Patent ID: 7647701

Claim:
A folding knife having a blade with a spine and knife edge, said blade being pivotally mounted to a handle at a pivot in the tang area of the blade and being pivotal approximately 180° between a closed position with the blade being retained in the handle and a fully opened position with the blade extending forwardly from the handle, said knife comprising: (a) a folding guard having a front and rear surface, said guard being pivotally mounted to one of said handle or blade; (b) said handle having a stop on the forward end and said handle receiving said guard in a stored position aligned with the blade; and (c) a lift on said blade tang area, said lift radially displaced from the blade pivot to engage the guard after the blade has been rotated approximately 90° from the stored position and upon further rotation of the blade the lift and guard remain in engagement causing the blade to move to a fully opened position and the guard to pivot to a fully opened position, the guard being generally perpendicular to the handle with the guard engaged against the stop on the handle retaining the guard in a locked position.