Sharp, Strong, and AEB-L: Dauntless Hot and Ready Work Knife Review

This year’s wet weather has turned both my cucumber and tomato plants into wild and massive mutations. I’ve also been processing a ton of wood for campfires to keep the mosquitos at bay and stretching the summer nights out a little longer. 

Throughout all of this, I have had a singular knife hanging off my belt to get these jobs done — the Hot and Ready Work Knife V1 from Dauntless Manufacturing. It’s a comparatively compact full tang dandy with AEB-L steel and natural Micarta handle scales. It’s the same knife that almost took off the tip of my finger when I was harvesting some jewelweed to take care of a relentless poison ivy rash.

And that’s not a bad thing.

In short: Razor-sharp, reliable, and tough as nails, the Hot and Ready Work Knife V1 from Dauntless Manufacturing and Matt Helm Knives makes hard work easy. The 3.3-inch sheepsfoot blade is made of excellent AEB-L steel and weighs 5.1 ounces. For day-to-day use around the house, on the trail, and even in my garden, this knife proved to be a workhorse. I like it so much that it’s become my everyday carry (EDC) knife.

Dauntless Hot and Ready Work Knife Review

The Dauntless Hot and Ready Work Knife V1 is a production version of a knife originally created by Texas knifemaker Matt Helm. Made from AEB-L stainless steel and featuring natural Micarta handle scales, the Hot and Ready V1 (like the V2, V3, and V4) comes preconfigured.

This is a departure from other Dauntless knives, like The Hiker and The Harris. Those blades can be customized with various steels, handle materials, and sheaths.

Design & Features

The size, shape, and thickness of the Hot and Ready V1 all affect how well it fits into a variety of hands and how it performs. There is ample choil for your index finger, jimping, and a downward ramp on the spine for your thumb. This hold configuration allows the user to position their hand naturally, minimizing fatigue.

Additionally, in flipping the knife around, your pinky will find its way into the choil as your thumb commandeers the space on the butt of the knife, which also has jimping for an increased grip.

The Dauntless Hot and Ready V1 also has robust hardware, removable scales for an even more streamlined experience, and a hidden lanyard hole. As you may know, I am a big fan of a well-executed lanyard. The one I have festooned the V1 with is one of my favorites.

Dauntless sent along two sheath options for me to use with the knife. The first is a low-profile Kydex sheath that covers only the blade. The second is the standard black sheath that comes with the Dauntless Hot and Ready V1.

The brand also sent along a larger, gray Kydex sheath. This sheath covers up to the last 13⁄4” of the knife and allows it to sit lower on your belt. I prefer this sheath because it keeps the knife from getting in the way of the hip belt of my backpack.

That AEB-L Drip

AEB-L is a stainless steel that first hit the market in 1961. Originally adopted by brands like Gillette, it was a top choice for razor blades because of its stainless properties and toughness.

Over time, it became more popular in disposable razors because it doesn’t hold a shaving edge for a long time, making razors that had to be replaced. Stellar marketing for a brand like Gillette, which has made a fortune in the disposable razor market. 

For knives, AEB-L became a cult classic due to its incredible stainless properties and overall toughness. Additionally, it’s very easy to resharpen or rehone. Since I received this knife, I have rehoned it twice, and it returns to its razor-edged factory luster with little effort.

In a world full of MagnaCut and S-steels, AEB-L shouldn’t be overlooked just because it needs a little touch-up here and there. I have put this blade through hell throughout this wet and muggy summer. It continues to clean up and hold its own.

‘Hot and Ready‘

The “Hot and Ready” part of the Hot and Ready Work Knife refers to the fact that these four versions are preconfigured. They are fixed at $220.

There are also customizable versions of the knife available. Those offer different steels, scales, and sheaths. These are just called the “Matt Helm Work Knife” and can reach prices upward of $300.

First Impression

With my background in engineering and knifemaking, certain knives pop out at me for their design and materials. But every once in a while, one shows up on my radar primarily due to its craftsmanship. 

