Douk-Douk Question

herisson said:
I couldn't tell you the angle for sure. But I can tell, from what I see, that a rather obtuse angle was chosen because the blade is thin (not as thin as an Opinel but pretty close. So, I'd say if you have a 20° dps angle on your sharpening system, you could start there. My choice would be 17,5° (because my sharpening system is geared like that) but I wouldn't go too accute (10° / 12,5°). You'll get a razor, which is fine, but the edge won't hold up long in EDC use. I experienced that even 15° dps was a bit much for general use. It's fun to slice hanging paper but that's about it. On kitchen knives with paper thin blades, although a bit harder set than the Douk-Douk (core of Hitachi white / shirogami steel at 61 HRC), 20° dps slices just as fine as 10° dps and I sharpen only every two or three weeks. As the Douk is a tad softer, there's one more reason to go 17,5° or 20° dps.
Click to expand...

Awesome, thanks!! Hoping my douk-douk gets here quick-quick! :D
 
Absolutely! I’ve been eagerly tracking the douk-douk as it makes its way to me. Just left Virginia today, I’m stationed overseas in the military now so it might be a bit for it to get here, I’m just so excited!! :)
 
Friends, I am curious as to the actual blade length of the small sized douk-douk? Have read everything from 2 5/8” to 65mm to 72mm etc. etc. all over the net!

Does anyone have a real, firm measurement? I ask because I live in Las Vegas, Nevada, and there if I were to carry the medium sized douk-douk, I would be a felon! Clark county law says no person can conceal (includes pocket) any knife with a 3” or longer blade without written permission from the sheriff. :(

What a ridiculous nonsense policy... so sad that we live in a world where carrying a useful tool can turn a law abiding citizen into a felon just by putting it in their pocket and leaving their house. AS IF the rapists, murders, car jackets and gang bangers this lousy city is infested with gives one iota of care towards such laws...

Anyway, if I take to the medium douk-douk I may well want to carry it, which I obviously cannot legally do, but is the small one under a 3” blade? Thanks!!
 
Mitch Taldison said:
Wow thanks so much guys!! I am learning so much about the Douk-Douks!!

Does anyone know the blade profile angle on these knives? I bought a Spyderco Sharpmaker today and am hoping the degree to the rods will be compatible.
Click to expand...

I got mine about 6 years ago and it's a chisel type grind. The right side was full flat grind to the edge. The left side is also flat ground, but has a 1-2mm bevel at about 20 degrees. I've kept the original grind to some extent. I sharpen it on a variety of things, but with the Sharpmaker I do about 4 strokes on the side with the bevel to 1 on the chisel side.
 
M Mitch Taldison I have just measured my small Douk : the blade is 72 mm (2,83") from tip to handle, 65 mm from tip to end of cutting edge. So, the max. length would be just under 3" (now, this is a budget knife so yours may come with 1 mm more or less, not an issue IMO). Same for the grind : the Douk's normal grind is a full flat grind with an obtuser final bevel. If yours comes with a chisel grind, send it back, it's a lemon. Never happened to me but I consider possible that it may happen. The final bevel can also be all kinds of uneven but it's easy to correct. Be patient, proceed slowly and check the bevel with a magnifying glass as you proceed. You'll end up with a very light and very sharp little slicer. And I wouldn't feel underknifed if I could carry only the small. It's a very effective little knife : good three finger grip and the bail allows to add a fob for added grip.
 
