What Is The Best OTF? Microtech VS Guardian Tactical VS Hawk Deadlock! Automatic Knife Comparison! 

I have owned all 3 models of the Deadlock. They have continued to evolve into better designs with each model. The latest, the Model C is in fact the best. Hands down. Unlike most people who buy them, I use my Deadlocks. So, I come from not simply an "unboxing" perspective, but a real world users perspective. My Model C has the blade from my Model B in it. The Model C has the awesome 7075 aluminum frame. Unlike most manufacturers who use 6061.7075 is a tougher material and the hard coat anodize G&G Hawk uses is according to them close to diamond hardness. I honestly can't think of one bad thing to say about either my Deadlock or Hawk knives. I asked for some extra screws for my knife and extra springs because I plan to keep my Deadlock forever. I offered to pay for the parts and they sent them to me for free. Can't beat their customer service. I've owned other brands to include Benchmade, Spyderco, Microtech, and non can compete with G&G Hawk.

I like you saying you're at a point where a knife needs to bring you excitement and joy. That is the sole of being a collector i think. Jolly good show old chap.

Man I won a copper top double edge Microtech combat troodon for $50, and normally that’s not what I’d consider to be my type of knife. But I’ve been carrying it a lot and I’ve been absolutely loving it. The action on it has been awesome and that’s definitely why it’s still sticking around. Great video man, can’t wait to see more on the hawk and Hera 🤙🏻

I couldn't choose between microtech and hawk. The ultratech is probably my favorite otf of all time. It's fairly affordable for a good otf and I actually like the glassbreaker. I love the deadlock too because of the lack of bladeplay. The hougue compound tanto is also incredible. I highly recommend checking it out if you haven't.

Awesome lineup!🔥 Yeah, the only Microtech I've had was a Bounty Hunter Ultratech. I sold it because I couldn't retract the blade with one hand/thumb. So, I see what you're saying about the stiff action haha.

Just got a recon elite. Like it slot. It is smoother but is a little excessive on the billboarding. But microtech still has the coolness factor. There is much more variety of variants as well

Guardian Tactical is buttery smooth on deploy and retract, it fits my hand perfect(wear a size large glove). Also no rattle. I have had all of these knives....Guardian is my EDC.

Nice review on these otf's!❤👍🏻

The only otf i own/ have ever owned, is the full size hogue incursion. I love it so much, it has replaced my spyderco military as my everyday big boy carry. Since I've had the incursion I'm already thinking of what my next one is gonna be. I've been eyeballing the guardian tactical recon elite the hardest. Thanks for this vid. Now i have some ideas i didn't even know about before 👍

I have a couple of Ultratech’s, a Scarab from ‘09 and a and a Halo iv that is awesome but never carry it. Had a utx 70 it’s pretty small and I wasn’t crazy about it. Cool comparison video that shirt is killer.

Just the way that the deadlock sounds its got that click clack sound when the blade is ejected and retracted i frickin love that it has to feel soooo satisfying i want one SOOO BAD LOL

What's weird is this video makes me feel better about my Ultratechs. I might try a Guardian sometime, but I think I'm good where I'm at. I do want a Dirac Delta for no good reason.

Loving that shirt😂 if they bite you, that means they like you. Great OTF’s and upload!

Enjoyed the comments, like you I find OTF's a lot of fun. For me the hawk is a little ugly. I can't get past the huge button or trigger they throw on the front. I enjoy my microtechs more the my guardians but I've found it's because they fire harder. Great points

I like the glass breaker for two reasons it will break glass and it is also a real nice non lethal option if in a situation. A glass breaker to the skull would certainly get any "animals" to back off.

Just saw this video. Dude you are spot on with OTFs and I think the same and have the same experience.

Nice filming of the knives! I like otf knives myself but I live in europe and in my country they're illegal. I've only got a few knockoffs i bought from China and don't carry them outside. For me it's also about the fun, the fidgeting, opening and closing it untill my sisters yell at me to stop.

love the honesty

Yo man, if you have trouble with action stiffness on your larger Michrotechs, give a couple quick sprays of Ballistol in the trigger groove and down the opening and that thing will be firing like an Ultratech!

Good review

I have trouble keeping autos (both side and OTF) in my collection. That said, I'm very interested in trying the upcoming Reate Exo, as I think it'll offer the benefits of an OTF without some of the downsides.

I must be the only one who uses a micro tech as my general purpose utility knife. I’m a carpenter and mostly always have some sort of razor knife in my tool bags but when I’m not wearing them, my ultra tech cuts all sorts of crap. Pallet banding, zip ties, gauze for wounds when I hurt my other hand, all sorts of construction crap. I like how I can easily and safely use it with one hand and if you drop it there’s zero chance it’s going to open. OTFs just feel safer for general use then all my other folders.

