DPx Gear H.E.S.T 2.0 folder

Everyone has features they want to see on a knife, it’s a personal thing. It’s the combination of features and just as importantly the materials that guide you. I was looking for a higher-end folder, by that I mean not the normal under-fifty-quid job. It had to be strong, have a drop point blade, a bottle opener, glass breaker, preferably a titainium frame lock and a pocket clip.

Ask Heinnie!

First port of call for any knives for me is the Heinnie Haynes website. You can filter on price, handle colour and material. This threw up several choices by various manufactires. I had not heard of DPX Gear before but instanly liked the look of their knives. Robert Young Pelton has been an adventurer for years and came up with the idea to make the knives he wanted to own and use. After coming up with the initial designs he chose Lion Steel of Northern Italy to assemble the knife. I had heard of Lion Steel as they make award-winning titainium frame lock folding knives.

Hostile Environment

The DPX folder is the H.E.S.T 2.0, standing for Hostile Environment Survival Tool. The 2.0 indicates that this is the second version, after an initial release the H.E.S.T was turned over to its harshest critics and a lot of modifications were made to make it what I think is a perfect folder.

I am a fan of D2 tool steel for knife blades but it does discolour due to it having less Chromium, so it is not classed as a stainless steel. DPX thought of this and the blade is first polished then phosphate coated with the same substance as military black rifles; another plus point. The blade is a massive 4.8mm thick at the spine. On the base of the spine there are three holes with the top part of the holes cut off to form jimping for grip on the spine. They can also be used for wire stripping. There is an ambidextrous thumb stud and a cut out battle opener. RYP is picked out on the right hand side of the blade and DPX Gear on the left.

Mr DP

The right-hand side of the knife is made of tumble finished 6Al4V grade 5 titanium alloy, mid body is a Rotoblock system to lock the frame lock in place when the blade is deployed, this turns the H.E.S.T. folder into a fixed blade knife – it just keeps getting better!

On this side is also the pocket clip, this is bigger than most, some may not like such a deep pocket clip as it can be felt under the hand when in use but I prefer such a system as it makes it easier to attach. The H.E.S.T logo is picked out down the body of the stainless steel pocket clip. You can remove the clip as it is held in place on the butt end of the handle by a detachable glass breaking point. This can be changed for a domed topped stud if you want. To remove glass breaker you use the wonderfully named ‘Mr DP’ skull shaped adjusting tool. This tool has a key to change the aforementioned stud and also to enable the pivot pin to be tightened. The spare stud is held in the ‘nose area’ of the tool and there is a box cutter also.

Grip Detail

The left-hand side of the knife is a 4.4mm thick olive drab G10 textured scale. A stainless steel scale was removed from the initial version of the H.E.S.T folder and the G10 scale was made thicker, this made it lighter and stronger. They even do a left-handed version. Also the lanyard hole in the grip is a ¼ Hex hole so it will take a standard bit holder.

Anyone looking for a folding survival knife needs to check out the HH website and the DPX H.E.S.T. As you can probably tell, I rate this knife very highly indeed, and at around the two hundred quid mark I think it is cheap for yje materials used, the quality of construction and the design features, it’s an 11 out of 10 from me. My thanks to Bruce and Ceri Ann at HH for arranging the knife.

PRICE:  £190.95 (Left handed version £194.95)
CONTACT: Hennie Haynes www.heinnie.com