- Joined
- Dec 16, 2011
- Messages
- 1,394
First off I want to reference something John himself said about the E01 series from 2016 before I get to the review and pictures. He said
“it is designed small to carry easily, and like fire and water, this is an Element to carry”
I’ve had mine for 1 year and about 3 months now and after that time I can say John has created one of the best if not the best Pocket fixed blades out there. Here are the photos once it arrived.
The E01 Hunter was my first custom knife. I had seen Johns work in the past and knew I always wanted one but couldn’t afford one at the time. Flash forward to now a lil over a year ago and I placed my order for a E01 Hunter.
Specs:
3” clip point blade of his amazingly treated 01 steel
1/8” thick Full Tang
4” handle with brass pins and some amazing Maple Burl wood
At a base model price of $160 this is a steal!
The first thing I want to talk about on the knife besides the amazing finish work that was done is the handle and how ergonomic it is.
The cut out by the blade is exactly where my finger wants to rest and the subtle curve up of the handle lets your hand rest easy and secure inducing no fatigue in use.
The shape of the cut out is also key in the amazing ergonomics. As you can see it’s made for the shape of your thumb to rest in while using it in a reverse style grip. Making some skinning tasks as well as just opening packages, and other day to day tasks that much more comfortable.
Mine has a slight taper towards the front to assist in the pinch grip. I think this is something I requested when I ordered but maybe
JK Knives
can chime in and help answer that one.
The handle contours also offer a secure reverse grip if needed. Making the ergos of this knife extremely well thought out for handling your everyday tasks.
I carry the E01 Hunter in a pocket sheath I made in my right front pocket almost everyday. My profession as a Wildlife Biologist sometimes requires the use of a fixed blade over a folder and this knife has beaten every other knife I own out of my pocket time and time again. From field work on remote ranches to Cutting up lunch at the office. To also cutting up that stack of cardboard you’ve been putting off. John has created a true companion knife I’ve been able to trust my life on if the need arose. While also giving the knife a soul and feel of its own that you don’t get with production knives.
The knife is tough enough to handle obscure field tasks that randomly pop up and get you out of a bad situation in a remote area.
To being a good looking non scary blade that can also attend big meetings and city outings.
The 01 steel is done amazingly well and I have yet to find another 01 that performs like Johns treatment. From food perpetration tasks in the kitchen to cutting up massive amounts of cardboard the 01 has handled it all with ease. If the edge ever felt lacking a quick hit on a strop and ceramic rod brought it back up to shaving sharp. Since receiving the knife in May of 2018 I’ve only had to sharpen it twice and this knife is used every single day either at work or at the house.
I feel the combination of everything mentioned above can be hard to find sometimes in a knife, and Johns E01 Hunter model continues to step up to the plate and deliver constantly.
I believe in the EDC fixed blade world this knife is severely underrated by most people and needs to be on everyone’s list of considerations when looking for a pocket sized fixed blade. John has a lot of options for handles and is willing to make them in all kinds of blade shapes. He will also take handle material you have bought and put it on your knife to give you a true custom knife experience.
Since this purchase over a year ago I know own 6 of his designs and have two on the way currently. Another E01 Hunter in a tanto chisel grind for me. And a E01 EDC his slightly smaller model at 6 1/2” OAL for my fiancée with some beautiful cholla cactus handle scales I sent him. This knife is a true companion tool that will serve you for years to come. While also being a great way to get a custom knife at a extremely reasonable cost that you can call your own.
If your in the market for a EDC fixed blade I think this should be a serious consideration and you should shoot John a message or an email to talk options. He’s a great guy to work with and one of the nicest people I know. And after over a year of carrying I do believe this knife is as important as the Elements fire and water like John stated.
“it is designed small to carry easily, and like fire and water, this is an Element to carry”
I’ve had mine for 1 year and about 3 months now and after that time I can say John has created one of the best if not the best Pocket fixed blades out there. Here are the photos once it arrived.
The E01 Hunter was my first custom knife. I had seen Johns work in the past and knew I always wanted one but couldn’t afford one at the time. Flash forward to now a lil over a year ago and I placed my order for a E01 Hunter.
Specs:
3” clip point blade of his amazingly treated 01 steel
1/8” thick Full Tang
4” handle with brass pins and some amazing Maple Burl wood
At a base model price of $160 this is a steal!
The first thing I want to talk about on the knife besides the amazing finish work that was done is the handle and how ergonomic it is.
The cut out by the blade is exactly where my finger wants to rest and the subtle curve up of the handle lets your hand rest easy and secure inducing no fatigue in use.
The shape of the cut out is also key in the amazing ergonomics. As you can see it’s made for the shape of your thumb to rest in while using it in a reverse style grip. Making some skinning tasks as well as just opening packages, and other day to day tasks that much more comfortable.
Mine has a slight taper towards the front to assist in the pinch grip. I think this is something I requested when I ordered but maybe
JK Knives
can chime in and help answer that one. The handle contours also offer a secure reverse grip if needed. Making the ergos of this knife extremely well thought out for handling your everyday tasks.
I carry the E01 Hunter in a pocket sheath I made in my right front pocket almost everyday. My profession as a Wildlife Biologist sometimes requires the use of a fixed blade over a folder and this knife has beaten every other knife I own out of my pocket time and time again. From field work on remote ranches to Cutting up lunch at the office. To also cutting up that stack of cardboard you’ve been putting off. John has created a true companion knife I’ve been able to trust my life on if the need arose. While also giving the knife a soul and feel of its own that you don’t get with production knives.
The knife is tough enough to handle obscure field tasks that randomly pop up and get you out of a bad situation in a remote area.
To being a good looking non scary blade that can also attend big meetings and city outings.
The 01 steel is done amazingly well and I have yet to find another 01 that performs like Johns treatment. From food perpetration tasks in the kitchen to cutting up massive amounts of cardboard the 01 has handled it all with ease. If the edge ever felt lacking a quick hit on a strop and ceramic rod brought it back up to shaving sharp. Since receiving the knife in May of 2018 I’ve only had to sharpen it twice and this knife is used every single day either at work or at the house.
I feel the combination of everything mentioned above can be hard to find sometimes in a knife, and Johns E01 Hunter model continues to step up to the plate and deliver constantly.
I believe in the EDC fixed blade world this knife is severely underrated by most people and needs to be on everyone’s list of considerations when looking for a pocket sized fixed blade. John has a lot of options for handles and is willing to make them in all kinds of blade shapes. He will also take handle material you have bought and put it on your knife to give you a true custom knife experience.
Since this purchase over a year ago I know own 6 of his designs and have two on the way currently. Another E01 Hunter in a tanto chisel grind for me. And a E01 EDC his slightly smaller model at 6 1/2” OAL for my fiancée with some beautiful cholla cactus handle scales I sent him. This knife is a true companion tool that will serve you for years to come. While also being a great way to get a custom knife at a extremely reasonable cost that you can call your own.
If your in the market for a EDC fixed blade I think this should be a serious consideration and you should shoot John a message or an email to talk options. He’s a great guy to work with and one of the nicest people I know. And after over a year of carrying I do believe this knife is as important as the Elements fire and water like John stated.
