French Douk-Douk and Okapi

[jackknife]

Has anyone heard or used these knives? I've seen them advertised is a few catalogues and wondered if they were a decent working knife. I like simple carbon steel single bladed knives like the Opinels, and these seem to be of that type.

Any good?

 

[jpdchef]

don't know douk-douk. Really like my okapi's(south africa) they come very dull-but sharpen up(and re-sharpen) quite easily.Plus they're really cheap so if you lose them they can be replaced easily.

 

[jpdchef]

P.S. try here for a vendor if you're interested in these--http://www.ragweedforge.com/HistoricalKnifeCatalog.html

 

[Esav Benyamin]

The Okapi is really a bargain-basement knife, not up to the quality of an Opinel at all. But they have their place, if only as an historical curiosity. They certainly have done a lot of good work for people who otherwise might have been chipping flint for a cutting edge.

On the other hand, the Douk-Douk is a rather sophisticated little folder, simply constructed as it is. It is an incredible cutter. It keeps that great edge and sharpens easily. The blade is thin, distally tapered, and flat ground.

It comes in a range of sizes and the same basic knife is also available in the Tiki and L'ecureil models. My small L'ecureil (The Squirrel) could hide in a wallet -- but these are high-carbon steel, so they do require some attention to maintenance.