CRKT Point Guard

[LAWKS]

knifetester said:
...is highly overrated.
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The one I had it was useful against torques, useless against impacts, CRKT said mine was defective, so I returned it. It isn't stronger or more secure than a lock back, but can be easier to one handed close for some.

I would agree pretty much directly with the above Endura/PG, I also vastly prefer the hole as it indexes easier and I tend to grind off studs when sharpening.

CRKT has a massive amount of lock types though which get little to no press on the forums, they should be contacted for a few pass arounds.

-Cliff
 
One question:

The tang of the blade: there is a concave notch (about 3mm diameter) between the surface that meets the lock and meets the stop pin.

What is the functionality of that notch? Why don't they just use a straight line? I don't get it.:confused:
 
3Guardsmen said:
The new (05) CRKT Point Guards show a blade steel of...ugh :barf: ...420J2. I was disappointed, to say the least, with CRKT's move to switch the blade steel on a lot of their knives from AUS6 to AUS4 and 420J2.
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What makes it worse is that you can't buy many CRKT knives nowadays because you don't know what you're getting. On eBay, CRKT knives are being advertised with their old steel specifications (AUS 6 rather than the new 420J2). Virtually no one is selling the knives with the new specs!

It's one reason I've stopped buying CRKT knives lately. I've sent notes to sellers saying, "How do you know it's AUS 6?" and I get all sorts of assurances which I don't buy. Gerber has done the same thing with many of their knives (which I now put in the same class with Smith & Wesson).

Confederate
 
It stinks. They still make cool knives, but their steel choice shows that they just don't care that much. Have you seen that new utility knife that looks like a pair of pliers? Really cool, but it's 420j2. I think some models are made in China now (it used to all be from Taiwan).
 
I recieved a replacement from CRKT, the edge geometry and initial sharpness and cutting ability are all consistent with the last one, very low for this size of knife, it whittles hardwood for example about half as effective as a Al Mar Sere.

To check the LAWK's I moved the liner over to the far left against the LAWK's with the LAWK's engaged. The point of the knife was then pressed into a piece of hardwood on a scale. Imediately the entire handle of the knife started to bow.

The liner is the main source of strength for the handle and when it bent the handle followed with it. I check this in hand and it was so weak that I could hook my thumb across the top of the handle and by pressing down with my index finger across the top of the blade on the back cause the handle to visually bow.

I put it back on the scale and as the force increased the liner just kept bending, by the time it reached 25 lbs, yes twenty five pounds, the liner had moved all the way to the other side and also twisted down as it is skeletonized and thus could not be unlocked by hand.

Here is a shot after the liner was forced closed :

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y269/CliffStamp/crkt/point guard/point_guard_liner_bent.jpg

I'll take this apart shortly and check the stiffness of the LAWK's.

The initial edge retention was also very poor, I did four slices on hemp to measure the cutting ability and the performance significantly decreased in each one. There was no shaving or fine cutting ability left and the edge did not respond to a light stropping and just rounded over.

This was due to a large burr on the initial edge which was also ground fairly obtuse at 22 degrees per side, this would have produced a horrible impression of the steel for most users.

-Cliff
 
I just did a few test runs breaking some really cheap knives, the ones you find at flea markets for about 1-2$. A really cheap liner lock was uneffected up to 30 lbs at which point the plastic handle cracked around the pivot, the liner itself was not flexing significantly. I also broke a few cheap lock backs, often the lock bar will bend up out of the way and the blade will rotate closed. They were all possible to break in hand, but they all resisted much stronger than the Point Guard which basically started to collapse as soon as force was applied. All the cheap ones took spine whacks readily, but they were so light the impacts were insignificant, they were just plastic with no reinforcement.

-Cliff
 
Cliff, I'll check my Point Guard. The liner should be the same .. though nowadays the blade is 420 as opposed to mine AUS 6. I am quite surprised with the liner giving away like that.
 
As was I, I'll try to find some small star keys and take it apart and check the strength directly on both pieces of steel.

-Cliff
 
uitlander said:
I have had a small Point Guard, with Aus-8, for probably four-five years now and found it a great comfortable and sturdy cutter to use and carry. Survived many drops etc. ... Found it a great little knife, easy to sharpen ... and use, never felt uncomfortable using it safetywise..."
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I have the same, and that's been my experience, too. Mine gets rotated enough so that's it's not worn out. Still in nice shape, though I will now make it a point to check all the screws.

It's proven a nice little knife to carry when wearing khakis. Fairly flat and light and a nice-sized blade for office life. I prefer Benchmades and others these days, but I still don't feel bad when I pick this one out on a weekday morning. Weekends, I like something a little more substantial.
 
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