Douk Douk Steel Handled Folder

Handmade since 1929 by the same Cognet family of Thiers, France! Created by Gaston Cognet in 1929 to be a tough, practical knife, the Douk-Douk was originally a peasant’s knife, created for idyllic pastimes like slicing cheese, cutting rope, and skinning sheep. As the story is told, Mr. Cognet intended to sell the knives to Micronesia, and he found an illustration of the Douk Douk (the Melanesian spirit god) in an encyclopedia and liked it enough to engrave it on his handles. The knife flopped in Micronesia, where apparently the Douk-Douk is a malevolent spirit, but the knife did very well in North Africa and other regions. A unique name and a unique image, all from the same source.

These knives are made today by the same family (including a great-great-grandson), and the blades are still hollow-ground on watered grinding wheels. The easy-to-sharpen, high carbon steel blade is hardened to a Rockwell of 50-53 and is known for its modified scimitar profile. One piece of Ferro blackened steel is rolled over at the spine, creating a thin handle (only 1/4" thick) that easily slides into a pocket (the overall feel of this knife reminds us a lot of the German Army "Cat" knife). The blade is etched with an image of the Douk Douk and scroll-work. Only 10 people in the whole world make these unique EDC knives!

• Overall: 7-7/8"
• Blade: 3-7/8", just under 1/8" thick
• Wt: 2.4 oz