DPx Gear Celebrates Its American Manufacturers

DPx Gear Celebrates Its American Manufacturers

July 11, 2018 1 Comment

Made in America is an important part of DPx Gear's product line.

When the DPx HEST Original came out in 2008, it had to be three things:

  1. Made in the USA
  2. High quality but still affordable
  3. Backed by a lifetime warranty

We choose to make more of our products in the states to support US labor and the amazing talented manufacturers that share similar passions in their business operations.

DPx Gear's American Manufacturers

Southern Grind, Rowen Manufacturing and White River Knife & Tool

The DPx HEST/F Urban Models are Made by Zac Brown's Southern Grind in Peachtree City, GA

Southern Grind, Zac Brown’s Georgia-based knife company, offers unrivaled knife lines and unique metal works made by American hands using extremely high quality materials and an unparalleled attention to detail.

As a true knife enthusiast, Zac has always been interested in blade design and production. He created Southern Grind to be representative of what he believes knives should be – ruggedly dependable and highly functional, born from state of the art technology and quality that is second to none.

The blade material is the classic American blade steel developed by American steel manufacturer Crucible called CPM  S35VN. The stainless steel formulation is a gentle formula tweak in 2009 of the already outstanding quality of the S30VN blade steel.

The frame material choice for this new American classic is our U.S.-made alpha beta titanium alloy used in medical implants and aerospace applications. The Ti-6Al-4V material is light, strong, heat-resistant and corrosion-free. A lifetime of use will polish the edges of bead blast finished frames to a beautiful patina.

The overall fit and finish of the Urban series knives are second to none. The solid DPx Gear "bank vault" lock up and crisp snap as the bearing pivot blade flies open is a testament to the American knife maker's art.

The DPx HEST Originals are made by Shon Rowen Manufacturing in Idaho Falls, ID. 

Rowen Manufacturing is a family company built upon old fashioned, made in the U.S.A., quality craftsmanship.  Shon has been a machinist and metalworker since childhood, having learned the craft from his father, also a machinist by trade.  His spacious, climate controlled facility in Idaho operates under the premise people do better work when they are comfortable.  Rowen's exclusive heat treatment to the 1095 Spring Steel used for the DPx HEST Original results in a Rockwell Hardness of 57-58.

 

Our DPx HEST Original sells day in, day out because it is the perfect EDC survival knife. A combination of RYP’s lifetime of hard won field experience and Shon Rowen’s obsession with manufacturing quality.

The DPx HEAT Hikers are made by White River Knife and Tool Company in Coopersville, MI.

White River Knives is a family operated and owned company who's name is inspired by the White River that runs through the family property in the Manistee National Forest in Michigan.  They are passionate about making premium American made knives, with a focus on those used for hunting and fishing. White River offers decades of manufacturing experience with a keen eye for fit and finish.

Professionals that like to lighten their load, love these minimalist but tough 2.1 oz knives with carabiner clip and lightweight Kydex sheath. Manufactured in Michigan from CPM S30V martensitic stainless steel they hold a wicked edge. The steel was developed by Cornell-educated Dick Barber at New York’s Crucible Industries in collaboration with knife-making legend Chris Reeve. The DPx Gear HEAT Hiker is minimalist art that lasts many lifetimes.



1 Response

Darrell
Darrell

September 17, 2019

Weren’t the early urban folders made by Florian or a company other than southern grind?

Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.


Also in News

Beyond Black Ops: Ric Prado’s Life and Untold Stories of Espionage
Beyond Black Ops: Ric Prado’s Life and Untold Stories of Espionage

August 08, 2025

Robert Young Pelton sits down with Enrique “Ric” Prado, a decorated CIA officer whose covert work shaped decades of U.S. paramilitary operations. Known for his leadership in the Contra War, counterterrorism missions, and the development of modern “find, fix, finish” kill teams, Prado’s life reads like a spy thriller. Pelton and Prado share a mutual friend, CIA legend Billy Waugh, who goes beyond what was allowed in his best-selling book and takes the audience into uncharted, dangerous, and never-before-discussed territory.

Read More

The World's Most Dangerous Podcast is Here
The World's Most Dangerous Podcast is Here

July 23, 2025

When Reza Allahbakshi, a survival instructor and journalist, first picked up a battered used copy of The World’s Most Dangerous Places, he didn’t expect the man behind it to be so complex. Pelton, the author in question, isn’t just a writer — he’s a lumberjack, marketer, blaster’s assistant, television host, and, most notably, a relentless and fearless explorer of the globe’s most volatile zones. 

In this rich and often philosophical conversation, Pelton pulls back the curtain on his origins.

Read More

DPx Gear Releases the DPx HEST/F 4.0 Ti
DPx Gear Releases the DPx HEST/F 4.0 Ti

May 22, 2025

It is  a rare moment when a product, a designer, and a legacy blend into one perfect moment. Robert Young Pelton has been working and living in the bush, war zones, and dangerous places since he was ten. He designed his first knife in 2008, and 17 years  and over two dozen patents later, he is still perfecting the Hostile Environment Survival Tool—a proven design that is beautiful, ergonomic, dependable, and functional. In that obsession lies an ancient concept of elegance, form, and function, designed to be used roughly and to age with grace.  This is a perfection of that vision.

Read More