Douk-Douk Question

herisson said:
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.
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Thanks!! Seems it will be legal for me. I’ll start with the medium size model to see how I like it, then will probably get the small one for carry in Las Vegas. I know the likelihood of getting caught and charged with the longer knife are very slim, but a felony is something I’m not going to risk barely a half inch of steel over.
 
Yes ! If I ever manage to make the trip to Thiers, I will definitely visit the Cognet manufacture. They are one of the oldest manufactures there (one of their patterns was registered in 1616 !). It was just after Henri III decided to create the Cutlers Guild of Thiers (1582) to regulate the total chaos of ripping off patterns and wannabe craftsmen. Hell, if I go to Thiers, I rent a room for two weeks at least and take it all in as should be. And I put a double padlock on my wallet ! And to add : take no risk over a pocket knife. Go small ! As long as it cuts... The small Douk is nice but there are many other very capable smallies out there. Enjoy the hunt and have a good time in Vegas. Stay safe ! And just to be a smart ass : the pirate flag in the upper left corner of the video is Stede Bonnet's flag. The thingy to the left of the skull is supposed to be a dagger. Color me confused...
 
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Hey Mitch,

I had some good experiences with the Douk-Douk when I was in the service. I had spent 10 years in the U.S. Army Combat Engineers and one place I got sent on TDY was the old Wheelus Air Force base in Libya. this was 1967, and we were there to do some work on extending the runways and some building on support buildings. It was part of an operation to exercise our mobile construction abilities, so they flew us from our station in Germany to Wheelus for three months of work.

We had our own heavy equipment but we contracted the local labor and most of that was arabic personal. They all had at least one Douk-Douk on them and they got used on the construction site every day in dirty conditions involving sand, cement dust, and sweat. They were very popular knives. In the old market in Tripoli, they had baskets of them in different sizes for a little over a buck a pop. If there was an altercation, they could be dropped on the ground and stomped on, and you had an instant fixed blade in hand. After, a screw driver, large coin, spoon, butter knife, or even another Douk-Douk was used to gently pry the bent handle halves apart and it was a folder again.

In that three months we were in Libya, I gained a huge resect for how good an everyday knife the Douk-Douk was. I witnessed first hand how rugged the construction of the thing was, and how well it weathered heavy use in dirty conditions. I think you will have no problems cutting insulation and duct tape with it. If it gets a little dull, any smooth rock or brick wall will do to touch it up and get it sharp again.

The Douk-Douk is an eye opener as to how spoiled knife nuts are, and how much a common low cost sheet metal handle knife can get done under less that good conditions. The majority of the GI's in that Engineer company came away from the duty at Wheelus with a Douk-Douk or two stashed in the duffle bags when we flew home to our base in Germany. Great knives!:thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
jackknife said:
Hey Mitch,

I had some good experiences with the Douk-Douk when I was in the service. I had spent 10 years in the U.S. Army Combat Engineers and one place I got sent on TDY was the old Wheelus Air Force base in Libya. this was 1967, and we were there to do some work on extending the runways and some building on support buildings. It was part of an operation to exercise our mobile construction abilities, so they flew us from our station in Germany to Wheelus for three months of work.

We had our own heavy equipment but we contracted the local labor and most of that was arabic personal. They all had at least one Douk-Douk on them and they got used on the construction site every day in dirty conditions involving sand, cement dust, and sweat. They were very popular knives. In the old market in Tripoli, they had baskets of them in different sizes for a little over a buck a pop. If there was an altercation, they could be dropped on the ground and stomped on, and you had an instant fixed blade in hand. After, a screw driver, large coin, spoon, butter knife, or even another Douk-Douk was used to gently pry the bent handle halves apart and it was a folder again.

In that three months we were in Libya, I gained a huge resect for how good an everyday knife the Douk-Douk was. I witnessed first hand how rugged the construction of the thing was, and how well it weathered heavy use in dirty conditions. I think you will have no problems cutting insulation and duct tape with it. If it gets a little dull, any smooth rock or brick wall will do to touch it up and get it sharp again.

