Douk Douk Nirvana

Karl, that was just what I meant to say! :D I just didn't have any Doukies to do it with. Maybe someday. I did manage to pick up an Okapi. That's taking some time to get the edge right on, but very intersting none the less.

Amos
 
I've only ever seen the Okapis on picture. All of the different models seem to be old classic traditional central european patterns/looks.
Most, if not all, of these patterns have a long history and were made to give the poor man a working knife. In many cases they were surely THE knife that person had.
I personally like them a lot with their different looks and styles and materials.
They were made to be used, and that's something I truly appreciate in a knife.

/ Karl
 
Actually an exposed tang when closed is the sign of a strong knife. The pin is centered in the scales and is thus equally strong on all sides. A tang that drops beneath the scale is intrinsically not as strong. The pivot pin is not centered in the scale. I believe I got that tidbit from Levines Guide and some old dudes at a knife show.
 
Thanks for posting that info! I am learning new things constantly on this Forum. I really had no idea why the tang was up until I read your post. Thank You!
 
I did note that Szabo carries the Tiki and Baraka models for reasonable prices, which nobody else Stateside does.

I emailed Szabo to ask if they can get the "Samarien" model, and they're looking into it. The Samarien was also made for the Muslim market (with no human images in the engraving); it's similar to the Baraka with the Berber star, but also has Arabic writing engraved on the blade, whilst the Baraka has a plain blade.

The "Tiki" model has a fetish on the (stainless?) handle, and a Polynesian ship engraved on the (black?) blade.

I like 'em all, except for the Squirrel model, which is nowhere as exotic as the others.

I'll probably be putting together a Group Buy on these on THR in March, might post it here too. Just wrapped up a big Group Buy on Svord Peasant knives (Roman-style folders, made in NZ), NOTE: sold out of them today, but you can order both the 3" wood-handled version and the 1" steel-handled version directly from www.svord.com, and shipping isn't too bad if you email and ask for the "slow boat" option, takes about a month.

I love all the Douk-Douk info I get on this board, now I have to get one after the holidays.

-MV
 
That's true if the bolster is level at the top, brownshoe. But if there is a projection to provide the "sunk joint" it is just as strong. Think of a Canoe or a Copperhead, or (ahem) a MERCATOR!!
Canoes with others to compare;
CanoecomparoF-1.jpg
 
True, canoes are an exception. One I don't care for, now the copperhead is something I like. However, some people believe a hidden tang is a sign of quality in all splipjoints. That's incorrect. A hidden tang is a design choice the compromises strength for smoothness and some would say beauty. Those honkin strong scagel repros and the tough barlows everyone loves usually have exposed tangs. Same with sailors knives.

Another thing that affects the centering of the blade is the thickness of the spring.
 
I just got a Svord, courtesy of MatthewV and the wood is much darker mahogany that the one shown in the pic.


attachment.php
 
Thanks again, Pogo, this time for the tip about buying Douk-Douks from Szabo Inc. Man, that guy has some of the strangest knives I've ever seen! Well, until you get down to the bottom of his list where the Douk-Douks are. I was glad to see that he carries more variations than I've found anywhere else. And I was amused to learn that blackening the blade of a Douk-Douk somehow makes it a "tactical" Douk-Douk. Hmmm... Must be some kind of mojo magic in those black blades. ;-) I guess I'm into practical, rather than tactical. For a "tactical" situation I'll draw a gun, thank you just the same. I'm not a nimble ninja who wants to fight with a blade. I'm still thinking about that jumbo Douk-Douk, though. Temptation may win out again soon. I liked those spear point versions of the smaller Douk-Douks that Szabo sells, too.
 
I am not into Tactical knives either so, I was surprised he carries the full line of Douks. I guess even a Boy Scout knife can be Tactical though. I was just browsing his webpage & came across the Douk's. Glad you have a complete source for Douk's now...enjoy!
 
Thanks Matthew, sorry I didn't get back to this sooner. That's a cool styling job on that knife. I'll have to get one to try it out. I like wood handles you can shape to your own taste!
 
I'll be upgrading to Gold Membership once I get some Douks in stock, IOT list them in the Exchange. I'll post some pics of the sackfull once they arrive from France. I'm pretty stoked, and my supplier said he'll try to find some of the models that aren't usually sold in the States.

Unfortunarely, the Le Samarien model is OOP, but I asked him to keep an eye open for a used one for my personal collection.

Too bad that neither the Douks or Mercator K55K are more popular Stateside. Price-wise, they compare to the Wal-Mart Buck/Rem/Win folders, and are even cheaper than the cheaper Spydercos, yet have a great rep.

-MV
 
Well, I've had, used, and carried both the small and the original Douk-Douks I had ordered from Garrett Wade for two months now, and I'm still just as impressed with them as I was.

The small model has the key to my van attached to its shackle. (That key ONLY -- I open the van door and drive with it, and if something untoward happened and somebody else got that key, they would NOT get the house keys, etc. on my main key ring attached to my belt.)

The original (sometimes called the "medium") Douk-Douk works well in a front or back pocket of my jeans. It's just a great all around knife. I've shown these to several of my friends, and everybody likes their simplicity and ruggedness.

Pogo, I e-mailed Szabo about a month ago with a couple of short, simple questions about ordering another Douk or two, but he never replied. I'm still tempted by that big $50 Douk, but if the man can't communicate with me...

Matthew, if you get up a larger order for resale here, please let me know because I will probably be interested. E-mail me at flagacracker@aol.com and please put "Douk-Douks" on the subject line. Thanks.
 
If you emailed Szabo & got no reply... I would steer clear. This is the Number One Danger Signal that shouts Danger! I read this in The good,bad & ugly often...no reply to emails..steer clear. I have never ordered from him only browsed his webpage.
 
@DrMudd and pogo:

Killing two birds with one stone here: I did end up selling all 46 Douks in a matter of days over on THR, so won't be going commercial on BF anytime soon.

However, this huge order was purchased directly from Laci Szabo, and I had zero problems dealing with him. He's a one-man operation, and was back visiting folks in France for most of the holidays (where he picked up my Douk order), so that might explain the delay.

Good guy to work with, a bit of a character. Do note that he recently had a very successful collaborative project with Spyderco, where they produced his "SzaboFly" balisong design. If you're designing products for Spyderco, I'd say you're certainly no fly-by-night businessman. The initial run sold out to retailers in a matter of days, so he apparently did something right.


I hope that a few of the THR folks who picked up Douks will post a few of their reviews here, same as they did for the Svords. I keep a small Sorciere douk on my keychain now, but might consider picking up a small El-Baraka to replace it. The Baraka has the nickeled handles, and since there's no engraving on the blade, I can patina it without feeling destructive. That might hold up even better in a pocket than the standard.

Picked up a used Mercator recently too, also cool. I believe World of Knives has the best price on those ($19). Pretty much the exact same concept as a Douk, but lockback.

In a world where they charge $30 for a China-made stainless knife with a rented American brand name stamped on it, the Douk-Douk, Opinel, Svord, and Mercator are refreshingly genuine.

-MV
 
Thanks for clearing that up MV! I might even order a couple from him when he returns from France.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top