Guardian Tactical Helix & Patron folders..

jac_solar

jac_solar

Joined
Sep 1, 2013
Messages
842
Anyone got any experience with either of these? There's a review on Helix posted in the reviews section, but what about the Patron? And any other opinions on the Helix?


GT22211.jpg


"Patron"​

The Patron Folder has the latest advancements in knife design. This knife is a manual folder with a beefy blade that’s designed to hold an edge. Like the Helix Tactical Folder this knife has a 16 ball bearing system that ensures a solid lockup and zero side to side “play”.
Specifications:
Overall Length: 8.96″
Blade Length: 3.74″
Cutting Edge: 3.41″
Blade Thickness: 0.15″
Blade Material: CPM-154
Handle Material: Carbon Fiber
Handle Length: 5.22″
Handle Thickness: 0.65″
Weight: 5.6oz
​

MADE IN THE USA
Click to expand...

http://www.knifeworks.com/guardiantacticalpatronfoldertwotonecpm-154bladeblackcarbonfiberhandle.aspx

GT32221.jpg


"Helix"

​
The Helix TWO-TONE TANTO Flipper/Folder has all bead blasted hardware with a bead blasted stainless steel back spacer. Like all Helix Tactical Folders this knife has a 16 ball bearing system that ensures a solid lockup and zero side to side “play”.

Specifications:
Overall Length: 9″
Blade Length: 4″
Cutting Edge: 3.75″
Blade Thickness: 0.155″
Handle Material: Carbon Fiber
Handle Length: 5.0″
Handle Thickness: 0.58″
Weight: 4.2 oz.
​
MADE IN THE USA
Click to expand...

http://www.knifeworks.com/guardiant...-tonedcpm-154bladeblackcarbonfiberhandle.aspx
 
They seem to have popped up out of nowhere. I only saw them because I peruse KW's new items list. I love the blade shape on the Patron, but not a fan of the handle, though holding it might make me change, but still.....
And I am not sure about the grooves machined in the blade. But again, that Patron blade is pretty bad azz!:thumbup::)
 
cutter17 said:
They seem to have popped up out of nowhere. I only saw them because I peruse KW's new items list. I love the blade shape on the Patron, but not a fan of the handle, though holding it might make me change, but still.....
And I am not sure about the grooves machined in the blade. But again, that Patron blade is pretty bad azz!:thumbup::)
Click to expand...

I thought the same thing. There are, as you might know, a couple of different blade and handle options for both of these knives.

This company seems to be somehow related to Rat Worx, the company that made that auto folder with a chain.
 
I'm not sure how Rat Worx and Guardian Tactical are related exactly, but Rat Worx produces the ceramic ball bearings that these knives use and Guardian Tactical produces the Chain Drive Auto for Rat Worx.

The guardian tactical knives are frekin epic, you probably saw my review in the review section and I still love this knife. It's by far the smoothest knife I have ever felt and the ergos are good as well. They are doing semi custom work for people at the moment as well. My Helix was stonewashed, a guy on Instagram just had them do a dark acid stone wash on his helix and it's pretty awesome as well. The only thing that could put my helix over the top would be a 3d machine pocket clip, there is nothing else that could be improved, IMO.
 
Out of curiosity how sturdy is the lockup on these two? I couldn't tell from the pics on knifeworks whether this is an inset liner/possible sub frame lock of some sort???:confused:
 
Yah, sub frame with a stainless steel insert. Mine is rock solid, the other guys I know with them have said the same as well.
 
Blade shape, finish, and engraving remind me of Microtech. The blade cutouts/milling aren't winning me over though.
 
Yes, I think that the main guy behind this company was involved with Microtech before.
 
austonh said:
Yah, sub frame with a stainless steel insert. Mine is rock solid, the other guys I know with them have said the same as well.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the clarification. If they were from microtech originally at least they had the sensibility to not use proprietary hardware.:cool:
 
I just got a Patron from a dealer friend at work. The knife is really solid, better ergonomics than the Hinderer XM IMO, but not as solidly built. The grind is well done, and VERY sharp from the factory, but it is still a machine grind. It shaved hair but after I stropped it it became wicked sharp. I was able to shave tissue paper with it no problem. I will probably put it on the nanaiwa finishing stone to get the mirror finish...

The Lockup is rather solid, and the knife is a little stiff (my unit was built 03/2013, SN 0004), and it is gretting smoother with use. I did apply some fluoro grease to the bearing.

