- Kershaw Leek 1660 · Modified Wharncliffe3″ blade · 0.09″ spine · 3 oz · ~0.88″ tall
Kershaw Leek 1660
The Kershaw Leek 1660 is a 3" modified wharncliffe folder in Sandvik 14C28N, hollow ground. The handle is 410 Stainless, secured by a frame lock. Its spine is 0.09" against a 0.118" median for EDC folders here, so it slices better than most and tolerates less abuse.
- Blade
- 3″
- Weight
- 3 oz
- Steel
- Sandvik 14C28N
- Price band
- Mid
Everyday carry and general utility
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Specifications
Manufacturer-published figures, cross-checked against knifeworks, dlttrading.
- Spine thickness
- 0.09″
- Blade shape
- Modified Wharncliffe
- Grind
- Hollow
- Steel
- Sandvik 14C28N
- Weight
- 3 oz
- Lock
- Frame Lock
- Deployment
- Assisted
- Handle material
- 410 Stainless
- Country of origin
- USA
Why a modified wharncliffe
A wharncliffe with some curve reintroduced — a slender profile with the tip near the centreline. Kershaw's Leek is the pattern most people picture.
Every modified wharncliffe here →About Sandvik 14C28N
Developed with Kershaw. Tough, rust-resistant, and about as easy to sharpen as a good steel gets — the reason it dominates the value tier.
1-5 is a relative ranking drawn from published composition and hardness, not a lab measurement. Higher is better on every axis, and no steel is a 5 across the board — edge retention and toughness pull against each other. All Sandvik 14C28N knives
What owners say
Drawn from 410 owner discussions of the Kershaw Leek 1660 since 2024. The opinions are theirs. The specifications above come from the maker.
What owners like
- Thin enough to forget in a pocket: owners single out the slim profile, and one carrying it beside a Knipex and a Leatherman Micra says all three are only an eighth to a quarter inch thick
- The assisted opening is the draw: one owner calls theirs soooo smooth and fidgety, one likes the snick it makes, another loves the opening assist, and a five-year owner says the spring assist makes one-handed use easy
- Lasts for years of daily use: one owner says theirs served flawlessly for years until lost, another carried Leeks for 10 to 15 years, and a third has carried a serrated stainless Leek for five years
- The Tip-Lock slider is reassuring for people wary of assisted knives: one owner who had a Blur open in a back pocket says the slider on their Leek eases their mind
- Strong value: one owner calls it a top 10 EDC and incredible value, one paid $60 at Walmart in 2024, and another is glad they stocked up on five at about $45
- A frequent first good knife and gift: owners say it got them into or back into knives, and one always gives Leeks as gifts
- A broken tip is not the end: owners regrind theirs into a drop point, tanto or sheepsfoot, and one says they like their Leeks even better after reshaping
What owners flag
- The fine tip breaks: one owner says every Leek they own but one has lost its tip, and others broke or bent theirs prying, with a 10 to 15 year carrier warning never to use the tip as a flathead
- It can open in a pocket: one owner's Leek opened in their pocket twice, and using the tip lock to stop it defeated the point of one-handed opening
- Torsion bars can snap: one owner who fidgets a lot broke two in two months, though Kershaw sent a replacement for free
- The stainless handle is smooth and slick: one owner dislikes the overly smooth, heavy steel handles, another lost theirs after the too-slippery knife caught on a shirt and fell out of a pocket, and one notes the skinny handle can slip if your grip does not match it
- The frame lock can be awkward: one owner finds it hard to release after heavy cutting force, another says closing is tricky if your grip slips mid-close, and one owner's lock started failing after three years
- The point is too sharp for some: one owner who started with a Leek moved on because the blade shape is so pointy
A 3.0 in modified Wharncliffe that closes to 4 in, the Leek is the first proper knife for some owners and a decade-long carry for others. One owner uses it as the everyday knife around the house, one finds it thin enough to sit comfortably in a pocket beside pliers and a multitool, and long-term owners report carrying one for five years or for ten to fifteen, with one going through six or seven of them and another buying five at once.
The tip is the price of that shape. Owners report tips broken or bent, mostly from prying, and one says every Leek they own but one has lost its point; regrinding to a drop point, tanto or sheepsfoot is how owners fix it. The assisted opening wins praise for smoothness but has opened in at least one owner's pocket, one owner snapped two torsion bars in two months, and the smooth stainless handle is slick enough that one owner lost theirs when it caught on a shirt and fell out of a pocket.
Against the Benchmade Partial Immunity, Leek owners mostly stick with the Leek, citing the knife they already know or Benchmade's QC, while one conceded the Benchmade is the cooler knife. A Leek owner who also carries a 940 says an axis lock arguably solves the Leek's slippery grip and awkward close, and one owner who lost a Leek replaced it with a Spyderco PM2.
Do Leek tips really break that easily?
Owners say yes, mostly when it is used to pry. One owner says every Leek they have but one has a broken tip, and another bent theirs the first time they pried with it. That owner now keeps a rotation of cheap knives for tool-like jobs, and a 10 to 15 year carrier warns never to use the tip as a flathead.
Can a broken Leek tip be fixed?
Yes, by regrinding. Owners have reshaped broken Leeks into drop points, tantos and sheepsfoots, and one says the reground blades are stronger than before. A five-year owner planned to grind their broken serrated Leek down and keep using it.
Will a Leek open in my pocket?
It can. One owner's opened twice in a pocket, and they found using the lock defeated one-handed opening. Others rely on the Tip-Lock slider, with one owner planning to tighten it and noting theirs has never deployed on its own.
Leek or a Benchmade like the Partial or Full Immunity?
The Leek usually wins: one cites Benchmade's prices and QC, and one would rather own the Benchmade but would only ever buy the Leek. A Leek owner who also carries a 940 says an axis lock arguably fixes the Leek's slippery grip and tricky close. One who loved their Leek admits the Benchmade is the cooler knife.
What happens if the torsion bar breaks?
One owner who snapped two torsion bars in two months says Kershaw sent a replacement free. They still went looking for a more robust knife for heavy fidgeting.
What do people pay for a Leek?
One owner paid $60 at Walmart in 2024 and another $60 in 2025 for the 14C28N version. One stocked up on five at about $45 each at Walmart, and another found a USA-made Leek on 50 percent clearance.
Features
- Assisted opening
- Frame Lock
- Hollow grind
- Made in USA
- Stainless blade
Compare the 1660
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