The functional and durable Douk-Douk developed into an icon of knife design in the last century. Originally developed in 1928 for the French colonies in Africa and Asia, this knife has been numerously copied but the originals offered here have unmistakable characteristics. The handle scales of folded seam gunmetal plate have a convex form so that they sit better in the hand. Embossed with the symbol of the shaman for luck. To avoid injuries, the strong XC48 steel spring can also be latched in the middle position when folding the blade. The blade is decorated with ornamental patterns, hardness 53 HRC. Made by the 4th generation of Pierre Cognet in the French knife metropolis of Thiers.

Blade made of rustproof 440A steel. With leather sheath. Handle coated with epoxy resin.

 

Wikipedia source

The external engraving of the douk-douk was created in 1929 by Gaspard Cognet of Cognet, Antoine & Gaspard for sales to France's colonies in Oceania. The handle depicts a "douk-douk", or Melanesian spirit incarnation. Cognet based the design on an engraving in an illustrated dictionary. Later other designs such as the "El Baraka" and "Tiki" were developed for other regional markets, particularly in French Algeria, and even south into Sub-Saharan Africa.

Originally intended as an inexpensive utility pocket knife for the ordinary working man, the popularity of the douk-douk caused it to be pressed into service as a weapon when necessary.^[1] During the 1954-1962 FLN-led revolt in Algeria, the douk-douk was used as weapon of assassination and terror; Algerians who ran afoul of the FLN frequently had their noses removed by the knife's razor-sharp blade.^[1] It could easily be converted from a folding-blade pocket knife into a useful fixed-blade dagger by the simple expedient of hammering the ends of the sheet-metal handle together behind the blade's bolster, locking the blade into the full-open position.