Last edited:
Henry Beige said:
In contrast, the Mercator is not at all uncomfortable. As a result, the Mercator gets some pocket time, while the Douk-Douk sits. It’s too bad, because the Douk-Douk has hipster cachet out the wazoo. Not that anyone around here would notice.
Click to expand...
One: the sheet steel of the Mercator is a tad thicker and two : the edges are rounded. Makes a big difference. However, neither are true working knives. They are pocket knives, made for occasional cutting. On the other hand, the Opinel is a true budget working knife (but obnoxious in the pants pocket). The handle is so comfortable that professional carvers often cut / break down the blade and resharpen it to a pattern that suits them. Cheaper than a dedicated carving knife, as effective and easier to replace. All good things.
 
herisson said:
One: the sheet steel of the Mercator is a tad thicker and two : the edges are rounded. Makes a big difference. However, neither are true working knives. They are pocket knives, made for occasional cutting. On the other hand, the Opinel is a true budget working knife (but obnoxious in the pants pocket). The handle is so comfortable that professional carvers often cut / break down the blade and resharpen it to a pattern that suits them. Cheaper than a dedicated carving knife, as effective and easier to replace. All good things.
Click to expand...
I just picked up a 7, the smallest one I have bought so far, at a local hardware store and I am really liking it so far. It has quenched my desire for a Douk...
For the time being ;)
 
herisson said:
One: the sheet steel of the Mercator is a tad thicker and two : the edges are rounded. Makes a big difference. However, neither are true working knives. They are pocket knives, made for occasional cutting. On the other hand, the Opinel is a true budget working knife (but obnoxious in the pants pocket). The handle is so comfortable that professional carvers often cut / break down the blade and resharpen it to a pattern that suits them. Cheaper than a dedicated carving knife, as effective and easier to replace. All good things.
Click to expand...

So the douk-douk is not meant for real daily carry duties I assume?
 
Mitch Taldison said:
So the douk-douk is not meant for real daily carry duties I assume?
Click to expand...
Depends what those duties are. I could get by just fine with one and I spend just about all day outside cutting open boxes and bags and bales. It would spread my peanut butter, slice my bread, and cut my sandwiches. It could split open zip ties, trim a piece of wood, pop open a bottle cap, trim a hangnail, open the mail, cut burrs from a horse's mane and tail, split open clamshell/blister packaging (or even a real blister, for that matter--sorry, yucky thought first thing in the AM over my coffee), and so on. If it's sharp enough it might even tighten a screw in my glasses.

And since I have processed small game with an Opinel, I figure the Douk Douk would handle this just fine, too. And it would excel as the emergency steak knife in a restaurant.

Cue Julie Andrews singing "A Few of My Favorite Things [My Knife Does For Me]".

Zieg
 
Mitch Taldison said:
So the douk-douk is not meant for real daily carry duties I assume?
Click to expand...
I'd say that very much depends on what you do in your daily life. For the vast majority of people living in developed countries, these knives will be absolutely fine for most purposes. If you are cutting for a living, whether working with wood or other materials, you might not want to use these sorts of knives all the time. As herisson points out, the Opinel is far more comfortable for sustained use in woodworking, as are many other knives.

EDIT: Ninja'd by The Zeig! :mad:;):p
 
Does anyone else think of Tony Millionaire's Drinky Crow whenever they say the name of this knife?

drinky-crow-drinks-again.jpg


Zieg
 
This thread is a real problem for me. I'm a lifelong Francophile and traditional knife lover. I have always liked the Douk Douk but it has eluded my collection. But now I'm going to go out on limb here and admit to my New Year's resolution: I have resolved not to buy any knives in 2019. :eek:

Heresy, I know. But before you all banish me to outer darkness, consider this. I am going to be spending money on my collection as it is. I want to have a professional regrind and sharpening put on a few knives; I want to refinish a tomahawk; I want a new pocket sheath for my Dawson Mercury; and I want a better sharpening setup.

Yeah there is one knife I have been searching for over the last two years but missed out on (a Dawson Pocketknife, AKA Handyman), so I might have to meditate over my condition of earthly desire should it appear before me, but . . .

Here's hoping Douk Douk knives are still around in 335 days! :rolleyes:

Zieg
 
Last edited:
The Zieg said:
This thread is a real problem for me. I'm a lifelong Fancophile and traditional knife lover. I have always liked the Douk Douk but it has eluded my collection. But now I'm going to go out on limb here and admit to my New Year's resolution: I have resolved not to buy any knives in 2019. :eek:

Heresy, I know. But before you all banish me to outer darkness, consider this. I am going to be spending money on my collection as it is. I want to have a professional regrind and sharpening put on a few knives; I want to refinish a tomahawk; I want a new pocket sheath for my Dawson Mercury; and I want a better sharpening setup.

