some getting used to if you come from a traditional hunting knife background, but that’s part of what folks find endearing about Ken Onion’s work.

Here is another size comparison with the Spyderco Endura and the Delica 4:

The Leek is a perennial in Kershaw’s catalog. The design is at least 10 years old, and probably is closer to 20. Accordingly, Kershaw has offered the knife in a number of steels over the years. But if you are going to buy one new one today, it will most likely come in 14C28N.

14C28N is developed by Sandvik, a Swedish company that made the steel exclusively for KAI USA/Kershaw Knives. 14C28N is a high quality stainless steel and is a choice for the price. I have found that 14C28N is a practical steel. It takes a fine edge easily, holds that edge for a decent amount of work, and is easy to sharpen. It also has good stain resistance. I prefer it over 8Cr13MoV and Aus8, the Asian budget steels, as it holds an edge longer. I also like it more than D2, a semi-stainless steel that can be found at similar price point as 14C28N, because 14C28N is easier to sharpen and isn’t as prone to staining.

It’s an excellent all round steel, and is appropriate at this price point.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle of the Leek will come in either full stainless steel with a frame lock (shown here) or aluminum scales with a liner lock. Both models feel good in the hand for a smaller knife. The solid steel handled version has a nice heft to it. Both handle types are constructed with screws rather than pins, so if you need to disassemble the knife, then it can easily done with a T6 torx bit.

Fit and finish on this handle is excellent. All the parts line up. The finish work is good with no tooling marks or anything like that. It’s simple design, but Kershaw has it dialed in.

This is a comfortable little knife that is geared towards light to medium use. I found I was able to get a 4 finger grip on the knife without much issue and my thumb found the thumb ramp easily. There is a little bit of jimping on the thumb ramp. The jimping isn’t supper aggressive, but it does grab the skin a little. Otherwise, there isn’t much of a “traction plan” on this knife, so you won’t want to skin a deer with it or take it into the shower, but for a small knife I liked the ergos.

The pocket clip of the Kershaw Leek is pretty good. Ken Onion is known for designing some pretty “out there” pocket clips, but the clip on the Leek is relatively normal looking. It is long, and offers good spring retention. It is reversible for tip up or tip down carry, but it is not ambidextrous.

The clip rides pretty low if you mount it tip down, but for tip up carry a good half inch of the handle sticks out. That said, this is a small and light knife, it still carries well and is unlikely to draw much attention. Here is a shot of the Leek in the pocket:

Deployment and Lockup

The Leek is an assisted opening knife, which means you start opening it manually, but then a spring kicks in to flip the blade open the rest of the way. Ken Onion designed the assisted opening system, which Kershaw calls the “SpeedSafe” deployment system. This assisted open technology is robust, and is used on a lot of Kershaw and Zero Tolerance knives. The Leek deploys quickly with a slight amount of pressure on the thumb studs or flipper. The knife opens with a satisfying “snap”, even after thousands of flips. Having owned a number of SpeedSafe knives over the years I can vouch for it’s reliability. It’s a good assisted opening mechanism.

There is a second optional safety lock to keep the knife from opening accidentally. Out of the box, this secondary safety is loose, and will invariably move around when you don’t want it to. Thankfully, this safety can be tightened down, or even removed completely if you decide not to use it.

Additionally, for those that don’t care for the SpeedSafe, it’s possible take the spring out and use this as a non-assisted opening knife. There is a ball bearing detent inside on the lockbar, so the knife still functions de-assisted. But primarily the Leek was designed as an assisted opening knife.

The blade on my knife locks open with a stainless steel frame lock. The lock is solid, and without blade play in any direction. It should be more than adequate for the typical EDC chores you will put this knife up to, like breaking down boxes and opening mail. My Leek has seen substantial use over the years, and the lock still engages early, and securely without blade play. When it’s time to release the lock there is no stick.

The Leek was designed to be a “1 hand” knife, which means you can open and close this knife with one hand. I’m left handed and found it easy to both open and close this knife with one hand. For a small EDC knife this is handy, and it’s almost a requirement for my EDC knives.

Here is a parting size comparison with another EDC classic, the Benchmade Mini Griptilian:

Kershaw Leek Review – Final Thoughts

The Kershaw Leek has most of what I look for in a small EDC knife. It’s light, slim, sharp, and fast. I like the solid lockup and quality blade steel. The pocket clip is secure, and the knife feels good in the hand. The fact that this Kershaw is made in the USA certainly does not hurt either. I think the quality is better on Kershaw’s USA made knives than their imported blades.