The Douk-Douk is an eye opener as to how spoiled knife nuts are, and how much a common low cost sheet metal handle knife can get done under less that good conditions. The majority of the GI's in that Engineer company came away from the duty at Wheelus with a Douk-Douk or two stashed in the duffle bags when we flew home to our base in Germany. Great knives!:thumbsup::thumbsup:
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That’s an amazing story, thank you for sharing!! I’m in the Air Force doing civil engineering with specialization in HVAC/R. If you’ve ever heard of a Red Horse unit that’s what I’m in, we do expeditionary heavy construction for airfields and do things like runway repair etc. Very cool to hear from a fellow serviceman!

Guys it seems like the douk-douks are being made in a very similar way to the old times, and from my research quality and construction seem to be very consistent. I eagerly await receiving this knife and will share my thoughts on it when it gets here!!
 
I agree, the Douk Douk is a great every day carry. The Mercator is not better, just different, more complex and more expensive. Well the embelishment of the Douk Douk is not matched by Mercator :)
 
jackknife said:
Hey Mitch,

I had some good experiences with the Douk-Douk when I was in the service. I had spent 10 years in the U.S. Army Combat Engineers and one place I got sent on TDY was the old Wheelus Air Force base in Libya. this was 1967, and we were there to do some work on extending the runways and some building on support buildings. It was part of an operation to exercise our mobile construction abilities, so they flew us from our station in Germany to Wheelus for three months of work.

We had our own heavy equipment but we contracted the local labor and most of that was arabic personal. They all had at least one Douk-Douk on them and they got used on the construction site every day in dirty conditions involving sand, cement dust, and sweat. They were very popular knives. In the old market in Tripoli, they had baskets of them in different sizes for a little over a buck a pop. If there was an altercation, they could be dropped on the ground and stomped on, and you had an instant fixed blade in hand. After, a screw driver, large coin, spoon, butter knife, or even another Douk-Douk was used to gently pry the bent handle halves apart and it was a folder again.

In that three months we were in Libya, I gained a huge resect for how good an everyday knife the Douk-Douk was. I witnessed first hand how rugged the construction of the thing was, and how well it weathered heavy use in dirty conditions. I think you will have no problems cutting insulation and duct tape with it. If it gets a little dull, any smooth rock or brick wall will do to touch it up and get it sharp again.

The Douk-Douk is an eye opener as to how spoiled knife nuts are, and how much a common low cost sheet metal handle knife can get done under less that good conditions. The majority of the GI's in that Engineer company came away from the duty at Wheelus with a Douk-Douk or two stashed in the duffle bags when we flew home to our base in Germany. Great knives!:thumbsup::thumbsup:
Click to expand...
A fellow sapper. I was a combat engineer, 12-B or 21B in my time. What a glorious mos. The absolute best time in my life. Miss it terribly. Nothing sweeter than nostalgia.
 
UPDATE:

Guys I got my douk-douk in!! :D

I figured there wasn’t much of a reason to post a picture, looks the same as all the other douk-douks! I will say, I am impressed and very happy with this knife!! The spring is strong and I put a little Vaseline on the knife for corrosion protection. Not so good! The blade got too slippery and made opening the knife really hard! I got it off though, no big deal.

The factory edge was good, not razor sharp and had a bit of a wire edge on it. 10 minutes on my sharpener and guys, she’s a hair-popper!! :p Absolutely brilliant! Love the design, how slim it is, just an absolutely wonderful knife!! Going to carry it on the job tomorrow and will see how it does. Guys thanks so much for the responses, this will NOT be my last Douk-Douk! :)

-Mitch
 
Lol! Well I just had to take a photo of this douk-douk! Here it is atop my issued M4 carbine:

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Love it so much, gang! :) Take care,

-Mitch
 
Really happy you like your Douk ! Enjoy it ! If you worry about corrosion (you can, it's simple carbon steel, after all...), I would advise to use some tea seed oil (camelia oil), just a drop, for the blade and handle. It's neutral, doesn't gunk, stick or oxydise. I use it in minimal doses on all my carbon steel knives. Good for pivots, springs and scales, too. The preservation efficiency is amazing (OK, I don't live on a tropical island, so this may explain my liking). Now, if your Douk develops corrosion or even pitting... don't fret. Apply a rust eraser (gum or fluid) vigorously, until blank, wash it thoroughly, then dry it just as carefully. A drop of camelia oil in the pivot, blade and on the scales. Massage it in, wipe of the excess... you're set for years.
 
