Release year: 2003-2023

Voodoo / The Ex

Presented as a prototype during the Milan Design Week 2003, this innovative set of knives designed by Raffaele Iannello (also known as Rafz) arrived on the market in 2005, immediately achieving great success all over the world. Exhibited at the Shanghai Museum of Contemporary Art in 2006 and at the Frankfurt Museum of Applied Arts in 2016, it has also ended up in numerous television shows and film productions and on the cover of newspapers, magazines and books. International stars of the caliber of Kylie Jenner, Whoopi Goldberg, Rachael Ray and Jim Carrey, just to name a few, love it and have shown it on tv or on their social channels.

Sold from the beginning in Europe, Asia and Australia under the name Voodoo and in the USA under the name The Ex, it has now taken both names for all markets. In 2008 there was an expansion of the range (the version with pens and the one for the aperitif arrived) and in 2010 the version with knives received a profound restyling which improved its appearance and functionality, while maintaining its iconic and highly recognizable design. Victim of its own success, in 2014 the product disappeared from the market due to the numerous counterfeits and the international legal battles that followed. On the occasion of the Milan Design Week 2023, exactly 20 years after its first appearance, the Voodoo / The Ex knife set is finally back on sale!

The 20th Anniversary celebration version has been completely redesigned and improved in all respects. And it even doubled:

• Classic Edition, the iconic version with a circular base and structure in plastic material

• Anniversary Edition, a new version apparently without a base, made entirely of metal and in a limited edition

Classic Edition

New model 2023

Anniversary Edition

New model 2023

The five stainless steel knives that accompany both versions have been redesigned from scratch: their handle is now more ergonomic and features a three-dimensional decoration that improves their grip and makes them less slippery when used with wet hands. The shape of the blades has also been modified, to make them more balanced and precise in use. The better quality of stainless steel they are now forged in than in the past makes them sharper and at the same time more resistant. Those accompanying the Classic Edition have a satin finish, while those in the Anniversary Edition are mirror polished. The material of the latter is of an even higher quality.

The transparent sheaths that protect the blades are now removable, to be more easily cleaned in case of need or even to be removed if you are looking for a more minimalist aesthetic (by the way, the Classic Edition is now also on sale in a version without sheaths).

The internal component system (patented) that slides the blades during insertion and then locks them firmly in position has been improved and recalibrated to work best with the new knives (attention! the system only works with the knives supplied, it is not possible to use the Voodoo / The Ex with other knives). The housings that receive the blades now boast a new magnetic suspension system and a series of rotating parts that facilitate all insertion or withdrawal operations making them much more fluid and pleasant than any other knife block ever produced by any company. To clarify, the difference between inserting the knives in any knife block and doing the same operation in the new Voodoo / The Ex is that between opening the old drawers of the grandmother’s wooden sideboard and those of a modern luxury kitchen, where everything flows smoothly and effortlessly.

The shape of the Classic Edition is apparently very similar to the previous version of the set that everyone knows, but in reality every single aspect of the product has been redesigned and improved. The holder in the shape of a stylized human figure is still in plastic, but is now made with much more attention to the choice of materials, their finishes and the couplings of the various parts. The base always has the classic circular shape and symbolically represents a patch of blood which, flowing along the body and reaching the feet, becomes three-dimensional and acts as a support for the whole set. Although the base has the same dimensions as the previous model, it is now decidedly heavier, in order to give greater stability to the entire block and allow it to be used with one hand: the knives can be removed or inserted without having to hold the holder with the other hand as was the case in the past.

The Anniversary Edition is instead a completely new version of the iconic knife set that we have all loved in these twenty years. In this case, instead of the classic circular base on which the stylized human figure has always been placed, it is the shadow of the same figure that holds the product in position. The shape of the shadow that the figure would cast on the plane if it were lit from above becomes slightly three-dimensional and acts as a base. This shape holds the whole block and allows the figure to remain poised on its toes, as if it were in the precise moment in which it was falling backwards, pierced by the last knife just inserted inside its body. In this version the feet of the figure touch the supporting surface: this implies that this version is overall a few centimeters lower than the other, whose figure remains raised off the ground due to its base.

The Anniversary Edition is a decidedly luxurious and exclusive version and, precisely for this reason, produced in a limited series. It was born as a transposition into the real world of its totally digital version, the one created to furnish virtual or augmented worlds. Since objects are not subject to the laws of physics in immersive digital environments, the Voodoo / The Ex Digital Collectible Edition has no basis. In fact, the human figure stands on its toes on its own, as if by magic. This digital product was obviously designed to be enjoyed through Virtual Reality or Augmented Reality devices. But for those who wish to have the same effect without using any electronic device, its transposition into the real world, made up of atoms and governed by the force of gravity, is precisely the Anniversary Edition, which recalls the concept and replicates its forms in the as faithful as possible.

The Digital Collectible Edition is an ethereal presence brought to life through the magic of technology. It is immaterial and manifests itself only through your gaze, unlike the other two versions which instead have their own physical presence that is important and tangible for everyone. The Anniversary Edition weighs an impressive 7.5kg, while the Classic Edition weighs 2.5kg. This notable difference is due to the material of which the Anniversary is made: pure metal only. The human figure is in very precious stainless steel (welded and polished by hand and subsequently covered with a PVD treatment), while the base is in a special iron alloy (painted in ultra-matt black, in order to reduce the refraction of light and make it appear flat, as if it were a true two-dimensional shadow). The only non-metal components of this model are the transparent cases (made of synthetic crystal) and the non-slip coating under the base (made of rubber). The Classic Edition, on the other hand, is mostly made of ABS (with special additives), a high-quality plastic material that resists shocks and wear, guaranteeing the product to preserve its beauty and usefulness over time. The base has an internal metal ballast, to lower the center of gravity and add stability to the whole object.

Attention! All versions of the Voodoo / The Ex knife set are available for pre-order just now with an exceptional and unrepeatable 50% discount. The stocks available at launch are limited, therefore first come, first served. Subsequently it will be available for everyone and ready for delivery, of course at full price.

Here are all the colors and variants available:

Heritage Red

*without blade covers

**discounted price for the launch

Heritage White

*without blade covers

**discounted price for the launch

Heritage Black

*without blade covers

**discounted price for the launch

Heritage Red

*discounted price for the launch3