Douk Douk Nirvana

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pogo

Joined
Jun 8, 2005
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OK..you guys are a bad influence! After reading about the Douk Douk..well you know..I had to get one! I got it today from Garrett Wade and was really surprised at the quality. The walk n talk is satisfactory but, the blade is awesome first class cutlery steel!!! It puts my Mercater Black Cat K55 to shame and it is just as slimeline as the K55. I bought the original 4 1/4" closed model..hey, don't mess with an original that works! It came sharp unlike many knives today so I did not mess with the blade at all. All in all a very nice slipjoint that I will never be without on the EDC end.:thumbup: :thumbup:
 
Question: I don't see a nail nick in the photos of Douk Douks. How do you open them? Is there enough blade protuding above the handle that you can pinch/grab the blade to open? Or am I just not seeing the nail nick?

I don't like nail nicks BTW, so If it doesn't have one, I'll be even more motivated to get one.
 
The Douk Douk does not have a nail nick but, you won't need it as there is plenty of purchase to open it with two fingers. This is one heck of a sleeper knife & I have handled quite a few over 20 years! It is not the best knife in the World but, is pretty darn close. I was not a believer until I got one...Dang nice Knife! Dang GOOD!!!!!
 
You couldn't leave well enough, pogo....ya had to go get one and then tell us how great they are. Now...I....really need another one !!! :D
Seriously...great knife a bargain price........aren't they ?

-Best regards
 
Yep Gramps they are! The hammer forged steel is out cutting just about everything I have including two customs!!! I don't know why it cuts so good at such a low rockwell 52-53 but, it does. The Douk Douk steel is a very aggressive cutter. I tested all my knives yesterday on polypropelene rope & weedeater line & the Douk Douk goes through them in one pull. My other knives need several tries on this tough stuff. I only wish I had bought a Douk Douk way earlier than I did!
 
pogo said:
Yep Gramps they are! The hammer forged steel is out cutting just about everything I have including two customs!!! I don't know why it cuts so good at such a low rockwell 52-53 but, it does. The Douk Douk steel is a very aggressive cutter. I tested all my knives yesterday on polypropelene rope & weedeater line & the Douk Douk goes through them in one pull. My other knives need several tries on this tough stuff. I only wish I had bought a Douk Douk way earlier than I did!
Click to expand...

AAAHHHH!

Yet another knife knut learns the secret that it is NOT all about Rockwell hardness and super steel!:thumbup:

You're learning, grasshopper!:D
 
Yep... I am learning but, its always the hard way for me! I won't ever do without a Douk Douk again...Never! Well, as long as they make em!
 
Eager, the strange "double dip clip" blade shape seems intended to take the place of a nail nick. The high point between the two depressions is raised to give a place to hang on to that is near enough to the end of the blade to give good leverage.
 
It puts my Mercater Black Cat K55 to shame ...
Click to expand...

Oh man that takes me back to my very youngest knife days (around 9 or 10 years old). I had forgotten about these! Sorry to hijack this thread- I do admire the Douk Douks; definitely the AK47 of the slipjoint world if ever there was such a thing- but please just a quick question about the Mercator K55- what is the overall length of these? Over 7"? OK sorry about that but as soon as I read the reference it brought back memories of knives I used to really want but never were able to get. Thanks!
 
I think the K55 is 4 inches closed with a 3.5 inch blade...I am too lazy to check it out. Also the ridge on the Douk Douk is more than enough to open the blade! I would not give a kid a Douk douk as it is way to sharp for a kid.
 
Yeah, why'd ya have to go and title that Douk Douk Nirvana? It was just like dangling a big, juicy worm in front of a hungry fish! Several days ago -- maybe a week or more -- I was reading some of the stuff on this forum and I came across the Douk Douk knives. I had never heard of them, so I did some reading on these critters. Well, I decided I had to try at least one of them in the very near future. I don't really know squat about forums, but I registered for this one anyway. I could see what was about to happen! So I logged on tonight to try to find the most appropriate place here to ask you folks where would be the best (read: cheapest) place to buy Douk Douks. Then what did I see but Douk Douk Nirvana! To make a growing story a little shorter, I just ordered the two Douk "set" from Garrett Wade online. They appear to stock the small and medium models, though they call the medium a large. I had wanted a medium first, but at the presently discounted price I bought their two knife set for about $36 including shipping. Elsewhere I had seen the medium listed for about $30 alone plus shipping. GW's S&H seems kind of steep, but, all things considered, the whole ball of wax isn't bad at all. Now if anybody else knows of a better/cheaper place to order Douks, please let us know! Although I've owned some fine knives (Randalls, including a couple of non-catalog one-of-a-kinds) I usually like cheap, simple, effective cutlery, and Douks sound like they fill the bill. I'm genereally not enthralled with things made in France, but their Opinel knives have been an exception to my rule for several years. If they can do pretty well with Opinels, then their Douks should be OK, too, I figured. I'll see.
 
Opinel makes one good knife & I have several. The Douk is more agressive cutting in my opinion. I am sure you will like those Douk Douk's. I bought only the Original from Garrett Wade..it is around 4 inches closed. Let us know how you like the smaller model. Garrett Wade has the best prices on Douk's as far as I know.
 
I've had a Mercator, which is nearly identical to the K55, for some time. It performs very well for an inexpensive knife, and I've always enjoyed the smooth action, and the security of the lock back. The knife feels nice in the hand, and the handle has a projection that protects your pocket from the sharp corner of the tang. It's easy to sharpen, and cuts well, and holds an edge for a decent length of time.
Then this thread came along, and being certifiable like the rest of you (you KNOW who you are!) I had to get a Douk Douk to compare them.
DoukMercator.jpg

So here they are together! Both a bit over 4 1/4" long closed, which is the traditional way of measuring a folder.
The blades are different style, but close in size. The Douk Douk is cruder in appearance and action, and how it feels in the hand. It does have a half stop, where the Mercator has a lock. Now I'll see how it cuts, and get back to you folks on it!
 
My Douk Douk is just as smooth as my K55 Black Cat. I might have a low Rockwell Black Cat as The Douk Douk out cuts it easily! Let us know your opinion on this matter....please & Thank you!
 
Am never without a douk douk AND a K55. Have a stainless and a carbon steel K55, both of which I can shave with comfortably. BTW, I asked the factory about the steel used in the K55 and was told "today we use C75-2003 with a
hardness of 57HRC. The stainless steel we use today is 4034 with a
hardness of 55 HRC."
 
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