New Knife - MKM Root

The man responsible for the design of this knife is none other than our Danish virtuoso Jens Ansø. I have previously presented a number of knives signed by him and it can be quickly established that some of his models are quite close in appearance. This applies, for example, to the relationship between Fox "Ziggy" which was a "direct translation" of his custom knife of the same name, and the last one I reviewed, MKM "Goccia" which in turn was a production version of his knife Neo. There is a cumulative development, but the kinship remains.

The same can be said about this model from the same company, MKM or Maniago Knife Makers as the abbreviation reads. The knife is named Root.

Anyone who knows their Ansø knows that he collaborated with ZT a few years ago and the result was their first slip joint called the 0230. It's a nice knife but it suffers from a few flaws. This is where development comes in. Root really beats that knife at a couple of points. But it could also be because they are better at making that type of knife in Italy. But I leave that unsaid.

MKM Root

The model is by no means new, but this particular version is new for 2023. What has happened is that alongside all the editions with handles in titanium or aluminum with or without inserts in the sides, there have been added variants with micarta handles or wood in the handle sides. This particular knife has been made from Santos wood. A dark wood with sympathetic grain that I believe belongs to the mahogany family. In any case, it is a South American species of hardwood.

Distinctive about the knife itself is partly that it is a slip joint and partly that it lacks a clip. However, it is delivered with a sturdy and well-sewn sheath, which in turn has a magnetic clip that can be attached inside a pocket.

It is not a violently large knife as it measures 166 mm in length, of which the blade is 71 mm. Add to that a weight of a modest 70 g and you will understand the format.

But first impressions are very good and it will be interesting to see how this knife behaves over time. It can be said that it cuts significantly better than the knife I initially compared it to!

Maniago Knife Makers

/ J - impressed

#knivesandbikes #knivigtvarre