- Joined
- Aug 9, 2007
- Messages
- 761
When I saw one of these up for sale in Canada, there was nothing I could do but go for it. I had heard good things about the knife all over the internet, and read a good review in TK a few issues back, and was excited to recieve it.
Now I'm excited to have it. It's a gorgeous, outdoorsy, sturdy knife.
The knife has the build and feel of a smaller Strider; a G10/Ti framelock with a thick blade and a battle-tank feel. The detent is strong and the pivot is tight, but a knut's thumb will be strong enough to flick it.
The handle is comfy and fits my hand perfectly. The knife is balanced right behind the index finger, and is a pleasure to wield.
The blade is centered, sharp, and cuts well; D2 is a coarse-grained steel and an aggressive cutter, and although the blade is thick it is also proportionately wide, and the edge itself is acute enough for detail cutting and whittling.
The lockup is tight in all directions, the rotoblock is an easy-to-use comfort - although it does not quite work like a Hinderer Stabilizer like so many people seem to think - and the knife is clearly robust and able to take abuse. It's also got a bunch of bells and whistles (wave/bottle-opener, wire strippers, hex driver, glass breaker) that are useful in a bind, but also low key and tasteful in design. It's thick, built like a brick in fact, considering its length, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. The knife is designed to be the sort of tool you can bet your life on, and I believe if it came to that, your faith would not be misplaced.
Having said that, I have a few hangups;
-Saw marks left in the lockbar cutout, and the starter hole drilled at the base of the lockbar is basically unfinished
-The stop pin protudes on the Ti side, ever so faintly but sharp enough to catch the skin with moderate pressure
-There is another spot on the Ti side, rough to the touch, right above the crimp in the lockbar
-This is personal, but I never appreciated coated blades on a workhorse knife; they always end up looking like crap
Another really big one for me is that even after I took out all the screws, the knife wouldn't come apart. I'm unclear on why. Has anyone tried to take their HEST folder apart? Is there a trick to it? I don't want to force it because in spite of all that, I really like this knife, and haven't gone anywhere without it since I got it. It's a cool little knife, strong and nimble, big enough to be useful but not so big as to be threatening or scary, and most importantly, it feels reliable and trustworthy in the hands and pocket. I'm worried that it doesn't come apart easily, because that's part of my ritual of care for my knives, but I still recommend this one. It doesn't easily disappoint.
Now I'm excited to have it. It's a gorgeous, outdoorsy, sturdy knife.
The knife has the build and feel of a smaller Strider; a G10/Ti framelock with a thick blade and a battle-tank feel. The detent is strong and the pivot is tight, but a knut's thumb will be strong enough to flick it.
The handle is comfy and fits my hand perfectly. The knife is balanced right behind the index finger, and is a pleasure to wield.
The blade is centered, sharp, and cuts well; D2 is a coarse-grained steel and an aggressive cutter, and although the blade is thick it is also proportionately wide, and the edge itself is acute enough for detail cutting and whittling.
The lockup is tight in all directions, the rotoblock is an easy-to-use comfort - although it does not quite work like a Hinderer Stabilizer like so many people seem to think - and the knife is clearly robust and able to take abuse. It's also got a bunch of bells and whistles (wave/bottle-opener, wire strippers, hex driver, glass breaker) that are useful in a bind, but also low key and tasteful in design. It's thick, built like a brick in fact, considering its length, but this isn't necessarily a bad thing. The knife is designed to be the sort of tool you can bet your life on, and I believe if it came to that, your faith would not be misplaced.
Having said that, I have a few hangups;
-Saw marks left in the lockbar cutout, and the starter hole drilled at the base of the lockbar is basically unfinished
-The stop pin protudes on the Ti side, ever so faintly but sharp enough to catch the skin with moderate pressure
-There is another spot on the Ti side, rough to the touch, right above the crimp in the lockbar
-This is personal, but I never appreciated coated blades on a workhorse knife; they always end up looking like crap
Another really big one for me is that even after I took out all the screws, the knife wouldn't come apart. I'm unclear on why. Has anyone tried to take their HEST folder apart? Is there a trick to it? I don't want to force it because in spite of all that, I really like this knife, and haven't gone anywhere without it since I got it. It's a cool little knife, strong and nimble, big enough to be useful but not so big as to be threatening or scary, and most importantly, it feels reliable and trustworthy in the hands and pocket. I'm worried that it doesn't come apart easily, because that's part of my ritual of care for my knives, but I still recommend this one. It doesn't easily disappoint.