The biggest potential issues with the Leek are that there is not much texture on the handle, and the tip is thin and can break if you are not careful with the knife. It’s a little “fiddly” and is more of a light duty knife. It will accomplish most typical urban or suburban EDC chores, but if you have harder use in mind I’d look elsewhere. Also, the secondary lock is annoying unless you tighten it down or remove it.

However, for a little EDC blade I think these are minor issues. You just have to keep your intended use in mind. The sleek design makes this something of a gentleman’s folder, and I could see this knife doing just as well in an office as it would in a more demanding environment.

Perhaps the greatest test is the test of time. I originally wrote this review back in 2011. Back then, there were a lot less knife manufacturers and knives to choose from. As I update this review in late 2019, the Leek is still relevant. Kershaw still makes it, and it still sells well. My review sample has held up well over the years. It’s a high quality knife and is designed to last. And at well under $50, the Leek is an affordable USA made option. I’d say it has aged well and passes with flying colors.

Personally, I prefer the Kershaw Skyline over the Leek, but if you like the design then I think you will be pleased with the build quality and practicality of the Leek. Much like the Skyline, this is a modern classic for good reason. Recommended.

Kershaw Leek Pocket Knife, 3" 14C28N Stainless Steel Drop Point Blade, Spring Assisted Knife, Folding EDC

KERSHAW LEEK POCKET KNIFE: The Kershaw Leek might just be your new favorite EDC. Not too big, not too small, the 3-inch blade and slim design make it capable of fulfilling a wide range of cutting tasks. Made in the USA.
DROP POINT PLAIN EDGE BLADE: Made from high-performance Sandvik 14C28N stainless steel, the blade resharpens easily and holds its edge. The bead-blasted finish provides a clean, matte look.
410 STAINLESS STEEL HANDLE: The corrosion-resistant, stainless-steel handle is contoured for a comfortable grip while in use. Silver, bead-blasted finish. Includes reversible pocketclip for right, tip-up/down carry.
DESIGNED WITH SAFETY IN MIND: Equipped with Kershaw’s SpeedSafe assisted opening for easy one-handed release with flipper. Frame lock secures blade open while in use and Tip-lock slider keeps blade locked closed when folded.
SIZE SPECIFICATIONS: Blade Length: 3in. Closed Length: 4in. Overall Length: 7in. Weighing in at 3oz. Backed by Kershaw’s Limited Lifetime Warranty.

I recommend purchasing the Kershaw Leek at Amazon.com or BladeHQ.Please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Zero Tolerance 0300 Review

by Dan Jackson 10 Comments

When Zero Tolerance first came on the scene the 0300 is one of their knives that really caught my eye. The graceful curves reminded me of some deep sea mammal while the construction reminded me of a semi truck. So I wasn’t surprised to learn that the 0300 was a collaboration between Ken Onion and the Strider Knife Corporation. Ken Onion is known for making a lot of really nice designs for Kershaw (and now CRKT) and Strider is known for making some of the toughest folders in the world. When you get two powerhouses like this in the same room working on a knife that is made in the USA with the fit and finish Kershaw is known for – well, I start to pay attention.

Before we go forward I need to say that “0300” is used to designate the coloration of the knife. All the knives in the 0300 Zero Tolerance line (which include the 0300, 0301 and 0302) are identical except for the color schemes. Pictured in this review is the black on black 0300. The ZT 0301 has a Forest Green handle and Tiger Striped blade finish and the ZT 0302 has a Coyote Brown handle with a Tiger Striped blade finish. All 3 knives are made in the USA.

General Details and Blade Dimensions

The size and heft of this knife are the first things you notice. The 0300 has the profile of a bulldozer and it is incredibly stout. The total length is 9″, the blade is 3-3/4″ and the weight is a solid 8.6 ounces. This is a heavy knife and the weight may deter some people from wanting to carry it. I’ll admit, it’s not my ideal EDC and this is definitely a knife that you don’t forget that is in your pocket, but I have carried it no problem with a sturdy pair of shorts or jeans. I feel that whether the knife is “too heavy” is up to you, so I’m not going to pass judgment in that regard.

The blade is a modified drop point, marked by Ken Onion’s signature styling. It features a high flat grind, and a partial swedge near the top. What I really like about this knife is the big belly on the blade. This is great for utility tasks. The blade steel is thick (4mm) and it holds the thickness all the way to the tip. This knife wasn’t designed for stabbing, it was designed to hold up to hard use tasks. There is a nice subtle recurve for enhanced slicing power and the Zero Tolerance logo and various other insignia has been laser etched onto the blade.

The steel on the 0300 series is a large piece of S30V. For those unfamiliar with S30V, it is one of the finest knife steels available, and it’s been this way for a number of years now. More expensive steels have arrived on the scene but it’s really tough to match the combination of ease of sharpening, edge retention and corrosion resistance that S30V is known for.