I had reached out to the folks at Dauntless to test out The Hiker. It’s the brand’s full-tang MagnaCut knife aimed at the outdoor crowd. Through the course of our conversations, the Hot and Ready Work Knife came up. I love Micarta and have been looking for an opportunity to work with AEB-L steel. It’s an OG steel that’s revered in the knife-making world. So, in the end, Dauntless sent me both knives to use and abuse.

After more than a month of using them out in the wild, I can attest that they are both built to last. However, the Hot and Ready V1 has become one of my two belt EDCs. (The other is the Fox Chilin.)

I like it so much that I would strap this knife to my jammies if I wasn’t a side sleeper. That said, I have never cut myself with a knife as much as I have with the V1. And like I’ve said, that’s not a bad thing. AEB-L is incredible, especially when thinned out on the edge and sharpened to a suitable polish. I know I can rely on it when I need it.

In the Field

For many years, I only wore a fixed-blade knife on my belt when I went hiking or camping. I started to enjoy the ease of access and the number of more demanding tasks a fixed-blade knife could do over a folding knife. If a folding knife is a great task knife, a fixed-blade knife can be a great utility knife.

So, I started wearing one all of the time. With the Hot and Ready V1, I found a knife that was easy to carry, comfortable to use, and easy to maintain. It’s also summer, and I am always outside doing something.

I relied on the knife for way more than I originally intended to. It became my camp knife for food and wood prep when camping. I used it to pry up some of the old wood on my walkway at the house. I even used to slice up a bunch of apples for my kids out on the trail during a balmy hike before the Fourth of July.

It’s a well-rounded utility knife. It’s small enough to remain generally concealed out in public. And it’s overly effective when you need it. 

Blade Shape & Handle

Sheepsfoot-style blades are less aggressive than the ubiquitous Drop Point style, but I find them to be just as effective. Yes, they lack the ease of stabbing and piercing, but it can still be done. However, I don’t stab or pierce a lot of stuff. A blade shape that can slice, cut, chop, and shave is more in line with what I need. On the Hot and Ready V1, the Sheepsfoot design also helps with the overall flow and ergonomics of the knife.

I love Micarta because it maintains a good grip in any condition. With all of the heat and humidity that we’ve had, this has proven to be very important. I feel like I’ve been wet since the end of May.

This is also where the stainless properties of the AEB-L really had an impact. Cutting cucumbers and tomatoes off their vines is a wet and gooey job. Additionally, the shape of the knife made it easy to get in between all the plant stalks in the garden to slice off those veggies without knicking or cutting anything else. 

Rehoning

Rehoning, as opposed to resharpening, is the process of refining the edge of a knife blade to restore its effectiveness. It’s less a practice of removing materials and more of one of polishing the edge and removing impurities.

Even though AEB-L isn’t known for holding a razor edge for a prolonged period of time, I have yet to need to resharpen it. I have rehoned it a couple of times using the refinement side of the Tumbler Rolling Knife Sharpener that I have also been reviewing. But even after digging, cutting, chopping, slicing, and prying with the Hot and Ready V1, the edge was still in great shape.

Dauntless Hot and Ready: Conclusion

The Hot and Ready Work Knife V1 is a really well-rounded knife that would suit anyone’s daily bladed needs.

Out of all the knives I have tested and reviewed, there are less than a dozen that I use over and over after testing is over. The Hot and Ready V1 will remain by my side when I am out and about, camping, or just tinkering around the yard and house. A month in, and I am still in the honeymoon phase.

There were days the Hot and Ready V1 was in my hands for hours, getting dirty and gritty. The AEB-L really showed up for everything I needed it to do. I am happy that there’s not a spot of rust or tarnish to show for it. I prefer it over MagnaCut right now — and that’s partly due to how sharp it can get.

This blade is wicked effective for getting you through a lot of different things. But if you get in its way, it’ll take a bit out of you and keep on going.