The gentleman's pocketknife (Opinel vs. Douk-Douk)

I keep a #8 and #10 Opinel handy in my kitchen. I have carried the Mercator and Douk Douks as EDC over the years. The small L'Ecureuil (squirrel) makes a nice keychain knife. It is a spearpoint Douk variant. My latest is the Vendetta, a Corsican Douk variant. Still too tight, it needs lube and working to smooth out the pivot. Beautiful evil shark of a knife :D

Incidentally, check out all these knives on FortyTwoBlades website.
 
My 2 cents...

First, I think you've hit upon a fundamental difference in knife design: flat handle vs round (or squarish).

IME, flat carries better. Much better. When I have to be in dress pants, I reach for this Buck 500.
Buck 500 Duke and Micra by Pinnah, on Flickr


But, IME, round/square give me a better feel in my hand, particularly if I'm going to be using the knife for a long time or cutting hard materials. Of all the knives mentioned in this thread so far (that I've used), a modified Opinel #9 gives me the best feel in the hand. Note, I sand the sides down for better pocket carry and better torsional control and I round off the butt end a bit to get rid of a hot spot in the heel of my hand. With these mods, no folding knife I've used comes close to the feel of an Opinel 9 (or 10). It is also the most rugged. But on the downside, it's the most fiddly. You need to tune the joint and melt wax into the wood there to control swelling.

Opinel 9 Inox and Micra by Pinnah, on Flickr

For general light use, the classic Sodbuster is very nice. It's a great a table/food knife (as is the Opinel 9). But several things frustrate me about it. First, the handle is too small around and I can't get a firm grip on the knife when hard cutting. The taller handle of the Buck 500 is actually much better for hard cutting, despite being about 2mm thinner. The Buck 110 is also better in the hand. Also, after living with convex grind of the Opinel, the flat grind of the Sodbuster just doesn't keep up. I carry the Sodbuster occasionally but always come back to the Opinel.

Case Large Sodbuster and Micra by Pinnah, on Flickr

Regarding the term "gentleman's folder", I think this is an emotionally charged term. I think most folks would consider the smaller brother of the Buck 500, the Buck 501 a "gentleman's folder". When I hear the term, I generally think of fancy pocket jewelry. Classy in a Jaguar or Mercedes way, which is to say a bit effete for my tastes. Other words are ostentatious or simply trying too hard.

I don't care if somebody thinks I'm a "gentleman" or financially successful. What I do care about is the ability to use my knife in public without causing public alarm. A modified Opinel (or a stock one with fancy wood) can be used in public in this way. Among all the knives I own, it gets the most favorable comments from non-knife people. It also cuts the best, feels the best in my hand and is the most durable.

Opinel by Pinnah, on Flickr
 
Well, Pinnah pretty much covered everything I had to say... :thumbup:

But... there is big big magic in the Douk-Douk, B'wana. Big big magic... :eek::D:p

doukdouk02_zpsdhyavch8.jpg


Just remember, OP: the thing that makes any knife a 'gentleman's knife', is the feller carrying it... :)

-Brett
 
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Esav Benyamin said:
I keep a #8 and #10 Opinel handy in my kitchen. I have carried the Mercator and Douk Douks as EDC over the years. The small L'Ecureuil (squirrel) makes a nice keychain knife. It is a spearpoint Douk variant. My latest is the Vendetta, a Corsican Douk variant. Still too tight, it needs lube and working to smooth out the pivot. Beautiful evil shark of a knife :D

Incidentally, check out all these knives on FortyTwoBlades website.
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My vendetta model is also very tight\stiff. Much more so than the standard version. Glad to hear it loosens up over time.
 
marcinek said:
I just did and you beat me to it. Love both knives, but they are not what we consider "gentleman's knives." Not at all. Think "elegant" and "exotic materials." Fancy.

So, not really "irony" as much as "wrong."
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It's horribly immature to refer to someone's opinion as "wrong". Everything is subjective. I like both knives I'm considering and I think they convey the sort of vibe I'm going for. If you don't agree or have anything constructive to say then that's fantastic but I don't need to hear about it.

You said you love both knives. I would have appreciated your input regarding them beyond if you find them classy or not.

To everyone else, thank you. I now have a few new options to consider. That Sodbuster and the Japanese blade look great!
 
statesevens said:
Everything is subjective. I like both knives I'm considering and I think they convey the sort of vibe I'm going for. If you don't agree or have anything constructive to say then that's fantastic but I don't need to hear about it.
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Except for facts. If you like those knives, great. I like them too. Got an Opinel on me right now.

