There's one thing I really don't like about the HEST...

S

ShooterMcgavin

Joined
Jan 20, 2008
Messages
609
I might be alone on this one, but I wanted to put my thoughts out there. I own the fixed blade HEST, so I do have experience with it. I like many features/attributes of the knife - thick steel for its length, blade shape, handle size/shape, and pry bar...

The one thing I really don't like is the bottle opener. The knife already has a pry bar, fer cryin' out loud :D Not only that, but the spine of any knife can be used to open a bottle (along with other items within reach - wood/branch, belt buckle, shoe sole, lighter, etc.). The bottle opener is, to me, a feature that adds clutter (most of all) and reduces strength. The cutout takes away from the simplicity of the knife design. Seems like a "just because" feature and I don't like those. I like my tools to be purpose driven and basic.

The reason I am getting into all this... I really like the design of the HEST folder, but I really wish they would engineer the bottle opener out of that model. I suspect that I am the only one with strong feelings on the matter, so I think the bottle opener will remain, "just because". Oh well :)
 
The bottle opener cut-out was also designed to help lash the knife to something. It's directly across from the wire-cutter notch for a reason. At least, that's what Robert once said.

You can even use another bottle to open a bottle, but I use the opener on my HEST. I like it.
 
I agree with you. That said I have a bottle opener ring that I don't ever really take off. So I personally wouldn't have any need for the bottle opener on a knife. Although on a folder I can see more use for it. I think most people carry a folder for an EDC. So with a bottle opener on it there wouldn't be a need for any other way to open a bottle. It also is made for that function so it would not scar up your knife, lighter, table, or God forbid your teeth.
 
I'm good with the bottle opener (will probably never use it), but I'm considering grinding the pry bar off mine...not completely, just re-shape it because it keeps snagging my shirt. I carry my H.E.S.T. in a homemade horizontal kydex sheath and it's very comfy, concealed, lightning fast to draw, but that pointed pry bar is poking holes in my shirts.
 
if Doc's still around I'm sure he'll chime in on this with a vengeance:D

as for me it makes the knife a little more versatile with more then one particular use in mind, other then being called a 'bottle opener'..


its the wire breaker I wish wasn't there, it tends to hinder some of my cutting and I always have to be aware its there.. Something I've found I don't care for at all, of course none of this never bothered me so much until I started EDCing this thing for the last 6 weeks..

I've used everything 'except' the wire breaker, I've even used the blade to cut and strip wires, I guess one of the holes could be used to break wires, back and forth, even if I were to break a wire with the intended design how do I do it effectively??
 
With all the abuse I've given my HEST I can honestly say that nothing that I, as a user, can do to that knife to break it. That bottle opener does nothing to reduce the usefulness of the knife as a tool, and is completely out of the way.
 
Yeah the bottle opener adds nothing to the knife in my opinion and the knife would be much better without it.
 
R.A.T. said:
I can do without the cutting edge but I ain't giving up my beer opener!
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That darn sharp edge keeps getting in the way!!! :)

I like the pry bar. I think it adds another level of utility to the knife. However, it does catch on things once in a while - I belt-carry, vertically in the sheath that came with the knife. If I don't want the pry bar, I'll just carry another knife rather than re-shape it.

With the pry bar on the fixed-blade HEST, I see no reason to also have a bottle opener. For the folder, I can see more of a reason to have the bottle opener, even if I don't prefer to have it there.
 
ShooterMcgavin said:
I suspect that I am the only one with strong feelings on the matter, so I think the bottle opener will remain, "just because". Oh well :)
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I don't think you're the only one with strong feelings on the matter. I do, however, think that you are in the minority, with the majority having strong feelings opposite to yours (me included). ;)
 
TheLastDaze said:
if Doc's still around I'm sure he'll chime in on this with a vengeance:D

I've used everything 'except' the wire breaker, I've even used the blade to cut and strip wires, I guess one of the holes could be used to break wires, back and forth, even if I were to break a wire with the intended design how do I do it effectively??
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Put the Bud down and start drinking good beer.
Becks
Holland 1620
Heineken
 
I like the bottle opener. It was a little hard to use to at first, fotunately I was willing to practice on many beers bottles. It was long and difficult training, but I have become skilled in proper use of the opener.

I also like the way you can use ut to grip the knife by putting your thumb in the opener slot for extra control. It works for me.
 
the bottle opener and the pry bar; that's what makes the HEST the HEST...otherwise all you've got is a esee 3...
 
I was in the same frame of mind as the OP. I have opened up beers with a folded up sheet of paper, so I dont need no stinkin' sissy bottle opener....



However...I must eat all of my previous words and say that it has really grown on me. I have yet to pick up a fixed HEST, but I have 2 folders ordered.

After staring at the pics of the folder for a long, long time...I realized that that useful little notch in the spine gives it a certain character that sets it apart from the rest.
 
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