Have you ever encountered a Yipper? You know the one: a little dog that barks like the king of the prairie, but really weighs less than a hamburger; a fierce pup whose bark is worse than its bite. Sometimes named Misty.
I grew up in an area where coyotes would yip and howl at night. Their call is a bit ominous—scary maybe—but they’re like those little yipper dogs: lots of noise, not so much bite. So, when Igor Bortolussi at MKM approached me about designing a knife, I started drawing a knife that is a yipper: sharp teeth, but not much bite. The Yipper is an everyday carry knife that gets work done. The blade is 2.9” with a reverse tanto. The handle is G10 with a deep carry pocket clip. It disappears in the pocket.
A few features I love:
- Micro-milling on the handle. Lovely for grip. Lovely to look at.
- Shorty deep carry pocket clip. This was Igor’s idea.
- MagnaCut steel!
- Crossbar lock! Interestingly, Fox also made it internally adjustable, so you can determine what kind of omega spring tension you want. Their idea; not mine.
Interesting fun facts about the knife:
- Ready for a wild branding trip? Let’s go to Italy! MKM is the brand that made the Yipper. MKM stands for Maniago Knife Makers, and it’s an easier English name than the actual name of Consorzio Coltellinai Maniago. Get this: there are 46 member companies within the group. 46! So… which one made the Yipper? Fox Knives. So why isn’t their name on the knife? Well, it is. Kind of. They’re part of a sub-group of MKM called Mikita. Hence, you’ll see “Made by Mikita” on the back of the blade. Ciao!
- Once upon a time: sometime around 2014, I was sitting at dinner with the team at CRKT and Jesper Voxnaes. We were deep in knife conversation, and I asked what knife Jesper had in his pocket. He whipped out a Fox Knives Zero, designed by his friend, Jens Anso. I admired it for a minute, then Jesper told me to keep it. I was thrilled. It’s one of the treasures of my collection, and it was my first introduction to Fox Knives. When Igor approached me about making a knife with MKM, I knew I wanted Fox to make it.
- I don’t copy knives when I design. However, this one was absolutely inspired by a certain knife the internet told me to buy one time (https://youtu.be/fitA1_rh8Z8?si=I28mL0WhR8xJ8IHP&t=41) . It was my least favorite knife I’ve ever owned. In fact, I disliked it so much, I sold it unceremoniously in a McDonald’s parking lot, and I never told the internet until now. The Yipper fixes everything I disliked about that knife while keeping that reverse tanto blade shape.
SPECS
Total length: 6.81" (173 mm)
Blade length: 2.83" (72mm)
Blade thickness: 0.10" (2.5 mm)
Weight: 2.29 oz
Blade steel: CPM MagnaCut
Blade steel hardness: HRC 61/63
Blade finish: Stone washed
Opening system: Thumb stud
Pivot: Ceramic caged bearings
Locking system: Crossbar lock
Handle material: G10
Handle color: Blue
Designer: Ben Petersen