An improved guard is provided for hand-held cutting edge devices such as lawn trimmers. The guard extends beyond the cutting plane formed by the circular travel of the flexible cutting element. The extended guard protects against foreign objects being propelled by the cutting element, possibly causing damage or physical harm. A cutter may be provided inside the perimeter of the guard, extending into the plane formed by the cutting element to function as a cutter for setting the length of the cutting element being used. The guard may be formed as a single piece or as a composite which when assembled encircles the center assembly of the cutting element.