The blade has been further treated with a Tungsten DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) Coating. This is a high quality blade coating that will hold up a lot better than more inexpensive painted coatings. The tiger stripes on the 0301 and 0302 are really killer and quite unique in the production knife world.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The handle of the 0300 is really well done. As far as construction goes, on one side we have textured G10 over a stainless steel liner. The other side (the lock side) is made of a single piece of titanium. There is a G10 spacer between the two sides and everything has been screwed together. Everything lines up flush, and it’s all been beautifully finished with no rough edges or anything of that nature.

Ergonomics on the 0300 are excellent. The handle has the same wide profile of the blade and it feels very satisfying in the hand. The flipper doubles as a choil and there is a generous amount of jimping on the thumb ramp and pommel. Both sides of the handle are machined with a very aggressive textured pattern. All of these elements combine to provide superior grip and response. I am not worried about my hand slipping forward on the knife at all. It is very comfortable to hold this knife, with zero hot spots. The 0300 is a large knife so I expected good ergonomics, but the designers really went out of their way to cover all of the bases. I am very impressed with the ergonomics of this knife.

The pocket clip of the 0300 is straight out of the Kershaw parts bin. I have an almost identical clip on my Skyline (and a number of other Kershaw knives). That is ok though, because this is a proven clip design, it’s simple, and it totally works. This is a very stiff clip, which works well with the flat and wide profile of the knife; it will hold the knife in place anywhere in your pocket. Heavy knives have a tendancy to sink down to the corners of my pants pockets, which can interfere with some of the other gear I carry (like my flashlight). The stiffness of the 0300’s clip avoids that issue.

Another great thing about the clip is that it is mountable on all 4 corners of the knife. This gives you the freedom to carry your knife the way you want to. I also like how the clip has been blackened. All in all this is a very secure and discreet carry, I am very pleased with how well everything works considering it such a heavy knife.

Deployment and Lock-up

First of all, the 0300 is an assisted opening knife, making use of Kershaw’s SpeedSafe assisted opening technology. With the 0300 you have the option of either deploying the knife with the thumbstuds or flipper. This is really cool because the thumb studs actually work as the stop pin here, and often it’s very difficult to get at the thumbstuds on this type of knife. For me, I had no problem – even left handed, getting at the thumbstuds. Either way you want to deploy the knife, the SpeedSafe quickly engages and moves this big blade out with a good amount of speed. It’s a fun and satisfying knife to open and the SpeedSafe is a proven assisted opening mechanism. Of course, you could always disable this feature if you preferred 100% manual operation.

Deployment is not only fast, but it’s very smooth. The 0300 uses a pair of very large phosphor bronze washers. These low friction washers are very smooth. Also, the pivot pin is very big. It’s actually a large bolt that requires a 3/8″ driver to loosen it. This may be problematic in the field, but everyone owns a 3/8″ driver so for my use it wasn’t an issue. I think it’s a pretty cool look and is appropriate given how overbuilt the rest of the knife is.

The lock on the 0300 is a titanium frame lock. This is a very sturdy style of lock and ZT really put this one together correctly. As you can see, mine engages nice and early, with plenty of room to break in with use. It almost goes without saying, but there is absolutely no blade play in this knife. Despite the strength of the lock, it is still easy to disengage when you want to fold the knife up. A cool detail is that they included a Hinderer lockbar stabilizer (that dark circular portion) on the side of the lock. This handy feature prevents you from overextending the titanium frame lock, which could compromise the integrity of the knife.

Zero Tolerance 0300 vs. Zero Tolerance 0350

A common question a lot people have is whether they want the ZT 0300 or the smaller Zero Tolerance 0350. If you are one of those people, I made a video comparing the two knives.

Zero Tolerance 0300 Review – Final Thoughts

The ZT 0300 is an incredible knife. The build quality is superb, the selection of materials is top notch and the design and features are outstanding. The knife retails for around $230, which is actually an outstanding value when you consider that this knife is very similar in both design and build quality to several Strider knives selling for $400-$500. I don’t think you will be able to find another folding knife as well built and feature rich as the ZT 0300 in the $230 range.

Perhaps the biggest complaint would be the weight. It is not a light knife. However, if you want a large, beautiful, hard use folder with premium materials made in the USA then I can safely recommend the 0300 or any of it’s siblings.

I recommend purchasing the Zero Tolerance 0300 at Amazon.com.

