Ray Laconico’s designs are everywhere. Its probably easier to list the companies he HASN’T worked with than those that he has (Benchmade, Spyderco what are you two waiting for?). Over and over again he has produced nice blades that are some slight variant on a few forms. They are simple designs, with clean lines, and nice blade shapes. The most Laconico of all his knives though, is the Old Guard design—a straightforward thumb stud knife with a drop point blade. But like all Laconico’s its simplicity is not a deletion of things, but instead work with a foundational form over and over again until it is both simple and functional. When the Old Guard was released in a mini form I was intrigued. Time and again I would arrive too late to the site to score one. Then last fall the stars aligned and I got one not just in ZDP-189, a favorite steel of mine, but also in yellow linen micarta. Its a knife as beautiful as it is simple AND, unlike with other chase blades these days, it is a tremendous value. If you like knives, you will like the Mini Old Guard. This is a great knife, but I am genuinely interested in seeing how well it can score on the scoring system.

Here is the product page for the Wharncliffe Edition (there is no current MOG page for this version). The Mini Old Guard costs $215. There were quite a few variants and this was the second generation release of the design. While they are not always in stock, MBK releases new variants often enough that they are pretty easy to get. This version is in the brilliant yellow paper micarta. There are no written reviews. Here is a video review.

Finally, here is my review sample:

Quick Review Summary: A dashing blend of classic lines, excellent steel, and sterling value make for a great knife.

Warranty Service Notes: When I first got the MOG, I could not get the blade centered. I bit of looking revealed that the pivot was loose and there was substantial blade play. I then used some Loc-Tite. That did not solve the problem. I reached out to MBK and they gave me some tips (like loosening the pivot and other body screws, opening the knife until the lock engaged, and then retightening the pivot and other body screws). I did all of this twice to no avail. I then sent in the knife for warranty work and it returned completely fixed. The knife I was sent was pretty atrocious—even the clip screws were loose. The knife I have is excellent. Everyone has a bum unit and I know they were not cherry picking for me, but the warranty service was excellent and the knife I ended up with (which I believe was the same knife just fixed) is really great. So buy with confidence from MBK.

Design: 2

As classic as it gets—a simple, clean drop point, liner lock, thumb stud knife. Its called the Mini Old Guard for a reason. This is as OG as it gets. Laconico’s designs are instantly recognizable for their aesthetic purity and the MOG is, perhaps, the zenith of the Laconico Look. I like it substantial more than the Jasmine, for example. That said, I have yet to handle a Sea Otter, the entirely in-house MBK knife designed and made by Laconico and crew. The nested liner lock keeps the thickness down, but this is a surprisingly heavy knife. Bear in mind that “heavy” has changed in recent years what with the TRM Neutron, Bugout, and the SOG Terminus XR. Quite a few great EDC knives clock in at 2ish ounces. The MOG is well over 3. Its not a big deal, but it is worth mentioning.

The ratios ain’t bad. The B:W is .80 (blade length is 2.75 inches and weight is 3.42 ounces) clearly a retro number and the B:H is .68 (the handle length is 4 inches), almost identical to the Delica 4. All of the measurements were taken by me.

Fit and Finish: 2

After a rough start referenced above, the MOG is pretty darn nice. The grinds are even, the cutting bevel is wobble free, the handle is consistently textured, and the thumb studs are well-cut. I wouldn’t put the MOG in the absolute top tier of knives as the grind lines are bit foggy, but it is definitely above average.

Grip: 2

For me, this knife is really made by the great handle scales. I love paper micarta and the use of YELLOW paper micarta is pretty cool. Sure it is a cheaper way to get some of the look of the much-ballyhooed Westinghouse Micarta, but I don’t mind the visual homage. The texture the paper micarta produces is awesome. Something being both functional AND beautiful is great. That said, this model sold out in a flash. I set a calendar appointment to get the MOG. By the time I got my shipping confirmation, the yellow micarta version was sold out. It was about 90 seconds after release. That’s a sign MBK needs to make more of these.

Carry: 2

The MOG really snugs up against the seam of your jeans and basically disappears. In slacks its not outstanding. The reality is that the Bugout and the Dragonfly have spoiled me. They both carry so well in thinner pants that a…holy shit…3 plus ounce knife feels heavy. Its just true. If you are person that never wears anything other than denim or you are that guy that thinks the Rotten Designs Evo 3.0 is the perfect EDC size knife (your wrong, but that is a different issue), then ignore this small ding.

Steel: 2

ZDP-189 clad in 420J. That’s a sammich I like. I liked it years ago on the Caly3, enough to go track the knife down a decade after I sold it and I like it on the MOG. Interestingly, just like the Caly3 it is a fingerprint magnet. If you open one taped up box with the MOG, be prepared—it will look like you dropped your knife in a wood chipper. Of course the edge is fine because this is ZDP-189, but the stains and residue will be EVERYWHERE. Clean it up and it will gleam again in that way that basically dares you to try and sharpen it. For the uninitiated even today in a world awash in M390 hardened to 62HRc, the 66 to 68 HRc of ZDP-189 is a noticeably high mountain to climb in terms of sharpening. Its not REX121, 15V, or Maxamet, but bring the workshop stool over to the sharpener, put on some good tunes or a 3 hour podcast and start working. Its hard.