But scurvy is right. Neither is what is considered a gentleman's knife, in the knife world.

Sorry. Feel free to not listen.
 
I have had both and kept the doukdouk. Opinels being round are not close to be being as comfortable as the flat doukdouk. A gentleman who wants to look good can do w/o 4" round bulges in his front pockets, a douk douk is so flat it can even go in a back pocket.
 
I find the Douk Douk to be much more comfortable to carry than the Opinel but the Opinel is a better slicer. You might want to check out MAM knives, I find them to be more pocket friendly than the Opinel and a better slicer than the Douk Douk. Some of the MAM knives come with a liner lock, if you prefer a lock.
24654675320_eb509acde8_b.jpg
 
I have been using an Opinel #8 for the last two weeks and just love it. I work in a huge warehouse full of heavy steel items and have used it to cut many boxes and strapping and I can say it has held up well and will do any task I will ever need in day to day usage. I picked it up locally in Kansas City at a hardware store for $11.95 , can`t beat the price. It slices right through cardboard , better than my $300 knives , because the blade is so thin , but still sturdy.
 
I wouldn't call them gentleman's knives either. I am not sure what to call them. They belong to a class of knives that to my mind is exemplified by Opinel and Mora, but also includes Mercator, Douk-Douk, MAM, Aitor, Marttiini, Higokonami, Hultafors, Svord peasant, and Condor. There are no doubt others; those are just the ones I have accumulated. Relatively inexpensive, usually with some kind of national or ethnic tradition behind them. Blue-collar knives, ethnic working knives, hipster knives? Okapi/Kudu. The sodbuster, or "Hippekniep", had a long history in Europe as a working knife before it came here.
 
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Both are squarely in the realm of working class knives.

The douk douk has the darker backstory. The knife still has a stigma in some circles due to the ignoble use it saw in the french algerian war.
 
flatblackcapo said:
I find the Douk Douk to be much more comfortable to carry than the Opinel but the Opinel is a better slicer. You might want to check out MAM knives, I find them to be more pocket friendly than the Opinel and a better slicer than the Douk Douk. Some of the MAM knives come with a liner lock, if you prefer a lock.
24654675320_eb509acde8_b.jpg
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Man that knife screams "MOD ME!" :cool:
 
I've got some size 9 Opinels and a 12. Believe me the 12 does not feel very gentlemanly. Leave a 12 in your pocket and someone will mistake you for scarfing some Viagra.
 
strategy9 said:
This...

If you can only afford one, you're in some real financial dispair and probably should not buy either... Buying both let's you decide, instead of relying on any of our opinions.
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That is ignorant. There are plenty of places in the world where either one represents a nontrivial investment. Even for educated and employed folks.
 
upnorth said:
I've got some size 9 Opinels and a 12. Believe me the 12 does not feel very gentlemanly. Leave a 12 in your pocket and someone will mistake you for scarfing some Viagra.
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Wasn't it Mae West who said, "Is that a No. 12 in your pocket. or are you glad to see me?"
 
Wow. I see inferences about my level of income, and that I must be in financial ruin because I won't budget enough money to buy two knives when I feel one will do. Elitism based on what my definition of "gentleman" is compared to the apparent knife industry definition. Some of you really do a shite job welcoming newcomers to this site.

To those who provided photos/constructive advice, I genuinely appreciate it. I've taken what you've said to heart and I know which blade to get.
 
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I don't own the DD, but I do the Opinel #8. It is a great knife, and probably the best I own for slicing because of the full (or is it flat?) grind, and it gets very sharp. Here are a couple things I don't like about it that you might want to consider.

#1 It is hard to open. A lot of other people say this, and it is true. I have found it impossible to open with one hand, which means you have to set down whatever you are working on to just get it open. It is equally hard to close. And no, it doesn't get much better with use.

#2 It is uncomfortable in your pocket. To tell the truth, this is the worse of the two problems in my opinion. The handle of the opinel is rather thick, compared to just about any other pocket knife. Because it is lacking a pocket clip, it settles to the bottom of your pocket, and is simply uncomfortable. And I am not one to complain about stuff in my pockets. Don't get me wrong, the thicker handle fills your hand really nice, but in my mind it is just too thick for an EDC. At the end of the day the Leatherman ends up in my pocket.

So, would I buy it again, yes. But it won't be in my pocket every day. I haven't tried the Douk-Douk, but its thinner profile sounds really nice.
 
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