Leek Composite

Which Knife Should I Buy?

Money isn’t a problem, but I’m torn between to models of the same knife. It is the Kershaw Leek: http://www.kershaw-knives.net/Kershaw-Ken-Onion-Leek-KS1660.htm or the Kershaw Leek Composite: http://www.thekershawstore.com/Kershaw_Leek_Composite_Plain_Knife_p/k1660cb.htm

Hmmm, “stronger” isn’t the right word to describe the Leek Composite. The composite steel blade puts a high carbon tool steel – D2 at the edge with a softer Sandvik 13C26 steel spine on the back. The Stainless Leek is just using 440A steel throughout the blade.

So, the D2 edge is going to be harder without question. D2 can easily be hardened into the RC58 – 60 range, while 440A is generally going to be in the 55 – 57 range. So the D2 will hold an edge longer, but also be more brittle – meaning that if you are using it as a hard use pocket knife and are trying to pry a packing staple out of a box you have a better chance of snapping the D2 tip than the 440A. However, it will stay sharp for alot longer, although will require ceramics or good stones to sharpen.

Also, while 440 A is stainless, D2 is not. It’s close – generally from a metallurgical point of view you need 13% chromium to make a steel stainless, and D2 has 11 – 12 depending on the exact mix. However, 440A is closer to 17%. So, regardless of where you draw the line from a stain resistance standpoint the normal Leek will perform much better.

In fact, if you work in a typical South Eastern summer time environment, where life is humid and hot, just sitting in your pocket the Composite Leek is likely to show discoloration on the D2 portion. The 440A likely will not.

The Leek is a classic looking gentleman’s sort of knife, but they are decent quality for the price and will stand up to some pretty reasonable use. So, if you are going to use it as a light duty gents knife, then get what you think is prettiest. If length of time it will stay sharp (you are cutting alot of cardboard in your job as an example) then get the D2. If it is just for general use … personally I’m inclined to stay with the 440A and just sharpen it when I need to.

Inherently the blade isn’t any “stronger” for being a composite. If the Sandvik 13C26 gets enough load to bend, the D2 will crack. The D2 MAY make it a bit stiffer, but in a small blade like that you aren’t going to (or shouldn’t) be prying all that much with it, so that probably isn’t really relevant. Either steel is probably stronger than the locking mechanism in some sense, so the additional stiffness doesn’t matter.

Thinkingblade

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