Why knives? Why not design forks or tea pots?
Frankly I don't know. I have carried a knife since I was 5 or so. I guess that always having had a knife in the pocket has lead me to strive for making the “perfect” knife.
A lot of world class knife design seems to come out of Denmark. Why do you think that is?
I am sure you are referring to my good friend Jesper Voxnaes from Vox Knives and myself…We are two out of a very small handful of professional knife makers and knife designers in Denmark. Denmark is known for design and I don´t think it is a coincidence that both Jesper and I have been so well received in the knife industry. We work hard to make it happen.
Have you ever considered moving to the US where most of your knives are sold?
Certainly, but there is no place like home :)
Do you own hand guns?
I own several handguns and shoot them regularly at the local sports shooting range. Unless I was to move to a state that is friendly to automatic rifles, I feel I have pretty much what I desire in guns :) Among the hand guns I own I favor the Sig Sauer P210 and Smith and Wesson 686. Both shoot extremely well.
Which is your favorite Ansø design of all time?
It is very hard to pick just one design….they are all my “children”… how can you pick between them? … Of the models I make myself I always tend to like the most recent project the best.
Which knife of yours would you bring on trip around the world on a vintage Ducati?
I actually don't own a lot of knives but I would most likely carry either a custom Haddock (which IS one of my favorite designs I have made)… or my new model I call Monte Carlo. The latter would work well for this purpose as it is legal to carry just about anywhere in the world, incl. Denmark. The bike would probably be a Triumph though. I do like Ducatis but have a thing for Triumphs.
Which is your most favorite knife design of any knife designer of all time?
Again i would be hard pressed to single out one knife but two designs that have meant a lot for me as a knife maker/ designer would be the Vietnam-era Randall 1-7 and WWII Sykes Fairbairn dagger. Both where featured in some of the first literature I studied when getting my feet wet in knife making in the late 1980's Both designs are in my mind very beautiful, simple and purpose driven. Three factors I value very highly in my own designs.
Image from fairbairnsykesfightingknives.com
The article in "Popular Mechanics" that got Jens motivated to make his first crude knife. A skiing Ronald Reagan on the cover. Don't ask.
What is next coming out of the Ansø workshop?
Currently working on a very exciting project. A non-locking, two hand opening knife that I will be producing myself.
The name of the model is Monte Carlo and is a sub-70mm folder. Designed specifically to meet with the strict knife laws in Denmark. These features makes it legal to carry just about anywhere in the world where strict carry laws are in effect. I hope to launch this new model within the next month or two. Check my Facebook page for sneak peeks and updates!
Monte Carlo prototype by Jens Ansø.
