DOUK-DOUK:
Patented in 1930 by Gaspard Cognet, a member of an ancient family of French knife zone Thiers devoted mainly for export to the vast territories of the globe, the Douk-Douk, was born precisely to be sold in the markets of New Guinea that, after the War 14-18, with rarefarsi other important markets such as Russian, then seemed fertile ground. Hence the idea to decorate the handle of the new knife with the design of a local sorcerer with the voluminous dress-form in wicker, leaves, straw, taken from an illustration of the Larousse dictionary.
The knife is very simple, all six pieces, including two pins: a plate shaped, and bent tranciata U is the robust and thin handle that houses the spring and excellent blade; at the opposite of this, it focuses a crushed ring suspension; the blade, in its original version and characteristic, is a scimitar, steel (65% carbon, 0.70% manganese, 30% silicon) with firmness (temperate) of about 50 Rockwell. It is produced in two standard sizes.
Cost limited, therefore, for a functional object, of extreme simplicity: it was the formula for success. Although Melanesia as the market was a disappointment, the Douk-Douk was distributed in North Africa and subsequently taken foot in Europe to become a kind of pocket knife French National Assembly. The myth of Douk-Douk was born with his spread between the criminal underworld and especially with the use which did killers of the FLN: were so many French military that ended with his throat cut by the knife that during the war of Algeria the army classified as war material and forbade the introduction on the territory. At this point, to offset the damage to producers, a large number of copies was distributed to soldiers of the French Legion and other forsze as tactical knife. It ended very often to be protagonist of fights, injuries and things like that is in defence that offense. On the other hand, because of its shape extremely flat, could be good to be concealed in a rim, in a bend in a cap and also made it easy, if necessary, discard them.
Since 1958 its spreading in 'black Africa was very high.
Del Douk-Douk were produced many different variations between them especially for the name and design imprinted on the handle and blade.
Here's a brief description and listing based on written on these handles.
Ecureuil: Nickel on the handle a squirrel on a branch; conventional blade tip with the center, intended for the French market.
The Baraka: handle Nickel or chrome bearing the cross of Agades; blade with the tip on the wire.
The Saharien: scimitar blade with a crescent and star and the name written in Arabic; burnished handle on the cross of Agades and the inscription The Baraka.
The Ed-Dib: two versions. The first blade with a scimitar with the figure of a squirrel repeated on the neck with the name, and the other with blade tip with the center decorated by the jackal. Handles bruniti.
The Lion: blade tip with the center and part of the back tilted toward the tip, bearing the name in Arabic; burnished on the neck, a big lion.
The Tiki: Douk-Douk classic on the neck with a nickel-plated idol Polynesian: A second version has the blade wide, rounded like "Marine" engraved on a pirogue Polynesian sailing.
RDA: 'a Douk-Douk with the blade three tam tam each loaded by an initial. RDA is Republique D'mocratique Africaine; handle painted bright colors in red, blue or green with the inscription 'Roal Drums Ancestors'. It was commissioned by Houmphret Boigny for the election campaign of 1958 that led to his election and the foundation of the independent state of Ivory Coast.
The Lavrette: similar all'Ecureuil with the blade drawing of a rabbit.
The Bundu: version applied on the neck two guancette printed imbutite, cordonate relief obliquely and at the above two short elsetti; exists in version with and without external arrest; blade tip with the center.
The Boussadia: 'Bundu with a guancette cordonate fittamente and blade is pointing to the center with both scimitar. With and without stopping outside.
Like all things successful, the Douk.Douk was copied in France and abroad (with names like Cow Boy, Cheik, etc.) and, in the version, even by Japanese Bundu (Bandit).
Produced today in stainless steel 440, the Douk Douk is in two sizes, in more recent times was produced in giant version (Geant) with the neck slightly "pregnant" in the center and wooden box.
