DPX Gear HEST/F Decade folder with natural canvas Micarta scales

[TGO David]

I picked this one up right before Christmas and it quickly became my EDC.

 

 

The action was really stiff to begin with, but loosening the pivot screw slightly and then a little use allowed it to loosen up nicely.  It now flicks open smartly with just the nudge of the thumb.

I put a 50 degree-inclusive (25* per side) edge on it and took it out to a mirror finish with my KME sharpener.  That Bohler M390 steel is just fantastic.  It's held the edge incredibly well and has even retained most of the mirror polish I put on it, despite regular use cutting apart boxes and slicing open packing materials.  It'll still shave the hair off of my arm without any difficulty.

The natural canvas Micarta scales are an interesting touch in the sense that they pick up the oils from your hands and slowly gain a "patina" because of it.  But, wipe them down with a bit of non-chlorinated brake cleaner and they go right back to their natural appearance and you start all over again.

The revised Titanium frame lock on this new Decade model addresses the weak lock the HEST had in its initial production 10-years ago.  If you have stayed away from them because of that, I wouldn't worry anymore.  I've tested it by firmly grasping it from the sides only, hand and fingers clear of the path of the blade, and pushed hard against the spine of the blade and against the lock, and it didn't budge a bit.  I'd have had to use additional mechanical leverage to push any harder, and that would have been well beyond the force I could exert on it otherwise.  I suspect it would hold up until the scale ruptured.

 

[TGO David]

Just an update of sorts, I am still really enjoying this knife.  If I had to change one thing though I would probably look for a way to replace the natural canvas Micarta scale with a G10 scale and thin steel liner.  The Micarta scale by itself seems reasonably strong but (a.) the "patina" that develops on the unsealed scale can get rather gross looking and (b.) the added support of a thin steel liner would add a small but welcomed bit of durability.

 

I did take it completely apart yesterday and thoroughly cleaned the action with some alcohol prep pads (they're great for this sort of thing and really cheap on Amazon) and re-lubed the pivot with some Weapon Shield brand lubricant.  It's the same stuff I prefer to use on certain guns with tight tolerances and the viscosity is thin enough that it doesn't retard deployment of the blade.  Lucas Gun Oil might work as well but it seems to have a thicker viscosity, so I tend to use it on things with looser tolerances.

I should have taken the knife apart, cleaned and lubed it like this straight after initially receiving it.  The improvement is significant.

 

[DJTC45]

Were did you pick that one up at. I like it.