Robert Young Pelton

Blackwater Ursa 6 Review

Blackwater Knives has recently released a cadre of new tools that caught my eye – both visually, and from a specification standpoint. The Ursa 6 is one of those tools, with an uncompromising design geared towards high speed professionals.

Buy the Blackwater Ursa 6 at BladeHQ

The Ursa 6 was designed by Robert Young Pelton, the same man behind the designs for DPx Gear. The knife is manufactured by Lionsteel in Maniago, Italy – a company known for high end offerings like the SR1. Upon arrival everything about the Ursa just reeked of quality. Even the box was cool, complete with iridescent embossed sleeve and black tissue paper lining. Inside was a something long and lean, yet full figured and deadly. My heart was already racing, and the blade wasn’t even out of the box – it was like a cross between a high school fantasy and comic book noir. Needless to say, if looks could kill I’d already be in the ground. But can she cut? Lets find out…

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Ursa 6 has an overall length of 11.1″, has a 5.95″ blade, and it weighs 11.10 ounces. The spine is an extremely thick 6mm. I spent a good amount of time going over the intended use of this knife in the video, and I think it’s worth mentioning again here. This is a dedicated combat knife, designed for soldiers. It’s not a camp knife, bushcraft knife, or even your typical survival knife. It’s a purpose built tool for self defense (and in many cases, offense) as well as hard use utility work. The 6mm thick blade doesn’t make for the best slicer or the lightest backpacking knife, but it ensures that it will hold up against the demanding situations often thrust upon soldiers.

The blade itself is a modified drop point design. It sort of resembles a spear point or dagger blade shape, but it’s definitely a drop point of some sort (not that the semantics particularly matter here). One of the first features people will notice is the run of serrations along the spine of the knife. I like this feature because it keeps the main edge plain – leaving plenty of room for fine cutting. The primary edge is partially flat ground and the 6mm thick blade carries a good deal of steel all the way out to the tip. This is definitely a knife that can get some stabbing / thrust cuts in without a problem. The thick grind means it is not the best slicer, but I had no issues cutting through rope, cardboard, and wood. The entire knife has been given a PVD coating, which generally held up great, only scratching a little when I used the Ursa 6 to open up a can of potatoes.

Blackwater selected Niolox steel for this knife – a steel that I have previously had zero experience with it. Apparently it’s made in Germany by Bohler Uddeholm, and it has been well received. This particular piece of Niolox has been heat treated to 59 HRC, which is supposedly on the low end of what it can take.

In my cutting tests I found that Niolox was extremely tough, held a nice working edge, and sharpened easily on basic stones. The edge it took was extremely keen. I liken it to a high carbon steel such as 1095, but it’s stainless steel and seems to have better edge retention. It may not be quite as tough as 1095, but then again I didn’t have any issues at all with chipping or rolling. I also drove the blade through a 2×4 in a fairly extensive tip test without any issues. Based on that experience I think the Ursa 6 has the potential to be a good breaching tool.

I’m still relatively inexperienced with the steel, but so far I like it a lot. I think it’s a good choice for a combat knife because I found it very tough and extremely easy to sharpen – a must when you are out in the field, miles away from your regular sharpening equipment.

Handle and Ergonomics

The handle of this knife is extremely impressive. The ultra wide piece of steel is flanked by 2 thick pieces of black peel ply G10. It really beefs up the handle and provides this rugged overbuilt feel that can’t help but inspire confidence. The spine of the handle is gently rounded and flows perfectly into the G10 scales. The scales themselves have been wonderfully finished with a series of finger grooves milled into the handle. All the corners have been meticulously rounded and everything is held together with 2 sets of flat head bolts. The bolts are easy to take down with a multi-tool or coin, and you can lash the knife to a piece of wood for a spear, or store small pieces of survival equipment in the hollow handle. Rounding things out are a generous lanyard hole, and an exposed striking pommel for hammering, prying, or using as a “non-lethal” defensive option.

Ergonomically speaking the Ursa 6 is well thought out and executed. The knife is well balanced, and the fat handle is extremely nice; providing excellent grip and a comfortable purchase. The knife feels solid in both forward and reverse grips.

My only gripe has to do with the jimping. Blackwater installed this interesting wirestripping jimping – it works as jimping but also can strip wire. It’s a cool idea, but I found the jimping irritated my thumb under hard use. If you are wearing leather gloves I doubt you would feel it, but it could tear up fabric gloves and can certainly eat into bare flesh. My advice would be to tweak the jimping so it isn’t quite as abrasive. Then again, perhaps I was using the knife differently from how a real professional would. All things considered I like how the Ursa 6 feels in hand.

Sheath

The Ursa 6 comes equipped with a full featured cordura sheath. There are multiple attachment points at the top and bottom for paracord and webbing. The back of the sheath is fully MOLLE compatible and can also accept a belt. There is a good sized pocket on the front of the sheath for a sharpening stone or whatever else you want to cram into it.