I was so torn between the regular utx-85 and the gt 35. Wanted to try the ball bearing slide and really like the recurve blade on the single edge. Butt I went with the 85. Gt Next time for sure.

Man I can’t wait to get a Model C to go along with my Model B at some point 🙏 that being said there shouldn’t be any play whatsoever! But it sounds like yours is incredibly minimal so maybe it’ll simply settle-in as you use it and whatnot; nothing to be worried about. Gorgeous knife, congrats!

REC is amazing, you a local or online cx? The Hera2 is everything great about the Hera, but with a super smooth action like the GT, Livewire, etc. Also it has a low profile glass breaker that doesn't cause hotspots. I got the Mini2 hera in purple/black. A Gen3 Combat troodon. Looking at getting a custom Hera2 next.

A combat knife should never have a glass breaker. Unless you hate people with glasses and want to break their glasses before you start stabbing them.

I like that term "OTF Curious" LOL

Have two Microtech’s and soon to be three Guardian Tactical’s. Have a 035 d/e all black GT. That’ll change your mind I think of GT over Microtech. I have an awesome Microtech Ultratech d/e as well. I just enjoy the GT’s better. Also, once in a while my Ultratech does misfire. My GT’s haven’t once. I do NOT use my knives for any use. One, being in L.A. and can’t carry them and two. I don’t want to mess them up! Next on the list is the G&G Hawk model C. Love autos but OTF’s are now my thing. Agreed on Benchmade’s price. Have a mini Infidel. Will I go with a full size Infidel? I don’t know. That price...

Can’t believe you dumped the scarab

Oh my Deadlock DOES have ZERO blade movement. If your sample doesn't lock up 100% wiggle free, it's because the lock parts were over greased during assembly. The grease creates drag on the parts, and you should if comfortable, take it apart and using some Q Tips, remove the grease from those parts. I had this issue in all 3 models of my Deadlocks. Dry the lock parts and there's ZERO blade wiggle every single time when open.

But have you had the Spartan??? I've got the bladeshow 2015 exclusive, a red UTX-85 Spartan and a red Ultratech Spartan! Something about that blade shape just does it for me! They look absolutely menacing and they also perform how they look ive practiced stabbing into paper with the swift twisting motion and it leaves a wound channel similar to the tri-sided/tri-edged blades...

Jake, I have a question for you if you don't mind. My question is exactly what screw did you use to replace the tacticool looking glass breaker on your Microtech Troodon? Please let me know what screw you used and where you got it from. Also, do you think that same replacement screw would work to replace the glass breaker on a Microtech Ultratech? Thanks, it's highly appreciated!!!!

I’ve been wanting to try a 035

Only ever handled a couple Microtechs (85 and ultratech). Deadlock is undoubtedly the best, but it’s unobtainable for 99% of people (either due to price, availability, or both). I kind of feel like that Guardian Tactical might be the overall best

Love the color on the troodon wish I could ever find that color in stock 😂

Microtech is sexier, the guardian tactical feels better to open but the guardian tactical if you lay down on your bed it will snag your blanket if you flip over.

Have you tried the hk mini incursion since? i believe they are from houge. i'm thinking about getting the mico incursion since it's CA legal and not as fat as the exocet

I thought that you liked flat ends on your daggers and that is why you removed the glass breaker and one main reason that you like the Hera. The deadlock has a point of sorts and wouldn’t be good for driving the tip deep.

Otfs are easier to take apart and work on than assisted opening folders. They’re very simple really, I suspect the proprietary hardware is to dissuade people from opening them and seeing how simple they are, therefore keeping an illusion of a super magical complicated system that needs to be $300+ to be functional, which is silly.

That reverse grip works as well if you need to take chunks out of something like wood or ice! :P

Just like another gentleman mentioned briefly earlier Mr King David, put on the overrated side but I will put another knife out there OTF or otherwise even the side opening automatics Hogue definitely takes the prize with any knife style !!! I've got one of their OTS and many of the side opening automatic as well and I got to say they definitely never disappoint !!! Their prices are even much better in fact that these other OTF out the fronts, just because of course and needless to say I'll give it a hands up because, I don't have one yet, would love to own one at least but they are pricey $1,000 plus would definitely invest in an OTF and my next one will definitely be the dead lock Hawk !!! Which per anyone's review, I haven't heard one single negative thing about them and as we speak very much satisfied with them to boot as owners have said,I've heard use them in many different practical ways as they should be used, haven't heard of any abusive States but that's fine too... I'm not that type of an individual 👍🏻💯

The model c looks just like the MOD Jeff harken model from 2006 , not talking about his custom otf . The production MOD that was in a James Bond movie in like 03 I think

I’m comparing this $35 otf that I got in China with the black Microtech that is your fav. the king of the Microtechs. Its the exact same knife with a different blade. The blade is black. Its a heavy aluminum knife.

