DPx Gear is a company that strives to make tools that can endure the most extreme environments. Here are a few examples of DPx Gear’s survival blades and what they can do.

The two blades we have to look at are the H.E.S.T.(Hostile Environment Survival Tool) 2.0 folder and the H.E.F.T.(Hostile Environment Field Tool) 6 Woodsman w/serrated edge.

Here are the Specs on these blades straight from the DPx Gear website…

H.E.S.T. 2.0

Weight———-5.1 oz

Blade Length—-3.15″ / 80 mm

Style———–DEFAULT

Type————Folding

Steel———–German D2

Blade Thickness-0.19″

Handle Color—-Olive Drab

Handle Material-G10

Overall Length–7.63″

Rockwell Hardness-60

MSRP————–$218(Street price-$175)

H.E.F.T. 6 Woodsman

Weight————8.99oz / 254.86g

Blade Length——5.75″ / 146.05 mm

Style————-Woodsman

Type————–Fixed

Blade Edge——–Serrated

Steel————-Sleipner

Blade Thickness—0.19″ / 4.83 mm

Handle Color——Wood

Handle Material—Brazilian Santos Hardwood

Overall Length—-11.22″ / 284.99 mm

Rockwell Hardness-60

Configuration—–Right/Left-Handed

MSRP————–$206(Street price-$165)

I had the chance to use these knives for about 2 weeks. I was quite pleased with the quality and clever design features they offered. The knives are crafted by Lionsteel in Italy and use materials from all over the world. Looking at both individually, we can start with the H.E.S.T. 2.0.

The H.E.S.T. 2.0 is a small folder that is sized for everyday carry. The blade length is just over three inches which should make it legal to carry in most places. The handle material is G10, and uses a titanium alloy frame lock. It has an additional Rotoblock system that is essentially a double locking mechanism. Once the Frame lock falls into place, you can rotate the Rotoblock, locking the frame lock into the locked position. Although this is an interesting feature, I did not find my self using it much. The action of the frame lock is smooth and locks up tight, but doesn’t stick when you go to fold the blade away. There is some jimping on the lock portion that has been smoothed out just enough to improve the tactile feel but not tear your thumb up. The action is additionally smoothed out through the use of Teflon washers.

The H.E.S.T. 2.0 comes with a cleverly designed tool that can tighten and manipulate most any feature on the knife, as well as act as a makeshift prybar/boxcutter. Unfortunately, I did not have one to include in this review. Luckily though, the hardware on the H.E.S.T. 2.0 does have provisions for more common tools in lieu of the proprietary tool, such as a simple Allen wrench.

The handle features a deep carry pocket clip with the H.E.S.T. logo etched into the side. The clip is secured by a glass breaker screw which can be swapped for an included round screw if you should choose. There is also a hexagonal hole near the bottom that can accommodate different screwdriver bits, a cool feature to have in a pinch.

The blade is D2 tool steel and DLC coated. It has a thumbstud for easy one handed opening and a signature prybar/bottle opener that can also act as an opening assist as you draw the knife from a pocket. The jimping on the rear of the blade provides good grip and utility. It also acts as a hasty wire stripper. I couldn’t resist to try it on some 16awg wire and was pleased to find that it actually works! The cutting edge is well shaped and the depth of the sharpened edge allows the user plenty of room for error should sharpening be required.

The second offering we played with was the H.E.F.T. 6. This knife is offered in several versions. The Woodsman version, seen here, features Brazilian Santos hardwood and Sleipner tool steel with a stonewashed finish. A rather appropriate finish for it’s intended purpose as it will not show minor wear as much as some finishes.

Included is a very quality made leather sheath finished in tan and features the DPx gear logo on the front. It is designed to slide onto a belt and has snap retention halfway up the handle. The stitching is matched with the finish and a single rivet is used on the edge side, presumably to avoid any accidental cutting of the sheath. The sheath, stitching and handle material all really blend well together. Despite the intentions for hard use, it is worth a mention that this knife has form AND function.

The Blade is a drop point similar to the H.E.S.T., but of course longer. It also has serrations on the bottom portion which are designed in a way that makes sharpening easier. In addition to the rounded cutting edge serrations there is also a flat tooth cutting edge. The jimping on the back edge is also the same wire stripping design of the H.E.S.T. There is hole to assist with lashing just a few millimeters from the spine. There are several etchings on the blade itself including the DPx Gear skull logo. It won’t help much in a survival situation, but the etching is really well done and classy looking on both knives.

The handle was designed to eliminate hot spots on the hand and enable pain free all day hard use. In it’s simplicity, it does feel very comfortable. The prybar/bottle opener is also built into the bottom along with a lanyard hole that can be used for lashings. The handle can be removed with a commonly available flathead or allen wrench to reveal a small compartment where you can stash any combination of survival gear such as matches, 550 cord, fish hooks etc etc… Removing the handles can also aid in lashing the knife as this will reveal the cut out in the center of the handle.

Using the knife to do a few survival tasks in the jungles of Guam, I was pleased with the utility of the knife. The H.E.F.T. 6 was able to assist with a quick lean-to shelter using coconut tree palms. It was also able to melt with ease right through a young coconut for a refreshing field expedient treat. There is enough weight to the blade to allow some chopping ability, but the blade was sharp enough to complete the task without much effort.

Anyone looking for a great EDC addition or tough as nails survival blade should give DPx Gear some consideration. These knives really do offer plenty of utility and quality at a really fair price. In addition to the knives you see here there are many different flavors of these knives available on DPx Gear’s website. You can even custom order a design if you so choose.

Stay safe!