Blade Shape: 2

If you don’t like a classic drop point like the one on the MOG, I am not sure you really like knives. You might be “into” knives or “carry” knives or even “know a lot” about knives, but disliking the drop point and claiming to be a knife knut is saying you like watching NBA snipers from the 3 point line, but dislike Steph Curry. Put it this way—if you say you like knives but dislike drop points, I either think you are lying about one of those two things or I assume you do not know how language works. Its that foundational. So yeah, I like the drop point here. Its the perfect about of “drop” and the perfect amount of “point.” Go send those cartoony Lionsteel drop points somewhere else.

Grind: 2

The grind is thin enough, but it lacks a bit of the crispness you find in the very best production knives. It is noticeably worse than the grinds you will find on good customs. The plunge is above average—clean and balanced from side to side, but the top of the main grind is, well, suggestive instead of precise. It doesn’t impact cutting performance AT ALL, and for the price it is find, but comparing the grind here to the grind on something like the Sebenza or the TRM Neutron reveals there is a bit of space between above average, which is what we have here, and top shelf, which is what the Sebenza and Neutron have.

Deployment Method: 2

With a meaty blade and a good detent, the MOG deploys quite well. The pivot is old school, so that means PB washers, but I love the feel of good washers over the feel of average bearings. PB washers have that feel of momentum, like the knife is building speed and then BANG open. Average bearings feel mechanical and very much one dimensional. The knife is either open or closed. There is no sense of explosiveness, just a sense of inevitability. They are kind of boring frankly compared to what we have here. Now, great bearings, that is a different story…one that is told in the Shiro Neon review or the review of the Meades knife. God are those bearings awesome.

Retention Method: 1

Okay, here is the place where I am not so pleased with the OG design features of the MOG. Sculpted clips are not my favorite. They have certainly gotten better, but they still really have issues. The fact that the clip here is squared off at the end results in a host of problems that other clips, even sculpted clips, do not have. First it makes the knife feel extra wide because it is, in fact wider throughout most of the handle. Second, it causes real hotspots. For a knife without a choil to have a squared off as oppoosed to rounded off clip means that you have to have a very large handle or you will get problems. In a massive post-Christmas box cutting fiesta the MOG’s clip made me cross. It wasn’t enough to pitch the knife, but I think MBK took the “OG” part a little to literally here. Get a nice ramped clip like you see on Pena’s OEM blades.

And just so you don’t get any silly ideas—yes MBK offers a different clip, but no it doesn’t fix the problem. It is this same clip made of rainbow trash metal and it costs $75. I’d prefer a Civivi Lumi and Sofrin SC01 over a gauche clip. My attitude toward MokuTi and the like can best be summed by General Patton’s fondness for pearl-handled revolvers.

Lock: 2

You know, by now, that I am adherent of the liner lock. Its the frame lock, but better. Here the access to the lock is good, the lock is solid, and is both easy to engage and disengage. This is one place where the OG nature of the MOG tickles my fancy.

Other Considerations

Fidget Factor: Very High

As you might guess from the deployment section and the grip section, this knife is a treat for the non-visual senses. From the high feedback thumb studs to the clacking blade, this is a treat for fidget fiends.

Fett Effect: High

If you want to have one of those cool knives that looks like a lifetime companion with none of the waiting and 1/1,000,000th the cutting, get a ZDP-189/420J blade and open an envelope. Suddenly the next time you open your knife you look like a badass cowboy from Argentina that can cut grilled meat from his lips with a flourish of his well-used blade. Okay, maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration.

Value: Very High

This knife sells all day at $300. In a market where people line up to pay a kilobuck for a Chinese made, Russian sold Evo 3.0, $215 is a bargain.

Overall Score: 19 of 20

Clip issues aside this a no-brainer of a knife. All of the OG touches appeal to true knife fans and the solid Laconico design shows mastery of the form. The knife is a bit heavy but still carries well and obeys the commands of the hand during cutting tasks. The handle is handsome and grippy and the drop point is a classic. There is a lot to like here, so watch MBK for more drops.

Competition

Yikes—there is a lot of competition in this price range. The Benchmade Bugout, now suddenly a $180 knife, is not too stiff an opponent. At $120 it was. The Quiet Carry Drift is around the same price and similar design. I prefer the MOG because of the better lockbar access, but the Drift’s clip, a wire clip, is clearly superior. The steel on both knives is pretty compelling. Of course, if your knife is $215 your running into the market buzzsaw that is the Neutron. At $180 the Neutron, which is made in the US (I have verified it with my own eyes twice now), is just a better knife. The clip is better, the handle is better, the action is just as good, and the blade is thinner. Oh and the Neutron has the same blade length with a ounce less in weight. And it is cheaper. That said, the Neutron 2 is so good a value that it always wins these comparisons. At this point it is not so much a matter of whether something is better than the Neutron 2. Knives never are—the Neutron 2 is currently the best knife on the market. It is whether it is an equal or lesser and by how much. Here the MOG is lesser but not by that much. The Giant Mouse Riv is interesting comp. That knife is smaller and lighter but comes from a similarly gifted designer and is similarly priced with similar material. I like the choil on the Riv more and the clip is better, but it is a good shoot out there. This knife is better than both the Para3 and the Sage 5. It is not better than the Chaparral. This is largely because I dislike the hand pincher known as the Compression Lock. The 20CV Mini Grip is a good competitor and I find both knives to be quite good. The 945 has a bit of a wedge blade and so the MOG surpasses it in cutting performance.

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