DPx announces the release of the Milspec version of their DPx HEST/F folder knife, known as The Quiet Professional.

Users of DPx Gear will know that Founder and Designer Robert Young Pelton spends a significant amount of time immersed in front-line combat areas with special operations troops. Part of his goal is to see how his knives are used and how to improve them for rugged, no excuses, customers. DPx Gear products are designed for function first, using only the most durable materials, then carefully tuned to match real world uses. The world of Military Specifications or “Milspec” is an oft-abused term to describe products.

The requirements of forward troops is simple. Their knife better not come close to breaking. It has to perform under all conditions including prying and hammering without causing more damage to their operator and again…It must not break. There must be little to no requirement for maintenance, lubrication, adjustment during a deployment other than the occasional sharpening touch up.

> We started with the choice of blade steels and design.
The sword grind delivers a solid break resistant tip for poking and prying. The deep belly gives you 3 inches of smooth cutting edge and the 5mm thick blade is well past sturdy for prying and wound patterns.

> We looked at the steel.
And we chose Niolox or LO-R 4153.03 from Lohman, a German company that has been making premium steel since 1790 and an innovator in new steels. A Niobium enhanced high Chromium content steel is a martensitic stainless steel and the niobium helps reduce edge chipping or breakage. It also makes the grains of the steel smaller. The Milspec blade is not just steel, but the same type of metal used in fighter jet engines.The composition of Niolox is as follows:

  • Carbon .8 %
  • Chromium 12.7 %
  • Molybdenum 1.1%
  • Vanadium .9 %
  • Niobium .7%

Knife designers Jurgen Schanz and Lars Behnke (where the “S” and the “B” came from) is now produced by Lohmann in their mill in the University town of Witten in Northern Germany but despite its exotic formulation similar to the CPM S35VN it is primarily found in DPx Gear knives milled in Maniago Italy.

Despite the lack of fanfare our Niolox blade takes a beautiful finish, stays sharp and remains corrosion free under the toughest conditions with minor care.

> Dry Run
We also use Teflon washers to eliminate the need for oil or lubrication typically needed to keep the folder working smoothly in the dirt and sand of hard climates. Oil attracts grit and will wear down over time. Teflon washers are inexpensive and are not only smooth but very simple to replace if ever needed. Just wash the dirt out, blow off the water and get back to work.

The stout blade deploys with DPx Gear’s quick open feature. Our patented bottle opener notch can catch on your pocket and deploy to the open position faster than an automatic since the blade opens the second you clear your pocket and towards the rear, away from an attacker. Some DPx Gear learned in the field.

We build in further confidence is found in the unique RotoBlock safety which allows the user to lock the folder in the open deployed position. This is critical to prevent the lock bar from accidentally closing during heavy work, slippery conditions or in CQB. The Milspec has a simple pistol type safety lever that is fail proof once deployed.

> Small field design details make big differences.
The handle of the HEST/F is also built for massive abuse. We use only American-made 6Al4V Grade 5 (aerospace grade) titanium alloy for the lock side of the frame and extra grippy black American-made G10 phenolic laminate for the grip side of the frame. There are no scales on a DPx Gear folder. Just two beefy 4mm frame slabs from two of the toughest military industrial materials on the market.

> There are more features.
Our unique patented wire strippers jomping can strip demo strand, automotive wire and household cord and double as a glove friendly slip-free thumb grip.

The built in, standard sized hex drive makes your Milspec a multi-tool. One of the most unobtrusive but innovative tweaks is that the entire DPx HEST/F can be field stripped using a single 7/64 hex, the smallest available hex size from hardware stores and tool kits. The actual frame screws are lighter and tougher with this innovative design feature.

There is also our unique deep-pocket clip made for thick uniforms and the tungsten carbide insert skull crusher, also removable with a standard hex drive and replaceable with a round head screw.

This is the knife you want every soldier, first-responder and hard user to own.