Douk Douk Folding Knife 18

Other than a knife which gets used for eating when out and about (eg my excellent EKA Swede 38) I'm done with stainless steel. The most expensive I've bought is Aus 8a and the Douk-Douk's steel is better for a fraction of the money. This is the knife I carry in my whip-fettling kit when at workshops, etc. The steel is really good, the grind excellent; I love the blade shape with those two un-polished finger dents on the back; the strong spring combined with a half-cock position and decent sized ricasso make the hand safe from accidental closures so no lock required; that half-cock position allows use as a draw knife, and it works really well! The slim handle isn't the most comfortable and one will find one's hands rather than the knife's strength the limiting factor to the kind of work which can be done. However, for jack-knife duties it is fine and the low profile is easy to carry in a back pocket. Were the extra quarter inch of edge not a source of hysteria this would be my everyday carry knife. Moreover, it has "Douk-Douk" written on it, which is the cutlery equivalent of "Bongo Friendee" and is worth the purchase price alone.

An excellent folder with a very strong back spring. Not sure why it's so much more expensive with an unpainted handle, but it is.

As a collector, I bought this from a historical stand point. There is a history behind the blade that is worth reading up on if you are interested. I must admit, despite hearing about how tough it was, I was still surprised. It just doesn't look all that strong in the images I'd seen of it. How wrong I was... I found out that it was issued to French soldiers during the war and that they would often hammer the handle steel closed, turning it into a fixed blade fighting knife, and it really feels like it is up to the task. Despite its size (it is no more than 5mm thick) it is one robust little bugger! The carbon steel blade came very sharp and with a run across a strop it becomes razor. The handle is as simple as it gets, being just a folded sheet of steel (similar in build to a Higonokami type knife). It is crudely made and is not particularly comfortable to hold, but it has a rugged charm. Deployment is difficult. It has just about the strongest back spring I have ever seen on a knife. Of course this is good when it is open as you can be sure it will not close up on you fingers, but to get it open is a bit of a pain. As there is no nail nick or thumb stud to help, you have to pinch the blade to get it open and it is very resistant to opening, perhaps dangerously so. I have not yet used it enough to see if this eases up at all. From a historical standpoint, if you are at all interested in the history of knives, you really have to have one in your collection and it would even today make a good working knife, if you are not too worried about slow deployment or fancy, ergonomic designs.

This is a knife that just looks the part. A tough no nonsense blade that just does it job and has done in some very demanding places. It looks like it could have come from a grizzled 'Ancient' Legionnaire's greatcoat pocket! A must have piece for any collector of 'real world' Knives, and a real bargain still able to cope with 21st Century challenges ( of course the U.K. Legal has it's very real 'no hassle' EDC pull, but the original is just so charismatic)!

No frills here just a really simple strong razor sharp knife which is a pleasure to use and stays sharp.(needs wiping and oiling after use) Has an interesting history too its made in France but did not originate there. No nail nick to open but opens in two stages ( you still need to concentrate in order to keep your fingers intact)Look forward to the UK legal version with 2.5" blade. Ordered at 4pm arrived the following morning amazing service from HH.