The finish of the Douk-Douk is called "gun blue" for a reason... It's actually amazing how this (oldy) knife matches this (very modern) gun. Great picture. Looks good !
 
Guys I’ve been using my Douk-Douk every day at work since I got it. In short, this is my new favorite knife:

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It’s performed sterling service each day for all manner of tasks, be it trimming insulation, cutting open boxes, zip ties, etc. etc. Edge retention is decent enough, not great, but I’ve found running it across my whetstone every couple of days keeps it razor sharp and it comes back to a honed edge extremely quickly. I put a couple of tiny dents near the tip of the blade from reaming a freshly cut copper refrigerant line (I know, bad idea! :oops:) but it’s very minor and doesn’t affect cutting. That’s called using the wrong tool for the job, kids!

I just love this knife guys!! In fact I’ve taken to it so much, I ordered the 3” bladed version so I can legally carry it in my home state. The slimness and sheer usability of this dandy classic slicer is just superb, and the knife begs to be carried. It’s replaced my Spyderco Delica 4 Wave as my EDC, might sound crazy to some but I have no intentions of going back. This knife is the better cutter and has proven itself for my needs.

Guys thanks for filling me in on these wonderful blades. Take care!

-Mitch
 
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Mitch, I'm glad you love the humble Douk-Douk so much. It's a great knife that doesn't cost a whole lot but will definitely get the job done. There's soooo much history there in that knife, that is is impossible to ignore how many people all across the world from North African deserts to Borneo jungles have used one to very good effect.

The very thinness of the knife is part of the great function. Both the overall thinness that makes it a dream to carry, and the thin blade that makes for a great slicer and dicer. It can ride unnoticed in a back pocket between the wallet and your butt, or in a side pocket laying flat against your leg under a rolled up bandana or pocket pistol's pocket holster. Since I carry a small handgun in a DeSantis pocket holster in my right front pocket, a Douk-Douk or Mercator K55 will lay flat between the holster and the front of my thigh with no bulk to make it uncomfortable. Totally unnoticed, and zero interference with the gun there. Very few knives are as thin as the Douk-Douk.

The Douk-Douk is one of the great under estimated pocket knives out there. May you enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed mine!:thumbsup::thumbsup:

PS- DO NOT get a Higonokami. That's a whole other habit hole:eek:
:D
 
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Great thread folks! This has opened up a whole new side of knife collecting for me. I have my Sebenzas, Spydercos, Benchmades, WE, Kizer, Zero Tolerance etc. I will now be focusing on these older/traditional models for a while. Thanks again!
 
They're born users! Beat them them up and wear them down to toothpicks. I love the full height hollow grind on 'em. Not so thin as to cause strength issues, not so thick as to cause performance issues, and because it's a large radius hollow, there's very little wedging in deep cuts.
 
Excellent knife,but as working knife,opinel is way more comfortable ,inexpensive,and 12c27 with their grind cant be beat!
 
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lonestar1979 said:
Excellent knife,but as working knife,opinel is way more comfortable ,inexpensive,and 12c27 with their grind cant be beat!
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I do not agree.

The Opinel is just slippery in my hand, and doesn’t “lock” in as well as the Douk-Douk. It is also slower to deploy and to put away. I’ve also broken the tip off one doing very light woodworking and was not impressed. I’ve used Opinels on the job before, and do not like them for a work knife. Now for cutting food they are excellent and good little cook’s pocket knives.
 
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