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Long Term Report: Kershaw Rainbow Leek
| Personal Biographical Info: |
| Name: |
Stephanie Martin |
| Age: |
31 |
| Gender: |
Female |
| Height: |
5'5" (1.65 meters) |
| Weight: |
145 lbs. (65 kg) |
| Email Address: |
syoong "at" alum "dot" mit
"dot" edu |
| Location: |
Phoenix, AZ USA |
| Date: |
February 28, 2006 |
| Background: |
I've always enjoyed spending time outdoors since I was a
kid. Since moving to the southwest, I've taken to day
hiking most weekends, anywhere from low desert to mountain territory
(7000+ ft (2100+ meters)). In addition to day hikes and weekend
backpacking trips, my husband and I
generally take a couple week long trips to the Grand Canyon annually. Our backpacking philosophy
has been rapidly moving towards ultra-light gear, with target base pack
weight of 10 lbs (4.5 kg). We have also been participating in
canyoneering since 1997. In general, we average 12 to 15 miles (20 to 24
km) per day. See http://www.ToddsHikingGuide.com
for trip reports and a better sense of our hiking style. |
| Similar Knives used: |
None with an assisted opening system. A knife
aficionado, I own various fixed and folding blade knives by SOG,
Spyderco, Swiss Army, Gryphon and Gerber, amongst others with blade
lengths ranging from a tiny 1-inch (2.5 cm) blade to a very respectable
6-inch (15.2 cm) blade. This, of course, does not include my kitchen
cutlery. |
|
|
| Product Information: |
 |
| Manufacturer: |
Kershaw Knives [http://www.kershawknives.com] |
| Year of Manufacture: |
2005 |
| MSRP: |
$99.95 |
| Model: |
1660VIB |
| Listed Weight: |
3.1 oz (87.9 g) |
| Listed Dimensions: |
Closed: 4 in (10.2 cm)
Blade Length: 3 in (7.6 cm) |
| Weight as Delivered: |
3.0 oz (85.0 g) |
| Measured Dimensions: |
Closed: 4 in (10.2 cm)
Blade Length: 2.875 in (7.3 cm)
Open: 6.875 in (17.5 cm)
Width: 0.25" (63.5 mm), excluding pocket clip |
| Blade Material: |
440A Stainless Steel, coated with Titanium Oxide |
| Handle Material: |
410 Stainless Steel, coated with Titanium Oxide |
| Warranty: |
Limited Lifetime, guaranteed to the original owner to be
free of defects when received from the factory. |
| Style of Product: |
Pocket sized folding blade with frame lock and
featuring speed-safe assisted opening technology. |
Contents
- Product
Use and Performance
- Summary
| Field and Test Information: |
| Location(s) of test: |
Various locations in the deserts, mountains and
canyons of Arizona and Utah in addition to daily use in an urban setting. |
| Terrain: |
Environs have ranged from the very tame and mundane city
and suburban environment of my day to day life to the sandy, sunny and slickrock covered open desert that I favor for my adventuring. |
| Weather Conditions: |
Mostly sunny with a few overcast days. Outside
daytime temperatures during the test period have ranged from nighttime
lows near freezing to daytime highs in the low 80's F (mid 20's
Celsius). |
Details in this Long Term Report are intended to be read in addition to the more detailed product information
as listed in my
Initial Report
and the detailed field information in my
Field Report.
Product Use and Performance
For the remainder of the four month test period, I have continued carrying
the Rainbow Leek on my person. I continue to prefer to wear it in a pocket
using the pocket clip, however, if no pocket was available, I would resort to
wearing the knife using the lanyard I had strung just for that purpose. I
much prefer wearing the knife in my pocket, as it tends to bounce around
annoyingly when simply worn around my neck, even when stowed underneath a shirt.
I've noticed no loss in tension or security of the pocket clip during this time,
nor have I noticed undue wear or tear on the pants pockets that I have worn the
knife with.
During the long term testing period, I've continued to use the Rainbow Leek
for food prep, cord/webbing/string cutting, package opening and whittling.
While the knife has dulled a little, it still holds a keen edge and still has
wonderfully smooth and crisp opening action. I've had no issues rehoning
the Rainbow Leek. I suspect this may have been made easier on me because I
have had plenty of experience with smaller angle knife sharpening as all of my
kitchen cutlery falls into a similar range to that required of the Rainbow Leek
(18-22 degree sharpening angle). Sharpening was quickly accomplished with
a few passes of my diamond steel followed by my ceramic steel. Other than
a few minor scratches, the brilliant rainbow finish is still in good repair.
If the four month test period is any indication, I'll be enjoying this knife for
quite some time to come.
[back to Table of Contents]
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
- Woo Hoo: Slim profile means it fits easily into my pockets without creating
unsightly bumps or wearpoints!
- 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
[back to Table of Contents]
My thanks to Kershaw Knives and BackpackGearTest.org for this testing
opportunity.
Read more reviews of Kershaw gear
Read more gear reviews by Stephanie Martin
|
