Douk-Douk knife

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lwrhea

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May 24, 2005
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I like GEC's and all the rest. Believe me I do. But I like the simple Douk-Douk for a rough and tumble carry folder. I have had one for a couple years. I recently taught a class on knife making and one of my students is in the family of the makers of the Douk-Douk knife. He's the 5th generation of the Cognet family that is making them. Been making them since 1928 when his great grand father created it. He is over here in the states to learn the way Americans make knives and he's staying with me for the week after the class and we're doing some forging and grinding. Today we poured pewter for the first time for either of us.

I'm finding out that the family makes other models of folders too besides the Douk-Douk. I'm planning on adding some of them to my collection soon.



 
I like the douk douk as well. It shows how simple a blade can be, but still good looking and fully functional. It puts the steel snobs to shame...soft steel but popular all over the world with "real" knife users.
 
The blade steel is 1075. Very good steel. The Rockwell level they use is 55. Not too hard but not too soft for a nice every day user. I have had the opportunity to ask a few questions about it. :)
 
It took some googling to find Cognet's other designs- nice stuff.
You must be having a great time.
 
The Douk-Dou is a shining example of a great but under estimated knife. It doesn't have a lock that you can hang an engine block off the handle, nor does it have the latest greatest wonder steel of the month. It even isn't that hard a blade on the RC scale. It won't stab through car doors.

But in spite of all those supposed short comings, like has been said a lot of the rest of the world uses these knives for all kinds of things knify. The cut great, sharpen up easy, has a very rugged construction, and is simple to manufacture. Like the old Mercaotor K55, Opinel, and SAK, it has remained popular for a very long time for a reason.
 
Yes, that is exactly my point. Easy to afford and provides good service. The young guy (Robin) is working hard on a tomahawk handle right now. He's getting a dose of forging and other traditional techniques. I have determined he does not have ADHD. Concentrates well.
 
That looks like an absolute blast and it sounds like there's a lot to learn form each other.

As far as the Douk-Douks go, I'm carrying mine now. I love the history, simplicity, styling and general straightforward attitude it has. It makes a good workhorse when needed, but is thin enough and styled in a way that I don't mind carrying it when I need to spiff up a bit.

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Oh - Tell him that we need more of the "color" Douk-Douks over here. Especially the dark blue and green ones. :thumbup:
 

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I will pass the word about the color. He's mighty proud of the poured pewter end on his hawk handle. He's doing a great job on the finish of the maple too.



I've learned that the Douk-Douk comes in three sizes. The one I have is about 4-1/4 inch closed but they make a smaller and a larger one.
 
I'm glad to see the Douk is still getting positive feedback. I have bought more Douks than any other kind of knife. I use them for gifts, for daily carry, for yard work and for home projects. I still have the first one I ever bought and it has given me zero problems, something I cannot say about at least half of the modern folders I've purchased.

Getting a good variety in the states can be hard, but I simply buy them in bulk from a French dealer to save on shipping. I only wish I could find the original sheepfoot Tiki Douk...
 
lwrhea said:
I will pass the word about the color. He's mighty proud of the poured pewter end on his hawk handle. He's doing a great job on the finish of the maple too.
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Good man. :thumbup: Now.... Please keep us posted on the hawk! It looks like it's going to be a gorgeous one.
 
I like the Douk Douk a lot. I have a few of the standard etch large Douk Douks in Carbon, the Baraka, and I carried the large squirrel on a belt clip lanyard in my back pocket for months. When I was in France this summer I was fortunate to have the pick of the litter. I picked up a small squirrel and the black bladed Tiki. While I was there I also noticed they have the standard etch large DoukDouk in stainless in different color handles such as red, blue, green, and I believe yellow. If they were carbon I might have bought the lot.




 
The sheepfoot Tiki is no longer being made. He says he thinks the original number was 200.

 
Wow, good work on the hawk!

Now you've gone and done it, though, I'm now officially on the look-out for a Douk-Douk. Neat, capable looking knives!
 
Nice thread with great pics :thumbup: The Douk-Douk has a pedigree to be proud of :thumbup:
 
Good to see him following in the family footsteps. Nice looking 'Hawk too.

Been carrying my Douk-Douk around the house this week.
 
I converted my El Baraka to a clip point and amazingly it bumped the Squirrel out of my pocket. Very handy knife, carries great, the only weakness is the thin handle on a hard cut, it'll dig into your hand some. Luckiy that doesn't come up too often in my edc life.
 
Blue Sky said:
I converted my El Baraka to a clip point and amazingly it bumped the Squirrel out of my pocket. Very handy knife, carries great, the only weakness is the thin handle on a hard cut, it'll dig into your hand some. Luckiy that doesn't come up too often in my edc life.
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That's true, but the tradeoff is the flatness of it. I can hang a Douk from a clip attached to the bail on anything from slacks to a shirt pocket and very few people even notice it is there. The Douk is the only knife I ever carry when I wear slacks.

Laci Szabo had an interesting video showing how to use a Douk for defensive purposes, but he took all his videos down for some reason. I would have never thought of it as a serious tool if he and Fred Perrin hadn't been such fervent supporters of it.
 
Blue Sky said:
Very handy knife, carries great, the only weakness is the thin handle on a hard cut, it'll dig into your hand some. Luckiy that doesn't come up too often in my edc life.
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Have you thought about making a pocket slip you can use to pad the handle?

I have the Squirrel, like it a lot :thumbup:
 
Halfneck said:
Good to see him following in the family footsteps.
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Yep. :thumbup: That's the coolest thing in a very cool thread.

BTW, a little Googling showed me that the Cognet family makes some very nifty knives that's aren't Douk Douks.

-- Mark
 
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