DUDE I totally agree about the glass breakers I mean dude its just overkill with the glass breaker - maybe put it on a certain type of knife, but it seems they are on EVERYTHING. Just got my first OTF its the Microtech Jedi-Master UTX85 - so in love with it man but seeing this video, I never knew about Guardian Tactical and after looking into them a bit I am really wanting to get one of their knives. Really bummed that I can no longer get a LUDT anywhere. Don't understand why the discontinued that it was so extremely popular. And they got rid of it. WHY??? But I really hear a lot of good things about the way GT makes their stuff. (OH and my JM doesn't have the chicken claw on it anywhere.... BUT I would rather it did) (But it wouldn't really go well with the star wars theme then, would it?)

The Avant needs a glassbreaker. That, and that alone, is why I didn't preorder.😀

Deadlock Mod C is my grail knife.. that and the Mudd is a close second

The Hawk Deadlock model C fuks! But it is pricey for what it is. If that makes sense, LOL. But I may have one some day…

My microtech Dirac i use as a daily cary and box and letter knife .

If you want to try an OTF knife that comes VERY close to zero blade play, check out the SOG Pentagon (pronounced S.O.G., not "Sog").

I have a utx-70 that's a pain in the ass to close, it pisses me off that a knife so small has such a difficult switch

27:27 $1K What a steal! As of 8/28/23 they are $3,200 now if you can order one! 🤦‍♂🤠👍

I have like 7 thousand worth of microtech otfs don't carry them much don't use them much but wouldn't sell them ever

Otf Protect Dark Angel ain't nothing to sleep on bro and it has a safety feature so the blade won't malfunction and deploy on its own and it has a long blade with smooth deploy it's gonna be expensive in the future.

The hera is awesome.

i have a gt 035 and a microtech ultratech and even tho i do think the 035 is better than the ultratech i still carry my ultratech the most idk why lol

Try the Guardian Tactical 040… I love mine!

My first otf was a utx-85 magnacut

You should try the cyper mk7

The best otf is by far the G&G Hawk DEADLOCK no comparison

What's a few awesome hard use folders u would recommend thk u

Bought the Microtech Cypher and the blade to body is ridiculous It looks silly almost in person how big the handle is compared to the blade. on the Guardian tactical Scout it's so proportionate and fits perfectly in your hand. That said, If anyone's looking for a brand new microtech Cypher in the apocalyptic finish I'm selling it for 350 with box.

Did you buy the shitty OTF from the Gun-show in Hilliard or the one in Westland Mall? I have a black and camo fake Microtech i got from Westland mall gun show like 10 years ago.

I have a Guardian Tactical Recon-035 Two Tone Double Edge and love that knife ....I was working at a security job and this guy hit me on the forehead with a metal pipe and Jumped me as I was on the ground bleeding out of my forehead (he was choking me with both hands) and I didn't want to kill the guy so I reached in my pocket and with the glass breaker I hit him oh his temple as hard as I could...... he was out until after the paramedics showed up.....now he mumbles, he can't even talk.....so the glass breaker works !!!!

You can hammer a ultra tech threw a 2x4 and yank it out and it still will work. i dont know that about a G tactical.

Makes me wonder where my Piranha Model X lands in the spectrum. Looks like half an Excalibur inside as it only has one leaf spring

but do you even ever use a knife in a reverse grip? if so what for? also, I think the glass breaker is catered to who buys the most micro techs. at the end of the day, everyone admits that almost no knife glass breakers will ever be used. But it looks cool and adds that sort of tactical functionality thing that so many people like about Microtech. and since most people who buy a Microtech buy it because it looks cool and feels cool, the glass breaker will stay because for most consumers, that is what it represents. Also, you can't really compare the deadlock because its 2-3 times the price of the other knives you compared it to. of course its going to be better. its the difference between production and mid tech.

I love my Piranha Excalibur Otf

What's your opinion on Heretic OTFs? I've been considering them for my first OTF mainly because of aesthetics

Can you explain why the newest drop of Deadlocks in 2024 are starting at $3500?

BladeHQ has the Hera spec’d as having a “premium steel” blade material.. lol

Well this doesn't seem fair 😂. 3 evenly priced OTF's in the 300-400 range vs a 1,500 otf... Wonder which one's better?

Are these good edc knifes ?

