No love for DPx?

[mikefraz]

It seems like DPx is rarely mentioned when talking about hard use knives. It seems like they have decent "street cred" if you will, too. Having never owned anything from DPx but currently owning both an ESEE izula and a ESEE 4, they seem similar in how they are built. I'm yearning for the DPx HEST 6 Milspec something fierce but reviews on it are scarce at best. What say you INGO?

 

[Dean C.]

Ehhhh for the price point I like their folders (strider is still better ). Niolox steel seems to be a product improved D2 with Niobium thrown in (Niobium forms better cutting carbides along the edge), the actual knife itself is using a uniform heat treat across the blade (unlike ESEE's awesome differential heat treat). It has a blade thickness of .2 witch is not terrible it could definitely take some major abuse if needed. I would however like to see some sort of coating on the blade to help with rust prevention (because Niolox is only a semi stainless steel with the same chromium content as regular D2 steel).

Its actually made by LionSteel in Italy for DPX (since DPX does not actually make any of their own knives). At $190 it is a little spendy for most, Honestly an ESEE 6 is basically the same knife but for the differential heat treating process (which is preferable IMHO for a hard use knife), the 1095 high carbon blade steel and a full flat ground blade VS the Saber ground blade (the full flat grind will make cutting easier). And to top it all off the ESEE 6 is cheaper, made in america and carries ESEE's unbeatable warranty.

Now if you want the latest and greatest in tacti-cool I suggest a Strider fixed blade personally. Hope this info helps.

 

[shootersix]

i think the dpx knives are cool, you're right they are like the esee knives,they were designed by esee, and i think the first hest fixed blades were made by rowen, but the first folders had issues, and that left a bad taste in peoples mouths, you know the saying, you never get a second chance to make a first impression!

dpx did take care of the issues, but still, there were issues, and on 1/2 of the knives they made(back then they only made two knives), a 50% failure rate is bad!

so the new knives might be awesome, they might be the best knife ever, but the have to make up for lost ground, and let me ask you this, if the first car you bought was a brand new mustang, and it was a lemon, would you buy another mustang?

 

[seedubs1]

Their new fixed blades are too mall ninja for me. I don't need a 10mm socket, a bottle opener, and wire strippers on my knife. And the skull crusher / pointy handle thing just looks like it'd jab into my side if I were to actually carry and use it. Just dumb designs.

I also read quite a lot of hate towards the owner on BF. If the owner of a knife company is a jerk, it seems like the company just doesn't take off.

All of that, and they don't even make their own knives. Lionsteel makes most of them. The HEST Original is listed as heat treated by Rowen. It's pretty much an ESEE with a higher price tag and some dumb mall ninja junk on it.

If I were wanting a new DPX knife, I'd just skip them and buy a Lionsteel or an ESEE directly.

 

[mikefraz]

Thanks for the input everybody. Looks like I have a little more research to do.

 

[grunt soldier]

I liked them back in the day but then the owner went full dummy. Got mad and started posting peoples personal info on the web on bladeforums. Then was telling memebers of the forum to call and harass these people at their jobs ect. It was really childish and not something a owner of a company should do. This is when esee broke ties with him also. I have never looked at his blades since.

 

[mikefraz]

That's too bad. The knife looks solid, and they can be found for $130-150 pretty regularly. The $190 listed by Dean was full MSRP I assume. But RYP has some serious issues apparently.

 

[tradertator]

I didn't realize they had so many models out. I owned the original RAT HEST for many years. Nice knife, but just a little small (due to the prybar) for my hand, otherwise I would have loved it. My best friend has one that he's carried daily for years and has really put through the ringer.
I'd say the lack of popularity is definitely due to the Blade Forums nonsense and the rough launch of the folders. That set aside, I'm sure they've got the kinks ironed out and it would make you a nice blade if you like the design. Ryan Young Pelton definitely acted like an ass on Blade Forums, but is a fantastic writer and journalist. "License to Kill" and "The Worlds Most Dangerous Places" are both great reads, and I have no doubt that the guy knows a thing or two about traveling in scary places and survival.

 

[Bradsknives]

The problems with the HEST folder was when DPX was launching it back in 2011. It didn't take long for Lion Steel to correct the problems, and DPX did stand behind and take care of the knives that were sold that had problems. It is my understanding it was no where close to a 50% failure rate as someone has stated above, but you all know how things get blown up and exaggerated on the internet...... Some of this was brought on by RYP's blow up on another forum. I will say this, I was a direct dealer with DPX until the RYP blow up. I quickly ended that relationship after that happened, and to this day I question myself if I'm not guilty of a "rush to judgment". I have since talked with RYP in person several times, and I believe he is a stand up person and the bad rap he gets from time to time may not be justified.......we all have our moments when we say and do things that we wish we could take back, and I believe this was the case with RYP because he was under a lot of pressure trying to get the HEST folder out. People on the forums were being pretty hard on him and putting pressure on him to get it released. He made a mistake and paid for it back then, but from what I know, currently DPX as a company is doing very well.

I will say one more thing about the HEST folder, currently it is the best bang for the buck for a titanium frame lock folder on the market...usually around $175.00.


https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...r-hest-folder-orders-have-been-cancelled.html

 

[Kirk Freeman]

It seems like DPx is rarely mentioned when talking about hard use knives.

Maybe it's my age, but they always seem too "aggressive" for me. I might have dug them decades ago.

