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Head-to-head · Best EDC Pocket Knives

CIVIVI Yonder vs Kershaw Leek 1660

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

The short answer

CIVIVI Yonder comes out ahead by a narrow margin (4.4 vs 4.3). The gap is mostly about first-time buyers who want a slicy, capable folder under $70 — read the strengths below before deciding.

CIVIVI Yonder
Higher ratedRanked #4 in Best EDC Pocket Knives
CIVIVI Yonder
$56.95as of Jun 7

The CIVIVI Yonder is the value pick of this group, a Zac Whitmore design that took Blade Show 2024 Best Buy of the Year. Its sub-3-inch 14C28N spey-point blade rides a smooth crossbar lock and weighs around 2.6 oz, making it a capable EDC that sits between a gentleman's folder and a hard-use knife. GearJunkie scored it 7.9/10 and CleverHiker 4.6/5, and Outdoor Life's reviewer called it the knife under $100 they like more than anything else in a 200-piece collection. The honest knocks are average edge retention and a crossbar that can rub a hot spot during heavy cutting, but at roughly $60 it punches far above its price.

Strengths
  • — Won Blade Show 2024 Best Buy of the Year for value under $100
  • — Thin flat grind on the spey-point blade slices cleanly and even carves wood well
  • — Crossbar lock is smooth, never failed in testing, and is fully ambidextrous
Watch-outs
  • — Edge retention from 14C28N is only average and needs regular touch-ups
  • — Crossbar notch is shorter than standard, giving the lock a stiffer pull
  • — Hand can snag the crossbar and form a hot spot during big cutting jobs
$56.95 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →
Kershaw Leek 1660
Ranked #5 in Best EDC Pocket Knives
Kershaw Leek 1660
$68.41as of Jun 7

The Kershaw Leek 1660 is a Ken Onion design that has sold in huge numbers for two decades, and it still defines the slim, dressy assisted-flipper category. Its 3-inch Sandvik 14C28N blade rides Kershaw's SpeedSafe assist in a 4-inch closed, 3 oz package that disappears into a pocket. KnifeInformer scored it 79% and CleverHiker rated it 4.9/5, both praising the slicing geometry and value while flagging the one universal weakness: a needle tip fragile enough that owners report snapping it. It is the most elegant and affordable knife here, ideal for light office and EDC tasks, but its delicate point keeps it out of hard-use territory.

Strengths
  • — SpeedSafe assisted opening flips the slim blade open fast and one-handed
  • — Sandvik 14C28N blade offers an excellent price-to-performance ratio
  • — Very thin slicing geometry bites into cardboard and packaging with ease
Watch-outs
  • — The needle tip is notoriously fragile and can snap off under modest side load
  • — Edge can roll, so the blade needs care during tougher cutting
  • — All-steel handle is slipperier than G-10 in wet conditions
$68.41 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →

How they stack up

CIVIVI Yonder

The CIVIVI Yonder is the budget choice here, costing roughly a quarter of the Benchmade Bugout 535 or Spyderco Para Military 2 while delivering a similarly thin, slicy grind. Its budget blade steel is the softest in this group and needs more frequent sharpening than the Bugout or the Knafs Lander 2. Like the Lander 2 it uses a crossbar-style lock rather than the Para Military 2's Compression Lock.

Kershaw Leek 1660

The Kershaw Leek 1660 is the slimmest, dressiest knife in this group and the only one with spring-assisted SpeedSafe deployment. Like the CIVIVI Yonder it uses budget-friendly 14C28N steel, trailing the Benchmade Bugout 535's CPM-S30V and the Knafs Lander 2's S35VN. Its needle tip is far more delicate than the Spyderco Para Military 2's already-thin point, so it is the least suited here to anything beyond light cutting.

Specs side-by-side

SpecCIVIVI YonderKershaw Leek 1660
Blade SteelSandvik 14C28NSandvik 14C28N
Blade Length2.88 in3.0 in
Overall Length6.5 in—
Weight2.6 oz3.0 oz
Lock TypeCrossbar lockFrame lock
Handle MaterialG-10 over full liners410 stainless steel
Blade ShapeSpey point, flat grind—
DesignerZac WhitmoreKen Onion
Closed Length—4.0 in
Deployment—SpeedSafe assisted flipper
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