Reviews > Knives > Folding > Kershaw Rainbow Leek > Stephanie Martin > Field Report

Field Report: Kershaw Rainbow Leek

Contents
- Product Use and Performance
- Continued Test strategy
- Summary

Details in this Field Report are intended to be read in addition to the more detailed product information as listed in my Initial Report.

Product Use and Performance
With the exception of a few days while traveling on business (due to aircraft regulations), I have carried the Rainbow Leek daily.  For the majority of the time, I have carried the Rainbow Leek in my pants pocket using the pocket clip.  The clip has proven to hold the knife securely in a variety of pocket styles from easy to access scooped jeans-style pockets to more steeply sloping side pockets as found on some khaki pants to the escape prone side seam pockets found on dressier pants.  While the clip securely holds the knife in place, it is not so tight as to cause difficulty in easily stowing the knife, nor does it seem to cause excess wear on my clothing when stowed. For the occasions that I do not have pockets handy (generally whenever I am outdoors for hiking, backpacking or canyoning), I have installed a 3mm accessory cord so I can wear the knife around my neck.  Even when I go for stretches at a time where I would not have need to wear the rainbow leek on a lanyard, I have left the cord in place.  This has not interfered at all with stowing the knife in a pocket, other than requiring that I be careful to tuck the lanyard in my pocket properly when stowing the knife - otherwise I find the lanyard dangling out of my pocket.  While I was initially very cautious of storing the knife with the safety activated, I have more frequently taken to leaving the safety off - mostly because I'm terribly forgetful and tend to not remember to activate the safety when I stow the knife away after use.   

The Rainbow Leek has seen nearly daily use - from food preparation activities that I typically use a paring knife for, to cutting cord, thread, twine, yarn and string, to opening packages.  For hiking and backpacking, I do not typically have use for a knife, as most of my food is prepackaged and rarely requires preparation other than to simply open the bag that it has been stowed in.  When Canyoning, I do find a nice sharp knife handy for use in cutting webbing - either to create an anchor or to remove extraneous old webbing that has been left in the canyon.  In all cases, the Rainbow Leek performs its cutting tasks admirably and still retains a sharp edge.

The primary use I have always had for knives carried on my person is for food preparation - I'm one of those people that tends to graze with great frequency throughout the day.  I dislike peeling oranges with my fingers, and prefer the aid of a knife, and I also dislike eating fruits like pears or apples without cutting and coring them.  On occasion, I play with my food, and have pressed the Rainbow Leek into use as a garnishing tool on occasion.  In all cases - from cutting fruit and vegetables to meat and cheese, the knife has been easy to clean and care for with no extraneous food matter becoming lodged in the knife.  I have noticed that the knife does become slick when wet - I have never lost grip on the knife, but it is slick enough when wet to make me nervous.

Even with numerous washings and frequent use, the Rainbow Leek remains easy and smooth to open and close.  I am able to close it using only one hand, though it is considerably slower for me to do so than if I was to use both hands.  Daily use over the two months has not had any affect at all on the finish - the iridescent rainbow colors are still as brilliant as the day I received the knife, and few wear marks are noted.  While I still think the knife is quite beautiful, I do have a tendency to polish the knife free of finger prints when I notice them - this has been accomplished similarly to how I wipe my glasses clean - by fogging the surface and then wiping with a soft cloth.
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Continued Test Strategy
During the remainder of the four month test period, I will continue to carry the Rainbow Leek with me daily, both in my urban and wilderness adventures.  I will continue to use it in lieu of my paring knife in my kitchen when I am not out in the back country.  I expect it to be in contact with water, dirt, sand and various food products.  I will be evaluating the Rainbow Leek on the same criteria as listed in more detail in my Initial Report:

-Aesthetics
-Ease of Care
-and Ease of Use

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Summary: Woo Hoo's and Boo Hoo's  
I really am glad to have had the opportunity to test the Kershaw Rainbow Leek.  The knife is beautifully executed in both form and function - it has been a pleasure acquainting myself with a new knife maker.  With that said, here are my "Woo Hoo's" (likes) and my "Boo Hoo's" (some room for improvement).

- Woo Hoo: The knife is nicely balanced and is a good size for my hand
- Woo Hoo: I really like the speedsafe assisted opening technology - even after two months of use, I find myself fascinated with it!
- Woo Hoo: The blade has remained sharp even with plenty of use
- Woo Hoo: The iridescent finish is durable and seems resistant to scratches
- General Comment: The highly polished surface is prone to picking up fingerprints
- General Comment: Because the knife is highly polished on all surfaces, it has the tendency to become slick when wet
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My thanks to Kershaw Knives and BackpackGearTest.org for this testing opportunity.

Reviews > Knives > Folding > Kershaw Rainbow Leek > Stephanie Martin > Field Report