I am sure they are solid pieces, just don't trip my trigger.

 

[M67]

I liked them back in the day but then the owner went full dummy. Got mad and started posting peoples personal info on the web on bladeforums. Then was telling memebers of the forum to call and harass these people at their jobs ect. It was really childish and not something a owner of a company should do. This is when esee broke ties with him also. I have never looked at his blades since.

That was a hell of a meltdown

 

[seedubs1]

Personally, I'm not paying $175 for D2. IMHO, the Spyderco Taichung models are a better bang for the buck than anything DPX makes.

I will say one more thing about the HEST folder, currently it is the best bang for the buck for a titanium frame lock folder on the market...usually around $175.00.

 

[Dean C.]

Personally, I'm not paying $175 for D2. IMHO, the Spyderco Taichung models are a better bang for the buck than anything DPX makes.

Really? The closest you can get in price/performance of the HEST from spyderco is the Sage 2 every other ti framelock from spyderco is much more expensive than the DPX HEST. Just so we are comparing similar models the sage 2 VS the HEST as a hard use "tactical" folder. The HEST is using a .180 thick slab of D2 (nothing wrong with D2 in my own experience I get better edge retention out if D2 than S30v. The only real downside to the trade off is that d2 is only semi-stainless VS S30's stainless classification.

The lockside ti thickness on the HEST is also better than the Sage's so you get more titanium/steel interface. The Sage has a very thinly ground .125 thick blade which will not stand up to heavy use, when compared to the HEST's .180 thick blade stock. And the DPX features a roto lock lock bar stabilizer to prevent overextending the lockbar. Honestly with the exception of the Tanaka I do not consider anything spyderco makes folder wise to be hard use at all.

I have had experience with most "hard use tactical" knives on the market currently (Strider, Medford, DPX, Benchmade, Spyderco, Greyman, Hinderer, the list goes on) Honestly without a doubt in my mind for the money DPX makes the best hard use ti framelock folder on the market full stop end of conversation.

I understand seedubs that you are very passionate about Spyderco, but being brand myopic is not a good thing, it leads to crazy things like saying spyderco makes a better knife than Chris Reeve and we all know thats just nonsense.

 

[seedubs1]

Domino in blue weave / XHP steel for $199: Spyderco Domino Blue Weave Carbon Fiber Flipper Knife (3.13" Satin) C172CFBLTIP - Blade HQ
I also got my Schempp Tuff for $179
and my Southard for $185 (which I subsequently sold)
I'd also throw in the Bradley for under $150, but it's not Ti and it's a liner lock. But it's one heck of a heavy use folder. I'd take one any day over a DPX.

That was from known reputable online retailers. I'm not saying you can find those deals every day. But for me, in the $150-$200 price range, I sure as heck can do better than a DPX HEST with D2 (and I have).

And I'm not really that passionate about spyderco. Honestly, I only own one at this point. But when you're talking bang for the buck in the sub $200 price range, they're very difficult to beat.

Really? The closest you can get in price/performance of the HEST from spyderco is the Sage 2 every other ti framelock from spyderco is much more expensive than the DPX HEST. Just so we are comparing similar models the sage 2 VS the HEST as a hard use "tactical" folder. The HEST is using a .180 thick slab of D2 (nothing wrong with D2 in my own experience I get better edge retention out if D2 than S30v. The only real downside to the trade off is that d2 is only semi-stainless VS S30's stainless classification.

The lockside ti thickness on the HEST is also better than the Sage's so you get more titanium/steel interface. The Sage has a very thinly ground .125 thick blade which will not stand up to heavy use, when compared to the HEST's .180 thick blade stock. And the DPX features a roto lock lock bar stabilizer to prevent overextending the lockbar. Honestly with the exception of the Tanaka I do not consider anything spyderco makes folder wise to be hard use at all.

I have had experience with most "hard use tactical" knives on the market currently (Strider, Medford, DPX, Benchmade, Spyderco, Greyman, Hinderer, the list goes on) Honestly without a doubt in my mind for the money DPX makes the best hard use ti framelock folder on the market full stop end of conversation.

I understand seedubs that you are very passionate about Spyderco, but being brand myopic is not a good thing, it leads to crazy things like saying spyderco makes a better knife than Chris Reeve and we all know thats just nonsense.

 

[tradertator]

Personally, I'm not paying $175 for D2. IMHO, the Spyderco Taichung models are a better bang for the buck than anything DPX makes.

Here we go again

 

[seedubs1]

And for $400+, I also want something a bit better than S35

Hell, I can get good D2 in any of the Kershaw composite blades. And ZT offers some AWESOME bang for your buck as well with M390, Elmax, S35vn, etc... for under $240, and some under $200. And I'd definitely take one of those over a DPX as well.

I know, you pay for the design and machining. But for anything above $100, I expect more than budget steel for the blade. Not to say that D2 is bad, but it's not "boutique" and I expect more when I buy a $175 knife.

Here we go again

 

[shootersix]

sorry if you took it as a 50% rate, thats not what i ment to say, what i ment was that they made two types of knives, one fixed, and one folder, and some of the folders had issues. so 50% of the models had problems, not 50% of the knives, my bad for wording that way

they did take care of the issues, they made changes, and they made the right changes, i liked the fixed blade knife(the original) and i had no idea that they make so many versions now