i don't like guards, but i like a nicely contoured handle that has a sort of integral lip, like the plastic moras.
i have a small mora that i use a fair amount, but i would like to just get a blade and put a nice big beefy handle on it so that i actually have something to grab. my mora's handle is just big enough to fit in my hand, but it puts my finger awefully close to the blade. no room for mistakes there.