Mountain Biking - Bashguard for XC hardtail

I would like advice about replacing my big ring with a bashguard. My current crank is a Truvativ Firex Team '03, and I don't have any experience with bashguards. My main motivation for the change is that I want to better navigate logs (and no teeth marks on my leg would be a plus). My main questions are: Specific brands? Lexan or aluminum? sawtooth pattern or smooth edge? Thanks in advance for your help, I'd love to know what has worked.

I would like advice about replacing my big ring with a bashguard. My current crank is a Truvativ Firex Team '03, and I don't have any experience with bashguards. My main motivation for the change is that I want to better navigate logs (and no teeth marks on my leg would be a plus). My main questions are: Specific brands? Lexan or aluminum? sawtooth pattern or smooth edge? Thanks in advance for your help, I'd love to know what has worked.
Personally I'd suggest upgrading the crankset first. The Firex is a XC crank and pretty low on the totem pole. My suggestion for a XC / light freeride crankset with a bashguard would be the Truvativ Hussefelt 28-38-RG. I have the Hussefelt Triple and I would definately reccomend it to others.

I've got a Race Face Aluminum Bash Guard on one of my bikes, and a pair of the above referenced Truvative Hussefelt cranks on my other bike. (also aluminum)

One of my next purchases will be an EVIL (eThirteen) bashguard/chain device.
The EVIL is lexan and works really well. I've ridden my buddies bike with this chain device on it.

Can I really tell a difference between the alum. and the lexan? NO! But I like the looks of the lexan better.

Why not get a bashguard that fits over the big ring?
Are you going to use a double shifter?

Grind the teeth off the big ring, then it's a bashguard. :)
Mounting logs, teeth help. I ground and filed teeth into mine.

smooth or toothy? i've had both. can't really tell if one works better than the other.

my favorite for a non-dh beefy bashring is the salsa trials ring. though it only covers up to a 32T ring. if you want larger, go with race-face, or any of the host of others.

spot brand makes a nice one too, but it's fairly narrow, and not meant to stand up to repeated bashings. if you bash stuff alot, the thin ones (and old outer rings turned into bash rings) tend not to last long.

for serious beef but not too much weight, look at the various e-13 models as well as some of the blackspire ring god series.

http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/index.php?category=58

Ya, BlackSpire Ringgod comes in a triple I think, but not on the list?

http://www.mtbstore.com/showitem.php?ref=bestwebbuys&itemid=BH00017


and
http://www.bestwebbuys.com/bikes/search?q=bashguard&isrc=i-srch-search

Thanks for all of the great suggestions. Is the lexan really as strong as the aluminum? I think I like the looks of these better, but I am a little skeptical.

lexan is strong stuff, they use it to protect some paintings from bullets, and ghey make nalgene bottles with it