Yeah there is one knife I have been searching for over the last two years but missed out on (a Dawson Pocketknife, AKA Handyman), so I might have to meditate over my condition of earthly desire if it should appear before me, but . . .

Here's hoping Douk Douk knives are still around in 335 days! :rolleyes:

Zieg
Click to expand...
:eek:

I've just stepped out of my time machine, clutching a news report from December 31st, 2019...

'It was reported this morning that the French manufacturer of Douk Douk knives have closed their doors for the final time, and with that closure ends a chapter in the history of cutlery. The company proprietor and CEO said in a statement, "It is indeed a tragic day for France and for knife lovers all over the world. We have been proud to produce our historic range of knives for nearly one hundred years. Our accountants told us this morning that we were only one sale away from breaking even. If only one more customer had chosen to by a Douk Douk, that iconic design, in 2019, the whole enterprise could have been saved. As it is, we bid you adieu." With those words, he wiped his eyes with a pocket handkerchief and walked away into the winter fog. For the want of one sale, a titan of the knife industry is now consigned to history.'

:D
 
Pilsner said:
:eek:

I've just stepped out of my time machine, clutching a news report from December 31st, 2019...

'It was reported this morning that the French manufacturer of Douk Douk knives have closed their doors for the final time, and with that closure ends a chapter in the history of cutlery. The company proprietor and CEO said in a statement, "It is indeed a tragic day for France and for knife lovers all over the world. We have been proud to produce our historic range of knives for nearly one hundred years. Our accountants told us this morning that we were only one sale away from breaking even. If only one more customer had chosen to by a Douk Douk, that iconic design, in 2019, the whole enterprise could have been saved. As it is, we bid you adieu." With those words, he wiped his eyes with a pocket handkerchief and walked away into the winter fog. For the want of one sale, a titan of the knife industry is now consigned to history.'

:D
Click to expand...
Superbly written! Where were you when I passed up buying Google stock decades ago?

Zieg
 
M Mitch Taldison [So the douk-douk is not meant for real daily carry duties I assume?] Now that's funny ! It's qualities / defects are exactly what makes it one of my preferred EDCs : light, flat, sharp, impervious to moisture / heat / cold. But, hey, everybody's daily chores are different. If you need a cutter that allows you to apply power, there are a lot of options with more handfilling handles (Case Sodbuster....).
The Zieg The Zieg [Here's hoping Douk Douk knives are still around in 335 days!] Don't worry, they have been around for almost a century (created in 1929). It's a safe bet that you don't need to hurry. Priorities ! Hell, I've been spending more on high end cutting boards and extra fine wet stones than on knives lately...
 
Last edited:
The Zieg said:
Depends what those duties are. I could get by just fine with one and I spend just about all day outside cutting open boxes and bags and bales. It would spread my peanut butter, slice my bread, and cut my sandwiches. It could split open zip ties, trim a piece of wood, pop open a bottle cap, trim a hangnail, open the mail, cut burrs from a horse's mane and tail, split open clamshell/blister packaging (or even a real blister, for that matter--sorry, yucky thought first thing in the AM over my coffee), and so on. If it's sharp enough it might even tighten a screw in my glasses.

And since I have processed small game with an Opinel, I figure the Douk Douk would handle this just fine, too. And it would excel as the emergency steak knife in a restaurant.

Cue Julie Andrews singing "A Few of My Favorite Things [My Knife Does For Me]".

Zieg
Click to expand...

That sounds like what I do, too. I work in the HVAC/R (heating and air) field and on top of those tasks you listed, I use a knife for cutting insulation and a few other such things, but never anything too crazy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top