DPx HEST/F 2.0 Review

lava_lamp

lava_lamp

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Oct 5, 2006
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DPx HEST/F 2.0 Review - Part One

Introduction

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DPx Gear (Dangerous Places Extreme) markets knives, clothing, and accessories through retailers and this site: http://dpgear.com. The man behind DPx is Robert Young Pelton, a journalist and author best known for his travel and interviews in “Dangerous Places” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Young_Pelton. Long-time members may remember that Mr. Pelton hosted a forum on BladeForums for a while, but he shut it down after getting into some heated discussions with forum members. If I remember correctly, much of the dissension had to do with quality control issues surrounding the first run of the HEST folding knife.

I’m going to jump ahead of myself in the review and say that I can’t find any QC issues with the HEST/F 2.0. It’s a great knife, especially for the MSRP of $218.75 and a street price of $175.

HEST is an acronym for Hostile Environments Survival Tool. It was first offered as a fixed blade in collaboration with ESEE and continues today as both a fixed blade and folding knife. The HEST/F 2.0 is manufactured in Italy by LionSTEEL.

Blade

The HEST has a 5mm thick blade crafted from Bohler D2 tool steel. The blade is 3.67” (93mm) long and coated in a matte black finish with the DPx logo on one side and “RYP” on the other. It has a bottle-opening notch on the spine that functions a good bit like the Emerson Wave opener when deploying the knife, and three varying-size wire strippers that function as jimping on the thumb rest.

The HEST blade reminds of those I’ve handled from Extrema Ratio -- another Italian export. It’s more “sharpened pry bar” than slicer and came sharp, but not as sharp as I’m used to from competitive offerings from Spyderco, Kershaw, and the like.

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Handle

The HEST handle is 4.93” (12.5 cm) long and comprised of one G10 fiberglass scale in olive drab and one tumble-finished 6AL4V titanium scale. Both scales are 4mm thick. The G10 is textured and one of the grippier versions I’ve handled.

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Like the Strider SNG it resembles, the HEST doesn’t have a liner on the G10 scale. Unlike the SNG, however, the HEST uses a separate -- rather than integrated -- backspacer. It is made from three pieces, rather than the SNG’s two, and seems less robust.

The titanium framelock is unique and uses LionSTEEL’s proprietary RotoBlock system. It looks like the Hinderer lock bar stabilizer, but is threaded and can be rotated into a locked and unlocked position for added lock security. I found the RotoBlock easy to use, but it sometimes rotated into a locked position on its own.

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DPx HEST/F 2.0 Review - Part Two

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The HEST blade opens smoothly via dual thumb studs. It’s not as smooth as a Sebenza, but what is? The lock is secure with no bladeplay in any direction.

The stonewashed steel clip is a low rider and might be less noticeable without the “H.E.S.T.” silk-screened in large letters. The clip is removable and can be repositioned for left or right-side carry, but is tip-up only. A glass-breaker is screwed into the clip and can be replaced with a flat screw (included with the HEST) if desired. The butt end of the handle has 1/4” hex hole that can be used for a lanyard, or as a bit driver. Pivot tension can adjusted using an included tool.

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Carrying

The HEST weighs about 5 oz. -- not bad for everyday carry -- and is a little smaller than a Spyderco Paramilitary. The handle is contoured with guards at both the blade and pommel ends. Unfortunately, my XL hand doesn’t quite fit in between the guards. A slightly larger size would be ideal for me.

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Conclusions

If you are looking at a heavy duty folder from Extrema Ratio, Strider, or Zero Tolerance, the DPx HEST is worth a look. It’s very robust and sells for a little less than some of its competitors. The early QC issues I read about seem to have been worked out and the RotoBlock might be the ticket for someone looking for the ultimate locking system.

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Thanks for the post. I was checking out the 2.0 at Blade last year, but I have been carrying a sterile original for over a year now and have been very happy with it. I never leave home without it. I need to gather the pics for a "two years later" review.
 
My biggest concern with this knife is the lack of a steel liner on the g10 side. I think that would result in a lack of rigidity if it did encounter heavy use, or when locked open as a fixed blade.
 
I've had one of these for a little over a year now. Big enough to be useful, not big enough to be really scary, lots of low-key bells and whistles that are actually useful, and built like a tank. The thick blade doesn't cut as well, but on the other hand 5 millimeters of D2 won't be breaking anytime soon. There were a few bits of workmanship that I thought were lacking - even in your photo you can see the saw marks in the lockbar cutout - and this is of particular importance in a $200+ knife, but these are personal foibles. The knife is tough and useful and I'm glad to have it. I EDC it often, and when I don't it occupies a special space in my earthquake bag :-P
 
Chris "Anagarika";11788564 said:
Unlined G10 is tough, as demonstrated by Coldsteel Recon series.
Click to expand...

Strider uses unlined G10 on one side, too. Strider uses an integrated backspacer, though, which doubles the thickness of the G10 at the bottom.
 
I have the same model. I'm currently working with DPX to file a warranty claim since mine has developed the infamous "lock-rock". I hope to hear back from them soon.
 
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The lock-up on mine sucked. I 'fixed' it myself but blade centering is now off and I have absolutely no confidence that the issue will not return. Warranty claim not on the cards from the UK so I'll suck up the loss.

I got over it (kind of) and bought a ZT0550 which I should have purchased from the start. IMHO the 0550 is everything that the DPX hoped to be only better.

Succinctly, the DPX I have is a POS. I'm genuinely pleased for those of you out there who like and appreciate your DPX's but I will not be purchasing any other DPX product. For me there are just so many better alternatives. Of course YMMV...

Ben
 
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