Inside the sheath is a molded plastic insert. It provides good retention for the blade, and is fully reversible for left or right side carry. There is a strong secondary retention strap with a metal snap. I like this style of retention strap because it is made of thick plastic that can be bent out of the way, and also will resist abrasion if you do happen to nick it when you withdraw the knife from the sheath. The metal snap is strong and does a great job further securing the knife.

All in all this is a well thought out sheath. It’s lightweight, secure, and you have multiple mounting options. I think for most people this will work very well.

Blackwater Ursa 6 Review – Final Thoughts

The Ursa 6 is a tank of a knife. Everything about it is overbuilt with durability and utility in mind. The 6mm thick backbone and tough tool steel make this knife practically indestructible. I beat the Ursa 6 though a 2×4 and it didn’t even blink. While I have zero military experience I think this is a robust design that will hold up well to the rigors of aggressive daily use.

Also, the folks at Lionsteel did an exceptional job realizing Blackwater’s design. The construction as well as fit and finish is outstanding. Everything from the cardboard box to the rounded spine oozes quality and attention to detail. The knife is so pretty I initially cringed at the thought of plunging it into a tin can – but I know this is a tool that was meant to be used, and I thought the very least I could do was give it a thorough test drive.

It’s also worth mentioning Blackwater offers an extended warranty for military personnel who register their knife. Under this policy the knife is protected against loss, breakage, defects, theft or any other issues for 2 years (and additional coverage can be purchased). This is another awesome detail that has me walking away from the Ursa 6 extremely impressed.

In closing, I definitely recommend the Ursa 6 if you need a high quality tool that will hold up well under hard use.

Blackwater Ursa 6 – $260
From: BladeHQ

I recommend purchasing the Ursa 6 at BladeHQ. Buying the knife though the links on this site earns me a small commission and helps support the website. As always, thanks for reading – please let me know if you have any comments or questions in the comments section below.

DPx HEST/F 2.0 Review

by Dan Jackson 22 Comments

Last Updated: March 3, 2018
A hard use frame lock with multi-tool capabilities, the [easyazon_link asin=”B006QFBOG2″ locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”brdfkdfk-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]DPx HEST[/easyazon_link] is a unique offering from a small company with an interesting pedigree. The HEST is designed by journalist Robert Young Pelton, who is known for traveling to dangerous places and going after the stories few journalists dare to pursue. RYP is the founder of knife company DPx Gear, and designed the HEST for those kinds of dangerous excursions and his adventurous spirit is reflected in nearly every aspect of the knife. In fact, DPx stands for “Dangerous Places Extreme” and HEST stands for “Hostile Environment Survival Tool.”

Buy the DPx HEST at BladeHQ

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While I can’t say that I took my HEST 2.0 to any dangerous places or particularly hostile environments, but I did EDC the knife for a while. So with that in mind I’ll attempt to uncover some of the nuances of this unique offering from DPx.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The HEST has an overall length of 7.63″, has a 3.1″ blade, and it weighs 5.1 ounces. 5.1 ounces may seem kind of chunky on paper, but honestly the HEST feels fairly light for it’s size. Or maybe I’ve just been spending too much time playing around with incredibly beefy Zero Tolerance folders… either way I think the HEST is not too big for EDC although it’s definitely billed as a hard use tool and will be overkill for most typical urban and suburban EDC tasks. I also want to mention that the HEST has been manufactured by LionSteel, an Italian knife manufacturer known for their innovative designs and high quality cutlery.

The blade is a modified drop point defined by a massive belly forming a needle sharp tip. I like the bold and aggressive lines – it’s a unique shape for sure. Adding further interest to the knife is the 5mm thick blade stock. This is quite impressive for a medium sized folding knife, and reinforces the hard use mantra RYP ascribes to. The knife has been given a high flat grind, so it’s still a decent slicer. Rounding things off is a bottle opener. I typically carry a small bottle opener on my keys, but you can never have too many cap lifters and it’s inclusion makes for a memorable blade shape.

DPx selected D2 tool steel for the HEST, and I like their choice. D2 is often referred to as a “semi-stainless” steel. It’s actually a high carbon tool steel, but it will not rust as easily as say, 1095. What I like about D2 is the great combination of edge retention and toughness it offers. It will still rust however, so I’m glad DPx went with a high quality Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) blade coating – it both looks good and will make maintenance a little easier.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The HEST features a thick olive drab G10 scale on one side of the handle. On the other side, the HEST has a full titanium slab which doubles as the frame lock. I really like the way the handle has been finished. The G10 has been crisply contoured and the titanium slab has been given a beautiful stonewash. Everything bolts together with a partial backspacer. The handle slabs are nice and thick, and there is a real feeling of quality with the way this handle has been put together.

