American Pocket Knives

About this project

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$100, 132

pledged of $15, 000 goal

DPx Gear's First All American Folder is Built to Last Lifetimes

Designed by Robert Young Pelton for DPx Gear, the DPx HEST/F Urban is the last pocket knife you’ll need for every day carry. Small, light and feature-packed, it’s just as at home in your jeans as it is in the tackle box. An heirloom quality piece of US craftsmanship that can be passed down generations with the support of a no-questions-asked lifetime warranty DPx Gear customers deserve.

Designer Robert Young Pelton is an not just known for surviving wars, he is also an award winning designer, having earned recognition for his knife designs and has secured over a dozen patents for DPx Gear.

Now DPx Gear is determined to design and build a folding knife entirely in the United States to the exacting quality standards and no-questions-asked warranty support our customers deserve. You can be part of this.

DPx Gear HEST/F Urban Specifications Features

• American bearing pivot hardware. Stainless steel caged bearing pivot hardware allows for rapid deployment and effortless closing.
• American aerospace grade titanium frame. A frame and lock made of U.S. made aerospace grade 6Al4v titanium in "battleship grey" heavy bead blast finish. Upgraded options include bronze anodized titanium or a three-dimensional Mr. DP pattern milled into the frame.
• The world's finest U.S. forged blade steel. A blade forged from U.S. made S30V stainless steel. We are selecting a hollow grind for maximum slicing capability and to be shaver sharp. All finished using a soft stonewash vibration.
• Patented DPx Gear blade notch doubles as bottle opener and quick open feature. Designed to allow the knife to open faster than an automatic and to deploy the blade to the rear of the holder, keeping it safe from the assailant. This feature was also designed to open bottles and function as a pot lifter. Every feature on a DPx Gear knife is expected to do double duty.
• Integral Hex drive. DPx Gear believes if you are going to carry around a quality knife, it better earn its keep. Our inclusion of a ¼” standard hex driver in the knife’s frame can be easily paired with a commonly available hex tool and turn your DPx HEST/F Urban into a multi tool.
• Glass breaker. Our DPx HEST/F Urban has a glass breaker made from 440c stainless steel hardened to 62 Rockwell (HRC). A potential life saving tool in the event of an auto accident or fire. Pelton designs his knives to be ergonomically held in the hand as a non-lethal deterrent.
• Tri-gauge wire stripper jimping. The thumb grip (jimping) features three notches in the exact gauges to strip household, auto and timer wire for blasting or electronics. This patented DPx Gear design feature also provides an exact but comfortable grip for your thumb, with gloves or with bare hands, so there is no slipping when using your knife.
• Deep carry pocket clip. A deep pocket clip means your pocket knife rides as low and unobtrusively as possible in your pocket. The angle of the clip over the frame lock adds additional support to the lock. The DPx HEST/F Urban is made from not just durable materials, but stain free materials. Even the clip, screws and hardware are designed to take harsh environments with ease.
• A U.S. invented, tested and proven frame lock. The U.S. invented frame lock for bulletproof lockup. First used in Chris Reeves famous Sebenza® knives, it has become the standard locking feature for high-end custom knives. We added a stainless steel cap to reduce wear on the lock face.

Choose from one of three Kickstarter exclusive versions of the knife or simply pledge what you can! All knives are serialized and come with a certificate of authenticity. All shipping will be via USPS and is in addition to the prices below. All backers will have their name added to DPx Gear's virtual Kickstarter supporter wall of fame on Please note in your order if you wish to remain anonymous.

THE STERILE EDITION: 5DPx Gear HEST/F Urban with "battleship grey" heavy bead blast finish frame. For the low key minimalist.

THE BRONZE EDITION: 0DPx Gear HEST/F Urban with bronze anodized heavy bead blast finish frame. For those who want to add a little color to their knife.

NEW ADDITION!

THE AMERICA EDITION: 0 DPx Gear HEST/F Urban with machined stars and stripes in heavy bead blast finish frame. Only 50 available for the 50 unique states in the USA.

THE MR DP EDITION: 5DPx Gear HEST/F Urban with machined Mr. DP logo in heavy bead blast finish frame. For those who want a truly unique piece.

Thanks to our backers, we have are over 500% funded. As a first token of our appreciation, we have decided to make another special configuration of the DPx HEST/F Urban in the "America Edition", proudly displaying stars and stripes, with only 50 available to represent each of the 50 states.

In addition to our new configuration, we are giving ALL BACKERS, regardless of pledge amount, a special DPx HEST/F Urban Kickstarter launch t-shirt. Design and prototype to arrive shortly. This t-shirt will be 100% American designed and made. Our T-shirt maker, 7.62 Design is veteran owned and operated.

Finally, we will be offering an add on reward of a Mr DP lanyard bead. This will make for a great accessory to your knife purchase. All Reward Tiers Qualify for this Add On!

To add a lanyard bead to your pledge:

• Go to the DPx HEST/F Urban Kickstarter page and press the Manage Your Pledge button.
• Increase your pledge in the Pledge Amount Box amount to the total of the add ons you want to add. Each bead is $10, which will include shipping.
• DO NOT change the tier you are currently pledged at (unless of course, this is your intention in addition to choosing the add ons).

At the end of the Kickstarter Campaign, you will receive a survey asking what option (or color) of bead (s) you will like.

How do you know if you are a DPx Gear customer? You work out there, hundreds of miles from help, pushing the limits of sanity, stamina and luck. Whether your world is combat, humanitarian, rescue, survival or hunting, it is where you will find DPx Gear. DPx Gear is designed for brutal use, where there is no room for failure. Our knives are not just edged tools; they are designed and built to be hostile environment survival tools. The designs stemming from DPx Gear is the result of decades of asking the question “why don’t they"…. and we did.

DPx Gear is developed to meet real world demand. Designed, tested and used in places like Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Burma, and many other hard, unforgiving places. 

 The people who advise, design, test and use DPx Gear products are equally unforgiving. Robert Young Pelton has applied his 30 years in conflict, wilderness and hard-use environments to bring the cumulative experience to DPx Gear products.

DPx Gear has made a commitment to its customers to always listen and respect hard-won experiences and to continually integrate new thinking, new features, new processes and new products to create the world's finest adventure and survival tools and gear. 

 We created our first all American fixed blade survival knife in 2008. It sold out.