What do you do when you’re not talking knives?
I’m a proud father of my two little big boys. I’ve been a car mechanic for 18 years now and in my time off I like to spend time in the outdoors hiking, bushcrafting and camping. Besides my regular job I’m one of the owners of the DKE, the Dutch Knife Exhibition. I’m also the Dutch representative for WE Knife Co.
Which ANSØ knife do you own – and how did it find its way into your hands?
To be real specific, I’m the proud owner of TOKO #417. She was eyeballing me ever since I stepped foot on the Have A Knives Day Festival at Knivesandtools. I knew there would only be two plain ones sold that day so I promised myself (and my wallet) that if she made it till the end of the day I’d take her home. Jens was so kind to pack her once more and handed her over in person.
What made you choose this knife in particular?
I’m a sucker for a high quality plain titanium carry. No fancy colors just plain and “simple in all its beauty”. Pair that with some green or natural canvas micarta gear, or even better brown leather, and you have a winner.
I’m in the hobby for 20 years now and I have gotten quite picky or let’s just say ‘ I really do know what I like and what I don’t like”.
I’m the kind of person that sells/skips the knives that are off centered or have a non symmetrical grind. I’m also the person that tunes every new Sebenza I buy because they all had side to side play (and I had a lot!)
Not to talk bad about CRK in any way! The majority of my collection consists of my beloved CRK’s. I’m just a nitpicker.
Everything has to be perfect on a knife.
My Toko is such a knife. Size, materials, attention to details, fit&finish, action.. all spot on!
What has surprised you most about owning an ANSØ knife?
I really like the phrase: “Don’t make something unless it’s both necessary and useful. But if it’s both necessary and useful, don‘t hesitate to make it beautiful.”
This reflects surprisingly well on the design language.
My Toko is an absolute gem to hold but when you hold it and close your eyes, you feel a well thought out tool. All my fingers are in the right spot. To point out just one thing, the jimping is further up the spine so my thumb lands there naturally. It’s such a cool knife that I now want a Toko fixed blade so I can beat a little more in the great outdoors.
What else do you carry every day?
In the 20+ years I kinda minimized my carry to what I really really use. I used to have full pockets and not even room to spare for a candy bar. Now it’s just my phone, watch, folder, multitool, wallet. At work I’ll add a pen and in the wintertime I’ll add a proper flashlight. I usually take notes on my phone and my Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire has a plenty-bright flashlight for summertime.
My wallet of choice is an OpenSeaLeather Topsider in Moab Tan for 6 years now. My folder gets changed out every other day but is often a CRK or a WE Knife. As a multitool I have a Victorinox Rambler with Ti Woro scales or my BigIdesign TPT Slide.
As a watch I wear my Garmin Fenix 7 Pro Sapphire most of the week for health tracking and I switch it out for my Rolex Submariner 114060 when I feel fancy.
For a pen I use Bigidesign pens with the Knafs collab Sancho being my favorite. It was a gift from Ben Petersen for helping him film the Kickstarter of the Sancho here at the windmills of Kinderdijk where I live.
The bigger multitools, flashlight, fixed blade and first aid are in my backpack always close to me.
I’m a big fan of TRC Knives so I always have one with me.
Do you have an EDC tip or habit you think more people should know about?
Don’t carry stuff on your person that you probably only use once a week. Put it in your car, jacket or a pack and it’s plenty close by when you need it. It keeps your mobility and your pants up.
Don’t overdo maintenance. Nowadays most knives are made with such quality that they stay sharp for a long time, so please don’t over-strop, and they really don’t need to be disassembled every week. It’s fun though —I’m the last one that denies that —but not necessary and adds wear to certain parts. Just rinse, dry, use a cotton swab for the internals and gently oil the pivot once in a while.
When you’re not thinking about knives – what’s your other obsession?
My wife and kids for sure! Besides that everything hiking, camping, outdoor cooking and some general bushcrafting. I love to spend time with the fam and in the great outdoors. Combine those two and you have a win-win!
I also like to tinker a lot. I’m always busy creating, sometimes knives sometimes other miscellaneous stuff. That’s the fun thing I never know where my mind takes me.
