Fox Brings Ansø Collab to IWA

Fox is showcasing its latest Jens Ansø collaboration, the Ziggy, at IWA 2019. The knife was on display at SHOT 2019 but is taking center stage in Nuremberg. The Fox Knives Ziggy is a premium production take on Ansø’s well-known custom folder.

Jens Ansø’s custom Ziggy fills an interesting niche in his work. The Danish maker was once known most for his quirky, even downright strange knife designs like the Zulu. In recent years he has shown a knack for adding flair to more conventional overall profiles. The Ziggy follows in that tradition, but still showcases that unique blend of quirkiness and utility that is an Ansø hallmark. Its 3-inch blade could be described as a drop point, but one that has been tweaked to turn the cutting edge into one complete, continuous curve – there’s virtually no straight edge along the blade length. The tip is very acute as well – almost as acute as what you might see on a spear point blade.

With regards to ergonomics Ansø drew up a very simple, arced handle, with subtle undulations delineating a single finger groove and a minor beak at the back end. As a custom maker Ansø is free to play with his designs, tweaking things to suit his or his customer’s taste with each one. That being said most Ziggys adhere to a very similar final configuration: sculpted titanium clip, simple titanium handle scales, and a frame lock mechanism.

In Fox’s take, the Ziggy seems to have slimmed down just a bit, with a leaner overall shape and a narrower blade. Additionally it has made the jump from frame to liner lock, which means that both front and back scales can be made from material cut into an a more standardized, less random version of the topographical Ansø pattern along two thirds of its length; the top third around the pivot is left smooth, lending the knife an unusual faux bolster look.

Fox will be offering the Ziggy in both a natural and a synthetic material. Carbon fiber should provide the lightest version of the Ziggy available, while those who like a more organic wood should check out the Ziricote variation. The company has yet to disclose a price or release.