Interesting review of GuardianParacord from MorionCord

Good day, comrades.

Today I want to talk about the paracord of the Ukrainian manufacturer "Guardian Paracord", which I wanted to try an hour ago.

The other day I received a parcel with samples from the Nozhiman store, thank you for that. By the way, "Nozhiman" is the first store in Russia that presents Ukrainian paracord.

So, testing, probing, testing, writing

For the sake of clarity, I wove several test straps.

I will say right away that my work is almost not focused on "survival" topics. In my opinion, paracord products are accessories. Therefore, I will test the Guardian (550 type III) based on aesthetic preferences. Meanwhile, Ukrainian paracord has several survival variations. I would gladly use them for my lanyard-NAZ "Egg of the Immortal Koshchei".

In addition, I have the opportunity to compare the Guardian with my working material from AtwoodRopeMFG (USA). And it will be incorrect to fully compare with Chinese paracord. I have a negative attitude towards him, but this is a separate topic.

The first thing I noticed is that Guardian feels softer compared to Atwood. And the "file effect" on the fingers is felt less with strong tightening. I specifically knitted without cotton gloves. A beginner paracorder whose fingers are not yet hardened by calluses will appreciate it.

It should be noted here that the stiffness of the paracord affects the intermediate fixation between the turns: the stiffer it is, the better it "waits" for the next turn. Of course, this does not apply to such "agile" braids as "Cobra", "Snake", etc., but to such as "Trilobite", "Shark's Tooth", lanyards of round and square sections, etc. However, I wouldn't say that you need any special skills when working with a soft Guardian.

In cross-section, Guardian paracord is barely perceptibly smaller than Atwood and flatter, although Atwood is far from round. For comparison, paracord from Elite1stAid (USA) is barely noticeably larger and rounder than Atwood. The cross-section of the Guardian is not a problem: the turns are laid evenly, the products are of the usual size; in addition, it is quite possible to combine Ukrainian and American cords in one weaving.

Guardian's braid, like Atwood's, is fine knit. They don't always pay attention to this, but, for example, the Chinese braid has a large knit. This affects both the convenience of weaving and the appearance of the finished product. Well, it is supposed to be resistant to rubbing and breaking the cord, so don't believe the Chinese who write that they have a 550th cord.

I would like to note the Ukrainian paracord for such a parameter as "curls". Curls are what I call micro-fibers sticking out of the braid. Guardian has it all right: the curls almost never meet (just like Atwood's), and it is treated with a light "touch" of fire without the threat of melting the braid. For comparison, among the Chinese cords, there are very curly ones, which are sometimes useless to treat. I also encountered strong curling when using Elite1stAid paracord. Based on my experience, I will say that increased curliness is a sign of a predisposition to relapses (with snags).

The assortment of Guardian's colors is quite wide: there is a standard palette, there are analogues of Atwood, there is also your own. I immediately liked: Army Green, Coyote, Green Forest and the entire Diamond line. I'm not a fan of colorful colors, but Guardian has a range for this taste as well.

If you compare similar colors with Atwood, then there will not be a matching tone to tone. And that's good.

I will say separately about the black color, which is, perhaps, the most in demand. The point is that Atwood's black is a little bit inky blue: not critical, it doesn't catch the eye, but Guardian's is coal black.

There is a note about the Tiger Stripe color (from the set of samples that were sent to me): the braid is uneven, it has small bulges of light fibers along the entire length. But in a ready-made bracelet or lanyard, it does not catch the eye.

All Guardian colors (at least the ones they sent me) are more matte compared to Atwood. Although both cords should not be photographed with a flash or under direct rays of the bright sun, so as not to shine with small glare. But, for example, the same Chinese cord shines unpleasantly under any lighting.

It is applicable for making trench coats - Guardian is suitable, despite the fact that it is narrower than Atwood, and I only drive fishing line with a section of 3.0 mm inside (usually use 2.4/2.7).

The price of Guardian is about the same as Atwood, but it depends on where to buy the latter. I think the Guardian's price list is adequate.

In the end, I unwoven all the test straps that had been lying around for more than a day. Fishing lines have such an indicator as "memory" (final deformation after unraveling). Unlike Atwood, Guardian straightens almost to the initial state, which illustrates the softness of the Ukrainian cord. The memory of the paracord is not an important parameter, because it is not customary to untangle accessories. Perhaps it will have some meaning when you have to weave an unsuccessful product or adjust it to size. However, with proper tightening during weaving, even the most "regrettable" cord is easily straightened.

General conclusion: Paracord Guardian - I recommend it

I can't say that it can completely replace Atwood (at least I speak for myself), but it's worth having Ukrainian paracord in the cage: the Guardian assortment can successfully complement Atwood with some interesting colors or just the right tones.

I will order Ukrainian paracord.

The Guardian plant works only two hours. I would like to wish him success and development in the direction of developing his own company colors. And I would also like to see microcord and nanocord with the usual American cross-sections of 1.18 and 0.75 mm in the future. I hope that my meticulous research will be useful to someone.

Sincerely, #MorionCord

Link to the author's public: https://vk.com/morioncord