Douk-Douk

Verzejd

Verzejd

Joined
Mar 16, 2002
Messages
231
Read this at the Szaboinc website:

The douk-douk is a no nonsense folding knife, all made of metal, it is super tough. No locks, no clips, The douk-douk is a perfect utility knife. Made in France, the douk-douk was a favorite with the foreign legion during the France-Algeria war. Some soldiers would bend the frame at the base of the blade to make it into a fixed blade. We have two sizes. Each for $15.00! How can you beat that!

Anyone out there have one or used one? This price looks great...what's the catch? I'm close to getting one.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
 
I have two of them. A large Douk Douk with a black blade and a small Tiki model. They are simple, straight forward knives that take a wicked edge and are so slim that you can practically them anywhere. They have no locking mechanism and operate like a slip joint folders. Compared to modern folders of today, Douk Douks are quite crude but effective cutting tools. I like them alot and have been thinking about getting one of the giant sized models, but as far as them being "favourites" in the French Foreign Legion, that's a claim I don't know much of. They've been made in France by MC Cognet originally for the Indonesian and North African markets and made their way back to France by way of Algerian immigrants.

Here's a link on the Douk Douk which explains the history and variations available: http://www.covecutlery.com/item.cfm?ItemsID=323

You can see some very nice pictures of Douk Douks at Cutlery To Go, however, they overprice many of the knives they import, so shop around. Here's their link: http://www.cutlerytogo.com/mccogcout.html
 
The blades are thin, full flat ground, and distally tapered. This not only makes them extremely good at slicing, it makes the tip almost hazardously so :eek:

I like to use a medium Douk-Douk on bread or rolls to keep them from crumbling. The blade is so sharp it doesn't break the bread up. In that sense, they are similar to another well-known French knife -- the Opinel!

How can you hate a country that makes such great toys? :D
 
One of my favorite folders. I have the medium size in carbon steel.
 
I have a small L'Ecureuil (Squirrel) also. It has a strong bail and would work well as a keychain knife. 3.5" closed, 3" flat ground spearpoint blade. Very slim, you could drop it into a jacket pocket.
 
Hi Benyamin!
merci! ;) Another great french folding knife, the NONTRON... very nice piece of history...:D
 
I've seen pictures of the Nontron at the Cutlery-To-Go website. I like the old styles, but I've never held one. Beautiful designs they use.
 
Go get one! you won't ever find more bangs for the bucks, I have one that almost never gets off me (just that into bed it could get very uncomfortable :D ) and among all my knives, it's the best slicer (flat grind), very nice for kitchen work, just like the Opinel (welcome to the club Esav!) :)
You can find another knife with similar blade profile (high hollow grind though) but with a handle made the regular way (with spacers and olive wood sides) called "Le Volcanic", just because they designed the blade and handles so that when closed, you get what you see on the horizon when you are in Thiers: volcanoes... nice slipjoint.
 
Carried one around in my back jeans pocket for a long time. Had no performance problems, had no discomfort even with that carry. Did have rust, and quite a bit of it, but I live about fifty feet from a river, so the air isn't exactly bone dry all the time.
 
hi,
a question for my eu cousins :
since i'm in italy (near france, Sanremo) do you know any online shop in france that carry the douk douk, or better a shop in Nice ?

thanks a lot
 
I suggest you to get one at "Armurerie Perse", a shop that is located in the old Nice and easy to find(it's almost right in front of the public parking "Corvesy"). If memory serves, you should get the usual model (10cm blade) for 12 euros.

Have fun with you douk-douk! :)

By the way I met the daughter of M. Cognet during the xmas vacation when I went to Thiers (the french cutlery capital town) and she told me a bit of history about the use of the douks in algeria: they were mostly used by the fellagas to kill French-friendly people (usually by cutting the throat, just an old habit :/), because it was easy to make it a fixed blade and easy to hide under the foot into a baboush. Following such events, the government decided to seal all the shipments getting out the knife factory where the douks were made, until the end of war with Algeria. :(

Salut Olivier! (tu peux lire tes mails perso ou les serveurs danois sont aussi en carafe?)
 
merci Fk and Olivier
i will go there next time i go visit the modern art museum, i think i know the place , it's near the place du marchee aux fleurs, where on monday there's the antiquities market...

thanks for the infos, for the online french cutlery shop i've found a few links on google, will check them.

my best to everybody
 
I have two of the medium size. I like them. They cut very well. I use them to improve my free hand sharpening ability. The last one I bought in Thiers last summer for €10. I met mister Cognet at the Belgium knife show in November. He showed me the cross between a Douk-Douk and a Thiers he had on him.

Nice traditional working knives.

Check out

JDthis review by Fred Perrin.
 
Bought mine from Laci. It's pretty much exactly what it says. No nonsense little folder. Cuts well, carries well. it's a good knife for the bucks. I say grab one.
 
Originally posted by PWork
Is the Douk-Douk available in stainless?

Paul
Click to expand...

If I remember correctly, the L'ecuri... the squirrel variety with the spearpoint blade is stainless.
 
There is a stainless version of the Douk, but I'd rather recommend the carbon steel one... except if you're planning to go diving with your Douk :D
 
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