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Field Report - Kershaw Rainbow Leek knife
Reviewer
Info:
Name:
Arron Robinson
Age: 34
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 9.5" (1.77 m)
Weight: 230 lb (104.3 kg)
Email address: mouserar-at-gmail-dot-com
City, State, Country: Dallas, Georgia, USA
Date: 18 January 2006
Backpacking
Background:
Camping and hiking since 11, I've been
in a constant search for the perfect balance between usability,
durability and weight. These days my camping is generally a mix of Boy
Scout style crew camping, kayak or canoe camping or light to mid weight
hiking. I generally carry 20-25 lb (9-11 kg) and sleep in a hammock
system.
Product
information:
Manufacturer: Kershaw
|
Published Specifications: |
Measured Specifications: |
| Weight |
3.1 oz (88g) |
3 oz (86 g) |
| Length - closed: |
4 in (10.1 cm) |
4 in (10.1 cm) |
| Length - opened: |
7 in (17.7 cm) |
7 in (17.7 cm) |
| Length - blade: |
3 in (7.6 cm) |
3 in (7.6 cm) |
| Handle construction: |
Titanium Coated 410 Stainless Steel |
| Blade Construction: |
Titanium Coated 440A Stainless Steel |
MSRP:
|
99.95 USD |
| URL: |
http://www.kershawknives.com |
The
Kershaw Rainbow Leek is a folding knife designed by Ken Onion. The handle consists of two steel
plates about 1/8 in (3 mm) which have been coated with titanium dioxide
and hit with an electrical current, which causes color variations in
the surface finish. The handle also includes a sliding locking
mechanism as well as a clip, which can be repositioned on the knife
(more on this later) and a hole to accept a cord or lanyard. The blade
itself is a drop-point shape with a single edge. The blade has also
been finished in the manner of the handle, lending it a rainbow look.
I have carried the
Leek with me since mid November. In that time I have used it for a
number of camping tasks as well as some unusual side projects,
including laying tile and hardwood as well as prepping for painting.
The knife has proven to be a joy to work with and has held up to a
large amount of abuse.
The camping trips included two outings. The first trip was 4 days in conditions of 70 F (21 C)
dropping to 40 F (4 C) overnight with no rainfall. The
second trip was
in mid December with highs in the 50 F (10 C) range and lows the first
night dropping to 15 F(-10 C) and the second to 28 F (-2 C). During
these trips the knife was used for all of my cooking tasks as well as
simple camp chores, including cutting paracord, the obligatory
whittling and also repair of a hiking boot.
Indoor tasks were
basically unaffected by weather and I've got a number of people asking
where they can get their hands on a knife such as this.
I wanted to use
this knife as I would any other, in spite of my initial fear that the
finish (which I have grown quite fond of) would chip or scratch off. I
am happy to report that, in spite of downright beating the hell out of
the Leek, it has survived thus far with just a small series of
scratches around the tip of the blade. These scratches are not related to camping use, and probably fall outside the realm of normal use, but more on this shortly.
When camping with groups, I tend to cook rather elaborately, including
many fresh vegetables and fruits in my menus. The Leek cut its way
through potatoes, tomatoes, apples, cheese, ham and things I cannot
even remember. I have yet to sharpen the knife, and it has held an edge
really well.
A couple of remodeling jobs also proved to be testing grounds for the
Kershaw knife. The first being a job laying slate tile for a friend.
Upon getting all of my equipment on site and starting to lay the tile,
I realized that I did not bring a utility knife to cut the backing of
the tile sheets, which were a heavy mesh which was visible through the
1/8 in. (3 mm) gap between the tiles. I brought out the Leek and used
it throughout the job to cut the backing. Each time I heard the
scraping of the blade against slate I cringed, fearing the finish of
the blade would be toast. I purposefully avoided looking at the knife
until after the job, at which point after washing off an accumulation
of mortar, I saw that the damage was limited to a series of scratches
around the tip of the blade.
The second home improvement fiasco that the Leek was involved in was a
drywall job, in which I used it to cut the drywall to size. The
soft gypsum did nothing to the blade, and again after washing up afterward, the knife was in very good shape.
In my field
testing I have explored the following questions about the Kershaw
Rainbow Leek, in my time with the knife so far, I have come to the
following conclusions:
- Blade:
- What is the hardness of the blade like? The blade has held up to considerable use and abuse. It has not bent or lost it's edge.
- I will probably occasionally
need to use the blade to pry small things a bit. Will the blade bend? Not yet
- Will the steel hold an edge well, or need constant maintenance? Not as wickedly sharp as when it arrived, but still holding an edge.
- Will the knife hold a sharp point? Ah, upon closer inspection it would appear that the tile did a number on the tip of the blade, which is now rounded off a bit
- Handle Construction:
- The only visible
connection between the handle halves is 3 screws. Is there more holding
the halves together? The
strongest point of contact between the handle halves is the main
"hinge" screw of the knife where the blade pivots. I do not foresee a
problem with this.
- Does the handle have grip to it or does it slip?
The
finish is smooth, but not particularly slippery. It is more slick than
an aluminum handle, but not any more slippery than another steel handle.
- Opening/Locking
Mechanism:
- Many sites are carrying this knife. Many claim that this is
the fastest legal opening mechanism available. I often need to be able
to use a knife one handed, and I wonder if this mechanism is that easy
to use? In fact, the Kershaw documentation recommends that this blade only be opened one handed, due to the quick movement of the blade.
- Will it operate smoothly after continued use? So
far, the action has slowed ever so slightly. I will have to lubricate
it and sharpen it and see if the snap it came with returns.
- Will it open
unexpectedly? I
did have the blade open while pulling it from my pocket once; it scared
me quite a bit, but did not cut anything. I have not been able to
duplicate this occurence, but if I do, I will surely report it.
- Finish:
- The finish on this knife is beautiful. Will it wear off easily? Not easily, but prolonged use against rock did scratch the finish.
- Does it
add a texture to the blade? Nope.
- How does sharpening
the knife affect the finish of the blade? I will report further on this in the coming months.
- Does it change if the knife is exposed to
heat? I have not had the heart to test this yet. Perhaps in the next month I will be able to bring myself to try.
Impressions After Field Testing:[back to top]
The Kershaw Rainbow
Leek knife is a beautiful knife which has a simple design. It has held
up to more than its share of use in the woods and out. After two
months, I am still happy to be carrying it.
|
Excitement:
- The knife is beautiful, and a conversation starter to be sure
- Reasonably light
- Holds its edge well
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Concerns:
- I did have one scare of the blade
opening while pulling it out of my pocket. I am considering it a freak
occurence until it happens again.
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Thanks
to
Backpackgeartest.org
and Kershaw for the opportunity to
share my experiences!
Read more reviews of Kershaw gear
Read more gear reviews by arron robinson
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