First HEST/F in Australia? Review and pics

[stabman]

It looks like they did get the titanium side rather nicely done.

 

[goe mac]

Steven, thanks for an excellent review. I agree the HEST/F is a great knife with
1 minor flaw that is going to be fixed. From the other post I read, this is what RYP
was saying before things blew up.

 

[stevenkelby]

ok thanks i guess i was seeing this and didnt register that the pic showed the blade as it was fully closed from the factory. how does the smaller pin affect lockup? i should ask is this also something thats going to be fixed in the next release?

Good question. First, it has already been fixed for the production models, this only affects the 250 LE (Limited Edition) models that have been shipped to the USA so far. Many of them are going back to Italy to be perfected before they are sent to customers. I was lucky to get mine sent here right away, before all the controversy about the stop pin and the decision to stop shipping.

I said in the review that:

I measured and 4mm of movement at the blade tip when closed, or open, equates to approx 0.3mm movement at the stop pin and even less than that at the lock face, about a 10% difference in the lock up which is no issue at all in a lock this well engineered.

I just took a couple more pics which I should have done in the first place.

This shows the lock up when the tip of the knife is in the current position resting against the old, thicker stop pin. As it currently is, when the stop pin is thick enough for the tip to sit here when closed:

The lock will sit here when the blade is open, which is were it is right now:

This shows the lock up when the stop pin has been removed (or replaced with a very small one) and the blade rests in the same position it would if the stop pin was the right size for the blade to sit right down in the center of the detent, more or less. This is worst case how the tip will sit (on this knife) with the new stop pins:

And this is the lock up with a stop pin that will make the tip sit as it does in the pic above:

That is how it will sit with a smaller stop pin, allowing the knife to open slighty further. So you get slightly earlier lock up.

The above pics show a range of 3mm difference at the knife tip.

And that's worst case, assuming the new stop pins are small enough for the blade to almost touch the backspacer, which they won't be. So you can see, very little difference to the lockup.

Sorry for my rambling explanation, brevity is not my strength

Hmmm...
I haven't held that knife, but I HAVE held knives where the tip stuck up.
It was a deal breaker for me; I value all parts of me and don't like getting accidentally stabbed in any of them.

As I wouldn't accept it in a $30 knife, I certainly wouldn't accept it in a $200 knife.

That has nothing to do with bias; it has to do with an expectation of manufacturing quality which pays attention to detail.

Fair enough, as I said in the review:

It shouldn't have shipped like this IMO but it's a small thing and easily fixed.

I can't get the tip of the blade to touch my finger tips as it is, but I do have long nails right now so they touch first. The handles sit up and protect the tip so I can't see it getting caught on anything like this. With a different shaped handle I I'd be concerned about the tip stabbing things.

The main thing is that it won't cut mme as it is, and the manufacturer is doing everything they can to fix it. I'm sure they learned a lot from this expperience and they do take it seriously.

I can accept that but for sure it's fair enough if you can't.

Excellent review. Thank you so much. But for me the Hest is a pass right off the bat because of the thick blade. I know it would end up just siting around. I like users that can slice well and this is just too thick for a folder inmho. But with a thinner blade I would be getting one.

You can always get the blade reground to a thin high hollow grind, I know a couple great guys

This blade is like a Hinderer though in that it's a very hard working knife. You can use it to carve wood from a gate post or cut dry wall or stab things hard.

That's just the kind of use it was made for. It won't suit everyone.

Now that what i call a review :thumbup:

A big thanks from another Aussie

I been wanting one since i first saw the preproduction pics and now you have really enticed me to get one.

Matt

Thanks Matt

It looks like they did get the titanium side rather nicely done.

Yep it's very well made. I forgot to mention one more thing, even the slot that is cut out for the lockbar has beveled / radiused edges so it doesn't feel sharp on the fingers, and the rotoblock doesn't drag on the lockbar at all, but makes contact as soon as there is pressure towards it.

I have knives that cost triple this and they aren't finished this well on the Ti side.

:thumbup:

Steven, thanks for an excellent review. I agree the HEST/F is a great knife with
1 minor flaw that is going to be fixed. From the other post I read, this is what RYP
was saying before things blew up.