[easyazon-block asin=”B0017SC9H6″ align=”center”]

Schrade Extreme Survival Assisted OTF

by Dan Jackson 9 Comments

I was at a gun show outside New Orleans when I first saw the Schrade Extreme Survival Assisted Out The Front (OTF). I think I said something like “Dang that is COOL” when I first shot the blade out the front of the knife. 5 minutes and $35 later the OTF was heading home with me.

Buy on Amazon

I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes I buy knives just because I plain think they are cool. Despite getting tons of “abuse” opening envelopes and the occasional cardboard box, this little assisted opening number by Schrade was definitely in the cool category. I never intended to use it hard, and I never have. You know what? That’s OK. In fact, I think it’s more than OK to buy a knife because it’s cool. A lot of enjoyment I get out of collecting knives is simply playing around with them. It’s safe to say I’ve had plenty of time to play with this one, and now it’s time to get to work and write a review.

Dimensions, Steel and Blades

This knife is actually a pretty good size for a EDC blade. It has a 3″ blade with a 4″ handle. At 4.8 ounces it might be a little on the heavy side, but this isn’t your typical folder and the weight seems justified.

The blade is made out of Krupp 4116 stainless steel. 4116 is a bit of a departure from what Scrhade uses for a lot of their knives (440C stainless steel). 4116 is fine grained German steel made by the TyssenKrupp Company. This kind of steel is often used as a surgical steel and is known for it’s corrosion resistance, hardness and edge retention. I’ve found it to be a better at edge retention than 440C and it is a very hard steel. This is a high quality steel more than adequate for the basic tasks I’ve thrown at the Schrade OTF.

This knife comes in a variety of blade shapes. I chose the plain tanto edge for mine, but I’ve noticed it carried in a drop point configuration as well as partially serrated options. The blade is nice and sharp and comes with a gun metal gray aluminum nitride coating which gives the knife a nice tactical look to it.

The Assisted Mechanism

The way this knife works, is that there is a thumbslide at the base of the handle that you push forward on. When you push it forward a little the spring engages and assists the knife open. I wouldn’t call this a “hair trigger” it does involve a little force to get it going. Once it does engage the knife snaps open very quickly. Keep in mind this knife is different from a full on automatic knife in that the assisted knife is legal to carry in many states. (The main functional difference between the 2 types of knives is that an assisted knife requires a little more work on your part to get it open, an automatic knife opens at the touch of the button and is illegal to carry in most states).

The spring mechanism on this knife is very nice. It shoots the blade out very quickly with a nice satisfying click and then it locks up tightly. With this kind of knife you will get a little blade play due to the nature of the design, but it’s really not bad with this Schrade. If you are anything like me, the assisted open will provide hours of entertainment during those long conference calls and times spent daydreaming at your desk.

Dual Safeties

One concern with a spring assisted knife is accidentally opening it. This is a really sharp knife so you do not want that to happen. Thankfully Schrade put some time into designing the two safeties on this knife. The first safety is located on the side of the handle and it locks the knife open or closed. The second safety is a thumb safety that will lock the blade open. You definitely want to take advantage of the safety features of this knife.

Aluminum Handle

The handle on this knife is made of 1061 machined aircraft aluminum anodized a matte black. It’s got a light texturing on the sides and a little bit of light jimping on the base and thumb ramp. It’s an angular shaped handle, not particularly comfortable, but solid and reassuring. Schrade did carve out something of a finger groove to make the handle a little more ergonomic. All in all it’s a solidly made handle.

Glass Breaker and Pocket Clip

A black glass breaker is set into the butt of this knife. It’s actually a pretty good sized breaker for a smaller knife(as you can see in the picture above). In a pinch this would have no problem breaking glass although ideally I would have something bigger.

There is a pocket clip on this knife. It’s made of steel with a semi-glossy black finish. It rides pretty low in the pocket which is good for concealment. This clip only works for tip down carry, which in this case makes sense due to the way you would draw it. All in all I would say this is a nice clip with good placement.

Schrade Extreme Survival Assisted OTF Review – Bottom Line

This is a fun knife that I like to keep around the house and take out with me occasionally. For an EDC blade I would go with something a little more practical; a more conventional liner, lockback or frame lock knife depending on what I feel like carrying that day. Also, I wouldn’t recommend this knife for self defense. I know a lot of people like the idea of using it for that purpose because it is an assisted knife. Really, I would much rather have a bigger knife in that kind of situation. The bottom line is that this is a very well made knife that has been a lot of fun owning.

Schrade SCHOTF2TB Extreme Survival Out The Front Knife with 2nd Generation Assisted Open, Black Tanto Blade

The best place for more reviews from people who have owned the knife is on Amazon. Click here see what the reviewers on Amazon have to say about the Schrade OTF.