For pocket carry, it has a glass breaker which makes it protrude from the pocket too much for my comfort (especially when I go to Philly!). Overall, a great ergonomic knife for my hands but probably not an EDC like the Hinderer, Benchmade Barrage [sic] , or Sebenza.

The one thing I am not a fan of is the black coating on the blade, not as it relates to aesthetics, but because the stuff wears off with use, so for this reason, this knife will never be a heavy user (i.e.: killing dandelions in my lawn) like my Benchmade 940 Osborne (which can spear my finger through a glove as easily as kill the dreaded dandelion). I will try it in the kitchen this weekend as the blade design is well suited to cooking.
 
They make a really good knife. I have three of there knives. Helix in CF two tone blade the Patron in CF with two tone blade and the Mini Helix auto with two tone blade and aluminum handle. The handles remind me of the Microtech Socom elite/delta they just dropped the butt a little bit downward not a bad thing because I like that style handle. That's why I picked up all of there offerings.

Flipper works well on the Helix and they are for sure very smooth Same goes for the Patron. The auto is a very solid knife. It has no blade slop in any direction and lock up is solid. In my opinion it is a little slower than I like for a auto but not a deal breaker. All blades came very sharp and without any defects. I have had my Patron since Blade show last year. So if your looking to buy you can expect a quality knife . I have not heard of any problems to date.
 
tackdriver said:
I just got a Patron from a dealer friend at work. The knife is really solid, better ergonomics than the Hinderer XM IMO, but not as solidly built. The grind is well done, and VERY sharp from the factory, but it is still a machine grind. It shaved hair but after I stropped it it became wicked sharp. I was able to shave tissue paper with it no problem. I will probably put it on the nanaiwa finishing stone to get the mirror finish...

The Lockup is rather solid, and the knife is a little stiff (my unit was built 03/2013, SN 0004), and it is gretting smoother with use. I did apply some fluoro grease to the bearing.

For pocket carry, it has a glass breaker which makes it protrude from the pocket too much for my comfort (especially when I go to Philly!). Overall, a great ergonomic knife for my hands but probably not an EDC like the Hinderer, Benchmade Barrage [sic] , or Sebenza.

The one thing I am not a fan of is the black coating on the blade, not as it relates to aesthetics, but because the stuff wears off with use, so for this reason, this knife will never be a heavy user (i.e.: killing dandelions in my lawn) like my Benchmade 940 Osborne (which can spear my finger through a glove as easily as kill the dreaded dandelion). I will try it in the kitchen this weekend as the blade design is well suited to cooking.
Click to expand...

How does it flip?
 
The patron is not a flipper.. But it does ride on bearings so it jumps right out.
 
I received my Patron in dark stone wash yesterday. The ergos are extremely good, the deployment is smooth and fast and lock-up is solid. My only gripe would be blad sharpness, while it was not dull it was not super sharp along the upper portion of the blade. My W.E. took care of that. I can understand some people not liking the aesthetics but I like the unique look of the Patron and find the blade shape to be quite practical for numerous uses. The dark stone wash really looks more like a rubbed finish rather than stone wash. The black finish has been rubbed down to steel along edges and high points resulting in a very dramatic look to the blade.
 
Marko3 said:
The patron is not a flipper.. But it does ride on bearings so it jumps right out.
Click to expand...

Oh, yeah, right. But, speaking of the bearings, it's fascinating how easily and smoothly these seem to be compared to other folders on bearings.
 
Aerian17 said:
I became awestruck by the images in the ZT0777 thread (http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1200189-Zt-0777) that i decided to buy the Two Tone Tanto Helix version. It looks like a great knife i can beat on so i am really excited to see how it performs, flips, and checkout the overall fit and finish. If it is great, I will be keeping an eye on this company moving forward.
Click to expand...

Awesome choice, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the quality, flipping and smoothness. I need to do a Vid comparing the 777 and the helix.
 
I bought a Patron from Marko3 and love the knife. The blade is unusual, but quite functional and I like the looks. The ergos are simply great and the knife is not as heavy as you would think for the size. Part of that is the outstanding CF handle and part is the excellent balance that it has. And it really fires out.

BTW, the steel is CPM-154, not 154CM which is a positive (although I do like 154CM for the most part), IMHO.

Not the best pic, but a quickie to get it in this thread:

paD4fel.jpg
 
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