Hopefully tempers settle, RYP comes back and we can all act like adults again

 

[1234]

I can't get the tip of the blade to touch my finger tips

The concern is pulling the knife from your pocket/or anywhere you clipped it and the tip catching ,
not if you can fit your finger in the gap .

Good review !

1234,,,,,,,

 

[stevenkelby]

The concern is pulling the knife from your pocket/or anywhere you clipped it and the tip catching ,
not if you can fit your finger in the gap .

Good review !

1234,,,,,,,

Ah yep, that could happen for sure I guess.

I wouldn't be happy if they weren't fixing it either.

And thanks

 

[untamed]

Subscribed to this straighforward, honest and thoroughly well-made review! :thumbup:

I believe this is a learning curve opportunity for Lion Steel manufacturing for their future endeavors. Aside from the few design "hiccups", the entire package of the folder seems top notch

 

[tower2]

Thank you for a very fine and unbiased review. It has made me more eager to receive mine (a sterile LE like yours). I would have been happy getting my knife and replacing the pin by myself. But I certainly understand and appreciate RYP wanting to send it out in the best condition possible. I would feel the same if my name were on it.

 

[PunisherLcr]

Good review, I fully agree with the majority of it, however I'm less than impressed with the frame lock, mine started to completely fail today. Don't know why, I've not really used it yet, opened it a couple times a day, cut open some biscuit packets, THAT'S IT. Noticed there was a bit of play, pressed the back of the blade and presto, closed right up.

Look like it's going to take the long trip from Australia back to Italy

 

[Highpower1]

Nice review...thanks for taking the time to do this review.

 

[JTC3495]

Good review, I fully agree with the majority of it, however I'm less than impressed with the frame lock, mine started to completely fail today. Don't know why, I've not really used it yet, opened it a couple times a day, cut open some biscuit packets, THAT'S IT. Noticed there was a bit of play, pressed the back of the blade and presto, closed right up.

Look like it's going to take the long trip from Australia back to Italy

How is the lockup on your knife? I have been using mine for almost 2 weeks and the lockup is rock solid. Did the frame lock not move over enough to fully engage. Just wondering what would cause something like this. Show us some pics if you can of the lockup when open.

 

[mqqn]

The concern is pulling the knife from your pocket/or anywhere you clipped it and the tip catching ,
not if you can fit your finger in the gap .

Good review !

1234,,,,,,,

Hi 1234 -

There is no way that the tip can be caught in your pocket. The knife has a "bird-head" design to the handle, and that would preclude the tip of the knife blade ever "catching" inside of a pocket and causing the knife to open up or cut you.

The slight tip exposure falls into the category of "much ado over nothing".

I have the knife, I have carried the knife constantly for a couple of weeks now, and the slight tip exposure is 100% a non-issue. The tip exposure has not come into play in any negative way for me, an owner and user of the knife.

The knife has a notch in the top of the blade that you can use to open the blade when it comes out of your pocket, so people who own and use the knife need to be aware of that fact, as that could cause you to be cut if you were unaware that the knife will open when you pull it out of your pocket.

best regards -

mqqn

 

[GianniLion]

Good review, I fully agree with the majority of it, however I'm less than impressed with the frame lock, mine started to completely fail today. Don't know why, I've not really used it yet, opened it a couple times a day, cut open some biscuit packets, THAT'S IT. Noticed there was a bit of play, pressed the back of the blade and presto, closed right up.

Look like it's going to take the long trip from Australia back to Italy

It is very strange. Titanium is not likely to lose the elasticity in such a short time.
Have you took off the Rotoblock and used the knife?

 

[timcsaw]

Its not rocket science , the tip is exposed .


stevenkelby;9242855]

1234,,,,,

Ditto.

I could easily catch that exposed tip on clothing etc.

==============================

Overall, a very good review with excellent pictures and a best attempt to present the knife in an unbiased fashion. The few inconsistencies in the review are understood to be the opinion of the reviewer.

Very good review! Thank you for taking the time to do it.:thumbup: I hope that someone will do an equivalent review with the production version.

