The new DPx HEST folder

edctac

edctac

Joined
May 7, 2011
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I just ordered a new DPx HEST folder, I know in the past there were some issues with locks failing and some other problems. It sounded like the issues were taken care of under warenty, and that they fixed the problems. I've wanted one of these for a while but hadn't pulled the trigger. I was just curious if anyone knew if they're still having problems with the latest version, and how the customer service is? I just hope I get a good one since I think this knife looks amazing. Any feedback +/- is appreciated.
 
Can't comment on the new version from personal experience -- although I am planning on getting one and am very encouraged by the excellent review the previous poster linked to -- but I did have an excellent experience with their customer service with my HEST Folder 1.0. Mine developed some lock slippage, and I sent Linda of DPx an email asking about sending it in and requesting confirmation that the address on their website was the one I should mail it to. I mailed it in, and within a week they had sent out a brand new replacement.

Obviously, RYP rubbed a lot of people the wrong way during the short time the DPx manufacturer's forum was active here. However, setting aside whatever people may feel about RYP as an individual, everything I've seen from him and his company indicates that they're very committed to listening to customer feedback, improving their products, and standing behind those products/offering excellent customer service under their warranty. As I mentioned above, I'm definitely planning on getting a HEST Folder 2.0, and am looking forward to seeing what else DPx offers in the future.
 
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Here's a good review I came across:

[video=youtube;MQYTuA4lXJo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQYTuA4lXJo[/video]
 
Mainly so that I know the issues that have come up and what to be on the lookout for.
 
I had a production Hest/F 1.0 that developed major lock slippage and I sent it to DPx customer support the first part of August 2011, and much to my suprise less than a week later a Hest/F v2.0 showed up in my mailbox as a replacement. I've been EDC-ing the 2.0 ever since. All of the gripes about proud blade tips, blade edge being easy to touch when closed, etc. were addressed and are no longer issues at all. After opening and closing the knife about 1000 times, I have worn off the coating on the stop pin and the Hest/F developed an extremely tiny amount of up and down blade play... it should be note that this blade movement is nothing like what the Hest/F v1.0 knives were having, there is absolutely no slippage occuring between the blade and the lockbar. After very close examination, I saw that the lockbar wasn't traveling as far as it could into the back of the blade. I fixed this issue by "waving" the knife open very hard about a dozen times, apparently there was some type of burr that had built up on either the lockbar or the back of the blade that needed to be work off. The extremely tiny up and down blade play that I was having has not returned. IMHO the Hest/F v2.0 is a great design, that comes with an outstanding warranty.... RYP and team listened to their customers and have come up with a true winner this around.

YMMV,
/dusty
 
I have a HEST 2.0 on pre-order.

From what I understand, they are ~supposed~ to ship out to dealers by the end of the summer (um...that's now) so hopefully the wait won't be very much longer. I'm intrigued by this knife and look forward to owning one.
 
You can order the Hest/F 2.0 directly off the DPx Gear website.... no waiting involved.


/dusty
 
"Alternate view?".....please..... Lock rock is NOT unavoidable.
When a $30- $50 kershaw...Spyderco....Etc can be made without and bladeplay or lock rock, It is TOTALLY unacceptable
to have any issues of this type on a knife retailing at the price point the HEST/F does. It would point to poor design or workmanship.

[youtube]oOi5eGwBvMA[/youtube]
 
Karda said:
"Alternate view?".....please..... Lock rock is NOT unavoidable.
When a $30- $50 kershaw...Spyderco....Etc can be made without and bladeplay or lock rock, It is TOTALLY unacceptable
to have any issues of this type on a knife retailing at the price point the HEST/F does. It would point to poor design or workmanship.

[youtube]oOi5eGwBvMA[/youtube]
Click to expand...

This.
 
i've got one on order...i'm a user of the HEST fixed and respect the man and his missions...i could care less about the issues RYP has had on here; it's not keeping me from buying the folder.
 
I was one of the original testers, I've opened and closed my hest/f 2.0 probably upwards of 3000 times, I stopped counting somewhere right before 2k. For the video, I honestly just don't think the lock was good and broken in yet. I wanted to open and close mine as much as possible because that's all it took to make the hest/f 1.0 knives that I had develop extreme lock play and lock failure. On the 2.0, the lock was stupid sticky for at least the first 1000 to 1500 opens and closes, now it's smooth as butter. It does not stick at all and locks up solid. I'm not an expert or anything, but I really keep going back to this knife in the vid just not being broken in yet.

I know blah blah blah, I pay this much for a knife, I expect it to be perfect. As far as that's concerned though, while I haven't bought many striders or emersons, the ones that I have gotten had a "break-in" period if you will. After that breakin they were completely different knives. That's how I feel about my hest/f 2.0. I was happy with the knife when I got it in, but it is an excellent tool and one of my favorites now.
 
At this point it's become very obvious, Hest/Lion doesn't know how to properly grind and finish the angles of the locking system of a folder.

Knife companies selling far less expensive knives have figured this out, why can't Hest/Lion?


Leadfoot
 
1966c10 said:
No knife with an MSRP over $100 should have a "break in period". Titanium, CPM, and crazy oven times aside, you are getting ripped off. The damn thing is either milled in spec or it isn't. If it has to "wear in", then wear will not magically stop at some optimum point. If it did, then they didn't do the finishing work that garnered the high price.
Click to expand...

I agree 100% with this statement. That sums it up very well. Also, to me it seems that all the problems are an indication that there is something inherently wrong with the design.

Regardless of what you think of RYP. My understanding is that he is not - or at least he wasn't - a knife maker/designer, before he came up with the knife. I don't think a fixed blade knife with no moving parts is nearly as hard to design as a folder.

Again, this is just my opinion and the reason I've stayed away from this knife. When I first saw it I thought it looked pretty cool and really wanted one. I had some on pre-order but as time went by and the problems mounted, I gave up on it entirely.
 
I cant find the HEST 2.0 for sale on the DPx website. Am I blind? I've been looking for a version 1.0 in a lefty for quite a while and had no luck. Do you know if they're making the 2.0 in a left handed version?
 
BP Green said:
Regardless of what you think of RYP. My understanding is that he is not - or at least he wasn't - a knife maker/designer, before he came up with the knife.
Click to expand...
RYP was a designer. He designed Baseball cards before becoming a Pseudo-journalist.
 
Karda said:
When a $30- $50 kershaw...Spyderco....Etc can be made without and bladeplay or lock rock, It is TOTALLY unacceptable to have any issues of this type on a knife retailing at the price point the HEST/F does. It would point to poor design or workmanship
Click to expand...

Even worse, the $10 Sanrenmu 710 I got in the mail today locks up solid as a vault. It also, sadly, has superior fit and finish to the HEST 1.0 I had to return.
 
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