The DPx HEST benefits from a solid ergonomic plan. First of all, the handle is a good size and it’s shaped in a way to capture your fingers. There is also a nice thumb ramp with excellent jimping that doubles as a set of wire strippers. I’m not sure how well it actually strips wire, but it does a great job of holding your thumb in place. The G10 is roughly textured but the knife feels very comfortable thanks to the well contoured edges.

The knife feels good in reverse grip too, provided you do not have the optional glass breaker in place. The glass breaker actually holds the pocket clip in place, so DPx also includes a flat replacement screw and a little one piece multi-tool that works to replace the glass breaker, remove the pocket clip and adjust the pivot screw. I’d recommend swapping out the glass breaker if you plan on using this knife in reverse grip a lot.

Speaking of pocket clips, the HEST has a nice deep carry clip. I’m not a huge fan of how the “H.E.S.T.” insignia is emblazoned on the clip, but the hardened stainless steel clip is nicely stonewashed to match the handle slab and does offer great retention in the pocket. As for mounting options, it’s right side tip up carry only. DPx also offers a left-handed version for southpaws like myself.

Deployment and Lockup

The HEST makes use of ambidextrous thumb studs for deployment, which are large and easy to get at. DPx also selected teflon washers for the knife, which personally I’m not a huge fan of. Now, I’ve received some interesting feedback from readers in defense of the teflon washers, and I agree that they do make for a smooth deployment. I prefer phosphor bronze washers because they are more durable, only get smoother with time, and generally like to flick open faster. But I also acknowledge that some people prefer teflon, and they are found in a good number of high end knives (especially Japanese and European folders). So teflon washers must be good for something, right? So I will leave this as an “it is what it is” situation. If you like teflon washers then you will love the HEST 2.0.

Unfortunately, lockup also raises a couple issues with the HEST. One thing I noticed about my particular knife is that the lock sticks a little. It’s mildly annoying, but in my opinion it’s better than blade play (or even worse, total failure of the lock). After posting my video review of the knife I received a couple suggestions to apply graphite to the lock face. This actually eliminated my sticky lock issue, which is great, but I wonder how long this fix will last. So far so good, but I can’t say the initial lockup inspired a ton of confidence. For this reason, I avoid using the bottle opener feature as a wave to rapidly deploy the knife. Given my already shaky experience with the lock I didn’t feel like the knife was really designed for the stress of being repeatedly waved open. I know some (many?) will disagree, and that is fine.

I also noticed that several people have mentioned that their HEST 2.0’s exhibit some blade play. I didn’t experience that with my knife, but having noticed that my lock sticks a little I could see how play might develop. I know some people like to use the bottle opener as a wave feature – guys, I do not recommend waving this knife or being overly rough with deployment. Most framelocks can’t take being flicked open repeatedly and I don’t think repeatedly subjecting your HEST to the force of waving the knife open is a good idea if you want your frame lock to go the distance.

Finally, I wanted to mention the RotoBlock, which is a cool innovation from LionSteel. Basically it acts as a lockbar stabilizer (which prevents over-extension of the lock upon disengagement), but it can also be cinched down to keep the lock from accidentally disengaging. This is a neat little invention and I’m happy to see it on the knife.

DPx HEST 2.0 Review – Final Thoughts

All in all I like the HEST 2.0. When you consider the high quality materials, interesting design and beautiful finishes it’s almost hard to believe the knife can be had for $175 brand new. There are a lot of little things that set the HEST apart from the pack, and I like the bold lines and aggressive look of this knife. One thing I don’t normally talk about is the packaging. The HEST comes in a beautiful box with a nice manual. The inclusion of the little skull multi-tool is another nice touch. It’s obvious a lot of pride went into the design and implementation of this knife.

However, I have to admit I’m somewhat concerned about my lock. A sticky lock isn’t dangerous, but it is annoying. I was able to stop the lock from sticking by adding some graphite to the lock face, but am not sure how great of a fix this is. I’m also suspicious of blade play developing, as I’ve heard that is possible from a couple reputable sources.

So the HEST is a cool knife, but it’s not perfect. If an extremely consistent frame lock is important to you, I might recommend something like the rock-solid Zero Tolerance 0550 or the wonderfully done Spyderco Sage 2 instead. Or if you are in love with the design, perhaps consider one of the many cool [easyazon_link asin=”B00DSVU9RM” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”brdfkdfk-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]fixed blade versions[/easyazon_link] of the knife. That said, I still think that the HEST has its merits. If you like the design it’s a cool knife and that is worth considering.

DPx Gear HEST 2.0 – $175.00
Retail Price: $218.75
You Save: $43.75
from: BladeHQ

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I recommend purchasing the HEST at BladeHQ or [easyazon_link asin=”B00DSVU9RM” locale=”US” new_window=”default” nofollow=”default” tag=”brdfkdfk-20″ add_to_cart=”default” cloaking=”default” localization=”default” popups=”default”]Amazon[/easyazon_link]. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.