RAT Cutlery DPx H.E.S.T
For Men Who Relish Hellish Environments
By
Jon Gaffney on February 8, 2010
Robert Pelton knows hostile environments. He’s spent four weeks running RPG alley with Blackwater, hung around the siege of Grozny in Chechnya, and been inside the hunt for public enemy numero uno with the CIA in the hills of Afghanistan… and those are just his more recent exploits. So, when RAT Cutlery asked him to combine his experience with their 10+ years of teaching jungle survival, it spawned one helluva knife, the DPx H.E.S.T. by RAT Cutlery ($100).
The DPx H.E.S.T stands for “Hostile Environment Survival Tool” with the “DP” referring to the world’s most dangerous places, apparently Mr. Pelton’s version of Club Med. The H.E.S.T is crafted from .188″ 1095 Carbon Steel, resulting in a blade that has good heft in your hand and a full tang, plus holds a much better edge that stainless ever will. It features:
- Pry Bar Pommel
- Removable Hollow Handles
- Handle Lashing Holes (To let you add a pararcord wrap, if you choose)
- Wire Break Notch
- Kydex Sheath
- Textured Powder Coated Blade
- Bottle Opener
Though most of us would use this in more an everyday or camping/outdoors role, our hands-on testing left us no doubt in the H.E.S.T’s ability to handle itself in rough climates. The hollow handle could easily store some waterproof matches, needle and thread, or emergency cash. The lashing holes are perfect to add some paracord wrappings, further enhancing its survival functionality. Furthermore, it could be comfortably attached to a belt or bag, and even possibly worn as a neck knife. Plus, it opens libations like a champion… a key attribute in our book and a must in surviving the jungle of daily life.
Cost: $100