- Joined
- Jul 2, 2013
- Messages
- 461
Hey guys, this year at Blade Show I stopped by the Guardian Tactical booth and talked with the owners for a little while. Great guys and they come from a strong background in knife design and manufacturing since they used to work for Microtech. They also make the MRX Chain Drive knife for RAT WORX, in case you didn't know. I liked what they had, but only had enough cash to get their 2014 Blade Show special. It's an aluminum, gold anodized Mini Helix Automatic. So, here's the review!
General Specs:
-two toned bead blast/satin blade made of CPM 154 steel
-aluminum handle
-3.1 inch blade
-ceramic ball bearing pivot
-right side tip up only pocket clip
Here's the blade and the box:
It comes in a white box with the bulldog logo. Included was a black carry pouch and warranty card. There are some things I do not like about this pouch, but more on that later....
Here are some general pics of the knife:
Inside the handle scales it is inscribed: "AUTO CERAMIC BEARING SYSTEM 0129 [serial number]" The other scale is also inscribed with the company name. A nice touch, and it keeps the knife identifiable without messing up the looks.
You may notice some dust and dog hair, I apologize, my husky sheds a lot in the summer. However, that "dust" isn't really dust, it is fibers that came from the pouch
kind of a bummer. The material is sort of velvety, and little black bits like to rub off. Not very cool, I would prefer regular cloth or microfiber. Also, the logo on the pouch is kind of falling off...
Not a huge deal, as the pouch is really secondary to the awesome construction and feel of this knife. It has great ergonomics! Seriously this thing just fits in your hand like no other. Something that I noticed with ALL of Guardian Tactical's offerings. I prefer a simple handle, but the grooves on this knife are extremely well-placed. The extra choil on the blade is also well placed and sized for my hands (average), which allows for extra control for precise maneuvering.
The jimping on the spine of the blade is also very adequate, but not too aggressive. It pokes out just perfectly from the handle when open:
Overall impression:
This is a nice knife, especially for what it cost me (around $200 is what they were originally asking, I believe). It has an extremely solid lockup thanks to the bearing pivot. Most autos, in my opinion, do not feel as near as solid as the Mini Helix. As far as the spring action, it is adequately fast, but it doesn't really SLAM or want to fly out of your hand. The bearings allow for a smooth flow and also allow for a weaker spring tension, which, in turn, leads to a longer lasting spring. I can't see this thing giving out for a looong long time, if ever. The blade pops out with a nice *swish* and locks with a satisfying *click* and should be fast enough for any switchblade freak. I also love the feel of the button. It's smooth and slightly recessed so it's easy to find when you need it, but won't ever accidentally deploy.
The blade came fairly sharp, nothing really exceptional there. The blade profile is a very nice, classic yet tactical sort of drop point. A decent enough belly for cutting, yet a very nice forward point for tip work or defensive purposes. To top it off it has a small swedge and recessed area that are both bead blasted. It really adds to the attractiveness.
The pocket clip is good. Strong tension and not obtrusive. Hardware is bead blasted and the screws are torx-style, except for the main pivot with is a sort of + shape that looks like it could be manipulated with a coin or similar object, but I haven't tried that yet. The centering, action, and lockup are just so perfect I wouldn't dare mess with it. The lines are very clean and the machine work fits together perfectly. An overall really great little automatic that any knife enthusiast would enjoy. I would like to get my hands on some of their other offerings in the future, especially the folding Patron. Now THAT is a smoothly operating knife. As a collector, I am always acquiring new knives, and while this is an especially wonderful addition to my collection, I wouldn't mind selling or trading up for some more of their stuff... So, Check out Guardian Tactical, they have great products and have time tested talent behind them!
General Specs:
-two toned bead blast/satin blade made of CPM 154 steel
-aluminum handle
-3.1 inch blade
-ceramic ball bearing pivot
-right side tip up only pocket clip
Here's the blade and the box:
It comes in a white box with the bulldog logo. Included was a black carry pouch and warranty card. There are some things I do not like about this pouch, but more on that later....
Here are some general pics of the knife:
Inside the handle scales it is inscribed: "AUTO CERAMIC BEARING SYSTEM 0129 [serial number]" The other scale is also inscribed with the company name. A nice touch, and it keeps the knife identifiable without messing up the looks.
You may notice some dust and dog hair, I apologize, my husky sheds a lot in the summer. However, that "dust" isn't really dust, it is fibers that came from the pouch
kind of a bummer. The material is sort of velvety, and little black bits like to rub off. Not very cool, I would prefer regular cloth or microfiber. Also, the logo on the pouch is kind of falling off...
Not a huge deal, as the pouch is really secondary to the awesome construction and feel of this knife. It has great ergonomics! Seriously this thing just fits in your hand like no other. Something that I noticed with ALL of Guardian Tactical's offerings. I prefer a simple handle, but the grooves on this knife are extremely well-placed. The extra choil on the blade is also well placed and sized for my hands (average), which allows for extra control for precise maneuvering.
The jimping on the spine of the blade is also very adequate, but not too aggressive. It pokes out just perfectly from the handle when open:
Overall impression:
This is a nice knife, especially for what it cost me (around $200 is what they were originally asking, I believe). It has an extremely solid lockup thanks to the bearing pivot. Most autos, in my opinion, do not feel as near as solid as the Mini Helix. As far as the spring action, it is adequately fast, but it doesn't really SLAM or want to fly out of your hand. The bearings allow for a smooth flow and also allow for a weaker spring tension, which, in turn, leads to a longer lasting spring. I can't see this thing giving out for a looong long time, if ever. The blade pops out with a nice *swish* and locks with a satisfying *click* and should be fast enough for any switchblade freak. I also love the feel of the button. It's smooth and slightly recessed so it's easy to find when you need it, but won't ever accidentally deploy.
The blade came fairly sharp, nothing really exceptional there. The blade profile is a very nice, classic yet tactical sort of drop point. A decent enough belly for cutting, yet a very nice forward point for tip work or defensive purposes. To top it off it has a small swedge and recessed area that are both bead blasted. It really adds to the attractiveness.
The pocket clip is good. Strong tension and not obtrusive. Hardware is bead blasted and the screws are torx-style, except for the main pivot with is a sort of + shape that looks like it could be manipulated with a coin or similar object, but I haven't tried that yet. The centering, action, and lockup are just so perfect I wouldn't dare mess with it. The lines are very clean and the machine work fits together perfectly. An overall really great little automatic that any knife enthusiast would enjoy. I would like to get my hands on some of their other offerings in the future, especially the folding Patron. Now THAT is a smoothly operating knife. As a collector, I am always acquiring new knives, and while this is an especially wonderful addition to my collection, I wouldn't mind selling or trading up for some more of their stuff... So, Check out Guardian Tactical, they have great products and have time tested talent behind them!