Funny to see grown man being happy over a pocketclip😂

How about the SOG Pentagon OTF

Deadlock is a investment. You will never loose money on buying one .

How would the guardian tactical compare to a standard microtech ultratech?

Try the the microtech Dirac delta it is awesome

Microtech is ridiculous with their spring stiffness. I've seen people online say if you contact microtech about it they will essentially tell you to stop being a pussy and that you just need to train the muscles in your thumb. I've also seen rock climbers say they can't close their knives. When I first got mine I wasn't able to close it one handed but after some oil and firing it about 100 times I can do it but still not easily

I feel better educated after watching this video.

people complaining about microtrvhs being too hard to retract are the reason you can spend six hundred bucks on one and have it flop out and crawl back in

If you think of a glass breaker being there to break window underwater or maybe a car accident needing to break a window. Then I think it's dumb..But what about self defense. You have a non lethal weapon in a glassbreaker. Without it you have a just a deadly weapon.

Check out the new Kershaw Livewire otf

Flash forward to 2024 and a Hawk OTF is $3500. Focused on the small batch big price market. For the average buyer Microtech is still king. $400 isn’t cheap but I’ll take the small draw backs in comparison to save $3100. The slight improvements in action aren’t that drastic. Sorry, No OTF is worth $3500.

This channel showed be called ramblingforever gear. Good lord. Skip to 13:00 to start the review and comparisons.

I’ve never wanted an otf, because every time I play with one it feels like a prop. It’s over the top tacticool, but it rattles and feels cheap while costing a small fortune. That being said, I’ve never played with a deadlock and that’s good because I know I would love it. One that I DO want to play with is the Heretic Manticore X d/e. That looks subdued compared to all other OTFs and, if the reviews I’ve watched are to be believed, has very little rattle. Two other things I loath about OTFs is I’m left handed, so many leave me unhappy with the draw. The offset blade drives me nuts as well. 🤢🤮

I like the looks of otf knives but I’m so leery about gumming them up with pocket debris or dirt. I am not very good at putting knives back together so taking them apart is not for me

love to be able to buy one of these but here in the uk no chance ,not sure why the criminals use machetes

Microtech may be the most offensive maker when it comes to price. Being in California my options are limited. I can essentially only get a micro incursion, utx-70 CA, mini troodon, or exocet. Microtech tends to charge the same, if not more for less blade. The utx-70 CA is the same price as a normal utx-70. Then there’s the troodon. The mini troodon is anywhere from $315 to $421 while the full size troodon has a larger handle and blade for around the same price. The Exocet is once again a high $200 low to mid $300 tiny ass knife. Meanwhile the micro incursion by hogue, runt 5 and sprint by Pro-Tech all come in at or below the $200 mark. The side opening autos are different i get that but they are definitely competitors. Not to mention that Microtech goes out of their way to attempt to lock the customer out of the product they paid for with stupid proprietary screws that you can buy a tool set for an extra $60 and to top it all off the tools are all out of stock. Maybe I’m over critical but man it seems like Microtech does not offer a competitive product and is making no effort to improve. Even if I didn’t have blade length restrictions I would still think twice before buying a microtech.

one giant area that Guardian beats Microtech, Price!!! The action is way better as well. as far as Blades, as long as the Blade steel is quality.. I prefer s30, s35 or Elmax.

They need to make more bigger otf knifes. There so small.

Need to try a cobratec otf. Quality and value. Made in the usa.

Try the benchmade Shootout…. Its the king of slicing…. My opinion better then most out the sides.

Microtech without a doubt.

Microtech is super overrated. The Guardian Tactical Scout is better than any OTF from Microtech I've had and I've had them all more or less. The handle to blade on the Scout is perfect the action is way better IMO

I absolutely hate and regret buying my ultratech. Not even close to being sharp, a huge pain in the ass to try and sharpen being the bayonet profile and so narrow and the action is beyond miserably stiff to use. It’s not even fun to fidget with because it’s so stiff. They’re complete garbage and should be ashamed selling them for the ridiculous prices they ask for them. I’m wanting to get either guardian tactical or the new live wire.

Rattle has nothing to do with quality.

Microtech needs to get out of China 🇨🇳. Made in America or not made at all .

OTF’s are definitely cool,. I’ve got a few Ultras. But damn if I don’t want the same Italian stiletto Dirty Harry stabbed that psycho in the leg with.

I can't take anyone seriously who identifies themselves with their beard- bearded cola factory, bearded coffee company, bearded salt water taffy. But where's the bearded engineering group, or bearded design consultant or bearded software solution... I can't grow a beard and feel marginalized because I can't engineer without a beard and drink coffee

Wow. $1000