The deadly, and small, tactical knife.

In one of my previous articles about choosing the best fixed blade tactical, or self-defense, knife I talked about the CKRT Hissatsu knife being an excellent choice. It is an all-round good combat and an awesome fighting knife. However, in that article I also mentioned its one drawback – size.

But, its size (a bit lengthy) is only a drawback in relation to civilian carry vs. combat carry. In combat carry it will be attached to my tactical vest ready to be used when called upon. I don’t care who sees it.

However, in the civilian world the presence of such a obvious use knife could bring you unwanted attention, namely from Johnny Law. The size of the CRKT Hissatsu just makes it a bit to cumbersome for civilian carry. That is how my quest for the right EDC (Every Day Carry) knife came into being.

The Gerber Guardian knife is an amazing beauty. I have several Gerber knives and I like one of their multi-tools as well. Before I get too far into the this article let me cover the specifications of the knife:

• Overall Length: 7.28″
• Length of Blade: 3.41″
• Weight: 3 oz.
• Blade Material: 400 Stainless
• Handle Material: Glass-filled nylon with Softgrip Inserts
• Blade Style: Spear
• Sheath Material: Molded Plastic
• Blade Type: Fine

Additional knife information –

The Guardian is a dagger style knife designed for carrying on your belt, boot, or strap. A non-reflective black coating covers the full tang stainless steel blade giving it a stealthy appearance. The handle is comfortable with a nice grip thanks to the Santoprene nylon covering. The sheath is full adjustable allowing you to set the draw tension for removing the knife. Some may want the Gerber Guardian to have a loose draw while others may want a more stiff draw.

Now for my opinion:

1. The knife feels really nice in my hand. The handle is well-made, non-slip grip. It doesn’t get slippery when coated with fluids
2. The knife is well-balanced and handles well while going through movements.
3. I like the very sharp edge. It will cut along both edges piercing. Moving the blade around will create a substantial wound channel. If you are off a little from hitting a tendon, ligament or artery, the double edge is forgiving.
4. The knife is very compact and easily concealed.
5. The sheath is decently made and holds the knife securely.

The one modification I made was sharpening the second, or opposing, edge. Out of the box there was some edge to it but not really a cutting edge. So I went to work on it with my diamond sharpener. I am not completely satisfied with the edge I put on it.

I am going to completely redo the edge when I get my new “Work Sharp” set up and running. Until then I am very satisfied.

This knife is a great knife for self-defense, it is easily concealed and readily deployed. The point is more than sharp enough to do the job. The Gerber Guardian is a knife to go anywhere with.

This knife is an awesome “Buy!”

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