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

Initial Report: Kershaw Rainbow Leek

Contents
- Product arrival
- Words on the Web
- Product features and construction
- Initial impressions
- Test strategy

It's Here!
The Kershaw Rainbow Leek arrived packed safely inside its own box direct from Kershaw Knives.  The box, which looks like a slightly narrow check book box on first glance is emblazoned with an American Flag and the company's name on the top.  The bottom of the box has the manufacturer's name and address, and is sealed with a sticker indicating the model name and number of the knife that is presumably packed inside.  The side of the box is labeled with a Liability Waiver indicating that Kershaw Knives are sold for legitimate sporting purposes only and that ownership of knives are subject to a variety of local laws and regulations.  The box indicates that it is solely the responsibility of the consumer to be aware of and in compliance with local laws and regulations.

Opening the box reveals an sheet of operating instructions, a list of Kershaw Patents and inside a plastic bag, a zippered black pouch with the Kershaw and Ken Onion logos printed on the outside.  Unzipping this pouch reveals the knife, wrapped in a plastic bag with a bright orange sticker warning that "Kershaw Knives are extremely sharp and dangerous.  If not handled properly, serious injury could result.  Read the operating instructions before using."

The operational instructions provided with the knife clearly outline the how to open the knife using the Speed-Safe technology, how to engage and disengage the safety device to prevent accidental opening, and how to close the knife.  The instructions also describe use of the pocket clip, and indicate how to reverse the clip (as applicable to some models, the Rainbow Leek included).  The instructions indicate that the Kershaw Ken Onion knives come with a protective sleeve installed on the blade with the exception of model 1600, however my knife did not have any such sleeve installed.

The instructions also provide tips on sharpening the knife and caring for and maintaining the knife in working order.  Finally, instructions provide information on the Limited Lifetime Warranty and reiterates Kershaw's Liability Disclaimer.
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Words on the Web
The Kershaw website is nicely designed and easy to navigate, but does require that a flash player be installed.  Each product page opens in its own window, features a clear image of the product and has a roll-over that provide the pertinent information such as model name and number, materials, dimensions and MSRP.  The Rainbow Leek is exactly as I had anticipated based on previous visits to the site.
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Features and Construction
Designed by Ken Onion for Kershaw, the Rainbow Leek is a nicely made folding knife featuring a straight blade and Kershaw's Speed-Safe Assisted Opening Technology.  It also features a beautiful purple-blue variegated titanium-oxide finish.

The handle of the Rainbow Leek is made of 410 Grade stainless steel, while the hollow ground drop point blade is manufactured out of 440A Grade stainless which is known for high strength, hardness and wear resistance.  Both handle and blade have been coated (prior to assembly) with titanium oxide and feature purple coloring with blue highlights along the edges to the components.  The handle has a small hole suitable for stringing a lanyard through, should I decide to wear the knife around my neck instead of in my pocket.  The front of the knife, as pictured to the left, shows the three small star head screws that secure the handle components, and features the Kershaw Ken Onion logo etched into the handle surface. The back of the knife features a sliding safety lock on the bottom of the handle (visible in the photo above in the Product Information section), a removable/reversible pocket clip.  The clip is emblazoned with the Kershaw logo and is secured using two small star head screws.  The back side of the blade on the Rainbow Leek is inscribed with its month and year of manufacture, the model number of the knife, and the words "KAI Patented" and "Made in the USA".  In case you were not aware, Kershaw Knives is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kai Corporation.  True to the warning on the packaging, the Rainbow Leek comes honed with a delightfully sharp edge.

The Rainbow Leek can be opened smoothly and quickly by engaging the Speed-Safe assisted-opening system by manually pushing on the blades thumb stud or Index-Open system (a small protrusion on the blade itself, visible in the above photos opposite the thumb stud).  Closing the Leek is a simple matter of pushing on the frame lock to release.
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Initial Impressions
I have traditionally stayed away from thumb screw opening knives in the past because I could never successfully open them smoothly with one hand.  The assisted-opening technology employed by the Kershaw Speed-Safe knives has been a real boon to me.  I have heard of Kershaw knives before, but have never had the pleasure of owning one.  The Rainbow Leek is quite beautiful, with its stunning mirror-like finish and clean lines.  The knife is well balanced, and fits my hand nicely.  The opening of the knife is accompanied by a satisfying click noise as the blade snaps into place.  Closing the knife is accomplished easily by pushing the frame lock to the side.  I have become proficient at closing the blade single handed, by releasing the frame lock with my thumb and pushing the blade closed along my thigh while keeping my fingers out of the way of the cutting edge by ensuring they are all perched safely on the handle.  Stowing the Rainbow Leek in my pocket is simple, the clip seems to hold securely, but is not too tight as to cause difficulty while trying to secure the knife away.  Luckily for me, I am right handed, so the clip will remain in its factory installed position - I do not own star shaped screwdrivers, so switching the clip's orientation will prove to be a challenge (unless I take this opportunity to expand my toolbox).  I'm happy to say that Kershaw seems to have delivered a knife of both beauty and function and I'm looking forward to seeing how it performs with time.
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Test Strategy
During the four month test period, I plan to carry the Rainbow Leek with me daily, both in my urban and wilderness adventures.  Because the Rainbow Leek is similar in size to my paring knife, it will be pressed into action on a regular basis 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 following criteria:

Aesthetics:
-Will the knife's rainbow finish remain unmarred over time? 
-Will I continue to enjoy the highly polished finish on this knife or will its susceptibility to fingerprints drive me to distraction?

Ease of Care:
-How easy will it be to clean and maintain the knife with almost daily use?  I should mention that I do not plan to disassemble the knife for care/cleaning, tempting as it is to the engineer in me.  I opt to not do this primarily because no instructions are provided for doing so.  Secondarily, while I am plenty confident in my ability to tear things down and reconstruct them, I worry that I would be inable to get it all back together properly (especially the speed-safe bits).
-How long will the remarkably sharp blade maintain its sharpness?
-Will it be easy (and possible) for me to sharpen its blade back to "just from the factory" sharpness?

Ease of Use:
-I like to be able to use my knives single handedly - will I be able to do so with the Rainbow Leek?
-Will the Rainbow Leek remain secure in my hand while it or the knife is wet?
-General handling and ergonomics - am I able to use and handle the knife safely and accomplish my tasks?
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My thanks to Kershaw Knives and BackpackGearTest.org for this testing opportunity.

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