 

[cricketdave]

the tip sticking out bothered me too. so i fixed it took a couple seconds and didn't have to remove any screws. i've been carrying and using it pretty hard for the last couple of weeks with no complaints.

i polished right here

the coating is holding up pretty well. i've used it to cut hay bale netting, trim some pvc and other regular stuff around the ranch, the wire striper jimping looks more rough than it feels and does strip wire very well. the bottle opener dosn't catch on my pocket unless i turn the knife just a bit on pulling out of the pocket.

the more i carry it the more i like it.

take it easy
cricket

 

[mqqn]

Ditto.

I could easily catch that exposed tip on clothing etc.

Ok guys, you two could easily catch your clothing, fingers, children or whatever in that tiny little opening between the birds-head and the "exposed tip".

My direct, in-hand, using the knife, not just making assumptions based on seeing pictures on my interweb-viewer, tells ME that it is not a problem. It simply does not do the things that you are ASSUMING it will do from your looking at the picture on the web - believe it or not, you are wrong about that.

Here is a picture of MY knife showing how the tip lives on my example, and this has not cut me, cut my clothes off, injured local children, or otherwise interfered with my enjoyment of the knife in the two weeks I have had it in my hands.

best regards -

mqqn

 

[timcsaw]

Ok guys, you two could easily catch your clothing, fingers, children or whatever in that tiny little opening between the birds-head and the "exposed tip".

My direct, in-hand, using the knife, not just making assumptions based on seeing pictures on my interweb-viewer, tells ME that it is not a problem. It simply does not do the things that you are ASSUMING it will do from your looking at the picture on the web - believe it or not, you are wrong about that.

Here is a picture of MY knife showing how the tip lives on my example, and this has not cut me, cut my clothes off, injured local children, or otherwise interfered with my enjoyment of the knife in the two weeks I have had it in my hands.

best regards -

mqqn

If you tried to do it, could you catch that tip on the edge of a piece of clothing/shirt pocket/pants pocket, table cloth or other piece of cloth?

Thank you. (point proved... I don't have to try it, to know that it could be done easily if I tried to do it)

 

[mqqn]

If you tried to do it, could you catch that tip on the edge of a piece of clothing/shirt pocket/pants pocket, table cloth or other piece of cloth?

Thank you. (point proved... I don't have to try it, to know that it could be done easily if I tried to do it)

Hi Tim -

No, you cannot easily or accidentally catch that tip as you describe, and yes, in fact I have experimented with doing just that.

I have tried to rub the knife against clothing and skin, and it does not catch.

I can press the knife, blade side down, with the exposed tip on the leading edge, and rubbed it against a sweatshirt, denim, and my skin.

It does not catch my skin, it did not catch the sweatshirt, which I figured would be the one that would catch it if anything did, and it did not catch on the denim.

I bunched up the sweatshirt and tried to get the tip to catch, and I could not easily get it to catch. I had to specifically fold the sweatshirt, and then press it just so into the small crevice that is left between the end of the handle and the tip of the blade. I don't know how a person could accidentally get any skin in there.

In short, it is not a danger or safety issue in my direct experience.

I think that now, if an objective observer reads this thread, they will read ssumptions of people who have no experience with the knife, and the actual hands-on experiences of someone who does have the knife.

It's a very good knife, but it did have some very minor flaws as delivered.

No big deal; I would not buy one if I were you and I were concerned that this would be an issue for me, no problem and all good.

best regards -

mqqn

 

[Reeek]

I guess I can now ask the question I've been wanting to ask for a while in the (now closed) DPx forum without fear of retaliation. I recall Tomso (an associate of RYP) stating that he did the basic design and/or helped in the basic design of the HEST/F.

Does anyone know if Lionsteel utilized "the" design specs by Tomso or were the design specs "refined" by and at Lionsteel before actual manufacture?

 

[cricketdave]

It is very strange. Titanium is not likely to lose the elasticity in such a short time.
Have you took off the Rotoblock and used the knife?

after seeing the comment that it closed with pressure on the back i took a look at mine. with moderate pressure you can see the titanium lock moving over so the knife will close, it looks like the lock is not engaging very well or is cut badly, that is very disapointing i've really been enjoying the knife so far. i wonder if this is typical of lionsteels folders? anyone have a sr1 how is the lockup on it? it dosnt do this of course if the rotoblock is engaged i would have thought that the thick titanium lock was enough to hold the blade open. back to being frustrated.

bummed
cricket

 

[cricketdave]

that looks like its beyond my tweaking abilities but thanks.

cricket