Gerber Guardian Back-up

X

xerxes

Joined
Jun 5, 2003
Messages
1
I bought the Gerber Guardian a few months ago. I liked the idea of a small easily stowable dagger. I read its good reviews and thought it would be a good buy.

When it arrived I was a little disappointed. The main problem being the fact that it was not at all sharp. The versatile sheath is a great idea, but could have been designed better. The knife rattles around in it. The sheath seems too big for the tiny knife. The sheath seems to be made of a brittle type of plastic that looks easy to crack.

I was a little suprised at how tiny the knife is. I knew its dimensions and weight. But I was expecting something a bit more chunky. Its almost like holding a nail.

Now if they made a Guardian mk2 it would probably be a great knife.

I don't feel I wasted my money. But I feel I was ripped off. I paid alot of money for something very small, lacking quality. I have other knives by CRKT and ColdSteel and I feel the quality of them is far superior to the Gerber. I would'nt buy another Gerber Knife over the internet again.

Is there anyone else here who owns the Gerber Guardian? What are your thoughts?
 
I have a Guardian that came razor sharp.I wear mine (sometimes) strapped to my my calf,under my jeans.Since it's illegal to carry a doubled edge here in Ohio,I don't wear it alot.When it's strapped to my calf tight,it does'nt rattle around as much.I wear it when I feel more paranoid than normal.:D I love my Gerber Guardian because I paid about $30.00 on E-Bay for it.
 
I used to own a Guardian. Actually, I had both the "old" style with the non-locking nylon sheath and the metal handle, as well as the "new" style with locking plastic sheath and "rubberized" handle. [The hot setup was to put the old style knfe in the new style sheath.] I ended up giving both away because I didn't like the grip ergonomics and because we can't legally carry concealed fixed blades in CA (sort of defeats the purpose of a boot knife). I think the knife is somewhat overpriced based on what you get for the money. Many people must not feel that way since the knife has been produced for years and therefore must be a money-maker for Gerber. I suspect that a lot of Guardians are sold to folks who don't know a lot about knives (certainly described me when I bought mine). Anyways, both of mine were definitely sharp. It's hard to see how such a thin blade wouldn't be pretty sharp. Even if the edges weren't sharpened at all, it would still be a lethal stabbing weapon, and that's what small daggers are for. Yes, the new model feels a bit insubstantial. The old version was heftier, but had the same handle shape.

All in all, I think you can get better knives for the money, especially if you do your homework here on the forum. But I wouldn't say the Guardian is a rip-off. It's a neat design, and the quality is certainly decent (unless they've really gone to hell in the past few years). And although it has the limitations you'd expect from a small dagger, it's still a deadly weapon.

miguel
 
I'm bidding on e-bay right now for another old style Guardian Back-up. This one is camoflaged.
 
The new S&W HRT3 is the same size as the Guardian, made of 440C and $15.00
 
Ditto on the HRT3. Better steel, better grip, less money, sheath so-so, but what is Gerber thinking? They really seem to be, for the most part, behind the times. Too bad, imagine a Guardian with a kydex sheath, a decent stainless steel, hell, even a good tool steel, a little tune-up if you will. Amazing what happens when big corporations take over....
 
Some things are allowed to feel cheap as long as they AREN'T cheap. This knife is supposed to be small and lightweight, hence the moniker 'Backup'. It backs up a bigger heavier knife or a gun. It is light so that it is balanced for throwing.

It is made of state-of-the-art materials to be rugged first and foremost. For a dagger, there is no point in making it of more expensive steel as it is intended mostly for sticking people.

The rattling and inflated price, I will agree with y'all on. It would be a fair deal at $25-30. At $55, it is a bit shady. Gerber can get away with it because there is no direct competition.
 
Yes, I have two knives. The sheath should be made of leather for smoother and quieter draw.
One of my two Gerbers rattles in the sheath. I switched knives between the two sheaths, and the rattle moved, so it's in the knife.
My knives came reasonably sharp.
These knives do not compete in the same league as for instance Fällkniven G1 Garm Fighter. Better go for that one (I have one
too).

For boot knives in the same category and price, I'd recommend Camillus CP75/77 or their Western equivalents.
 
Re. Guardian Mk2:

Gerber used to make the Gaurdian, Guardian 1 and Guardian 2.

At about 5" blade and quite slim, the Guardian 1 was a great knife and much better than the MkI in the small dagger stakes IMHO.

You might be able to find one for sale somewhere.

I lament the passing of the AG Russell Sting 1A, I had one in black chrome, beautiful little knife and way better than any of the above.
 
I had one, bought right, but didn't like it. So, I took it to a BBQ where I knew there would be a bunch of younger rednecks, pulled it out at the right time, and got every penny back. Even rounded up the price.:D I wouldn't say it's terrible, but it's not a bargain. HRT is a bargain though, and I have an Arclight coming. Either doubles as a boot knife.
 
I have owned a guardian for about 20 years. It has the typical old-style Gerber aluminum handle (mine is worn smooth as glass by now). It came with 2 sheaths: one with a belt clip and another with velcro that attched to a multi-position leather piece. It also came with a long elastic strap that closed with velcro -- this lallowed it to be carried under the arm with the strap goin behind the neck. (I sure wih I could find a strap like that now.) I carried it for years in the army aa a backup. It came fairly sharp-- but even then, when I did not know much about sharpening, I got a razor edge on it that really held. I am not sure of the steel -- I think that it is 440-C, but at the time, if I remember, Gerber talked about "high-speed tool steel". Anyway, that little knife was, and is, just wonderful.
 
I know that gerber used to make Mk 2's out of L6 tool steel, possibly that's what you're talking about. They were very special, apparently. I narrowly missed out on buying one cause £55 was a lot of money for me in those days.

They were around well before the one that I bought which is blackened 440A about 14 years ago, but a UK dealer had a couple in stock not ong before that.
 
Yep. Fer 75 USD, you could get the SOG Pentagon, but that may be a bit larger than you're looking for.

I do own a few Gerber folders, and they ahve been good working knives for a good price (Gerber AF Covert, Gerber Gator, and others i cannot name now)

Keith
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top